By Torsten Wietze
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
This is a good old fashioned epic fantasy novel, the kind that built the foundation of my love for the genre. The protagonist orphan, growing up on the streets with the blood of a long lost race running through their blood and their true power lies unknown. In this case we are introduced to Niri, a poor coal girl whose parents were killed as her father was of a race that is hated by the followers of the God that rules over their land.
The politics of the gods and the lands they rule are complex and the world building goes deep in this book as expected. For reasons, Niri has to move away from the streets of her city and towards the Stormfall Academy. The world that Niri lives in is cruel and uncharitable. The belief is that good people who show fealty to their God and work hard will get ahead The poor are considered unworthy and their fortune, or lack thereof is due to their laziness, or their lack of commitment or in Niri’s case, having the unfortunate features of the most hated race. Niri is accepted into the Tower of Beggars at the academy where she will learn basic fighting techniques, how to read and do numbers and maybe a few other skills that could help her get along in the world. Upon her arrival, she learns that none of this comes for free and it will be harder than she could imagine to survive.
The plot is not unusual for an epic fantasy. Niri meets and overcome a number of challenges and builds a group of friends around her that eventually look like a well balanced adventuring party. Barbarian fighter, rogue halfling, shaman and wizard archetypes surround Niri as they learn to work as a group whether it is a foray into a monster heavy wilderness, or defending against scheming students or using their intelligence and diplomacy to solve a softer questions. The author admits to being a long time table top role playing gamer and that influence is all over the action here. I have always believed that the best fantasy writers are very familiar with the role playing mechanics and are able to apply it to a good storyline and deep world building, which is what this book is about. I find the plot has a very progressive structure, but more organic progression than a lot of litRPG novels. The story builds although there is not a clear endgame, although the history and politics of the world give the reader hints, and as the plot rolls along revealing new opportunities that will make their stay at the academy easier.
The story is dense and there is no romance, at least not in the first book. I’ve been reading so much Romantasy lately that I expect any character introduced to be a potential love interest and forgot that not every fantasy needs to lean on that. And that’s fine as this book is about Niri’s journey and the people who help her along, she doesn’t need the support or even the distraction. The other part that was refreshing was the ending of the book tied up the plot and set up the reader for the next phase of the story. There is too much of the surprise ‘cliffhanger’ ending in modern fantasy to keep readers interested. I’m very interested in continuing in the world and Niri and her friends story in the next book.
I give this book a solid 4/5 stars. The plot is a thick stew of ideas. I think there is an emotional heart that is not quite present in the novel, but Niri struggled with trusting any of her crew. The world they live in is cold and untrusting so it is taking time for her to trust anyone. She is learning about empathy and caring for others and I hope that continues in future novels. Also, the pocket dragon Grabbasnack is worth at least a partial star for being an awesome and adorable companion. All stories are better with dragons!
