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The Flameforged Saga #2
Everautumn
Undeath meant only that they could wait forever.
Everautumn is a realm beyond common reality and common knowledge. Where retching volcanoes, unrelenting heat and ashen forests canopied with tufts of flame dominate scarcely hospitable terrain. A realm in the midst of conflict spanning millennia.
Almi and Merill have died. Their hearts no longer beat in the fashion they once did. Extirpated and deposited in the harsh, lava-sown world of Everautumn, they now survive as something seated between elf and undead. For six years they have endured, because they trust he will come.
Accompanied by Descarta, the artificial weaveress; Elissa, the once-forgotten daughter; and Hafstagg, the paunchy warrior, Virgil has been sailing in search of a way to keep his promise to revive the elven twins. And he will stop at nothing to do so.
Everautumn plans to challenge that.
...
The second entry in a sometimes-flippant, sometimes-grim sword & sorcery series that challenges morality and the boundaries of love. Follow a cast of eccentric, complex characters—from elves with severe personality disorders to a caretaker of time and space—as they brave worlds and leave lasting changes in their wake.
Everautumn is a realm beyond common reality and common knowledge. Where retching volcanoes, unrelenting heat and ashen forests canopied with tufts of flame dominate scarcely hospitable terrain. A realm in the midst of conflict spanning millennia.
Almi and Merill have died. Their hearts no longer beat in the fashion they once did. Extirpated and deposited in the harsh, lava-sown world of Everautumn, they now survive as something seated between elf and undead. For six years they have endured, because they trust he will come.
Accompanied by Descarta, the artificial weaveress; Elissa, the once-forgotten daughter; and Hafstagg, the paunchy warrior, Virgil has been sailing in search of a way to keep his promise to revive the elven twins. And he will stop at nothing to do so.
Everautumn plans to challenge that.
...
The second entry in a sometimes-flippant, sometimes-grim sword & sorcery series that challenges morality and the boundaries of love. Follow a cast of eccentric, complex characters—from elves with severe personality disorders to a caretaker of time and space—as they brave worlds and leave lasting changes in their wake.
- GenresFantasy
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2012
24 people want to read
About the author
Darrell Drake
9 books85 followersDarrell Drake has spent years researching Sasanian Iran, and while he’s no scholar, his zeal for the late antique empire is plain.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 17, 2012
This book is the second in "The Flameforged Saga", the first being "Within Ruin". The story continues about a year after the first book ends, and is intended to stand alone as a story. The story is quite complex, and difficult to describe. Essentially it centres around Virgil, a former king and his consort Descarta, who are on a quest to restore to life a pair of elven twins, Merrill and Almi, who died at the end of the previous book. Both Virgil and Descarta are able to wield different forms of power as weavers, Virgil specialising in fire, and Descarta in wind and water. They are accompanied by Virgil's daughter Elissa, whose mother is Merrill, one of the twin elves. The story takes place for the most part in a realm where fire and volcanic activity reign.
The real strength of this story is in the characters. They are well drawn, delightfully eccentric and morally ambiguous. Although there are many heroic rescues and battles, there are no real heroes in this story. The characters are often ruthless, selfish, and driven by complex and obscure motivations. The closest to "good" people, I suppose, are Descarta, and possibly Elissa. Virgil, with a very dark, violent and irrational past, is perhaps here somewhat morally reformed compared to the first book. In some ways I think this makes his character weaker and less interesting.
The two characters that stand out are Merrill and Almi, the dead/undead elven twins. They are playful, capricious, spontaneous and sometimes spiteful. Their behaviour struck me as very catlike/birdlike. Despite their sometime cruelty and unbridled violence, they are delightful. Their peculiar bond and shared language make for enjoyable reading. The book really comes alive when they are the focus of the narrative, and when it is related from their perspective.
The story I found a little difficult to follow at times. I did not quite grasp "where" this world was in relation to the world of the previous volume; and I did not always understand the politics or ecology of this world. It was not entirely clear to me why anyone would actually want to live there. Also, the language used at times becomes excessively arcane and obscure (although less so in this volume, I thought, than in the first). I understand the purpose behind this: it creates an otherwordly, othertimely, alien atmosphere. Nevertheless sometimes I thought this was overdone, and obscured rather than enhanced the story. In contrast the strange language used by the elven twins, while odd, remains intelligible and enormously entertaining.
Although I found the story confusing at times, and although I thought that this world, and its place in the larger universe of this series, could have been described in more detail, the darkness and ambiguity of many of the main characters really lifts it. The story breaks out of the usual cosmic good vs. evil framework that characterizes much of the genre. Indeed, the battles waged here are of an intensely personal nature, rather than being waged on a cosmic scale. What concerns the characters here is not the fate of the universe; it is the fate of their friends and loved ones. And in order to save their loved ones, these characters are ready to employ highly questionable methods.
This story is intended to stand alone, but it will aid the reader enormously to have read the first book in the series. Most importantly, this makes the relationships between the main characters, and their debts and devotion to each other, comprehensible.
Everautumn is a courageous venture into the world of fantasy fiction. While far from flawless, it is worth reading just for the sake of discovering the elven twins, Merrill and Almi. On the strength of its characters and its unconventional approach to the genre, I give this book four stars.
The real strength of this story is in the characters. They are well drawn, delightfully eccentric and morally ambiguous. Although there are many heroic rescues and battles, there are no real heroes in this story. The characters are often ruthless, selfish, and driven by complex and obscure motivations. The closest to "good" people, I suppose, are Descarta, and possibly Elissa. Virgil, with a very dark, violent and irrational past, is perhaps here somewhat morally reformed compared to the first book. In some ways I think this makes his character weaker and less interesting.
The two characters that stand out are Merrill and Almi, the dead/undead elven twins. They are playful, capricious, spontaneous and sometimes spiteful. Their behaviour struck me as very catlike/birdlike. Despite their sometime cruelty and unbridled violence, they are delightful. Their peculiar bond and shared language make for enjoyable reading. The book really comes alive when they are the focus of the narrative, and when it is related from their perspective.
The story I found a little difficult to follow at times. I did not quite grasp "where" this world was in relation to the world of the previous volume; and I did not always understand the politics or ecology of this world. It was not entirely clear to me why anyone would actually want to live there. Also, the language used at times becomes excessively arcane and obscure (although less so in this volume, I thought, than in the first). I understand the purpose behind this: it creates an otherwordly, othertimely, alien atmosphere. Nevertheless sometimes I thought this was overdone, and obscured rather than enhanced the story. In contrast the strange language used by the elven twins, while odd, remains intelligible and enormously entertaining.
Although I found the story confusing at times, and although I thought that this world, and its place in the larger universe of this series, could have been described in more detail, the darkness and ambiguity of many of the main characters really lifts it. The story breaks out of the usual cosmic good vs. evil framework that characterizes much of the genre. Indeed, the battles waged here are of an intensely personal nature, rather than being waged on a cosmic scale. What concerns the characters here is not the fate of the universe; it is the fate of their friends and loved ones. And in order to save their loved ones, these characters are ready to employ highly questionable methods.
This story is intended to stand alone, but it will aid the reader enormously to have read the first book in the series. Most importantly, this makes the relationships between the main characters, and their debts and devotion to each other, comprehensible.
Everautumn is a courageous venture into the world of fantasy fiction. While far from flawless, it is worth reading just for the sake of discovering the elven twins, Merrill and Almi. On the strength of its characters and its unconventional approach to the genre, I give this book four stars.
November 28, 2012
Drake is intuitive and sentimental when it comes to weaving together each intriguing character. The characters carry the reader through a fiery and thrilling expedition in which pain, turmoil, and enchantment unfold. Tragedy follows the team relentlessly but they are not unarmed. Strength is tested, loyalty is tested but love is ever present and proves to be the armor they need. The expressiveness is portrayed through the terminology which paints a colorful and moving image in the mind. Everautumn is most certainly a must read.
December 23, 2012
This book should be in a "gave up on" shelf or something like that because I didn't want to continue reading after the first two chapters. I found it incredibly hard to read and didn't understand at all what the book was about. The story becomes lost in the overuse of adjectives which unfortunately does not make for a very enjoyable reading experience.
December 14, 2012
Darrell pens "Everautumn" in a well written, well thought out plot with strong characters. Filled with tragedy, pain and enchantment, this is a must read for all fantasy lovers.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
This review is based on a complimentary copy which was provided for an honest review.
December 24, 2012
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Everautumn is the second book in the Flameforged Saga, coming after Within Ruin. It continues where the first left off (I won't go into detail because it will spoil the ending of Within Ruin!), and follows our main characters through more adventures, this time in the realm of Everautumn.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would even venture to say I liked it more than the first. My criticism of Within Ruin was the language quality, as it was difficult to read in many places. While that "wordiness" is still apparent in Everautumn, I feel as though it wasn't as rough this time (or maybe I'm used to it!), and I was able to enjoy the story a lot more without having to look something up to understand. Plus, my two favorite characters are very prominent in this one, which kept me intrigued throughout.
Without giving too much away, I would definitely recommend this one for all fans of Within Ruin, as we get a lot more of certain characters. Also, Everautumn can be read as a stand-alone novel; however, I feel like I connected better with the characters because I had read the first one. Reader's choice!
I give this one 5 stars, because the readability was easier for me than the first =)
Everautumn is the second book in the Flameforged Saga, coming after Within Ruin. It continues where the first left off (I won't go into detail because it will spoil the ending of Within Ruin!), and follows our main characters through more adventures, this time in the realm of Everautumn.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would even venture to say I liked it more than the first. My criticism of Within Ruin was the language quality, as it was difficult to read in many places. While that "wordiness" is still apparent in Everautumn, I feel as though it wasn't as rough this time (or maybe I'm used to it!), and I was able to enjoy the story a lot more without having to look something up to understand. Plus, my two favorite characters are very prominent in this one, which kept me intrigued throughout.
Without giving too much away, I would definitely recommend this one for all fans of Within Ruin, as we get a lot more of certain characters. Also, Everautumn can be read as a stand-alone novel; however, I feel like I connected better with the characters because I had read the first one. Reader's choice!
I give this one 5 stars, because the readability was easier for me than the first =)
August 16, 2014
2.5/5.0
Everautumn is an intense fantasy tale. It could use a little more backstory to help set the stage for those unfamiliar with the series.
Read full review in the 2013 June issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Everautumn is an intense fantasy tale. It could use a little more backstory to help set the stage for those unfamiliar with the series.
Read full review in the 2013 June issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews