A bold, tautly written work about the struggle to express oneself freely.
A free-spirited storyteller refuses to be the pawn of his king in Oliveri’s debut fantasy novel.
In the kingdom of Idaza, Mikalla is a shadow puppeteer, also known as the Conjurer. Against the giant canvas of Mount Chuxat, he creates fresh stories weekly, starring gods of myth. His inspiring work unites the common people of Idaza, showing them that the deities are imperfect, just like them. Idaza is a prosperous and stable realm within the Mesoas Valley. Deep down, however, King Oro feels like an unfulfilled ruler compared with his heroic ancestors, who conquered neighboring lands and built Idaza’s wealth. Oro and Mikalla have been friends since childhood, and so the Conjurer is stunned when his king suddenly asks him to demonize the Chihopo people in his next story. If Mikalla can paint the neighboring kingdom as evil to the commoners, Oro reasons, it will make it easier for them to go to war over contested farmland. Yet Mikalla sees that many people, including children, will suffer if he obeys Oro. When the Conjurer tries to find support from his family, his wife, Jani, proves to be distracted and selfish. Mikalla must figure out a way to deliver a performance that doesn’t compromise his ideals. Scheming behind the throne is Secretary Kitan, whose ultimate plan will transform the entire Mesoas Valley. Oliveri delivers a finely tuned study of art’s role in society. Well-developed characters drive the plot, each sketched by economical prose; Jani, for example, has “status and security” that can’t “shield her from the intense self-hatred she’d learned from a childhood of emotional neglect.” The nature of Mikalla’s artistic expression is effectively explained as a “wild, animalistic compulsion, an urgent need to have his insights and emotions fly from his heart.” The machinations of Kitan and Mikalla’s countermaneuvers give events the pacing of a thriller. The violence isn’t excessive, but moments of torture and bloodletting are unforgettable. In the final pages, Oliveri ensnares readers with an inescapable tragedy, and the difficult conclusion leaves room for energetic discussion.
A bold, tautly written work about the struggle to express oneself freely.Pub Date: Dec. 8, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-956932-05-8
Page Count: 194
Publisher: Write My Wrongs LLC
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.
In the final book of Corland’s dark fantasy trilogy, a ragtag band works together to liberate a colony and dethrone tyrants.
A group of spies, thieves, and murderers, united by a common goal of ending the treacherous rule of King Joon of Yusan, regroup after a bloody battle claims the life of one of their own—the banished Yusanian prince, Euyn. However, there’s little time for Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo to mourn. Bounty hunters and assassins are after them, in part because they now possess three of five legendary Relics of the Dragon Lord. Mikail, who’s just found out that he’s the last surviving member of a royal family, wields the Water Scepter of Wei, while Aeri, King Joon’s daughter, holds the Sands of Tim and the Golden Ring of Khitan. The remaining relics—the Flaming Sword of Gaya and the Immortal Crown—remain with King Joon, who’s desperate to have all five to wield a great deal more power. Meanwhile, the cruel Count Seok, who once indentured Sora, has usurped the throne of Yusan. The group has two goals: overthrow the king and liberate the Yusanian colony of Gaya—Mikail’s homeland—so that it can again be a thriving, independent realm. The relics are powerful tools in combat, but using them is adversely affecting Aeri and Mikail’s health. They need allies, but trusting strangers is a dangerous gamble. Corland’s final book in her Broken Blades trilogy is a relentlessly thrilling and action-packed dark fantasy featuring memorable characters, intense battle scenes, romance, and a satisfying conclusion. Alternately narrated by Aeri, Mikail, Sora, Royo, and their long-lost friend, Tiyung, readers benefit from watching the story unfold through the perspectives of each compelling, well-drawn character. The author’s passion for the fantasy genre shines through in the novel’s richly detailed worldbuilding, including vivid descriptions of landscapes and palace layouts, as well as its exploration of magic. Readers will also delight in the sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, as when Mikahil narrates, “Rune thinks he fathered Seok’s son. Truly, the nobility of Yusan has too much time on their hands.”
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781649379153
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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