RING OF ROSIN

Necessary alliances form against unseen evil forces as new rulers emerge in Golden’s YA fantasy novel.

In Sword of Fate(2023), the first volume of the author’s Dynamis fantasy series, the young protagonist Rugal overcame his tendency to run away and defeated the tyrant Oldag, becoming king of Elayas. In this second installment, there’s no rest for the weary Rugal, whose supernatural “dynamis” power is the ability to shift from human to animal form. The Ring of Rosin is missing, and not even Rugal himself knows why that’s so important. The Kargoliths, a nomadic people seeking to create their own kingdom on unsettled land adjacent to Elayas, are soon fingered as the thieves. This accusation is made by Johan, a messenger from the nearby kingdom of Tolan. The Kargoliths plan to abduct Rugal, as he’s the only person who can tap the ring’s power. Johan offers to guide Rugal, accompanied by his friend Tonar, to safety in Tolan before they confront the Kargoliths. The Kargoliths abduct Tonar, mistaking him for Rugal. Rugal wants to mount a rescue immediately, but Johan convinces him to develop a better plan while the Kargoliths think they have succeeded. After their first rescue attempt, Rugal discovers that Johan is keeping a secret of his own. Golden’s novel works effectively as both a continuation of her series and as a standalone story. While readers might find familiarity with the events in Sword of Fatehelpful, it’s hardly essential, as Golden does a skillful job of using flashbacks to reveal the necessary history of this land and its people. Between the deft exposition and the back-of-the-book supplemental sections detailing the “Characters of Elayas,” the “Terminology of Elayas,” and the “Kargolith Tribal Ancestry,” no readers should be left adrift (the titular piece of jewelry is described here as “a red diamond set in a ring of gold. It glows and hums musically when worn by the true king”). Much like the novel’s YA target audience, the narrative’s main characters are relatably finding their way in a world that’s changing around them. All told, this well-constructed fantasy is filled with likable characters in an engaging magical world.

Clever concepts smoothly combine to create an enjoyable fantasy yarn.