This is an incredible debut full of intriguing worldbuilding and protagonists who are very different from one another. One of the dangers of this type of story is that often I’ll connect more to one character or not at all to another, or one of the storylines will drag. That didn’t happen at all for me here. I did have some trouble keeping track of all the political machinations going on, especially as I tried to translate that to what it would look like from Nasha’s point of view, but I understood things reasonably well I think. The religious layer worked really well for me—it’s not just a disguised Christianity even though they talk of “the Seraph”. It felt fleshed out and new and interesting, and it meshed in with the politics well I thought.

Adrian is super sympathetic as he tries desperately to be worthy in his father’s eyes like his older brother was, even as he arranges deals his father would never approve of in a bid to save his wife. His journey is heart-wrenching and I couldn’t wait for his plot line to tie in with the others.

Nasha is a hard character, a hunter who keeps away from others in her community partly because she’s worried they’ll look down on her for her slum-like background and partly because she’s hiding magic from them— magic that would get her killed if they found out. Her journey is incredible and awe-inspiring.

Then there’s Lynn, who’s trying desperately to save as many good people as she can find in a prison filled with corruption. But her actions are constrained in large part by the risk of her past coming back to haunt her if her old companions find out she’s still alive. The evil that nearly killed her rises again, though, and her hand is forced, pushing her to confront her past and oh my goodness, what a past it is! I loved Lynn’s storyline.

The world is a fairly typical medieval-fantasy-type world, with griffons and griffon riders. The magic is a softer magic system but there are definitely rules there, and it was super cool to see it from multiple sides. And the evil that Adrian and Lynn run up against was compelling and definitely kept me engaged. There’s huge battles, risk, sacrifice, loss, betrayal, all the wonderful epic fantasy stuff. Nasha’s line is more separate from the other two but it was still very cool trying to see how it and the other two plot lines impacted each other.

In short, it’s a remarkable epic fantasy that I fully expect to take off. I highly recommend it! ( )

Didn’t quite work for me.

The POVs come from/through a carefully and interestingly described variety of backgrounds and situations, but from quite fairly early on the main points of their arcs all seem to blur together into establishing them as (or having them become) some form of magically enhanced badasses. ( )

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

In the world of Avarin, the Domain worships life; the Seraph blesses the faithful with countless years. Death is shameful and not discussed; the dead, never mourned. Instead, by keeping Death away, the faithful hope for the Seraph’s return.

But others, apart from the Domain, hold that it is important to remember the dead. The southern clans believe life must return to the Earth in order to keep it alive. Now, a deadly Madness continues its relentless spread throughout the land, bringing darkness to the mind and cruelty to the heart.

And only Death can release a victim from the Madness.

Nasha, desperate for recognition as a member of the southern clan of Ronar, is a gifted hunter keeping a dark secret hidden. Elite warrior Lynn seeks to escape her past. Adrian, prince of the Domain nation of Othonea, holds a secret desire to return those he loved to worthiness.

With war threatening, what role will each of them play in saving Avarin? Will their secrets betray them? What . . . or who . . . is the foe responsible for the Madness, the one they must now face to save their world?

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Worldbuilding highlights the telling of the tale in this, the first book in a new series. Avarin, a place of many lands, clans, and beliefs, seems on the verge of falling to a strange sort of Madness that comes over the people as they succumb to the frightening malady. With this book establishing the background, identifying the characters, and defining the lands and people that are Avarin, it’s more of a setting of the scene, an esablishing of what is to come in future volumes. There are no resolutions to any of the plot points presented here.

Several interesting characters make an appearance throughout the narrative, but it’s not clear which of them will remain central as the story unfolds in future volumes. Some, which seem to be central to the telling of the tale, die in this first book, but with death holding a significant place in their religious beliefs and with the religious leaders serving as the political leaders, the future books in this fantasy series promise readers some unexpected surprises.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Alterian Press and NetGalley
#ATouchofLight #NetGalley ( )