A bloody, messy fantasy epic that will keep readers enthralled.
A ragtag fellowship of unlikely allies assembles to try to save the world in this debut fantasy.
The continent of Halja is suffering. Famine is spreading throughout the various nations, creating a crisis unlike any seen since the first two Calamities. Some fear a Third Calamity—the worst one of all—is coming, and the rival nations of Halja must unite in order to stop it. Queen Janere of the jungle land of Mo-Duo believes the secret to their survival rests in an ancient power hidden deep within the Middle: an inhospitable region at the center of Halja filled with deadly beasts. An ancient enemy dwells there, one who needs to be destroyed. She has sent emissaries to her neighbors seeking the finest warriors they can provide to help her in her quest. From remote La Isla comes Felix, captain of the Electus, the largest ship in the island’s pirate fleet. From the frozen northern land of Fortiso comes Jurgen of the viri forti, a race of giant men known for their toughness. Jurgen has been to the Middle before, the only survivor of a company of seasoned warriors. From the magic land of Nuntias comes Scitus, a wizard with a ferret familiar and the ability to use the Gift, though he is skeptical of any alliance between the nations. “Damned fools,” writes Scitus. “Foul pirates, corrupt bishops, savage tribesmen, and barbarians breaking bread and sharing supper. Whoever heard of such lunacy? There is no need for any of this mad talk of venturing into the Middle. Of seeking out a foe solely for the sake of vanquishing it.” Can these allies work together to save Halja, or will their secret agendas—and those of others—prevent them from acting against the threat until it is too late?
In this series opener, Mulder’s worldbuilding is an impressive feat of the imagination, revealing a complex web of geography, culture, religion, and mythology. His high fantasy ambitions are balanced by a sensorial, sword-and-sorcery prose style: Jurgen’s “blood had felt hot from the moment he was told about the mission until well after they had brought the beast down together, his own superbly forged bastard sword finding its way into the animal’s abdomen while it struggled to get away from his brothers on the ground.” But the permissive bloodthirstiness goes a bit too far sometimes. Several of the main characters are introduced speaking fondly of sexual violence, and the author delights in brutal and upsetting imagery throughout the novel. Furthermore, the depiction of some of the constituent peoples of Halja—how they look and speak—gets uncomfortably close to racial stereotypes from readers’ own world. Despite these elements, Mulder’s deft pacing and confident use of familiar fantasy conventions will keep readers invested in the novel. While the work does not approach the heights of Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, fans of the genre will enjoy this quick and dirty offering, which will likely increase in scope with its subsequent volumes.
A bloody, messy fantasy epic that will keep readers enthralled.Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-07-955524-0
Page Count: 482
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Sept. 25, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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