In Warden’s fantasy-series starter, a man’s sudden arrival in a strange magical world may be part of a prophecy—for better or worse.

Texas-based postdoctoral researcher Gideon Dawning leads a team of scientists analyzing a new fault system that may be linked to recent seismic activity at Yellowstone. While there, an apparent quake sends Gideon into a chasm, and he awakens in the Inherited Lands, a world he doesn’t recognize. Men called guardians accost him almost immediately, but a freak storm takes out a few of them and scares off the rest. A friendly community welcomes Gideon in, but the people don’t seem to trust him. They dub him the Stormcaller, believing that he conjured that deadly weather event, although he doesn’t remember doing so. If he did it by using the spell-like Word of Dei’lo, then he may be an ally to the Remnant—rebels whose company he already keeps and who plan to overthrow the nefarious ruling Council of Lords. But if it’s a Word of Sa’lei he was using, then Gideon is the Remnant’s enemy. Many are convinced he’s a figure known as the Velor Ha’Avar in local prophecies, which are too vague to define him as good or evil, but leave no doubt that he’s bound to “shape the destiny” of everyone in the Inherited Lands. Donovan Truthstay and other Remnant members journey with Gideon up north to Wordhaven, where they hope to “gain from [his] knowledge.” This may provide an opportunity for the Council of Lords, who hunt for Wordhaven and the reputed Velor Ha’Avar.

Warden’s opening installment excels at worldbuilding. The lengthy expedition north, for example, showcases the landscape from the skyscraper-tall trees of a forest to a desert’s blinding sandstorm. The two “languages” of Dei’lo and Sa’lei also create two clear sides, although the characters aren’t as easily defined. That’s certainly true with the Remnant, who seem like the heroes but aren’t always asking permission when they do such things as probe Gideon’s mind or knock him out with the Word of Sleep. The protagonist, meanwhile, is intriguing, as he already shows some development in this first series entry. He begins as a decidedly unlikable guy who’s quick to anger, but he clearly can’t help his violent “rages,” which happen while he sleeps; he goes out of his way to avoid sleeping when anyone is in the vicinity. The reason for his deep anger becomes more apparent as the novel progresses. With all this backstory and gradual character development, the plot doesn’t pick up much steam. Much of the time, Gideon understandably struggles to figure out where he is and how he fits into this new world, and the questions he asks often lead to cryptic responses—or further rounds of queries. Nevertheless, the novel’s latter half boasts more action, as well as more danger for Gideon and the Remnant to face, leading to a superb cliffhanger. Warden’s prose effectively brings various settings to life, including bustling merchant shops and “giant granite outcroppings jutting into the sky.”

A multilayered main character headlines this worthy introduction to a fascinating land.