A Reduction of Men (2020)
An Adventure.
A Work of Literary Fiction.
An Epic Fantasy.
An expedition into an uncharted desert region has broken young Mister Hyggens. He wants to go home. The world, however, will give him no such rest. He’s dangerous and doubted, yet an international league needs an advisor for a military force entering the very realm that haunts him. An ancient and isolationist country known as The Land of Ten Thousand Princes exists just beyond the desert he has seen—and they are a deadly people. Why would he go back?
"Dykehouse shows a tour de force with a dazzling display of his knowledge of military small unit tactics, candy making, church ritual, sailing ships, aboriginal civilizations and chemical warfare. A toe scrunching good read."
-Brigadier General James Mobley, MD (Retired)
Paperback $21.99
Hardcover $29.99
eBook $5.99
What People Are Saying about
A Reduction of Men
"[Hyggens] is like the terrifyingly calm eye of a tornado"
"I cannot compliment Dykehouse enough on every aspect of this story. The dialogue is witty and authentic, the narrative is intelligent, and the world-building with nautical and urban life, carriages and expedition crews, the dangerous Rim, and a sea that swallows unwelcome intruders is incredible."
Jamie Michele, best-selling and award-winning author
"this exquisitely crafted world"
"Fantasy on this scale only works based on the quality of the world-building that the author has done before even starting the first draft. Here we see the first of Jason C. Dykehouse’s many talents as a fully fleshed out and realized world unfolds for the reader with every turn of the page. It is consistent, considered, and beautifully described in the book’s prose, making each passage a delight to read."
K.C. Finn, best-selling author of the LEGION and SHADEBORN series.
"Dykehouse's style is like a diamond of the first water."
"Jason C. Dykehouse was not a name I knew and A Reduction of Men was not a book I'd heard of, and investing time in learning a completely new system in a foreign world was a gamble. I'm happy to report it paid off.... Dykehouse chooses to narrate Hyggens' story in an objective voice and it is one of the best uses of this point of view I've read so far. The tension in a first-contact build-up is exciting.... Overall, a great read. Recommended."
Asher Syed, for Readers' Favorite
A Reduction of Men is written with a third-person objective point of view, which does not include descriptions of characters’ thoughts or feelings.
More reviews may be found at Readers' Favorite.