Widdershins by Alex Alexander My rating: 4 of 5 stars Review now live at Grimdark Magazine Widdershins begins in the slums, where we meet our protagonist Niclas. It’s difficult to call him hero, as he’s a pretty simple lad and if we’re being honest, he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. He means well and tries to do the right thing, but he’s just not cut out for great heroics. What’s unfortunate for Niclas is that he’s thrust into a series of situations where if he can’t be heroic, at least he is around others that can. The first thing he does is bungle a pickpocket assignment he’s given as a rite of passage into the top slum gang, the Crimson Men. But after he lands in prison, he’s rescued by a talking cat named Balthazar. “It was the first time Niclas had seen a cat smile. The majority of it is in their eyes – their narrow, mischievous eyes.” The city of Laburnum is ruled by a monarchy, but the real power is the Academy, whose laws are
