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Children of the Trees #1
Daughters of Tith
The kandar are the children of the trees. Powerful. Immutable. Nine hundred eternal beings who need no sleep nor sustenance, created at the beginning of time to guard the nine human Earths.
That was never meant to change.
The youngest of five sisters, Tchardin is about to be acknowledged as queen of the kandar. She must lead them in their Creator-given Purpose-to guide and inspire the humans-but her people have been exiled to their homeworld for generations. None of them have seen the Earths. Not one of them has met a human.
Tchardin can think of no way to end their exile until a strange longing calls her from beyond the shore of their island. Most of her sisters tell her to ignore it, to take her place as queen and focus on the kandar. One suggests she answer it, as it might be the key to finally returning her people to their Purpose.
That was never meant to change.
The youngest of five sisters, Tchardin is about to be acknowledged as queen of the kandar. She must lead them in their Creator-given Purpose-to guide and inspire the humans-but her people have been exiled to their homeworld for generations. None of them have seen the Earths. Not one of them has met a human.
Tchardin can think of no way to end their exile until a strange longing calls her from beyond the shore of their island. Most of her sisters tell her to ignore it, to take her place as queen and focus on the kandar. One suggests she answer it, as it might be the key to finally returning her people to their Purpose.
- GenresFantasy
641 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2023
8 people are currently reading
4118 people want to read
About the author
J. Patricia Anderson
3 books57 followersJ. Patricia Anderson is a Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy author. Her debut High Fantasy novel DAUGHTERS OF TITH came out in May 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 30, 2024
Review originally on
JamReads
Daughters of Tith is the ambitious first novel in the high fantasy series Children of the Trees, written by J. Patricia Anderson; a book which shines due to its immense amount of detail put to the world-building and how different it is. Through the eyes of the five daughters of Tith, we will explore themes such as destiny, identity and non-human societies and their relationship with humans.
Tchardin is the youngest of the five daughters, and soon-to-be, queen of the kandar, an eternal race created with the purpose of guardian the nine human Earths; however, the kandar have been exiled for generations in their homeworld, not having a way to return to the Earth, being devoid of Purpose. They have been stuck in this situation for generations; stagnation has become the tonic for them, but finally one of them has grown unsatisfied with the situation, Damarin. And her actions will be the impulse change needed, involving Tchardin into her plans, and taking us in an exploration that will become an excellent tour of Anderson's worldbuilding.
And let me tell you, talking about Daughters of Tith is talking about the worldbuilding and the insane amount of detail Anderson has put in it; the nine Earths are fully developed and we experience them mostly through the eyes of Tchardin, and it is so different from anything I've read. Each discovery brings more questions that you want to answer, and that slowly reveals more about the kandar and their Purpose; from the Water Side to the Land Side, to the different Earths, each location is different and brings light to the mysteries behind the plot.
While worldbuilding is the main strength, it is true that such an extensive labour brings a slow pace to the plot, which sometimes can feel a bit heavy in the exposition; said that, it is true that once you are immersed, the pages just simply flow, helped by an excellent prose that increases the sensation of enchantment and mysticism around the whole story.
Daughters of the Tith is a really different book, a perfect proposal for those looking for a high fantasy in the style of Le Guin; I'm personally in awe to read more about the kandar and their past. Anderson is an author to watch.
Daughters of Tith is the ambitious first novel in the high fantasy series Children of the Trees, written by J. Patricia Anderson; a book which shines due to its immense amount of detail put to the world-building and how different it is. Through the eyes of the five daughters of Tith, we will explore themes such as destiny, identity and non-human societies and their relationship with humans.
Tchardin is the youngest of the five daughters, and soon-to-be, queen of the kandar, an eternal race created with the purpose of guardian the nine human Earths; however, the kandar have been exiled for generations in their homeworld, not having a way to return to the Earth, being devoid of Purpose. They have been stuck in this situation for generations; stagnation has become the tonic for them, but finally one of them has grown unsatisfied with the situation, Damarin. And her actions will be the impulse change needed, involving Tchardin into her plans, and taking us in an exploration that will become an excellent tour of Anderson's worldbuilding.
And let me tell you, talking about Daughters of Tith is talking about the worldbuilding and the insane amount of detail Anderson has put in it; the nine Earths are fully developed and we experience them mostly through the eyes of Tchardin, and it is so different from anything I've read. Each discovery brings more questions that you want to answer, and that slowly reveals more about the kandar and their Purpose; from the Water Side to the Land Side, to the different Earths, each location is different and brings light to the mysteries behind the plot.
While worldbuilding is the main strength, it is true that such an extensive labour brings a slow pace to the plot, which sometimes can feel a bit heavy in the exposition; said that, it is true that once you are immersed, the pages just simply flow, helped by an excellent prose that increases the sensation of enchantment and mysticism around the whole story.
Daughters of the Tith is a really different book, a perfect proposal for those looking for a high fantasy in the style of Le Guin; I'm personally in awe to read more about the kandar and their past. Anderson is an author to watch.
April 7, 2024
I will put out a YouTube video for this one in a couple of weeks. 9/10
This is such a unique book. Human like beings who possess magic and are supposed to be guardians to humans of nine earths have been stuck on their own world for generations. Things will finally change for the kandar but it’s uncertain they’ll survive.
This is a book that doesn’t really have a ton of action or things of note happening for a majority of the book but I just didn’t care. The world building and relationships between the characters kept me entertained and I really enjoyed it.
This is such a unique book. Human like beings who possess magic and are supposed to be guardians to humans of nine earths have been stuck on their own world for generations. Things will finally change for the kandar but it’s uncertain they’ll survive.
This is a book that doesn’t really have a ton of action or things of note happening for a majority of the book but I just didn’t care. The world building and relationships between the characters kept me entertained and I really enjoyed it.
July 12, 2023
This ended up being one of my favorite reads of the year.
I think Daughters of Tith will end up being one of those books where people will either think its a masterpiece or DNF two chapters in. The writing is VERY dense. We open right into a 15minute or so first chapter where we're introduced to the Kandar (I kept reading it as Kandra and thinking of Mistborn) and their Geth-like collective based on a complex web of trees. It took me a while get a grasp on who everyone was, but Tchardin stood out, and not in a good way lol. I didn't like her at first. She reminded me of those people in highschool who took running for class president way too seriously. Most of her dialogue at first is pretty much "Look at my glowing aura! I will be queen!"
I must commend the expertise in writing a non-human race. The descriptions are very clever, we get instances like below, which in attempting to describe humans, actually gives us descriptions of the Kandar and what references they would use:
"Jaydin said human skin was often a uniform shade, ranging from as black as Ovaeron’s trunk to as pale as the lightest grain of sand–two more things Sandin had never seen–unlike the skin of the kandar which came in similar shades but displayed the dappled pattern of light through leaves."
What it took me a while to realize about Tchandra, is that her self-important personality makes her the perfect protagonist for this story. There are 9 different earths, supposedly filled with humans, waiting for guidance from their Kandar betters. Tchandra's journey through these worlds is where the story leaps from interesting to absolutely fascinating. To use a very obscure reference, it reminds me of the Futurama episode where Bender becomes God, and keeps escalating problems in his attempts to solve them. Its brilliant. Tchandra is advised to keep a low profile and not intervene, but she obviously does so because she knows better, with varying levels of success. Its all very Prime Directive from Star Trek, which makes me feel this book is more of a sci-fi than Fantasy. That's not a bad thing or a critique, just a conclusion I came to as I read on.
My only complaint is that Tchandra hogs all the good chapters throughout the middle of the book. Its all brought together very efficiently for some epic confrontations in the end, but for a good chunk of the middle, we'll have an amazing chapter of Tchandra running across a world-guardian, followed by a check-in chapter. I swear this variation of conversation comes up at least 5 times
"Where is Tchandra?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe she's dead."
"Maybe."
That's all I'm going to complain about because I don't want to give the wrong idea. I loved this story. While I want to recommend it to everyone, I would definitely read the sample first. There are no sword battles or most of the things you would find in a fantasy novel (can't say more without spoilers) but if you're in the mood for a 700page read about trees and moral philosophy, this is the perfect book.
“The Earths are beautiful but they’re complicated. The humans are not all good.”
I think Daughters of Tith will end up being one of those books where people will either think its a masterpiece or DNF two chapters in. The writing is VERY dense. We open right into a 15minute or so first chapter where we're introduced to the Kandar (I kept reading it as Kandra and thinking of Mistborn) and their Geth-like collective based on a complex web of trees. It took me a while get a grasp on who everyone was, but Tchardin stood out, and not in a good way lol. I didn't like her at first. She reminded me of those people in highschool who took running for class president way too seriously. Most of her dialogue at first is pretty much "Look at my glowing aura! I will be queen!"
I must commend the expertise in writing a non-human race. The descriptions are very clever, we get instances like below, which in attempting to describe humans, actually gives us descriptions of the Kandar and what references they would use:
"Jaydin said human skin was often a uniform shade, ranging from as black as Ovaeron’s trunk to as pale as the lightest grain of sand–two more things Sandin had never seen–unlike the skin of the kandar which came in similar shades but displayed the dappled pattern of light through leaves."
What it took me a while to realize about Tchandra, is that her self-important personality makes her the perfect protagonist for this story. There are 9 different earths, supposedly filled with humans, waiting for guidance from their Kandar betters. Tchandra's journey through these worlds is where the story leaps from interesting to absolutely fascinating. To use a very obscure reference, it reminds me of the Futurama episode where Bender becomes God, and keeps escalating problems in his attempts to solve them. Its brilliant. Tchandra is advised to keep a low profile and not intervene, but she obviously does so because she knows better, with varying levels of success. Its all very Prime Directive from Star Trek, which makes me feel this book is more of a sci-fi than Fantasy. That's not a bad thing or a critique, just a conclusion I came to as I read on.
My only complaint is that Tchandra hogs all the good chapters throughout the middle of the book. Its all brought together very efficiently for some epic confrontations in the end, but for a good chunk of the middle, we'll have an amazing chapter of Tchandra running across a world-guardian, followed by a check-in chapter. I swear this variation of conversation comes up at least 5 times
"Where is Tchandra?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe she's dead."
"Maybe."
That's all I'm going to complain about because I don't want to give the wrong idea. I loved this story. While I want to recommend it to everyone, I would definitely read the sample first. There are no sword battles or most of the things you would find in a fantasy novel (can't say more without spoilers) but if you're in the mood for a 700page read about trees and moral philosophy, this is the perfect book.
“The Earths are beautiful but they’re complicated. The humans are not all good.”
Read
August 4, 2023This is my book! DAUGHTERS OF TITH is the book of my heart and the book of my life. To feel like I did the story some measure of justice and to finally see it ready to be published...there are honestly no words.
I wrote a blog post on my influences here if you're curious: https://www.jpatriciaanderson.com/pos...
And you can read a sample of the book or check out the glossary on my website here: https://www.jpatriciaanderson.com/dot
Thank you for taking a look!
I wrote a blog post on my influences here if you're curious: https://www.jpatriciaanderson.com/pos...
And you can read a sample of the book or check out the glossary on my website here: https://www.jpatriciaanderson.com/dot
Thank you for taking a look!
December 9, 2023
Daughters of Tith is an exceptional achievement in fantasy and one of the best books (if not the best book) I've read all year. I'm both flabbergasted and unsurprised that it hasn't yet received the attention it should have. At turns LeGuinian, with stunning prose that knows when to keep something back to let the story and characters take centre-stage, Tith is a book that doesn't handhold, but which rewards readers looking for speculative fiction that genuinely speculates. Anyone disappointed that the popular SFF landscape floundered in the wake of Jemisin's brilliant Broken Earth trilogy should take note of Daughters of Tith. This is where I, for one, had hoped fantasy was going.
The reason why I'm both shocked and unsurprised that Tith hasn't yet (big emphasis on yet) made it big is that both its length and the detailed worldbuilding in its opening are likely to be daunting to some readers. This is not because Anderson infodumps, but almost the opposite. Tith doesn't handhold the reader, and there are a lot of concepts and related terms (including place and character names) that can be challenging at first to separate. I encourage anyone worried they don't have the head for it to continue--it does all become very natural after the first few chapters and I found that just flowing along (which the strong prose makes easy to do) allowed me to enjoy the story without stressing over whether I'd yet figured out the differences between specific words, places, and concepts. After those initial chapters, Tith truly became unputdownable.
I've reflected a lot on why the worldbuilding comes off, at first, as difficult when compared with countless fantasies that include just as many new terms and names, and have come to the conclusion that it's part and parcel with Tith's uniqueness. It's rare that a fantasy genuinely tries to capture the alienness of a different species, and even more rare for it to succeed. While elves, dwarves, and orcs may all be embued in heroic and high fantasy with a sense of magesty (usually one that's overtly stated rather than embodied) or Otherness in some essentialized way, Anderson's kandar genuinely think and feel differently than we do. By that I don't mean they're a shallow allegory for communism or [insert X philosophy here], but that the very processes of thinking and feeling are different and this nuance is carefully rendered on the page. One of the great pulls of the novel is the unfolding of character through the protagonists' exploration of what it means to be kandar--an unfolding that's very different to, but in tension with, the question of what it means to be human.
In terms of plot, Tith follows several kandar POVs, the main one of whom is a woman (tevadra) called Tchardin. Tchardin is one of the titular daughters of Tith (there are five in all), with Tith himself being a great tree on a small island in a nearly limitless ocean. The kandar on the island are the last of their kind following a devastating war in their long-distant past. There is a mysterious other territory, "Land Side," but the kandar lack access to it. More worrying, even, than their depleted numbers, is the fact that the kandar have been severed from the nine human realms of which they were appointed guardians. Their Purpose as a species has always been to shepherd the Earths--the kandar at once occupy roles similar to angels or spirits--and Tchardin is determined to help her people regain it. When Tchardin and her sister Damarin set off for Land Side in what many of their fellow kandar believe is a suicide mission, the daughters of Tith are hurled into an adventure that reunites them with the humans they were once intended to serve and which creates a schism among the kandar that threatens a second--and perhaps even more destructive--civil war.
There's a grand, mythological quality to the narrative, and in many ways Tith is a cosmogony (or several cosmogonies, or a post-post cosmogony). I was reminded while reading of Paradise Lost, His Dark Materials, and numerous creation myths from around the world, yet the book itself is absolutely singular. There are just enough shades of human fairytales, mythologies, and religions in the actuality of the kandar to make them believeable as creatures that exist proximate to, but outside of, human understanding and geography. Their particular connection with trees (kandar each have one father--a tree--and are born from him only to return when their time is up so they can eventually be reincarnated), means Tith has much to say about the relationship between self and environment. Throughout the novel there's also a powerful thematic focus on interpersonal and interspecies relationships--what do we owe one another? What do we owe to other species and to those of us yet to be born? What do we owe to the lands we occupy? Each of these questions resonates for the kandar just as much as they do for the human characters Tchardin interacts with. Indeed, the answers to these questions have devastating consequences for all of Tith's characters when those with power decide to answer them differently.
Although Tith has quite a lot to ask (it rarely attempts concrete anwers, which is to its credit), it's also a very exciting book that contains a surprising amount of action. The climax of the novel is particularly noteworthy in this regard, with scenes that easily put one in mind of a Hollywood blockbuster. Unlike most Hollywood blockbusters, however, these scenes have real stakes, and the character work that's been put in over the course of the story means the reader has a genuine emotional investment in the outcomes. Baked into the themes at play throughout is a strong focus on interpersonal relationships and in particular sisterhood and community ties. Despite that the kandar are so different from humans, there are points of contact, and one of these is in how sibling love and rivalry can manifest and have unintended consequences.
An absolutely phenomenal debut novel and one I'll undoubtedly be rereading in future. I recommend Daughters of Tith to anyone looking for something fresh from fantasy and which isn't afraid to take risks. Don't let its size deter you--this was ultimately a lavish but fast read and one that's worth returning to.
The reason why I'm both shocked and unsurprised that Tith hasn't yet (big emphasis on yet) made it big is that both its length and the detailed worldbuilding in its opening are likely to be daunting to some readers. This is not because Anderson infodumps, but almost the opposite. Tith doesn't handhold the reader, and there are a lot of concepts and related terms (including place and character names) that can be challenging at first to separate. I encourage anyone worried they don't have the head for it to continue--it does all become very natural after the first few chapters and I found that just flowing along (which the strong prose makes easy to do) allowed me to enjoy the story without stressing over whether I'd yet figured out the differences between specific words, places, and concepts. After those initial chapters, Tith truly became unputdownable.
I've reflected a lot on why the worldbuilding comes off, at first, as difficult when compared with countless fantasies that include just as many new terms and names, and have come to the conclusion that it's part and parcel with Tith's uniqueness. It's rare that a fantasy genuinely tries to capture the alienness of a different species, and even more rare for it to succeed. While elves, dwarves, and orcs may all be embued in heroic and high fantasy with a sense of magesty (usually one that's overtly stated rather than embodied) or Otherness in some essentialized way, Anderson's kandar genuinely think and feel differently than we do. By that I don't mean they're a shallow allegory for communism or [insert X philosophy here], but that the very processes of thinking and feeling are different and this nuance is carefully rendered on the page. One of the great pulls of the novel is the unfolding of character through the protagonists' exploration of what it means to be kandar--an unfolding that's very different to, but in tension with, the question of what it means to be human.
In terms of plot, Tith follows several kandar POVs, the main one of whom is a woman (tevadra) called Tchardin. Tchardin is one of the titular daughters of Tith (there are five in all), with Tith himself being a great tree on a small island in a nearly limitless ocean. The kandar on the island are the last of their kind following a devastating war in their long-distant past. There is a mysterious other territory, "Land Side," but the kandar lack access to it. More worrying, even, than their depleted numbers, is the fact that the kandar have been severed from the nine human realms of which they were appointed guardians. Their Purpose as a species has always been to shepherd the Earths--the kandar at once occupy roles similar to angels or spirits--and Tchardin is determined to help her people regain it. When Tchardin and her sister Damarin set off for Land Side in what many of their fellow kandar believe is a suicide mission, the daughters of Tith are hurled into an adventure that reunites them with the humans they were once intended to serve and which creates a schism among the kandar that threatens a second--and perhaps even more destructive--civil war.
There's a grand, mythological quality to the narrative, and in many ways Tith is a cosmogony (or several cosmogonies, or a post-post cosmogony). I was reminded while reading of Paradise Lost, His Dark Materials, and numerous creation myths from around the world, yet the book itself is absolutely singular. There are just enough shades of human fairytales, mythologies, and religions in the actuality of the kandar to make them believeable as creatures that exist proximate to, but outside of, human understanding and geography. Their particular connection with trees (kandar each have one father--a tree--and are born from him only to return when their time is up so they can eventually be reincarnated), means Tith has much to say about the relationship between self and environment. Throughout the novel there's also a powerful thematic focus on interpersonal and interspecies relationships--what do we owe one another? What do we owe to other species and to those of us yet to be born? What do we owe to the lands we occupy? Each of these questions resonates for the kandar just as much as they do for the human characters Tchardin interacts with. Indeed, the answers to these questions have devastating consequences for all of Tith's characters when those with power decide to answer them differently.
Although Tith has quite a lot to ask (it rarely attempts concrete anwers, which is to its credit), it's also a very exciting book that contains a surprising amount of action. The climax of the novel is particularly noteworthy in this regard, with scenes that easily put one in mind of a Hollywood blockbuster. Unlike most Hollywood blockbusters, however, these scenes have real stakes, and the character work that's been put in over the course of the story means the reader has a genuine emotional investment in the outcomes. Baked into the themes at play throughout is a strong focus on interpersonal relationships and in particular sisterhood and community ties. Despite that the kandar are so different from humans, there are points of contact, and one of these is in how sibling love and rivalry can manifest and have unintended consequences.
An absolutely phenomenal debut novel and one I'll undoubtedly be rereading in future. I recommend Daughters of Tith to anyone looking for something fresh from fantasy and which isn't afraid to take risks. Don't let its size deter you--this was ultimately a lavish but fast read and one that's worth returning to.
Want to read
February 12, 2024This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBO9 contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
A being in a magical collective living amongst godly, enormous trees is going to be Queen. She has more to learn tho of, among other things, the many Earths.
This has been the most challenging (I might almost say confusing) opening I’ve read in the blog-off so far that I still want to read more of.
It is metaphysical to an extent, yes, but that isn’t quite the problem. Much is left unexplained. I cannot always picture what is happening or what our characters look like (are they like humans?) and there are lots of in world terms that are not explained.
I am leading with these difficulties, because despite them I still feel drawn into the complexity of this story by the fact that, at least for now, at its core there seems to be a family of sisters who have different abilities.
This reminds me of the Princes of Amber from Zelazny’s writing. It is less clear (for now) what our characters are and their relationship to the Earths they mention, but I find myself wanting to understand.
I’m not repelled by the challenge of this opening, because despite all I do not (yet) understand, the world of this story feels intelligently designed, even if it is not well explained.
The conflict, as far as I can see it in this opening, is that our rising Queen is somewhat reluctant.
This story is strange, but that strangeness is, for the moment, inviting. There are characters here, and their alien, godly quality is interesting.
The almost 800pg length gives me pause. This isn’t an easy read, and if it doesn’t get any easier I won’t be able to continue. But, for now, I find myself reading on and on and not wanting to stop, so I’m in.
A being in a magical collective living amongst godly, enormous trees is going to be Queen. She has more to learn tho of, among other things, the many Earths.
This has been the most challenging (I might almost say confusing) opening I’ve read in the blog-off so far that I still want to read more of.
It is metaphysical to an extent, yes, but that isn’t quite the problem. Much is left unexplained. I cannot always picture what is happening or what our characters look like (are they like humans?) and there are lots of in world terms that are not explained.
I am leading with these difficulties, because despite them I still feel drawn into the complexity of this story by the fact that, at least for now, at its core there seems to be a family of sisters who have different abilities.
This reminds me of the Princes of Amber from Zelazny’s writing. It is less clear (for now) what our characters are and their relationship to the Earths they mention, but I find myself wanting to understand.
I’m not repelled by the challenge of this opening, because despite all I do not (yet) understand, the world of this story feels intelligently designed, even if it is not well explained.
The conflict, as far as I can see it in this opening, is that our rising Queen is somewhat reluctant.
This story is strange, but that strangeness is, for the moment, inviting. There are characters here, and their alien, godly quality is interesting.
The almost 800pg length gives me pause. This isn’t an easy read, and if it doesn’t get any easier I won’t be able to continue. But, for now, I find myself reading on and on and not wanting to stop, so I’m in.
April 16, 2023
Daughters of Tith is a science fiction novel that explores the themes of destiny, identity, and cultural change in a society that feels utterly unlike human society. The story is told from the perspective of the five daughters of Tith, including Tchardin, the youngest of the five and the soon-to-be queen of the kandar, a powerful and eternal race created to guard the nine human Earths. Having been exiled to their homeworld for generations, the kandar have lost touch with their Purpose – to guide and inspire humanity. The kandar there have no way to escape the island, nor any will to, for they are eternal beings with no need to eat or sleep or do much of anything, really. One kandar, however, is unsatisfied with this stagnation, and the story is propelled forward by her actions.
J. Patricia Anderson does a fantastic job of building the kandar culture, making it feel truly alien to human cultures. Though this does lead to a heavy learning curve at the beginning, if you persevere you'll be rewarded with a rich, immersive world. The exploration of the setting and the kandar culture is definitely one of this book's strong points. An island in an infinite plane of water, giant trees that birth eternal beings, different Earths, each offering a unique setting and challenge for the kandar. There's so much fascinating worldbuilding going on here, and the world seems to have a good deal of depth.
The book does take some time to pick up the pace in the beginning, owing to the need to set up all that worldbuilding, and, at times, the focus on characters searching for one another among the trees can slow down the story. However, the payoff is worth it when the action picks up with thrilling displays of the kandar's power. The slow reveal of the antagonist led to one of my favorite scenes in the entire book.
Though the novel, like any other, has its shortcomings, Daughters of Tith is an imaginative exploration of a unique fantasy race with a deep connection to the Earths they are charged with guarding. I give it a solid 7/10 for readers who enjoy intricate world-building, a slow-burning character-driven plot, and a good dose of mystery. This novel is perfect for fans of science fiction and fantasy who are seeking a fresh and engaging read with an otherworldly feel.
/* Thanks to the author for providing an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review! */
J. Patricia Anderson does a fantastic job of building the kandar culture, making it feel truly alien to human cultures. Though this does lead to a heavy learning curve at the beginning, if you persevere you'll be rewarded with a rich, immersive world. The exploration of the setting and the kandar culture is definitely one of this book's strong points. An island in an infinite plane of water, giant trees that birth eternal beings, different Earths, each offering a unique setting and challenge for the kandar. There's so much fascinating worldbuilding going on here, and the world seems to have a good deal of depth.
The book does take some time to pick up the pace in the beginning, owing to the need to set up all that worldbuilding, and, at times, the focus on characters searching for one another among the trees can slow down the story. However, the payoff is worth it when the action picks up with thrilling displays of the kandar's power. The slow reveal of the antagonist led to one of my favorite scenes in the entire book.
Though the novel, like any other, has its shortcomings, Daughters of Tith is an imaginative exploration of a unique fantasy race with a deep connection to the Earths they are charged with guarding. I give it a solid 7/10 for readers who enjoy intricate world-building, a slow-burning character-driven plot, and a good dose of mystery. This novel is perfect for fans of science fiction and fantasy who are seeking a fresh and engaging read with an otherworldly feel.
/* Thanks to the author for providing an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review! */
February 15, 2024
Amazing
Daughters of Tith was a delight to read. I found it through SPFBO9, and boy am I glad I read it.
It's not an easy read. It's dense, not only in length. In the beginning, I found myself wanting to sit with it more. Not because of the fantasy aspect of it, being rich with names and lore, but the depth of the characters and mystery surrounding them. There's a lot of time spent learning each character, and I loved that.
I am notorious as a reader for skimming... I didn't skim a wink in this book. There's something about the author's voice that is *chef's kiss*. Despite being long, it's not drawn out. The prose is beautiful, but concise. The introspection is well balanced with dialogue and action—in fact, perfectly??? And the moments of discovery were equally expected and shocking. Every discovery was earned.
This book is easily my favorite read of 2024. I loved every minute of this book.
Daughters of Tith was a delight to read. I found it through SPFBO9, and boy am I glad I read it.
It's not an easy read. It's dense, not only in length. In the beginning, I found myself wanting to sit with it more. Not because of the fantasy aspect of it, being rich with names and lore, but the depth of the characters and mystery surrounding them. There's a lot of time spent learning each character, and I loved that.
I am notorious as a reader for skimming... I didn't skim a wink in this book. There's something about the author's voice that is *chef's kiss*. Despite being long, it's not drawn out. The prose is beautiful, but concise. The introspection is well balanced with dialogue and action—in fact, perfectly??? And the moments of discovery were equally expected and shocking. Every discovery was earned.
This book is easily my favorite read of 2024. I loved every minute of this book.
November 1, 2022
This story was such a refreshing change. It is unique in my reading list and I read a lot of fantasy!
The author does a wonderful job of describing a culture that is quite alien to a human mind and making the characters incredibly relatable and individual. Their motivations are complex but understandable and I found myself empathising with all of them, even the antagonists. It's a real skill to write both sides fighting for something that can be recognised as a greater good, even when they are complete opposites, but J. Patricia Anderson has a flair for it.
This book made me laugh and cry. The worldbuilding is lush and visual. If you fancy a different sort of epic fantasy, I highly recommend it.
The author does a wonderful job of describing a culture that is quite alien to a human mind and making the characters incredibly relatable and individual. Their motivations are complex but understandable and I found myself empathising with all of them, even the antagonists. It's a real skill to write both sides fighting for something that can be recognised as a greater good, even when they are complete opposites, but J. Patricia Anderson has a flair for it.
This book made me laugh and cry. The worldbuilding is lush and visual. If you fancy a different sort of epic fantasy, I highly recommend it.
June 13, 2023
I read the final draft of this immersive tale a year ago and loved it. I am delighted to now have a hardcover copy signed by the author and I look forward to a re-read. Anderson weaves a rich tapestry in which five sisters and their Kandar kin struggle to hold their world and their society together; to make sense of change and to regain their past. From bold choices to heart-wrenching consequences, this narrative never falters and ends in a dramatically unexpected way. This first installment in the series is just long enough to be satisfying as stand alone, yet left me immediately wanting more of this story.
May 14, 2023
WOW! This book is definitely one of a kind! A rare gem, and a storyline that's really amazing, mindblowing and something that's never been done before. Nowadays we can't say that a lot anymore, but this book really is unique. Aside from an interesting and original storyline, it has depth to each character mentioned, and the clarity of the difference between Kandar and humans is also a joy to read.
I'm looking forwards to the continuation of Children of the Trees!
I'm looking forwards to the continuation of Children of the Trees!
January 31, 2023
Humans struggle with finding purpose. The kandar struggle with a purpose they have always known.
Daughters of Tith is a fantasy novel for fantasy fans. It's not meta, with inside jokes and references you need to have consumed hundreds of books to understand. It's for fantasy fans because it builds on so much that has come before it while managing to be different in a fundamental way.
Most well-executed fantasy novels start with characters who are flawed or troubled. Over the course of the story they realize their faults, overcome adversity, and grow (or die failing).
Daughters of Tith starts with characters who are boring, undefined, and inert in a way only non-humans can be. The story has these characters face the first real challenges of their lives. In the process, it accomplishes not just vivid, compelling, and satisfying character arcs—but character actualization.
The novel is startlingly polished for a debut, with tight prose, epic scope, and seamless, deep world building. It is rich with meaning, tragic in the best ways, and features a mysterious magic system, which—once understood—is simple and profound, rooted in a philosophy that questions our relationship to the world.
Start this book with trust and experience an adventure like none you’ve ever read.
Daughters of Tith is a fantasy novel for fantasy fans. It's not meta, with inside jokes and references you need to have consumed hundreds of books to understand. It's for fantasy fans because it builds on so much that has come before it while managing to be different in a fundamental way.
Most well-executed fantasy novels start with characters who are flawed or troubled. Over the course of the story they realize their faults, overcome adversity, and grow (or die failing).
Daughters of Tith starts with characters who are boring, undefined, and inert in a way only non-humans can be. The story has these characters face the first real challenges of their lives. In the process, it accomplishes not just vivid, compelling, and satisfying character arcs—but character actualization.
The novel is startlingly polished for a debut, with tight prose, epic scope, and seamless, deep world building. It is rich with meaning, tragic in the best ways, and features a mysterious magic system, which—once understood—is simple and profound, rooted in a philosophy that questions our relationship to the world.
Start this book with trust and experience an adventure like none you’ve ever read.
June 24, 2024
Creative and engaging
I love a good secondary world and the world building here is immaculate. It’s so intricate with lots of layers to it. I loved learning about life, death, magic, rebirth and all the different realms!
There are a LOT of characters here. Truthfully, it’s almost too many. I had to re-read quite a few sections to keep them straight. That being said though, I am quite fond of all the characters which didn’t make this necessarily a bad thing.
I also am also always a fan of hope, of the promise of the good in people and was so thrilled to see that message pushed forward. There’s also a lovely twist embedded in here that won’t dare give away.
You might need to read this one slower than other books but the world it pulls you into absolutely makes it worth it.
I love a good secondary world and the world building here is immaculate. It’s so intricate with lots of layers to it. I loved learning about life, death, magic, rebirth and all the different realms!
There are a LOT of characters here. Truthfully, it’s almost too many. I had to re-read quite a few sections to keep them straight. That being said though, I am quite fond of all the characters which didn’t make this necessarily a bad thing.
I also am also always a fan of hope, of the promise of the good in people and was so thrilled to see that message pushed forward. There’s also a lovely twist embedded in here that won’t dare give away.
You might need to read this one slower than other books but the world it pulls you into absolutely makes it worth it.
September 18, 2023
This is not my typical go to genre and I got completely lost in it in the best way. Absolutely loved the world building and am really glad there are future books in the works!
December 11, 2024
I don't usually read fantasy books but was delighted to read this having met the author in Canada recently.
The world-building is really strong and the story kept me engaged, especially after the momentum built in the second half. The book includes a range of interesting concepts (but you'll need to discover those yourselves so I can avoid spoilers, which distingished it for me from a number of other fantasy books I've read.
My only struggle with the book (in common with other fantasy novels) is that I find the names of characters and places, the language and the different realities hard to engage with at times. Some of the ideas and descriptions are also used a number of times and the bok could perhaps be a little more tightly edited.
This is why I haven't given it a 5 star rating but I don't want to detract from the quality of the book. It is a strong story, well written and I enjoyed reading it very much.
In the coming years there will be more books in the series and I look forward to seeing how the themes develop.
The world-building is really strong and the story kept me engaged, especially after the momentum built in the second half. The book includes a range of interesting concepts (but you'll need to discover those yourselves so I can avoid spoilers, which distingished it for me from a number of other fantasy books I've read.
My only struggle with the book (in common with other fantasy novels) is that I find the names of characters and places, the language and the different realities hard to engage with at times. Some of the ideas and descriptions are also used a number of times and the bok could perhaps be a little more tightly edited.
This is why I haven't given it a 5 star rating but I don't want to detract from the quality of the book. It is a strong story, well written and I enjoyed reading it very much.
In the coming years there will be more books in the series and I look forward to seeing how the themes develop.
January 25, 2023
I was lucky enough to get an early copy and really enjoyed it! The characters and world are detailed and interesting and I thought about the story long after I was done reading it. I don't normally consider myself a fan of high fantasy but I would recommend this to anyone! Looking forward to seeing what happens in the next one :)
August 4, 2023
The alien world and alien society of Daughters of Tith is a *really* great idea. The stagnant society of the Kandar and the efforts of the titular Daughters to change it - for better or worse - make for a genuinely compelling story, and the idea of these great trees shaping the worlds around them is a great bit of worldbuilding. But this is a *long* book, and it didn't need to be: repetitive conversations, too-slow builds to action and just an abundance of concepts, not all of which are properly explored, mean that the whole thing feels bloated, and by about halfway through I was struggling to continue. It was the story of Tchardin travelling the many Earths of the story and seeing what humanity could do with its potential that kept me reading - that part of the narrative was definitely the most interesting. But it's the length and density that make this a good book and not quite a great one.
June 4, 2023
Daughters of Tith features a people known as the Kandar (think reinvented angels minus the wings). For generations, they have been held back from their purpose: to secretly guide humans. The story follows the efforts of five sisters who, for different reasons, decide to change the status quo.
I bought this book on a whim, and I'm glad I did!
I bought this book on a whim, and I'm glad I did!
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