I received an ARC of this book from the authors. I’m a loyal fan of Autumn Birt so I was expecting great things, and I was not disappointed. To be honest, I didn’t love the prequel (?)to this book, The Rift and the Mage. I found it confusing. This one was so much better. Descriptions were clear, characters were complex and relatable, even if this takes place in a fantastical place, and the plot was intriguing. One of the descriptions I loved was this one because it did such a great job of describing how I feel when I’m forced to wake up: “For a fleeting moment, his rise from heavy slumber weighted his head. The cool air of the room slipped underneath his bed covers. He shivered.” I also loved this one: “Fear found him, whispering in his ear with an old cackle.” Roar, the main character, is described as being on the autism spectrum. He doesn’t know how to interpret facial expressions and he avoids touching anyone. I found the authors’ depictions of Raor captivating and affecting. His unwillingness to experience any emotions is frustrating, yet understandable, as anyone who has ever been hurt can attest. The reader never really knows if he is the way he is because he was born that way or because he made himself that way to protect himself. He feels a strong connection with Rosalyn and will do anything to help her, but he cannot acknowledge that what he feels is love. On his quest, he meets Koss Mal, an Ember Dwarf (universally despised by all other species), who is described as a being disgusting in every way imaginable. He smells, he looks greasy and gross, he grunts and dribbles while eating, and so on. However, he is loyal and becomes a reliable friend to Raor, despite Raor’s constant criticisms. Near the end of hte book, Koss says to Raor, “Do you know how difficult it be to fit in when you don’ know the people you are living amongst?” Raor yawned again before answering, “Believe it or not, I completely know what you mean.” Another person who probably knew how they felt was Dramna, the White Elf sent to collect the Primer held by Raor, and by the way, also kill him. She is a blind assassin who wants nothing more than to go back to teaching young White Elves how to be assassins. The descriptions of her interactions with the world are fascinating. Without sight, she has more reliable perceptions of her surroundings than most with sight have. Even Raor makes the silent observation that without an ability to read peoples’ facial expressions, he feels as blind as Dramna. So, we have three misfits. Roar, who may have ASD, Koss, who is an outcast because of his ancestors, and Dramna, who is blind. Each is a misfit, in slightly different ways, yet each manages to overcome their challenges. Although Dramna is not present at the end of the book, I suspect she will reappear in the next one. This story is incomplete, but it’s not a horrible cliffhanger. It’s clear this is meant to be an ongoing saga, a long hero’s journey for Raor, and it would be unfair to expect it to conclude in one book. However, I won’t be tortured by images of Raor about to die, or experiencing some other significant challenge, as I wait for the next book in the series. I appreciate that. This book has the best kind of cliffhanger—really, the only acceptable kind of cliffhanger. July 24, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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