My Five Word TL:DR Review : Fantastic World Building, Slow Pacing

RJ Barker is an author that I can’t recommend enough.  I’ve loved his previous two series and so couldn’t wait to grab a copy of his latest.  Set in a stunningly imagined world this is a cruel place to live, Gods wax and wane with indecent haste and the magic is fueled by death.

As it is, it took me a little while to get into this one, there’s a lot to take on board as the story begins and although I loved the writing the plot was a little slow to surface.  I would counsel patience with this book.  Take the time to absorb the detail and get a feel for the place, the characters and the way of life.  This is a fascinating world that the author has created and in a sense it steals the show, making the plot and characters take a backseat for a while.

Our MC, Cahan du Nahere, was taken as a young boy to be raised as the ‘Chosen One’, the Cowl-Rai. Destined for greatness his fortunes fell and instead he took the path of a warrior before returning to the home that he briefly knew as a child.  Clanless, and alone his is looked down upon by virtually everyone.  The farm that he owns is hard work and hardly prosperous and yet he has to struggle to keep others from taking what is his.  And, he also struggles to keep repressed the magic that bubbles just below the surface, always looking for a way to take control.  Known by the local villages as Forester, he is respected – but in a very peevish and mistrustful way, called on for his knowledge whilst being frequently belittled.

The forests here are places of power.  Packed with unusual flora and fauna nothing is ever quite what it seems and what may look like a peaceful glade in which to stay the night is quite likely a deadly trap waiting for an innocent traveller to stop for rest – never to be seen again.  Mostly, nobody wanders into the forest unless it’s totally necessary, and then usually keeping to the margins.

The other characters of note are Udinny, a monk who has fallen from grace as her ‘God’ is no longer recognised.  I actually enjoyed this particular character very much – she has an almost childlike curiosity and chatters incessantly, she definitely brought a much needed lighter element to the read.  Venn, is a young boy who is waiting to bond with his Cowl – something that requires a level of violence that he doesn’t want to commit.  He and Cahan’s paths will eventually cross ultimately leading to death and destruction.

I will say that I love the way this author writes.  He has a wonderful turn of phrase that I really enjoy and he definitely has no shortage of imagination.

Overall, although I felt this one started a little slowly it does get into it’s stride and has a very dramatic finale.  I think that when I first picked this book up I had the wrong frame of mind and also I think my expectations had led me in the wrong direction a little.  I look forward to seeing where this series takes us next.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks.  I also purchased the audio version so that I could both read and listen.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 3.5 of 5 stars