UPDATE - just finished reading book 7, which wraps up the main characters' arc. It's very good. Very good indeed. As an avid series reader, I know I would like to know if the author is going to wrap up a series at all, and, if so, will it be done well. I believe there will be more books in this series, but the author has delivered a very satisfying finale that wraps things up very well. I look forward to reading about the adventures of the next generation!
ORIGINAL - An interesting exercise in worldbuilding (very diverse climates literally side by side, with peoples adapted to those climates living uneasily nearby one another) with appealing characters. People may not agree with one another, but by and large they are honorable people doing their best, which is a nice change from grimdark. The novel starts with an unexpected act of honor and mercy - one that reverberates through, and sets the tone for, the rest of the story. A nice antidote to the grim times we are in.
Also, a tip of the hat for how the magic is handled. One branch of magic is "sorcery" - which is mental manipulation magic - but none of the POV characters is a sorcerer. So the author has a problem similar to that of movies and television - how do you show the power and interaction of an invisible magic? I don't want to give away how it is handled, but I think it is very clever. There is a large battle at one point heavily impacted by sorcery, and the tactics and reactions are nicely used to show where and how powers are being used, and there is some degree of sorcerers trying to fake each other out as well.
A clever and fun read.
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Indie Fantasy with so many great themes
This book ticked every box I can think of in an epic fantasy. Strong character arcs, detailed setting and world building, culture, enemies to friends, family bonds, political motivations, military strategy, magic, and even one super snarky stallion.Ryo is left as a sacrifice and ends up a captive, guest, translator, of the warlord for which he was left. Ryo experiences a massive amount of culture shock when he is thrown into life with the Lau. So much of the narrative is Ryo comparing the Lau to his Ugaro people, and it’s just an unbelievable character arc as he learns to judge men by their actions, not their birth. I loved the grand theme of overcoming cultural differences to fight larger enemies.Aras, the Lau Warlord, is a great character too. He, in turn, isn’t familiar with many Ugaro customs, and it’s just a very character driven read as the two men, then two nations, learn about their common enemy and forge a working bond. The friendship bonds are even better!The setting and world are closely detailed as well. From the frozen mountains and forests of the tribes to the summer lands of the Lau, I thought the author did a phenomenal job tying each group’s culture and legends into the climates that so define them. To quickly touch on the magic: think psychological warfare on steroids, with some light elemental skills as well.One of my favorite aspects was how she went deep into cultural customs on both sides. The over politeness and certain rituals of the Ugaro tribes struck me as extremely well thought out, and the Lau had their own norms. Some of my favorite scenes were the great meetings towards the end, but part of that was how much I just loved Ryo’s family. Especially his father.Family and honor among friends played a huge role too. Without going into too much more detail, I will just say again in general that the relationships in the book are so intricately started and built upon, until the end result was something really special.
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Top reviews from other countries
Chris B
An excellent introduction to this author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 25, 2023
Booklover130
Original world with interesting characters
Reviewed in Australia on May 31, 2023