Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Tembreull invents a masterfully creative world where Earth is on the verge of extinction—by way of humankind's own self-destructive tendencies. Texas has seceded, violence abounds, and protagonist Arden must protect his group of Druids from the oncoming devastation. The plot is ambitious, but Tembreull succeeds in a thoughtful contemplation of the interplay between humans and nature.
Prose: The prose can be dense, weighed down at times by Tembreull's introspective style, but the worldbuilding here excels. Readers will be absorbed by the story's dichotomy between the tangible and the otherworldly.
Originality: Fractured State in the Blighted Earth combines a myriad of moving parts, from epic adventure to spirituality to the nature of chaos itself, but its study on humanity's wreckage of Earth is most stirring.
Character/Execution: Tembreull's characters are a study in contrasts: transcendentals, like the Sentient Winds and elementals, both pursue and safeguard Earth, while the human cast navigates a world where mythos and the real world intersect. The characters' complexity and depth drive the novel.
Date Submitted: July 26, 2024
Earth is on the verge of being judged unworthy and devoured by alien entities in Tembruell’s SF thriller, the first in a series.In a hell-world in the center of outer-space’s Dark Matter realm abide the Inani, batlike humanoids who inspired the infamous real-life West Virginia cryptid “Mothman.” They devour unpromising or nonessential planets to sustain themselves; Earth is on the menu, doomed by its detrimental, self-destructive apex species, the greedy and violent Homo sapiens. Earth actually had potential, as evidenced by the nature-centered culture and cosmology of North America’s Indigenous peoples, but they were extirpated by European invaders who were armed with bigotry, firepower, and religious fervor. Present-day humanity (manipulated by secret agents of Chaos) suffers under climate change and political discord. In midst of natural disasters and fascist militias, the state of Texas secedes to be become the brutal Lone Star Nation. (However, it still contains champions and “elementals” on Earth Mother’s side.) Arden McBride is a traumatized veteran of the United States’ invasion of Iraq. Now a born-again “Druid,” he serves as mystic protector of a handful of nature-loving Austin-based pagans running from conservative gun-nut death squads. Other heroes include Komkom “Kwin” Akwini, a talking tree (the mighty Kwin?), and STEM, an elemental spirit who became entangled in a new manmade “innerverse” (the internet) and struggles to comprehend a Donald Trump-era miasma of digital disinformation and hostility. But what of the Mothman? See next installment. This book is very much a stage-setting opener, drawing from the same author-illustrator’s earlier linked short-story compendium, Stories, Legends and Truths From the Blighted Earth (2023). A veritable cornucopia of anthropological musings and introspection accompanies the slight storyline, which is rich in abstruse language and word invention (“Chaos’s En’Troop-EE had invaded the Web with an ingeniously conceived and well-executed insurgency of hate, infiltrating all exchanged processes”) and short on positive things to say about Western civilization. Timely references to 21st-century pathologies distinguish the story from artifacts of the literary era when Carlos Castaneda’s Don Juan did or didn’t walk the Earth.A vision quest–like eco-fantasy musing on the anguished conditions of modern Earth.
Our Verdict: GET IT!
Fractured State by R.M. Tembreull is a riveting fusion of mythology and dystopia, set in a future America where Texas has seceded and fallen under extremist control. The protagonist, Arden, a distinguished veteran, is tasked with safeguarding a community of Druids known as Hearthstone Grove. Branded as religious deviants by the new Texas republic, Arden and his community must navigate a perilous world where reality, mythology, and technology intersect, facing relentless threats to their survival.
Tembreull’s writing is a tapestry of vivid imagery and intricate world-building. From the very first chapter, the reader is plunged into a narrative that oscillates between the human and the supernatural, the real and the mythic. The prologue, “Purgatorium,” sets the tone with its exploration of a metaphysical state that restricts spiritual growth, offering a powerful metaphor for the constraints facing the characters and, by extension, humanity. Tembreull’s ability to weave together such high-concept ideas with grounded, relatable human experiences is one of the novel’s standout features. One of the novel’s strengths lies in its character development. The characters, both human and otherworldly, are well-crafted and multi-dimensional. The Sentient Winds and Elementals, like Nilch’i and Parim, are not just forces of nature but entities with personal vendettas and deep emotional landscapes. The human characters, such as Kieran McBride, embody the struggles and resilience of those living on the margins of society. This duality is best exemplified in the interactions between the elemental beings and their human counterparts, which are fraught with tension and profound moments of insight. The narrative is rich with lore and exposition, which, while fascinating, can occasionally overwhelm the reader. The detailed descriptions of the universe’s creation and the Inani’s home world, Calisphaer, are particularly dense. While these sections add depth to the story, they also slow down the pacing. Readers who enjoy meticulously crafted worlds will appreciate this attention to detail, but those looking for a more straightforward narrative might find it challenging.
Fractured State is a compelling read for those who enjoy deep, intricate world-building and complex characters. Tembreull’s narrative is both a cautionary tale and an epic fantasy, blending real-world issues with mythic elements to create a story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. This book is highly recommended for fans of speculative fiction and those who appreciate a richly detailed universe that challenges the reader to think critically about the world around them.
Reviewed by Manik Chaturmutha for Readers' Favorite
Fractured State by R.M. Tembreull tells an exciting story that fuses cosmic mythos with a deep dystopian view of modern America, rethinking old legends and current social problems, and combining thoughtful insights with engaging storytelling. The story follows Arden, a homeless veteran who becomes the protector of Hearthstone Grove, a refuge for people seeking peace in a chaotic world. When Texas secedes and extremists take control, Arden and his community face threats from the new regime and radicalized individuals. Guided by spiritual forces and dealing with personal challenges, Arden navigates a world where real and virtual realities mix, fighting widespread hate and social chaos. The book delves into the consequences of human actions on both a cosmic and societal scale, exploring the dual nature of humanity's potential for creation and destruction. It explores the impact of historical and contemporary events, prompting readers to think about the fragility of democracy and the environment.
The author presents Mothman as an ancient cosmic being in a deep narrative that rethinks human history and mythology. It also explores the Inani and their energy-extraction practices, highlighting humanity's self-destructive ways and environmental damage. The writing is both intricate and expansive. The writing skillfully captures the complex interplay of emotions and deep thoughts. The tone is both somber and reflective, offering a scary view of societal breakdown, environmental degradation, and the rise of authoritarianism. The detailed setting and the tone create a tense and ominous atmosphere. The characters and their emotions are strong, especially the central character, Arden, whose journey is marked by his deep spiritual sensitivity. His path from trauma to resilience is poignantly depicted, revealing the complex emotions of the characters. Arden's connection with Kwin, a spirit of the trees, adds a touch of mystical realism, highlighting themes of belonging and spiritual development. This book is a powerful allegory for contemporary societal challenges and offers a compelling call to action. R.M. Tembreull's Fractured State is a thought-provoking story that takes readers through a fractured world, encouraging them to think about the fine line between destruction and renewal. A highly recommended and relevant read for today's world.
Reviewed By: Cristina Prescott
R.M. Tembreull’s Fractured State, the inaugural entry in the Blighted Earth series, blends dystopian fiction and socio-political commentary to examine chaos, existential risk, and human folly. Set against the backdrop of a fractured modern society teetering on the brink of collapse, Tembreull crafts a narrative that is both intricate and unsettling, weaving together various storytelling threads that highlight humanity's struggles with ideological extremism, environmental degradation, and the pursuit of power. Chaos, the Destroyer, unleashes his most audacious campaign, aiming to initiate the Great Cascade and plunge North America into the Discordant. As the eternal struggle between order and chaos escalates, Earth Mother’s Natural Order faces its greatest threat from the corrupted force of the En'Troop-EE. With the High Sentients falling short in numbers, the delicate balance of life is threatened. The story launches with a rich, expansive world that mirrors our current reality yet extends into speculative territory. Tembreull's ability to depict a world rife with extremes is particularly striking. The author cleverly personifies elemental forces—Chaos, Earth, Fire, and Wind—imbuing them with sentience, providing an otherworldly depth that emphasizes the stakes of the human condition. Tembreull presents chaos as a manipulative force, intertwining its influence with humanity’s inherent impulses, thus illustrating the cyclical nature of violence and division that is all too relevant today. Key characters anchor the narrative, notably Arden, who embodies the struggle for redemption amidst trauma and loss. Tembreull’s portrayal of Arden, a former soldier facing the ghosts of his past as he defends his Druidic community from a hate-fueled mob, showcases the internal conflict that resonates deeply with readers. The revelations of class disparities, environmental destruction, and the failures of societal structures are deftly integrated into Arden's journey. Additionally, Tembreull’s prose is evocative, bringing to life the emotional weight of the explored themes. The elegant prose has fascinating details, thought-provoking dialogues, and vivid descriptions. Fractured State engages readers with its exceptional character arcs. It is a bold opening to what promises to be an enthralling series that explores resonant themes. The narrative structure is immersive, cycling through various perspectives, enabling the reader to experience the breadth of societal fractures in this fabricated dystopia. Tembreull’s prose enacts a powerful emotional resonance, and the exploration of extremism—a central theme in the narrative—is a disturbing mirror of today's societal fractures. The author also exhibits a profound understanding of emotion as a driving force within the characters and a commentary on current events. Tembreull challenges readers to recognize the pressing need for unity and empathy in turbulent times by interspersing real-world political allusions with fiction.
Join Atmosphere Press for a reading and discussion with Matthew J. McKee (Flicker), Tab Stephens (Auraria), and R.M. Tembreull (Fractured State) on Atmosphere Press's YouTube Channel.
Fractured State follows a man entrusted with safeguarding a community of Druids who must navigate a perilous world where reality, mythology, and technology intersect and face relentless threats to survival. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
Great question. Fractured State occurs within the world of The Blighted Earth, where humankind is both the planet’s dominant species and ‘the blight.’ Thus, the level of frustration and even disdain for humanity which bleeds through in the narrative leads the reader to question the narrator’s origin and species—High Sentient? Likely, an elemental or Guardian Spirit. For the series, the downstream story arcs were fleshed out first, and I had to map primary story arcs back to Book One to set the stage and create the conditions for what was going to happen later. I needed a great character who captured our species’ duality—flawed and yet possessing great potential; an aspect of the human condition which so vexes the High Sentients. As a combat veteran myself, I am intimately familiar with the challenges and struggles facing many of our military veterans, and as an obscure, religious minority, Druidry presented a likely target for discrimination while also possessing strong ties to nature. Finally, I needed an effective counter to Chaos’s shadow campaign to weaponize human emotion, which spawned the concept of the fúath slugair or ‘Hate-eater’—hence, Arden was born!
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
To “set the table” for the Blighted Earth series, I needed the right set of conditions for Chaos to exploit in His relentless pursuit to initiate the Great Cascade and bring about the Discordant on Earth. The makings of environmental catastrophe (extended drought, wildfires, natural habitat erosion, human over-settlement, etc.) have been present and worsening for some time, with climate change driving more destructive weather extremes. Additionally, the novel was written during the trials and tribulations we all endured during the COVID pandemic and the unfortunate events in the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election. When coupled with all the emerging threats, conflicts, and uncertainty which have emerged in last few years, as well as their corresponding negative effects on our collective state of mind and emotions, the real world itself provided all the drama and necessary ingredients for ruinous potential at continental scale. The final step was to inject the enduring struggle of otherworldly entities and supernatural beings into volatile mix—and “voila”—this author had everything he needed to create the “fractured state.” As far as changes during the writing process, extraordinarily little changed in the overall setting in the United States, but local places, encounters, and characters within Arden’s story arc changed as his supernatural powers and the overall impact he was to have in the series gained greater fidelity. These factors then shaped more ‘tactical’ aspects of the novel, such as finding the right settings and locations within the state of Texas.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I explore several themes in Fractured State, and to me, some of the more important ones are:
- Human belief systems and the huge impacts they have had on the environment and biodiversity of our world: How would things be different if we all adopted the Lakota philosophy of “we are all relatives?” We are the planet’s dominant species, but that does not place us ‘above’ other living things; non-human species are not just resources to be exploited. Humankind’s role obligates us to serve as the Earth’s stewards for the benefit of all life. Taking this concept another huge step further, how would our approach to life and living change if we were all children of a sentient planet?
- The adverse impacts of our technology: Human innovation and the ability to “make tools” to enhance our abilities and our lives has always been a strength, but it also has the negative corollary effects of extending the reach, influence, and power of bad actors. I would go as far as to say that, in many ways, technology is contributing to our “devolution” as a species.
- The rise of incivility in our civilization: The human attributes which enabled our meteoric rise to the top of the food chain—cooperation, communication, community—are being rent apart by divisiveness, corruption, and dishonesty within society. It is like a contagious disease which is fundamentally changing us for the worse and causing us to turn our backs on the things that made us “great.”
- Storytelling, one of humanity’s other great attributes, is also being co-opted to insidious ends: This is nothing new in our relatively short history as a species, but the line between exaggeration and lie has gone from blurred to practically nonexistent. Worse, the power of lies proliferated by influential people has been exponentially magnified by our own technologies.
- The process of radicalization and the rising threat of ‘homegrown’ violent extremists to our American democracy: In a world where life resources are becoming ever more limited and contested, while the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” continues to grow, the numbers of disenfranchised citizens continue to grow. They are the target population for radicalization, and everything previously mentioned amplifies the ability of extreme actors to make more converts more quickly … and they do not even have to be in the same room, or state, or even in our country!
When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Great news: Blighted Earth fans can expect to see Long Leg from the Blight Earth sometime next year. I am pretty far along in knitting together and refining the manuscript from the initial draft. In fact, I actually have the rough drafts completed for the next three books in what is currently planned to be a nine-book series. In terms of Book Two expectations: expect the unexpected! Another story arc begins with a new cast of characters who will have to accept the baton and carry the gripping narrative forward in the Natural Order’s struggle against Chaos and his minions. Where will Book Two take place? Hint: pay careful attention to Parim’s words towards the end of the Fractured State epilogue. Lastly, though it is hard to pick favorites, Book Two is one of the stories I really want to share with the world!
R.M. Tembreull's "Fractured State in the Blighted Earth" was among the select group of books honored with Literary Titan's Silver Book Award in September 2024 with the following praise:
"Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality."
