Enjoyed this book. Sometimes you need a conventional dark-fantasy with a cup of coffee and come out of it feeling all warm. I read this over a couple of otherwise dull work trips, and it helped make at least the off-hours enjoyable.
Two aspects of the book stood out for me. First was the pacing, which was consistently great and kept me hooked throughout. There is always something pulling you forward, never a dull moment. Fairy tales threaded with nightmares are close to my heart, and I loved how every time you get comfortable with the flow of the story, dark and eerie things pop out from the margins, reminding you that this is indeed a work of the darkish nature. Not quite so grim that it turns off casual readers, and yet satisfying if you do have some appetite for violence.
Why does death seem so intent on following me?
The second was the protagonist, who was immensely likeable. As someone who has never been able to quite fit in anywhere, has never been able to fend off that creeping self-doubt, Sarah was far more relatable than I expected going in. In many ways she felt like a friend I’d never have.
I was a mouse that had fallen into a rushing river, forced to follow the current or risk drowning. The risk of drowning still existed, of course. My only hope was there was nothing hunting me in the water below while I tried to work out what I needed to do next.
Beyond that, the world-building would be familiar terrain for most epic fantasy enthusiasts. We have an overarching theme of rivalry between humans and elves. There is a shady church wreathed in darkness, druids who have been lingering in the periphery of civilization since an ancient cataclysm, and a snake-kin scholar hiding some old secrets. While not a lot of new ground is traversed, these elements fit in well and contribute nicely to the overall story.
Except the dragons. You can’t just tease a dragon or two and then do pretty much nothing with them in the plot. I have no idea why the author thought it was a good idea, but perhaps we’ll see more of them in future books.
In the time before the gods, Tewolgow Bras claimed all of the nothing… There was nothing to claim, and it claimed all of it.
I loved the presentation. The style of narration loosely aligns with the high fantasy aesthetic without meandering off into tangential lore, as is common in the genre. The prose is not ostentatious but retains some of the classic feel while remaining approachable to a younger/impatient audience.
Weak light filtered through the high windows in the wooden walls, only serving to make the shadows more apparent, rather than illuminate the room.
The plot, however, leaves something to be desired. The pre-chapter interludes and occasional glimpses from other PoVs do offer reprieve from the otherwise-linear progression arc, but I felt it would have benefited from some more twists and turns. Perhaps also more of shock factor. This is a story where the line between the good-side and the bad side was way too clearly delineated for my liking, and on the other side of the fence neither the Church nor Moriga manages to quite impress. One or more more nuanced villains whose perspective was covered could have done wonders for the story.
I also didn’t quite like how some of the injustices against Sarah get tidily resolved behind the scenes. I had anticipated them to grow into messy and pivotal plot tangents, but it ended up feeling like a missed opportunity.
Having said all of that, I do look forward to spending more time with the characters in future books. Character development is clearly the author’s forte, and I loved how Sarah gradually gained confidence through battle training, guided meditation, and interactions with the cosmic entity within her. That growth has to be multi-faceted is something often ignored in this genre, and I was glad to see it receive the attention it deserved.
I’d say it’s an overall beautifully depicted comfort read, with some really touching moments. If you find yourself thirsting for a fantasy quest into a dying realm with a kickass FMC at the helm, go pick this book up right away.
I downgraded my intense dread to a more normal background level of discomfort.