THE BRIGHTNESS OF SHADOWS

Nye’s debut novel is an epic fantasy in flux—or Flux, rather—as a dark magic called the Wane Flux threatens a kingdom, a dynasty and the happiness and well-being of a family of farmers that is, unsurprisingly, more than they appear.

Slone, together with his brothers Reeve, Erol and Tavon, was raised on a farm in the kingdom of Argille. When their parents are brutally murdered before their eyes and Tavon abducted by the killers, the remaining three brothers set off on a quest for justice.  Years pass, and the three brothers find no justice but instead run afoul of the cruel Queen Imogene, find work as sell-swords, and eventually, Sloane and Reeve join the legendary Fidelis Order of Knights. The Order consists of individuals skilled in both arms and the powers of the Flux—magic used for good. As Fidelis knights, the brothers, together with Princess Aila, must defend the realm from Wane Flux (an evil type of Flux) and the servants of the dark god Searzig. In so doing, they just might discover who killed their parents and why, as well as the ultimate fate of their lost brother. The relationships among the brothers form the true heart of the narrative; even the inevitable romantic subplot affects the fraternal relationships. Further, while Slone takes the lead, all of the brothers, to an extent, share in traits and events that would normally be reserved for a single “chosen one” figure in an epic fantasy of this type, adding a nice twist to this otherwise standard example of the genre. The magic system, however, is fairly typical. It uses some clunky terminology and has an unfortunate tendency to rob characters of what might otherwise be very interesting choices and motivations. One hopes future books address this weak point or reveal a previously unknown means of overcoming it.

A solid epic fantasy that, while occasionally entertaining, still needs a little more spark.