The Marysvale Trilogy by Jared Southwick (Marysvale, Alyth, and Anam)

        The Marysvale Trilogy consists of three books, Marysvale, Alyth, and Anam, and follows John Casey, a young man with a secret: in a world where people who are different are ostracized and even persecuted, John has the supernatural ability to read souls. John can easily tell what emotions the people around him are feeling, as well as being able to read their thoughts with a bit of effort. After John angers the town’s magistrate, a man with complete influence over the townspeople, he is accused of witchcraft and pursued by a torch-carrying mob. John’s only choice if he is to survive is to flee the village of Syre, but he escapes one bad situation just to fall into another, for after he escapes mob’s clutches, John discovers that he is being chased by a far more terrifying foe: a seven foot tall, ape-like creature with a gaping vortex where its soul should be.

        John escapes the creature’s clutches when he stumbles upon the only sign of human civilization in miles, a farm occupied by a lone woman and her dog. He soon finds out that those who enter the territory of nearby fortress Marysvale never leave. Those who try to escape the territory are mauled by the vicious monsters and are never seen again… those who get out of the fortress of Marysvale first, that is. This is because the people of Marysvale have sacrificed everything in the name of security: their labor, their weapons, and even a large tithe of their food are sacrificed to the aristocratic governor of Marysvale. More than that, the people of Marysvale have sacrificed their freedom, and the powers-that-be like things the way they are.

        Enter John Casey, a free-thinking, rebellious young man who is used to playing by his own rules.

Things I didn’t like about The Marysvale Trilogy:

• The Marysvale Trilogy is littered with typos (“immerge” for “emerge”) and malapropisms (“bazaar” in place of “bizarre”). I’ve noticed that extremely poor editing is a pattern among ebooks (at least Kindle’s). What gives? 
• The plot, at times, can become a little predictable. As someone who reads a LOT of fantasy books, I am sometimes able to guess what will happen, but with these books it was easier than usual because...
• These books can at times get a bit repetitive. Obviously John’s supernatural powers are going to get him into a lot of trouble with the superstitious and conservative villagers he encounters, but after several episodes in which John is accused of witchcraft, with all of the ensuing repercussions, this aspect of the story line becomes a bit stale. The trilogy really picks up steam, however, when shit hits the fan and John is left in charge of a group of refugees, the majority of which believe he is a devil who possesses the people who support him. From this point on predictability was not an issue for me; I was pleasantly surprised by some of the ensuing plot twists.

Things that I liked about The Marysvale Trilogy:

• The first one is FREE on Kindle! Yes, you read that correctly. Marysvale is 100% free on the Kindle and you can download it here. I actually discovered this series because I am on the mailing list of the website ebookfling, which has a system that enables people with lendable ebooks to “fling” them anonymously to other users in exchange for a credit towards downloading any of the lendable ebooks listed on the site. ebookfling also has a regular email to inform members of “weekly steals” on Amazon, which are book promotions where the Kindle version of a book is available for download for FREE! This is actually how I discovered the first book in The Hunger Games series.
• The Plot: The author, Jared Southwick, is not afraid to go dark. The Marysvale Trilogy has many violent scenes, although they are never unnecessarily graphic. These books also show some of the uglier sides of humanity—man’s blind hatred and fear of the unknown, disloyalty and betrayal, cronyism and nepotism, and the pursuit of power at all costs. Some of the trilogy’s themes have resonance in today’s world: government overreach, intolerance, and the dilemma concerning the boundaries between security and freedom. The Marysvale Trilogy manages to be relevant to today’s world without coming off as political or overly preachy. 
• The Characters: John, the main character, is not a perfect guy. John is angry (justifiably so) and sometimes broody, but is committed to helping even the people who fear and loathe him for his unnatural powers. In fact, his short temper frequently exacerbates already tense situations, but in my opinion, this is a good thing because he has a strong personality; John is actually a breath of fresh air when contrasted with his dull love-interest, Jane, whose character does not really add much to the story (fortunately, the romance in this series is incidental and Jane does not have a huge role). Jane’s little sister, Hannah, however, is probably the book’s strongest character. Hannah, a kickass sharpshooter who wants to become a general in a world in which women have few rights and even less respect, provides the book’s comic relief. Most of the book’s funniest moments come from Hannah’s policing of John and Jane’s developing relationship. Hannah has a capital-a Attitude and knows how to employ it to good use. It is worth noting that all of the series’ important female characters are strong, admirable women (even Jane).
• The Final Showdown! I won’t give anything away, but the resolution of the trilogy is suspenseful and at times surprising.

        So would I recommend The Marysvale Trilogy? Yes. Although these books have not placed Jared Southwick on my “favorite authors list”, all three of the Marysvale books were thoughtful and entertaining. These books are a mix of mind-magic, monsters, western-style sharpshooting, politics and the fight against oppression, and feature a strong protagonist and even stronger supporting female characters. Plus, if you have a Kindle, the first one is free, so what do you have to lose? Check it out.