As the story unravels, Merion transforms from a protagonist that you reluctantly root for, to a young man who has earned your respect, not just for the challenges he has overcome, but for his ability to learn from his early mistakes and experiences. While the Merion readers meet at the beginning of the book merely wants to return for vengeance and a return to the comforts of home, Merion slowly comes to understand who his enemies are and why they must be stopped. Over the course of the series, Merion’s desire to return to London never wanes, but Galley does a good job of slowly changing Merion’s motivations as he matures. He’s childish, impetuous and spoiled, and wants nothing more than to return to London and run his father’s estate, even though it’s debatable whether he’s actually ready for such responsibility. In the early-going, Merion is something of an annoying hero. Per his father’s instructions, Merion (and his fairy best friend, Rhin) make their way to the American West, where they are to be reunited with their aunt Lillain. The book introduced readers to Tonmerion Harlequin Hark, a young British lord whose father was just found murdered on the steps of his own estate.

The series debut, Bloodrush, was Galley’s entry into Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, where it placed second amongst more than 300 self-published fantasy entries, behind only Michael McClung’s The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids. With the final book in the trilogy, Bloodfeud, Galley wraps up a consistently strong self-published series that introduced readers to likeable characters, an interesting magic system and settings that included alternate versions of the American Old West and London. Just like its protagonist, Ben Galley’s Scarlet Star Trilogy is a series constantly on the move, constantly growing and changing from a coming-of-age fantasy/western hybrid to an adventure set in an alternate London.

Bloodfeud by Ben Galley