Fortune's Fool

Eterean Empire #1

by Angela Boord

A bad reputation, a metal arm, and a burning need for revenge…

Once played as a pawn in a deadly game of feuding Houses, Kyrra d’Aliente now makes her living in male guise as the ruthless mercenary Kyris di Nada. Yet hidden beneath her tough exterior lies a woman driven by one thing: the belief that her lost love, killed in the war he fought on her behalf, is still alive. But when Kyrra is offered the chance to assassinate the man who betrayed her, the seductive song of revenge changes everything.

In a world of scheming gods and precarious loyalties, vengeance comes at a deadly cost. As the treacherous web of her past tries to trap her once again, Kyrra must make a choice: kill the man who stole everything from her, or risk everything to save the man she loves.

Fortune’s Fool is the award-winning first book in the Renaissance-inspired Eterean Empire epic fantasy series. If you like powerful heroines, complex political intrigue, and slowburn romance, then you’ll love Angela Boord’s gripping tale of love, betrayal, and revenge.

Pick up a copy of Fortune’s Fool and begin your own exciting journey through the Eterean Empire today!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook, High Fantasy

737 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2019

About the author

Angela Boord is a hopeless romantic, a nerdy introvert, and the author of SPFBO5 Finalist FORTUNE’S FOOL. She can usually be found with her nose in a book when she’s not writing her own dark fantasy epics of hope, redemption, and relationships in all their messy glory. Angela and her husband live in northern Mississippi in a house full of children, books, and innumerable quantities of Legos.

Sign up for my newsletter at https://angelaboord.com and get "Roses in Winter", a free Eterean Empire story!

Find me everywhere! https://linktr.ee/angelaboord

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars

The blurb surmised this first-person character-driven debut nicely; spies, smugglers, vengeance, war, and love, this hefty book has them all.

Fortune’s Fool is Angela Boord’s debut and it’s the first book in Eterean Empire series. The story revolves around Kyrra d’Aliente as she seeks vengeance for the harshness inflicted towards her in her past while masquerading herself as a man. Fortune’s Fool is undeniably a character-driven fantasy. The author did a fantastic job of telling Kyrra’s story, the plot juggles between two timelines: the present and the past. One of the things that made the narrative relatively refreshing to read was the changes in tenses between the two timeframes; the past is told in first-person past tense narration, the present is told in the first-person present tense narrative. Truthfully speaking, I’m not a big fan of tenses shift within the same book, but the author did a great job in making sure the flow of her story remains undisrupted throughout.

Kyrra and Arsenault were by far the central characters of the story. Their encounter, their relationship, and their developments were, in my opinion, the most dominant selling point of the book. This was especially true in the first half of the book where the author spent a lot of time building their characters from scratch. The origin story of how Kyrra loses her arm and then met Arsenault was superbly written. Both characters were flawed, and I loved reading how both Kyrra and Arsenault affected and developed each other’s development.

“There was a moment of starting too long, a jolt, a shiver. How does one describe these feelings afterward without making them seem boring and cliché? There is that moment when one is young in which all the clichés seem true.”

Other than those two, I also liked Mikelo and I wish I get to see more of him. This is one of the two points of the book that fell a bit short for me. Although Kyrra and Arsenault were well-developed, I truly feel like this big book has too much focus on them. I understand that they’re indeed THE main characters, but the overwhelming focus on them made that the other side characters became pretty much forgettable. Excluding Mikelo, I don’t think I’ll be able to remember any of the side characters again by the time the second book comes out. The second point would be that I found some of the method of revelations to be repetitive after a while. Arsenault has a LOT of secrets, the way this was revealed throughout the book almost always involved Kyrra getting pissed and angry at him. Kyrra is angry, Arsenault revealed a bit of his secret, Kyrra gets angry again, Arsenault revealed a bit of secret again; although the reasons for secrecy were understandable and believable, it gets tiring to read when the similar method of revelations was constantly repeated throughout this 737 pages book.

The world-building, however, was fantastic. The feudal between houses, the weaponry (guns included), the cultures, the magic, and the lore were seamlessly incorporated into the story. I also love how the atmosphere of the world; I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the world-building is Renaissance-inspired. A huge part of why I enjoyed this book, despite the two minor issues I mentioned, was how cleanly written the book was. Boord has well-refined prose that’s beneficial in making her narrative and action scenes flows nicely. It doesn’t matter whether it was present-tense or past-tense; both were written wonderfully.

Fortune’s Fool is an atmospheric character-driven fantasy with a female main character that’s easy to root for. There’s still a lot of untapped potential to this series, especially regarding the gods, but the story, for now, feels self-contained; no need to worry about facing a cliffhanger here. Fortune’s Fool is being entered into SPFBO #5; I wish Angela Boord the best of luck and I look forward to seeing how this will fare in the competition!

Official release date: June 25th, 2019

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit, and there’s no shame to it, that once I got the book, I found its page count daunting. At 737 pages, Fortune’s Fool is terrifying. I love novellas and short fiction. I consider 350 pages enough to tell an engaging story. When I hear people raving about over 500 pages of roaring fun, I turn and run in the opposite direction. 

Because I had to read it, I took a deep breath, explained my dog there wouldn’t be any walks for a week, and started reading. And couldn’t put the thing down.

Fortune’ Fool is a great book, don’t let its length intimidate you!

Plot & Structure

Fortune’s Fool is a Renaissance-inspired epic fantasy about a woman who’s lost almost everything–her family, the man she loves, even her right arm. People blame her for starting a war. When we meet her, she has a magical metal arm forged for her by her lover, who disappeared without a trace. Kyrra d’Aliente wants revenge and nothing will stop her from serving it.
The book is told in 1st person using two narratives–one in the past and one in the present. It influences the pacing - when you really want to know what happens next, the narrative skips to the past to explain how and why things happen. A bit frustrating, yes. But also very immersive as the chapters describing the past pack plenty of twists and emotions.

After finishing the book, I appreciate the structure - it made the story layered and emotionally engaging.

Characters

We get the whole story filtered through Kyrra's point of view. I loved her as a lead character - despite her tragic past she’s maintained a dry sense of humor and the willingness to live. She makes a lot of mistakes, but she’s also more than capable. Secondary characters, especially Arsenault, shine as well. They feel distinct, well-rounded, and human. Because we learn about secondary characters through Kyrra’s eyes, they remain mysterious. A good thing, I guess.

Point of view

As a huge fan of first-person POV, I enjoyed Kyrra’s narration. Brood has a knack for delivering a nuanced and intimate portrayal of emotions and thought and communicates them effectively. She delivers Kyrra’s anger, love, hopes, fears, and despair with maximum impact. 

Setting

Fortune’s Fool is a historical fantasy, set in a made-up world inspired by Renaissance Italy. The world has a strong Mediterranean feel that distinguishes it from typical Western-European settings. Even though the author describes her world in detail, she communicates all the relevant information without infodumps. Everything feels natural, even the intricacies of silk production.

That said, the beginning can feel unclear as Boord throws the reader into the deep end with all the different Houses and how they relate to each other/the world. It gest easier to grasp the farther you get into it. The magic remains mysterious and unexplained and that makes it even more intriguing.
 
Voice/tone 

The tone is grim. Thanks to Kyrra’s dry sense of humor, things never turn nihilistic, but don’t let it fool you - it’s not a joyous world. 

Timing/pacing

Here’s the thing. Fortune’s Fool tells an ambitious and complex story in a secondary world. Things take time before they start making sense. As a result, the pacing may feel off in the beginning. It blends moment of introspection and despair with action-packed sequences and succeeds at creating an immersive story

That said, I wouldn’t mind seeing it lose some weight. The problem? I’m not sure which parts I would cut.

In closing

Fortune’s Fool is an excellent book. Well-written, smart, complex, it finds a good balance between the plotline, world-building, and character development. It demands a level of trust from a busy reader hesitant to start such a big book, but I feel it rewards the time-investment.

[Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance · Rating 5 out of 5]

F I N I S H E D....and I'm left a wrecked mess!

An ocean of words in a tome over 700 pages long, have come together to form an awesome, in-depth built world around silk production and trade, powerhouses and family feud in the fantastical Fortune's Fool, and combined it with a character-driven plot of revenge by the underdog. It is made of all the right stuff to sink your teeth in, in a journey that takes its time and braids a narrative from different angles and two main timelines, but don’t be fooled, this novel has a strong and dangerous undercurrent that lurks behind the lingering tale told on the surface, one that took my breath and wrecked me by the end and I am grateful for it.

Kyrra d'Aliente is born into the House of Aliente on her father's side, the Householder of a vast silk production/trade empire and her mother is a Caprine, fallen obliged to certain trade limitations opposing on the Aliente's House of business. For ages, the kin of the Caprine have spun their fortunes on a thin thread of silk that could tear in an instant if it wasn't for the right alliances in Houses.

Trading partners and political games have long been a factor for the Houses and when Cassis di Prinze, son of Geoffre di Prinze, another large holding of silk comes to the House of d'Aliente, Kyrra, only just short of her eighteenth names day, is smitten with the handsome young man.

"A Prinze doesn't make gestures without a knife up his sleeve.",

her mother warns, and so, he sets his eye on Kyrra in a wild, romantic tangle, for which she ends up paying the price. Dishonored and disowned by her father, she is sentenced to lose her name and all rights to any Aliente property. Her physical punishment was the severance of her right arm above the elbow before being sent off.

A gavaro, a mercenary for hire, is to watch over Kyrra, hired by her father, while she now works physical labor on the silk farm, the kitchen, trash duty or other such work. Arsenault is the first to treat her with decency since she was ousted. A man of secrets himself, filled with the grief of murder as she finds out over time, but one who offers simple comforts and always keeps her challenged.

"I suppose you have a right to be wary of wolves, but just because you're fallen, do you think it means you have to stay down in the dirt?"

Who is this man, really? He has fought the Prinze, has a good grasp of geography and politics and he starts to teach her how to fight with one arm. Perhaps her father has an agenda and plans after all? What could be his motives?

Kyrra's story is told in two alternating timelines. One of them encompasses her story of meeting Cassis and Arsenault, her loss of the arm and her subsequent build-up that culminates in a deep connection with Arsenault and an understanding of self, coming of age and a plan of revenge.

"Kyrra, if I teach you to use a sword, will you stop wielding your words like blades?"
(I love this, btw)

The other timeline is all about that revenge, after her time with Arsenault, yet he still remains a key figure in the plot, as well as the information she learns from his diary. At this point, Kyrra has gained various contraptions as arms and is left with a fused metal one from Arsenault. She is fully aware of the way she was used as a pawn in the family feud and knows the whole truth of her parents and a mirage that has been played as a cover-up. Her revolt in seeking justice will be dangerous. A gamble with the fates, and Gods in an uphill battle.

"You're an armless girl and a gavaro's whore," she whispered. "You ought to be crawling about in the dirt."

A world of magic and dreams (and drugs) add an important component to the timeline alluring to the riddles of underlying powers and the history of important houses involved. It is within a magical bond that Arsenault and Kyrra are tormented and rewarded simultaneously while fighting the factions and in parts, each other.

"EFSAG, IRDMAR, JORN...THE STANCES SING THROUGH MY HEAD, buried in my muscles. These movements I once made with this man, the closest we ever came to dancing Efsag, irdmar, jorn...The words lose all meaning in the battering of swords. I block blows with my arm that would cleave an arm of flesh, and the sound rings out into the night and into my head.
But I am not here.
I am somewhere in the dirt, swept down the tunnels of my own veins, adrift in my own blood. I should be bleeding on the ground by now. He's a better swordsman, but he doesn't have my arm. And he doesn't fight the way I do.
It's always like this. The darkness catches me like an ocean wave and tumbles me along its bottom, scouring me in the sand I don't know where the surface is. And I awake to find myself standing on a battlefield, bodies strewn at my feet.
Arsenault was wrong when he called it battle magic. It is a madness, an infection in the mind - vengeful, mad Ires reaching out from within the earth to satisfy his rage. It seeks any available tool, and if it finds one, it swings it like a hammer.
I can hear my own lunatic laughter as if someone else is laughing. Arsenault grunts as he struggles to block the blows, I pound him with. I'm only strong when I'm fighting because it's the magic, not me. I'd be stronger if I didn't struggle against the blackness, but I bob up and down like a cork in the tide.
I think Mikelo tries to stop me, but I fling him away. I don't hear him scream, so I think he's still alive.
Kyrra, Arsenault says, stop.
I can't, I answer him.
Is it this arm he made me? did he open up this channel so that it would grow wider and wider and harder and harder to close?
Everything goes black again, and when I come up from it, I have him against a wall, pinned, with the point of my sword at his throat. He stares at me the way a man does when he knows he's about to die--except there's something else there, something quiet on his face that lets me know he's already dead."

This novel is not a sweet romance, though it offers tender moments. I enjoyed the connection between the main protagonists very much and appreciate some of the maternal touches infused into the themes. In all, the novel takes its time, foreshadowing just enough to formulate an idea about the outcome of the story, but it remains shattered by sidelining concepts that punch a reader's ideas back into place. Whereas in the first half of the book the timeline of Kyrra in her young adult years hold most of the weight, the second half of the novel is all-out a grown, battered Kyrra and a plot full of magic, power, betrayal, and revenge.

Fortune's Fool and I got on very well. I absolutely love Boord's voice, in which through artful, well thought out use of word choice and diction she has crafted some intense and intuitive passages that build in beauty and power and that left me wrecked by the end.

This debut novel is the first in the Eterean empire series and impossible to read without a pillow propped up for its sheer weight--however, so worth it and I highly recommend it.


I received a digital copy of this novel from the author in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you.


More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance

[The Captain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book was the second book on me list from SPFBO #5 in 2019.  I recently read the book from that year that sounded the coolest and it freakin' rocked (and won).  This placed second in the contest and also sounded like the book for me.  Sadly I only made it to 36% before abandoning ship.

This book seemed to have all the elements that I love - a woman who dresses like a man, is snarky and intelligent, has a magical arm, used to be rich before a downfall, became a mercenary for survival, and is out for revenge.  Sounds cool right?

The book started out with promise.  The scarred and battered Kyrra d’Aliente we meet at the beginning seemed like a kinda gal I could grow to love.  I wasn't so enthused with her not so great secret plan but I was trying to keep an open mind.  Unfortunately the book quickly changes time frames and takes us back to Kyrra's life before her fall from grace.

I did not like stupid, younger Kyrra.  She has a great life but is a bubble head who whines and causes trouble because she is bored.  The choice she makes that causes her disgrace was just SO dumb.  Kyrra was set up to be this smart girl who acts the fool.  And I couldn't stand her.  The only thing that earned some grudging respect was how she dealt with her lowly position afterwards and how she could be blunt and outspoken at times.

I kept reading for Arsenault, the man who comes into her life and begins helping her for mysterious reasons.  He was a very interesting and flawed character and I wanted to know more about his background and missions.  Turns out when I got the first inklings about them, I was less than enthused.  Add in romance leanings, less than interesting special snowflake magic for Kyrra that are gifts from the gods, and her unending stupidity; I was getting annoyed.

Then I found out the book was 767 pages.  At 265 pages we still hadn't gotten back to fierce warrior Kyrra.  "Young" 17 year-old Kyrra matured a little as the book progressed but not nearly enough.  I couldn't reconcile that this idiot could become the Kyrra hinted at in the beginning.  I didn't want to read any more of the sappy romantic feelings that Kyrra had with Arsenault.  The gods and magic just didn't seem worth the struggle to develop a connection with Kyrra.  Arsenault even started to infuriate me with his choices.  He would reveal a secret, Kyrra would have a temper tantrum or pity party, and then rinse and repeat.  She had gone through this ordeal and then turns into a timid 13 year old idiot for the rest of the book that I tried to get through.

I couldn't bear to read anymore.  This book had some interesting ideas and some decent writing but could have used a major trimming and a bit more of an editor's insight and touch.  Or it could just be me.  I am abandoning the book and the rest of the series (whenever it gets written) too.  Arrrr!

[kartik narayanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished fortune’s fool. I liked it till I got to about two- thirds of the book. It is so reminiscent of guy gavriel Kay’s writing. But the biggest issue is that it is overly long and starts dragging after a while.

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘What nobody tells you is that magic is a pain in the ass.
It’s like the dinner guest who always shows up uninvited. It comes too early and stays too late. It ruins your evening plans. It’s the mistake you wake up with the morning after.’

Here’s my thoughts from our SPFBO review on The Fantasy Hive.

The characters;

Kyrra/Kyris is a character whom I enjoyed seeing develop throughout the book, I was thoroughly impressed by how well crafted her narrative voice was. I particularly liked her plight early on where she has to adapt to a disability, which was one aspect that resonated with me. I very much appreciated the way Boord portrayed Kyrra’s frustration at having a limited range of things she could now physically do, but then learning to find new ways in order to cope.

I was also very much intrigued by Arsenault. He’s a grizzled, rough around the edges warrior, who has a lot of secrets up his sleeve. So I enjoyed watching his story arc unfold.

In terms of dialogue, I thought the exchanges between Arsenault and Kyrra/Kyris flowed naturally, and I enjoyed the way they began to understand each other during these conversations.

The plot;

Personally, I much preferred the chapters with Kyrra’s backstory over the present timeline with Kyrra masquerading as Kyrris. Like I said before it wasn’t until then where I became much more engaged. Theo makes a lovely point, the themes present in the backstory do (frighteningly) reflect some issues that are still relevant today, and I admired Boord for reflecting that.

There was also a slow-burn romance, which became central to the plot, and this is something I’d usually be put off by, but I I actually digged it in this. I’m stealing my fellow co-blogger’s - Theo’s words here but I can’t believe I like ‘a kissing book!’

Overall though I felt the book was too long. There were a lot of chapters during the middle which unfortunately dragged, they felt long-winded and then at times became unnecessarily complex. I would have favoured for events to unfold quicker than they did.

The Worldbuilding;

Just to touch upon the magic system as this was an extremely appealing part of the book for me. I’m a sucker for stories about warring gods, and their powers, therefore the way they could eternally torment humans by making them immortal, and continuously bringing them back but with fewer memories was fascinating.

Conclusion;

My only reservations with this book was that I felt the plot could have been more condensed and delivered with less complexity. However, with beautiful eloquent prose, a compelling narrative voice, and a few lovely twists along the way, Fortune’s Fool was a very enjoyable read indeed.

[Mark Lawrence]

I haven't read this book, but it's a finalist in this year's Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off, so it must be good!

See the finalist board here:

https://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/...

[Jason Aycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tonight I’m doing something I haven’t done on the blog before. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do. I’m admitting I was wrong, and I’m changing a rating I gave a book.

I first reviewed Fortune’s Fool back in September 2019 as part of Self-Published Fantasy Month and gave it a 4.5 of 5 Stars. Tonight I’m changing that rating to 5 Stars. Why am I doing that? Well, because as the book has sat with me I’ve realized to an even greater extent how well it was written and how much it impacted me. You see it was this book which made me realize that I might enjoy fantasy romance. Now, I know I will probably never read a pure romance novel. That pure genre form isn’t for me. But fantasy with romance…that I can read. And it was Fortune’s Fool which helped me realize that not only could I read fantasy romance, but that I might think it was good…or even great. Fortune’s Fool has stuck with me and it has impacted how I read books after it. For that it deserves some additional praise.

Below is my original review unedited except for the final rating. I hope you’ll give this book a chance and that you enjoy it as much as I did.

**********

Angela Boord's Renaissance inspired debut is simply fantastic. A character driven tale of mystery, political intrigue, warring noble houses, and a woman at the center of it all who will stop at nothing until the wrong done to her is avenged. Oh...and did I mention the slow burn romance? Yeah, it has that too.

Characters And POV

Fortune's fool is very much a character driven book. I love these kinds of stories because they really make me feel for and root for the characters. Most are secondary but all have depth and their own little mysteries. I've listed just a handful here who play a primary part throughout whether in terms of page count, or based on their impact on the overall story.

Kyrra d'Aliente known throughout much of the story as Kyris di Nada (Kyris No Name) is the protagonist in Fortune's Fool and the novel's POV character. Boord actually presents us with two alternating versions of Kyrra. We first meet her as Kyris an adult mercenary who is disguising herself as a man. She has a metal arm, a replacement for one that was severed as punishment after the fallout from an ill advised love affair. She's on a two-part quest to find the man she loves, who may or may not still be alive, and to kill the man who was the cause of her disfigurement. This Kyrra is also a force to be reckoned with in a fight. It may or may not have something to do with that arm.

The other version of Kyrra is her younger self, the teenager from years before who fell for a man who was using her for nefarious reasons. This Kyrra is young and immature, and...well...a teenager. She suddenly and violently comes to know how intrigues between noble houses are played out after becoming a pawn among them. This Kyrra goes from nobility to serf and must learn to navigate the world with one arm from her new position in life.

Much of the story alternates between these two Kyrra points of view. I'll have more to say about that below under pacing and structure.

Arsenault is a mercenary brought in by Kyrra's father to help protect his estates and his daughter. Kyrra soon begins to fall for this older man with a mysterious past. He's not always what he seems and may have multiple loyalties. He's also the one who gives Kyrra her metal arm before he disappears.

The Prinze are the noble family out to destroy the Aliente. Geoffre the father, and his younger son Cassis both become her enemies. She sets out to destroy them for what they did to her and to her family. Yet as with everyone else in this story there's more to them than meets the eye.

Writing, Pacing, And Structure

Fortune's Fool is a book I'd raise up as a great example of how self-published does not equal bad writing. The writing is tight and it is evident Boord spent a lot of time in the editing process whether she did it herself or obtained outside help. But what stood out to me most was how Boord kept me turning the pages. This is a book that is over 700 pages long and each time I sat down to read I didn't want to stop. The only thing that really did stop me was knowing it was late and I had to go to work the next day. To keep me turning pages with a book this thick means you have to keep me engaged and she did just that.

What's really interesting to me is that she kept me engaged even though the overall pacing isn't very fast. The pacing kind of fits the slow burn romance that makes up much of the story (more on that below). That, and the mystery element built into it with multi-layered reveals doled out throughout the entire book.

Most of the story alternates between Adult Kyrra and teenage Kyrra. This back and forth device is at the core of the way the book is plotted and structured and serves as means of delayed gratification for the reader. It is the primary way in which the narrative is slowed down. Instead of racing forward in the present with info dumps to explain the past, Boord uses this device to slowly reveal the background of the story as one plot line catches up to the other. Through this the mystery of how Kyrra ended up disguised as a man with a metal arm out for revenge looking for her lost love is revealed little by little. And through it all the reader discovers even more mysteries that weren't evident at first when one plot twist after another is thrown into the mix right up to the dramatic end.

World Building

Boord delivers in this category as well. The world she's created in Fortune's Fool is steeped in history and the politics of feuding houses. A world of magic, swords, and recently introduced black powder weapons. As a Renaissance inspired story leading noble families descended from a past empire figure prominently. Each with their own sphere of influence they vie for power among their peers. It is this ongoing game of intrigue that Kyrra finds herself caught in the middle of without knowing exactly why. It is this constant scheming among the houses she sets out to unravel no matter what the consequences after her life and world is taken from her.

Magic and the gods also play a part though it is subtle throughout most of the book. If I say too much it will give away some vital plot points so I'll just touch on a few things. Magic exists though it isn't widespread, and it's even frowned upon in some ways. Those who wield it do so in specific and often subtle forms. The gods are acknowledged and worshiped but often seen as perhaps more myth than real. Yet they have an important impact on the characters and story.

Themes And Tropes

This is a story of romance, revenge, and a woman wronged. It's also the story of romance, the search for lost love, and a woman who refuses to play by the rules others place on her.

First let me say that I'm not normally a fan of romance. It just isn't my normal cup of tea. I'm very much a fan of action and suspense. So it says something when I read a novel of this length that has romance as a core element throughout and finish it...and even more telling, like it. The slow burn style that Boord managed to weave into this narrative may have made me a new fan of fantasy romance. This element is crucial to the overall story as it gives Kyrra part of her purpose to continue on. It's possible she wouldn't if revenge were her only motive. Her search for her lost lover drives her ever forward just as much as her desire to exact a toll on those who wronged her. Interestingly it is youthful romance (or perhaps lust) that sets all the pieces of the story in motion, that ultimately creates the thirst for revenge, and it is romance that creates the new person Kyrra comes to be, that sets her on her path forward, and makes her whole again.

The other purpose in Kyrra's life is revenge. She seeks revenge on those who took her arm, those who destroyed her family, and those who took away her lover. It's a theme established early in the book and the excitement comes in how it slowly plays out through multiple twists and turns. At times you're never sure just who all will or should be the recipient of Kyrra's vengeance nor how deep it goes.

Boord takes the trope of a woman wronged and used for the purposes of others and flips it. Like women throughout the centuries younger Kyrra is one who isn't in ultimate control of what happens to her. She's used by the Prinze, she's used by both her mother and father, she's even used by society at large, all for their own ends or as an excuse for their actions. It is older Kyrra though who has taken control of what happens to her. No longer bound by rules of family obligation, no longer a pawn to be used to bait or trap an opponent, she is now a self-made queen on the chessboard moving among the remaining pieces as she desires until she can check her enemies. In the end it will be Kyrra who decides her own fate and spit in the face of all those who seek to use her.

Overall Thoughts

Fortune's Fool is good. Real good. Like really, really good.

I really can't express how much I mean that. What did I really like you ask?

Revenge Story: check.
Character driven story: check
World-building: check
Writing and plotting: check
And so very odd for me...

Romance: check
Fortune's Fool will rank as one of the best self-published fantasies to come out this year. It should also rank as one of the best fantasies to be published overall this year. I can't wait to see what's in store with book two.

[Kitty G Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

* I read this as a judge for the #SPFBO *

Full video review here:
https://youtu.be/efPdkqmTTc8

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to favor character-focused stories over more plot-focused stories, from Pratchett to Becky Chambers, any book that makes me feel like I'm reading about real people will instantly go on my favorites list. I'm pretty stoked that this is the second time during the finals that I've been blown away by how attached I became to the characters. Both Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang and Fortune's Fool have struck a chord with me and are in my top three favorites of the finalists.

This is a single POV story told in the first person using two different timelines.  We're introduced to her in the 'present' but for the first half of the book, the majority of the page time is spent in her past bringing the reader up to speed on how she became to be the person she is now, and why she's on this quest for vengeance. This book burns slow, but it's a nice even burn. You're not sure why at first, but she's lost one of her arms and had it replaced with a magical metal arm, she's been kicked out of her home and forbidden to use her last name. She's disguised herself as a man in hopes that she can live out her life as a mercenary without being discovered by her House enemies. Despite the fact she can't use her last name, or any of the privileges that came with it, she could still be killed for it.

For me, the writing was one of the highlights and strengths of Fortune's Fool. I prefer books that are medium in length, between 300-500 pages typically hits the sweet spot. Shorter than that and I may not invest fully because there's not enough time, and more than that often feels bloated and unnecessary. This is a 737 page and I feel like there could be things that could be cut or made more compact, there were times where it slowed down a bit too much. That said, I enjoyed myself a lot and can't think of too many instances where I was thinking a scene needed to be cut. Most of what was in there either built up the plot/character and felt necessary. It's a long-ass story. It's a well edited long-ass story, too. Bloated books can take forever to edit and will sometimes have an abundance of errors, but I was pleased that wasn't the case here.  The dialogue was very fluid and natural. I know I hit good dialogue when I'm engrossed in character's back and forth and nothing sticks out to me as forced or "scripted" feeling. It's a tough thing to do in such a long book with so much dialogue - many opportunities to make something feel awkward or out of place.

The world-building in this was intricate and leaned heavily on House rivalries over resources and trade. There weren't many info dumps, everything unfurled naturally, there weren't many instances of characters telling each other things they should already know for the sake of the reader. It was mostly show and not tell which made for an immersive read. It's a low-magic low fantasy kind of book, too. In the very beginning, you're told there's magic, the main character has a magical metal arm - and yet, for the most part, it remains a mystery and isn't seen on-page for a long time. It's mysterious when it does appear, it's not a hard magic system like some of the other finalists. The way Kyrra loses her arm is brutal, this is not a world where women are treated the same and sexuality can be demonized for the nobility. Losing your virginity very much so harms your ability to get married, and it can be twisted against the woman that she was a seductress and seduced the poor helpless nobleman.

The longer I sit on this book the more I like it. This is the opposite of what usually happens when I sit and think about a book. Normally I'll find some plot hole or something that was predictable or doesn't make sense. Maybe the ending made sense in the moment but when you take a minute to think about it later it doesn't feel quite right. In this instance, I'm like "wow, I kind of want to read that again" to see what I missed the first time. I will absolutely be reading more from this author and will remember Kyrra and her story for a long time. 

Ratings:

Plot: 12/15
Characters: 14/15
World-Building: 13.5/15
Writing: 13.5/15
Pacing: 10.5/15
Originality: 12.5/15
Personal Enjoyment: 9.5/10

Final Score: 85.5/100 or 8.6/10

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I agonized over a star rating because 4* doesn't really do it justice. On a 10 point scale, I'd probably give it an 8.8/10 (4.4/5), which is right up there with some of my favorite reads.

Boord's world-building is top-notch. The politics, the religion, the setting (the food!)--it very much has the feel of a living, breathing, vibrant world with a history that we only get to brush against in Fortune's Fool.

Fortune's Fool is also very much a character story, and the two main characters were very well done. I was engaged and interested in their plights and the tension between them. There is also a satisfying resolution to their arcs, within the folds of this story--though I'm sure we've barely scratched the surface. There were a ton of side characters, and I didn't feel as though they were quite as fleshed out (perhaps contributing to my losing track of some of them, see below), with a couple exceptions.

Also, can I just say I adored the whole gods/magic/religion thing? I'm a bit of a sucker for gods come to life, as opposed to just existing with some abstract religious system, and WOW the intrigue and twists of the mythology intertwined with a somewhat wild magic system was right up my alley. And speaking of magic, for some reason I didn't expect there to be as much magic as there was in the book, and I was pleasantly surprised--because I love magic in fantasy. In this case, it's a more mysterious magic system. I feel as though there are rules beyond what we're told in Fortune's Fool, but the magic is also a bit un-tamable, so it totally works and I loved it. I'm looking forward to (hopefully!) learning more about it in subsequent books.

I also have to say that the two alternating timelines were very well done. I never felt like I wanted to read one timeline more than the other, and they played off each other nicely. And the present tense current timeline didn't bother me at all--and I don't typically like present tense. Somehow, in this book, it totally worked and I hardly noticed.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5* read is, I think, pure preference/my own reading style. And that is that at times I felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of names, places, characters. I found myself occasionally having to stop and go back and find information or characters or refresh my memory as to what turn the plot last took, which slowed down the pacing for me as I read. But someone else may not have the same issue and may even prefer that sort of incredible complexity.

Fortune's Fool was, hands-down, an awesome book. Even my "issue" isn't as much an "issue" as a "me" thing, and didn't stop me from really enjoying the book. I'm very much looking forward to the sequel!

[Bjørn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: I changed my rating to five, because I can't stop thinking about the characters and waiting for the second book. If that doesn't mean it's a great read, I don't know what does.

---

At the beginning I was a bit overwhelmed by the length of the book – this is a LOT of book – yet when I finished I immediately wanted the second instalment.

For a good part of it, this book operates with a double timeline. This is a blessing, because Kyrra is extremely irritating for a long time – she's a teenager acting like a (gasp!) teenager – but because of how the book is structured I knew that the wait for her to grow up a bit would be worth it. (I think I just accidentally revealed my opinion about teenagers. Get off my lawn.) Still, if I were Arsenault I would have strangled her at least twenty times. Boy, is he patient. Boy, do I have a crush on Arsenault.

Something that struck me were the rich descriptions. Colours, textures, smells, in particular clothing – there's a lot there for the reader's imagination and for the senses. (Not sure I'd like to try kacin, though.) Research combined with worldbuilding results in a book that creates its own reality well enough that I slightly destroyed the kitchen when I was trying to cook and read at the same time. Note to self: keep to one world at a time.

Loyalties change at a drop of a hat. Everyone has at least one, if not more agendas of their own. Gods are neither merciful nor pleasant. Mortals are multi-dimensional, their decisions not always their own, enforced by either politics or deities. Maybe it's the politics that fascinated me the most – the fact that houses are more important than their individual members, who can be either sacrificed or used "for the greater good". The characters are neither black nor white; everything operates in shades of grey masqueraded by other shades of grey. Except for That Bad Guy, who proves to be even more of a bad guy than we would have expected in a delightful plot twist at the end – a black cloak obscuring an even blacker dress.

It's a long, sometimes slowly-paced, delicious read. I have high expectations for the second book.

[Travis Peck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book nailed every phase for me. The prose, characters, worldbuilding, pacing, and plot were all masterfully woven together. This book is on the longish side and I didn't even notice, as I was so engrossed in the story. The author deftly manipulated two timelines with great effect, doling out answers as more questions arose with great skillful skill(I had to embrace my inner Seuss there, apologies), and it all comes together beautifully in the end.

Do yourselves a favor and pick this one up posthaste.

[Calvin Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Boord has given us a beautifully written and captivating novel in Fortune’s Fool. This is the story of Kyrra d’Aliente, fallen scion of a powerful house. It’s the story of her fall and the story of her vengeance. More than this, however, it’s a story about family and love and discovering that how we see and understand the world when we’re young—how we’re certain the world works—isn’t always true. Perhaps more central still to the work is this question: is trust possible?

In her debut novel Boord gives us everything we could possibly want in a huge fantasy tome. We’re treated to deep characters with complex motivations and backstories. The story is told from Kyrra’s perspective in two timelines, a present timeline wherein Kyrra searches for Arsenault—her former beau and mentor—and for her own vengeance and a past timeline wherein we see the events that led Kyrra to where she is at the beginning of the novel. The pacing within and between these two timelines is excellent and keeps the pages turning. There’s also some wonderful worldbuilding that intrigues and keeps the reveals coming until the very end. The novel is set in a renaissance Italy inspired setting. What truly stands out, however, is just how deep Boord has gone in her worldbuilding. There are complex political alliances between houses. There are bonds of family and kinship that influence these. There are economic ties, goods and trade, and who controls trade routes that all play a part in the story. What is truly astounding is that Boord manages to communicate all the relevant information without infodumps and in a way that feels natural and not overwhelming. To top it off, we discover a pantheon of gods and a mythology that helps shape this world in a creative and interesting fashion. I loved every moment of it and could barely bring myself to set the book down.

Anyone who knows me also knows I’m a huge fan of magic in my fantasy novels, and the magic in Fortune’s Fool is raw and wild and wonderful. Sometimes magic in fantasy can feel almost sterile, too easily controlled. Boord has given us a magic that is nearly untamable, and yet one that can’t be truly resisted. To top everything off there are marvelous emotional beats that make you ache for the characters you’ve grown to love. I can’t say much more about these without spoilers. What I can say is that this is a character story at its heart and the amount of growth that Kyrra goes through, as well as the various side characters, is nothing short of masterful. One thing I loved about this is that Boord is careful to make sure that the action in the novel communicates emotion. The emotional beats don’t simply come before or after the action, but as part of it. They are integral to one another, and that’s so rare. There was a moment in the story when I had this visceral realization that there are some things worse than death and when a novel can hit me with that sort of emotion, it’s a special piece of storytelling.

There isn’t much to criticize in this novel. In the first twenty percent of the novel the pacing seemed a little slow, but the characters and setting were so gripping that I hardly noticed. There was a section toward the middle of the novel where I felt like the focus was so strongly on Kyrra and Arsenault that side characters weren’t being fleshed out as much as they might. Some may be intimidated by the length of the novel, it clocks in at well over 200,000 words. Those words are put to such wonderful use, however, that I can’t possibly consider their number a negative.

Boord has given us a rare novel that combines crisp, cadenced prose with wonderful, deep, complex characters and a twisting plot that keeps you guessing all set in a brilliantly realized fantasy world. It will appeal especially to fans of Robin Hobb, with prose every bit as evocative and characters every bit as authentic as that master storyteller. Fortune’s Fool should be on the top of your TBR pile. This is a rare piece of storytelling that is beautiful, compelling, and demands to be read. I can’t wait for the sequel and to see what gems Boord shares with us next.

9.5/10

4.75/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded down)

This book has just been calling out to me from the moment I learned about its existence. I mean, a Renaissance-inspired epic fantasy following a snarky, rebellious female character with a metal arm who is bent on revenge? I don’t know about you, but I was sold.

Fortune’s Fool tells the story of Kyrra d’Aliente. We get to meet and follow two versions of this intriguing character, as this story is told in a non-linear fashion. We first get introduced to her as an adult, when she is disguised as a man and living as a mercenary going by the name of Kyrris di Nada. She is a strong and fierce woman who is on a two-part quest to find the man she loves, if he still lives, and to exact vengeance upon the man who ruined her life.
But then we meet the younger, teenage version of Kyrra, who is immature and naive. And that makes you wonder… what exactly happened for her to become the jaded and vengeful adult that we met earlier on?

I think the author did an amazing job juggling these two timelines. They are written in a different tense, which made it so easy to differentiate between the two. But even if that shift in tense wouldn’t have been there, I think it would still have been super easy to tell in which timeline we were, because Kyrra’s narrative voice in each timeline was so distinct. Despite the fact that you are reading from the same character’s POV in both timelines, you can immediately tell which version of Kyrra you’re following, because the character development was simply that strong.
It was also fascinating and incredibly satisfying to see everything slowly start to fall into place as you learn more about Kyrra’s past and see her come to conclusions in the present time. This slow unravelling of the plot and all its mysteries made for an engaging and compelling reading experience.

All that said, I did really struggle with keeping track of the plot in this book. Even though this story is focused mainly on Kyrra and her relationship with her lover/mentor, Arsenault, there is a lot of other plot stuff going on that just didn’t grab my attention. The political machinations between the Noble houses, the whole magic system related to gods/resurrection, a bunch of side characters pursuing their own personal interests… it all became a bit of a mess in my mind. And I don’t know if it was because I was just not fully focused while reading, but at some point I was quite lost and all the names and terms had just become gibberish to me. And trust me when I say, you really start to feel the length and density of a slow-burn 700+ page book when the plot isn't holding your attention.

Still, I have to give praise where praise is due, because despite my issues, the author still managed to keep me engaged enough to keep reading.
I was completely mesmerised by the beautiful prose and evocative descriptions, which made it easy to stay immersed in the story despite my lack of investment in the plot. This is undoubtedly one of the most well-crafted and beautifully written stories that I have read in a while.
And as a character-driven reader, I also had plenty to enjoy in this story, because I think the character work (at least for the primary characters) is where Boord excels as an author. I immediately latched onto Kyrra the moment we met her and also loved her complex and deliciously slow-burn romance with her mentor/lover Arsenault. Even though I am not a big fan of romance in my stories, this relationship was the ultimate highlight of the story for me. These characters had such a complex and interesting dynamic that I was just completely hooked.

So, while this didn’t end up being the 5-star read I was hoping it to be, I still had a pretty good time with this story and am blown away by its intricacy and beauty. This is the type of book that I can appreciate for its excellence, even though I didn't connect too well with it personally. If you are looking for a character-driven fantasy with a strong, rebellious female lead, scheming Noble houses, meddling gods, a lush Renaissance-inspired setting, mesmerising and evocative writing and a captivating slow-burn romance, then this is 100% the book for you.

[Adah Udechukwu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortune's Fool was really good. There were opportunities for it to be better. Hopefully the rest of the series will be better.
The length of the novel was unjustifiable.
Only standalone novel have the right to be that long.

[Stephen J Coey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyrra is an epic fantasy badass with a metal arm, intent on revenge, and I loved her. I especially loved the tale of her formative years. The story is set at a good pace and is written exquisitely well. I had the pleasure of beta reading Fortune's Fool before it went to an editor, and it was immaculate then. And Arsenault is such an intriguing character, again easy to love. I look forward to the next instalment, especially as there are so many possibilities with Arsenault.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also reviewed at Fantasy Book Critic and Whispers & Wonder

A girl and an illusion of love. A girl betrayed. A girl punished and maimed and scorned.
A woman and a reckoning.

Kyrra d’Aliente, sole heir of the Aliente House, falls victim to the charms of Cassis di Prinze. Now a pariah within her household, she's cast into the dirt to appease the mighty Prinze. Mutilated and cursed to a life of serfdom, she lives her days under the mocking ridicule of the Household, but one day is lifted from the dirt by a mysterious gavaro. Kyrra No-Name of House Aliente uncovers a plot that will expose the man she loves, stripping her of the only thing she desires. Taking matters into her own hands, she becomes the sacrificial lamb to appease the mighty Prinze. He cannot bear the thought of life without her, and against the judging verdict, they flee into the unknown. Kyrra No-Name of Nothing is the last of a dead House destroyed by war and the machinations of the mighty Prinze. Bestowed with an arm of metal and magic, posing as a man and mercenary, submitting to the darkness, she has one goal: tear down the mighty Prinze. Everyone has a name.

Fortune's Fool is an immaculate character-driven epic fantasy, governed by vengeance and the need to protect that of which you love by any means necessary. At its core, this novel is the tale of a romance that eclipses the injustices of the past, and paves the path to the future of a righted world. Kyrra No-Name, continuously used as a means to an end, broken and shunned, and finally freed by a man with gray eyes and cloaked origins, she must find her place in the world, and her purpose. Her mind aching for retribution battles her heart yearning for acceptance, and she is soon thrusted into a life defined by inverses: loyalty and deceit, love and betrayal, sacrifice and survival. With twists and turns, scheming, and the ever-daunting unknown, Boord drops us onto the board of a grand and deadly game of chess completely shadowed by uncertainty. All we can hope for is justice where justice is due.

"I suppose you have a right to be wary of wolves, but just because you're fallen, do you think it means you have to stay down in the dirt?"

Boord has created something incredibly beautiful with her debut, and I'm finding it difficult to put into words my praise for the splendor she has penned onto page. The writing is exquisite; meticulously immersing you in a world that is extraordinarily rich and vibrant. Descriptions of textiles you can feel beneath your fingertips, exotic foods you can smell on the warm breeze, pain and torment that twist your heart - it's easy to lose yourself in Eterea. Her ability to alternate timelines and tense is impeccable, highlighting Kyrra's past and budding relationship with Arsenault, then her present path of vengeance, done so with smooth, subtle transitions and a continuous flow. The prose is striking and polished, the pacing perfectly builds tension, the foreshadowing haunting. Of all the things done exceedingly well, her ability to tell a story is peerless. Boord is a master when it comes to plotting, as this story is layer upon layer upon layer of cohesive history and unrevealed intrigue. Peeling back the layers and diving deeper into this complex story is one gratifying and worthwhile adventure.

As mentioned, the characters take center stage in this novel, with major focus on both Kyrra and Arsenault. All conflict stems from their choices and actions, and they each inevitably suffer the consequences. Following Kyrra's disgrace and subsequent ruin, Arsenault enters her life, and changes it forever in many, and oftentimes initially reluctant, ways. Despite the half-truths and veiled secrets, their growth is based solely on the other, bringing them together, rather than tearing them apart as expected. He gifts her with a piece of herself that's missing, and a confidence once shattered, while she aids him in mending his fractured memories, and allowing him a closeness he thought lost forever - they each make the other whole. Their relationship is raw, fiercely profound, and something truly special to behold.

Further, we witness the development and transformation of a well-rounded cast of characters. Geoffre di Prinze is the epitome of a deceptive villain, his true intentions unclear until it's too late. He's the puppet master behind the curtain, pulling the strings of all the powerful families to achieve his goals with no regard for collateral damage. Lobardin and Jon are seemingly duplicitous and abusive players in the grand game, but the masks they wear are only to deliver them the endgame. Mikelo is a young man with no direction, but he possesses an intense power within himself that others can only envy. Much like her plotting, her characters are intricate, each distinct with cryptic pasts that become untangled as we continue to journey alongside them. I'm excited to see more of these characters and their progression in the future of this series.

"Hunter," he said. "And Sacrifice. In you, the two are combined. You choose which road you follow, with which vision you will see. Your heart will always be your own."

A novel of this size allows for a gradual enrichment of the world being built around you, and Boord does just that by carefully placing one building block at a time without overwhelming the reader. She has infused an Italian-inspired province with spiteful gods, mysterious magics, and wonderfully realized settings. We're transported from quaint countryside villas, to airy mountainside hunting lodges, to bustling and bloated city marketplaces, to secretive underground hovels, each brimming with their own populace, and trades, and secrets. I would speak more of this, but her world is one best discovering yourself.

I can't praise this story enough, as it's honestly one of the best things I've read in a long while. Let me be clear, this is a romance imbued with the fantastical, and what a beautiful and magical romance it is. Fortune's Fool is an amazing foundation for Boord's Eterean Empire series, and while it closes nicely, I cannot wait to see where we're taken next. I highly recommend.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a copy from my part of the SPFBO review for the book on Fantasy Faction. That's also why is says out of 10 stars not out of 5. Find the full review (including other judges views) here: http://fantasy-faction.com/2020/spfbo...

Out of the 10 finalists of that contest - this was the winner for me!

I was dithering between giving this a 9 or a 10. I only had one gripe with this one—but it was a big one: I really didn’t like the start. There was so much info dumping, so much names and things to learn and not really much happening to draw me in. I even confess to more or less skim reading chapter two, actually expecting to DNF the book! Chapter three was rather short, so I kept zoning back in. And then with chapter four (around 40 pages), without noticing it really, it caught my attention, slowly reigning me in. Before I knew it I was hooked completely and breezed through the whole 550 pages within a matter of days, being annoyed if I had to put it down!

So that slow start is really the only reason why I was thinking about not giving this one a full 10/10—especially as it turns out I didn’t need all that much stuffed into them, as I understood the book just fine without paying close attention to the beginning.

But comparing it with the other finalists, this one is the one I definitely would want to see win. And so, if for me my other two favourites are straight nines, and I love this one even better? Sod it, it’s an all in from me!

It’s a bit strange, as Fortune’s Fool is not at all the type of book I’d usually pick up. I am one who likes plenty of action, a fast pace and little to no romance. So I was really surprised when a book that is slow, very much focused on the characters with not so much action, and quite some (not cheesy at all) romance was the book that devoured me whole!

I simply loved the prose, the world, the characters and the mystery behind it all. I enjoyed every page I spent with Kyrra and Arsenault and seeing them grow and stretch. I really cared about them and what would happen to them so much I definitely didn’t need any big wars and a giant world to explore to keep me entertained.

While with some books jumping back and forth in time is jarring, it worked really well here. The switches were well placed, felt fluid and added to the story instead of dragging me out.

There’s a good underlying mystery and some twists I definitely didn’t see coming, while I did guess right on others, which balanced out really well between surprising me and yet letting me feel smug at other places.

I really loved this one to no end, and will definitely keep a very close eye on this author in the future!

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book with all the elements (interesting world-building, two narrative strands - past and present - that combine quite well, secrets, twists, first persona narration from a very interesting heroine - who incidentally has one of her arms cut off and is cast out from the position of heir to a small noble house to be a common servant for being discovered to have terminated her pregnancy after being seduced and abandoned by a dashing young aristocrat of a powerful rival house - excellent supporting cast, both on her side and the bad guys so to speak etc) to be a big-time favorite, but somehow I partially struggled to finish it - there were times I was sure I will give it up only for something to reignite my interest and I definitely am interested in what comes next as the ending is at a good tbc point, so overall I liked it well enough to recommend it.

Hard to say why it didn't blow me away as I expected after the first few pages, maybe because it tried to do too much, maybe it needs a reread to fully appreciate as while familiar to some extent (based in a sort of Italian city-states universe dominated by brutal, but occasionally subtle powerful clans for whom anything goes as long as it furthers their power) there are a lot of specific aspects that take time to be really understood, maybe the writing's energy fluctuated too much and that combined with the length of the book made it such a start-stop reading experience ...

Hopefully, there will be more in this universe since it is fascinating

[Jonathan Nevair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fortune's Fool is a beautifully written book. Noble literary style casts the story in elegant description, metaphor, and analogy. Boord balances world-building between the grand and the particular just how I like it - vast and sweeping passages alongside carefully detailed minutiae. An epic fantasy with a romantic thread that takes you on a journey through emotional, political, militaristic, and social struggles, triumphs, and defeats. Do you want twists? It's got them. Big books need to carry you steadily along and hold you gripped, Fortune's Fool never faltered with me - Kyrra's story is told in dual timelines (which I love) and serves the plot and pacing well while remaining reflective, tragic, and adding weight to her quest driven by vengeance. One of the best books I've read in the epic fantasy genre in the last few years!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent

Really enjoyed reading this epic fantasy book. It's a finalist in the spfbo 2019 competition. First finalist read for me in the competition.

This a very good book and a serious contender to win. The pacing and the level of the quality of writing is top notch all the way through.

I.lost track of time on at least 3 occasions especially on the bus home from work.

This is an author to watch out for in the future.

[Travis Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy stories (in any medium, really) that play with structure, so I appreciated Boord going for a nonlinear narrative in her debut. We follow Kyrra's story both in the present and past, with the prose's tense shifting accordingly, which I found to be a nice touch. I think the two narratives played off each other well, and Boord was smart about when she chose to jump from one to the other--oftentimes we stumble upon a piece of information about the book's various mysteries or a character's backstory that then informs and deepens where the story goes in the next section despite being several years earlier or later. It's a clever approach that I'm sure took a ton of meticulous planning on Boord's part.

And speaking of meticulous planning, Boord's worldbuilding is uniformly excellent. There's a ton of history and culture in this world she's created, and it's all laid out in stunning detail. It all feels real, without a single false note. There are a huge amount of details in this book, ranging from the different Houses to how magic operates to the different gods and to much more, but it's all fleshed out at a pace that isn't too overwhelming. Admittedly it was hard keeping track of a bunch of different names at the start of the story, since we are kind of thrown into the middle of things, but it doesn't take long to get a handle on it all and follow along easily.

Though given that the bulk of the book's action, both in the present and past, does take place in roughly the same areas, it did get a little confusing at times keeping track of what the characters' actions and motives were in each timeline, since it was all the same players in all the same environments. But that's a minor nitpick.

I also wasn't totally convinced of the romance, though that might just be a personal preference, since it's often hard for me to buy into character relationships like that. I do still think it was well-written and the characters across the board were fleshed out and written very well. I was invested in the stories of both Kyrra and Arsenault, both of whom have had pretty tumultuous pasts, and most of the supporting characters were just as interesting.

Fortune's Fool is a great debut from Boord, juggling a tricky structure with ease and setting up intriguing characters and conflicts while dishing out compelling mysteries, exciting action, and shocking moments.

[A.M. Justice · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 (SPFBO rating: 8.5/10)

Beautifully written, exquisitely detailed pseudo-historical fantasy in the style of Guy Gavriel Kay. The story is a very slow burn, and the pacing can be exhausting, but by the end, the deliberate detail of the storytelling really worked for me. The romance was extremely well done and forms a solid core of this story of murder and betrayal. The plot is extremely complex, with lots of apparent betrayals and double and triple crosses. The changing alliegances can leave one's head spinning, and contribute to the weariness that comes with reading this long, long book. But the threads of the tapestry are tied off very neatly in the end, and my opinion of the overall work only rose as I reached the climax.

[Stjepan Cobets · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating 4.1

The fantasy novel Fortune's Fool by Angela Boord has a solid slow-burning romantic story, but it may be a little slow at times for my taste. The characters and the world in which the action takes place are solidly elaborated, but it took me a very long time to read a book that has over 700 pages. Regardless of everything, I liked the book, and maybe it was because of me in terms of reading and speed, because I had too many other obligations in the transition while I was reading the book.
The story follows a wealthy single daughter, Kyrra d'Aliente, who lives in luxury and high status in society. But the romance she started with a son from a stronger clan will destroy her reputation and destroy her perfect life. Kyrra, because of what she did with the help of her mother, will be left without a hand and banished to the very bottom of the social ladder to maintain peace between the house that her father rules and the most powerful house in the world in which she lives. Her life will change radically, but she will have to live among the poorest layers of society who live under certain rules that she could not even imagine. But one mercenary soldier she meets will completely change her life and direct her life in a different direction. But Kyrra has only one desire, the desire for revenge, and for that reason, she may damage what she neglected the most, which is love.

I would recommend the book to fans of Romance and Sword Fantasy.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If I live, I’ll find you. You have to believe that. And if I haven’t found you and it’s safe…I hope you’ll look for me. But my dying—that’s not enough reason for your death. Dying is easy. It’s living that’s hard.”

I am writing this book coasting on the wave of a book hangover. It has taken me far too long to pick up Fortune’s Fool, especially as I have previously read and loved Dragonmeat and Through Dreams So Dark and this series has been on my radar for a long time. It also took me a couple of attempts to get into, not through any fault of the book or the writing, but just I needed to be in the right frame of mind to focus on this epic, multi-layered book, and in the end that meant I sat and devoured Fortune’s Fool in one night. All 737 pages. No sleep and no regrets, because as soon as I really got into it, there was no putting down this book.

Boord in writing this book has proven herself a grandmaster of three-dimensional chess, because Fortune’s Fool is a sprawling, tangled web of intrigue, where nothing is ever simple, not even family or friendship or love. The depth and breadth of the worldbuilding is breathtaking There are a lot of names, in this renaissance inspired world with multiple houses and alliances, with kin ties and political and economic alliances, and history woven beneath it. Yet there is a delicate balance between details that breathed life into the world and not letting it overwhelm the story. You could feel it in the details about the silk trade, and how it was built into so many elements of life in Liera – from food and daily toil to trade and politics; but never more than was needed. It was the same with the food, with the markets, all these layers that you felt continued far beyond the edges of the pages.

My favourite worldbuilding elements though was the blend of history and mythology. The story of Fortune’s Fool itself is history in action; we get to see how the past – both Kyrra’s and Arsenault’s from before that – have shaped the present. But it went further back than that. Through the culture, through the stories shared. I especially loved the myth about Ransi, and how that had blossomed into a local economy.

Then there were the gods.

Even if I had disliked the rest of the worldbuilding – which I didn’t – anything story that involves Gods getting far too involved is always going to be up my street. Boord builds it up gradually, little clues here and there, a shift on the cultural horizon. Then we get to see the more direct involvement seeping in, through magic, through subtle – and less than subtle influences. And then the Seeing and the Dreams. I have to say some of Kyrra’s dreams were some of my favourite writing in this entire book, with Boord capturing that surreal feel of a dream, and that uneasy feeling of being in the presence of something not quite human. You could feel it building, and yet the reality of the Gods involvement and influence at the end caught me off guard, and was absolutely breathtaking, it wasn’t how I thought that confrontation would go and yet it was a brilliant culmination. I also loved that the Gods and their influence, was just a much a tangled web as that of the human politics shaping the story, and that in many ways they were a mirror of the very people they were trying to influence with the same pains and losses and desire.

The magic was even harder to define, fitting for a world where everything had multiple faces and meanings. What I did like, and hope to see more of, is that it was never without limits or costs, even if we never had a full grasp of what those were. But we see that the cost varied from person to person – from life and memories, to control, to even a complete loss of self. I think the most horrifying, but also most intriguing use was Mikleo’s at the end, where what had seemed as though it was a benign power, showed that even that had two sides. The most evident in some ways was Kyrra’s arm, and once again we get to see how magic is a blessing – getting her arm back albeit in new form, a weapon that saved her life multiple times that had allowed her to make a life as a gavaro, but also a curse, with the fact that it drew unwelcome attention, that it threatened her control of herself and on quieter level, as a memorial to her old life.

Guns. A hopelessly foreign word then. A new spice? A drug like kacin?

Everything in Fortune’s Fool is a consequence. No choice, no decision whether personal, or broader was separate from the world around it. In some ways Kyrra’s misadventure was like the fingers flicking dominoes into motion, and the rest of the book was watching those dominoes fall into a complicated maze-like picture of the world. What I liked though, was that you didn’t always get to see where the next one would fall, and the number of times I found myself focusing elsewhere, only to be surprised where the cards landed. Boord manages it all like an intricate dance. Actions in the past, raising their head in the present. A death years ago, causing a character to spiral in the present. A secret, unravelling, uniting allies, splitting families. What it also means that everything had stakes. Those impulsive decisions, changes in allegiance and even simple conversations carried a weight, because you know that is going to ripple onwards.

It meant that the fact that this was in part a story of vengeance and penance, had far more impact. Revenge is always messy, whether its humans or Gods or both, and we get to see that play out in vivid, emotional story telling. Yet, seeking to make amends, to fix mistakes, were just as likely to create the same mess in this setting.

In some ways, even more powerful than magic and Fixers, and Gods that are a little too involved in the lives of certain mortals, is the idea that truth has power. We see it most strongly perhaps with Kyrra, particularly in the present timeline. In this world where secrets are currency and lies a language spoken by everyone with stakes in the games, she is like an arrow shot straight from the bow. Not in terms of black and white, because everything in this world, and everything in her life is shades of grey, but in the sense that she knew who she was and what she wanted, even if the whole world was standing in her way. We see it even more in the climax, when she sees the truth of Arsenault and Jon, and chooses to accept all the parts of her – Gods – and all, again to fight for what she chooses to fight for. A wild card, all of her own. And we see its power in other ways, with Silva and Mikelo, where the fact that she is utterly, bluntly truthful is what brings them around to her view.

“May all the gods have pity on me for having such a stubborn daughter.

Boord’s characterisation has always been one of my favourite aspects of her writing and that remains true here, especially with Kyrra. Maybe, because we spend so much time with her and her POV. However, what I love about Kyrra’s characterisation is that there was such a distinct voice between the two lines, but the connection was always there to say. Even when we first see the young Kyrra, naïve and headstrong and spoilt, we get to see the seeds of stubbornness and strength that will shape her older self; and Kyris di nada is a world away from that young woman, and yet not, because their path, their goals are all shaped by that past. What was fascinating is that because of the way the dual timeline was used, it was almost an unravelling of self. The momentum was very much forward, with what we learned about the past, feeding into the events of the present; yet at the same time, it very gave the feel of this journey of self-discovery.

Boord gave us a young woman who made a mistake, born of impulsiveness and passion and naivety, and all that churning weight of being a teenager whose life was bound by expectations and rules. In some ways it was like watching a car crash about to happen, and yet, the consequences that rippled far beyond that moment just had me wanting to wrap her up and take her away. And that would have been a mistake, because Kyrra became so much more because of that. Strong, yes. Broken, yes. Still reckless and headstrong, and unable to listen to those around her, but always moving forward and living and fighting for what she believed in. Kyris/Kyrra was a different beast, harder,

Arsenault in some ways is a reverse mirror to Kyrra, or perhaps that blurred reflection you see out of the corner of your eye. As much as Kyrra’s past has made her, his has broken him – in ways that only truly become apparent in the latter part of the book. But whereas Kyrra’s story was one of self-discovery, it felt in some ways that his was a mystery story even to himself. I loved how Boord uses misdirection about the nature of his magic and its cost, and his memories, and also the use of journals to try and capture moments that might otherwise slip away. It was a very human touch, for a character that at times felt painfully human and yet so out of touch, a legend, a curse, and a man who had loved strong enough to break himself; and was loved enough, to potentially break a God.

I was utterly caught up in his role beyond his personal story and the romance with Kyrra. Boord not only has made him a mystery in and of himself, but he was a lynchpin in so many mysteries and there were so many moments where I truly didn’t know where his allegiances lay. Yet in the moments where we focused on him in the past and the present, he was so wholly there, that it felt as though there was no way he could be a traitor, but the secrets, the stories, the tricks and lies, all painted a different picture. There were definitely times when I wanted to bop him on the head and see if the truth would spill out. Yet, then you would get the moments when he shared memories and made himself vulnerable, when he was kind and stubborn and determined that Kyrra would live that you just wanted to love him.

Lobardin was one of those characters that grew on me, but I still have such conflicted feelings about. When he was introduced, it was like all the hairs stood up on the back of my neck; and it stayed that way, even when he seemed to be reaching out, trying to be a decent gavaro and to do the right thing. It’s so easy to look at him and see what Kyrra could have been if the dice had fallen a different way; and it is easy by the end of the book to see how he ended up how he was. I felt sorry for had been done to him, and yet at the same time, there is so much in this book about choice – even with Gods muddying the water – and I never truly got the sense of what he would choose to be, beyond a rock caught in raging river, breaking through anything in its path.

Mikleo – oh I have so many suspicions about him, and I can’t wait to be ‘probably’ proven wrong, as Boord has kept me on my toes with everything else. In some ways it was like Kyrra had found an echo of her young self in him and dragged him along for the ride, and it was so easy to believe this was a young man caught in a web he didn’t want to be involved with, dragged into a mess he didn’t want. But there were hints, more than his magic, that there was a lot more to him, another player on the board, but one that didn’t want the spotlight like the rest of the Prinzes. I did love how they built trust between the two of them, and again how truth was what broke down walls that they both had every reason to keep up.

Cassis. Oh, I wanted to smack him, both at the start and at the end. Had he changed by the end? Maybe. Life and reality have a way of doing that, but the man that broke Kyrra’s life and the one that sought to use her as a pawn even at the end, was ultimately a creature who wanted nothing more than his own survival, and freedom and triumph. I did like the fact that even though Kyrra was the one who lost family and name, in the end, could it be said that he kept his? I still feel like he needs a bigger comeuppance though…

I think even with everything that the Prinzes’ have done, and the various misdeeds and mistakes of many characters, the only character I truly ended up despising was Pallo d’Aliente. This a man bound by honour, and the past, and in many ways the same naivety that cost his daughter her name and arm; but whereas it shaped Kyrra, like a whetstone turning a blunt edge into a sword that can cut through anything, that naivety became an almost, twisted desperation to believe that if you followed the rules and played the game in the right way, you could survive. I was railing against his blindness as the story built, and we could all but see the jaws of the trap waiting to spring, but to see what it became, a father asking the unthinkable just to stay in the game and how his story ended, had me raging. Yet at the same time, it was so utterly heartbreaking to see how it had come to that; and again, it comes down to that idea that truth was the real strength. Would the Aliente’s have survived if he had listened, if he had played the cards he was being offered to shape the game more in their advantage? We will never know, but to see what Kyrra pursuing her truth achieved, makes you wonder.

There were many other secondary characters, and while the way this book focused very much on Kyrra and Arsenault meaning that there is less spotlight for the others, it never felt as though they weren’t as much as part of the world. It also grounded the intrigue, and again goes back to those consequences, because it was not always those making them that paid the price – but those close to Kyrra from her life as a gavaro, whose bond was well done even in the short time we had; to those in her past, that showed there was more than family, like Verrin and Marguerite. They might not have stolen the show, but they shaped in in their own way.

At its heart, Fortune’s Fool is also a love story, and in its own way that is a truth that breaks through everything else. We see the slow, messy build up of the early days, of two hurt and broken people trying to work out how to fit their jagged edges together. It was a slow burn of a build, with setbacks and natural leaps forward; and even when I occasionally wanted to bang their heads together, I was so invested in seeing what they could become together. But I loved that Boord gave is us this tentative, blooming relationship, after the speed and passion of the relationship that gone scorched earth on Kyrra’s life; and that it was all about choice, and truth and consequence; no step of their relationship was done in isolation from connections with other, from the past or the present.

As much as I loved how it built up in the past POV of the dual timeline, it was the messy relationship of the present that ultimately sold me on these two. To have a promise to find someone that is so strong you will face the past, and risk your life, is something…to then find that the man you loved is there but not, was a whiplash I wasn’t expecting. I loved that it wasn’t simple. That it was messy and painful, with new jagged edges from their time apart meaning they couldn’t fit together as well as they once had. That they were both so stubbornly determined to protect the other, even if it cost them anything. There were twists that I didn’t expect, wounds that I look forward to seeing play out after that ending, but it was a relationship that felt so very earned at the end.

I’ve already picked up both Fool’s Promise and Smuggler’s Fortune because I desperately want to spend more time in this world, and I have some lingering suspicions from this first book that I want to see play out. Although, if the rest of the series is like Fortune’s Fool, then what I think I know will probably be turned on its head in the best way possible. This is a chonk of a book, and it demands focus, but the payoff was absolutely spectacular, and I cannot wait to continue with this series.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The victim of a power-play between the houses Kyrra, has fallen from grace and has been excommunicated, not even allowed to use her name. For a young woman who has spent most of her life pampered and is now among the lowest of the servants, it’s a rough punishment to pay for following your heart.Her story picks up five-years later, Kyyra now a mercenary going by the name Kyris and has been hired to kill the one person in the world she would happily do in for free.

***

This started a little rough for me. Lots of houses, and names and so on to muddle through but it doesn’t take long to find its feet. This story straddles two timelines and the characters are where this really draws you in, especially once we make the jump back and start learning about Kyrra’s younger self, her relationship with Cassis and everything that led to her downfall, including the loss of her arm (which was a brutal punishment).  This part is definitely one of those- you know where it’s headed but you can’t look away situations. It is totally engrossing.

 I was so invested in her, and seeing how she survives the fallout of these events that by the time we meet Arsenault (who totally won me over with his kindness towards Kyrra) I was truly hooked.The relationship/romance/friendship between these two was the most enjoyable part of the story for me. I am always about the chase when it comes to romance, so the ups and downs between them had me flipping pages pretty quickly.  

In the background of these relationships is this interesting and established world, that is rich with culture.

The family estate deals in silk. They do everything from raising the worms right up to the processing of and selling of the silk. I loved everything about this and found it all fascinating. Odd bits of details here and there tell us the author did her research but most importantly didn’t go overboard with letting us know she did her research.

The family houses and their politics; competing and trading to stay on top, not just in silk but other things as well, could get a little complicated with the history of different family’s backstabbing and grasps for power. Some of this is playing in the background and working its way to forefront of the story, as the timeline works its way to current- we see the bigger pieces start to fall into place.

I love the bits of lore that are told throughout the story about the Gods and their relationships how they were cast out of died. Which as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the magic and the Gods are as wrapped up in the plot and the characters as everything else is.

 This was ambitious. I was impressed with the scope of the story, with the writing and how drawn in I was to these people and their lives. But, I also felt this could have used a little trimming here and there to keep things on point. I found myself skimming through parts- with the politics (which I usually love), and later even with Arsenault (whom I also loved).Because everything is shrouded in secrets and there is a lot going on in the background that we don’t get understand how it fits until near the end, I had lost track of who some of the people were and didn’t care enough about others outside of Kyrra, Arsenault, and Mikelo (I really wanted more of him). A little trimming would have tightened up the distractions.  

 I felt like this story was the equivalent of a 700-page cat’s cradle- everything is so tangled up in everything else, and a lot of the answers only become clear towards the end of the book. I had a feeling at times, that one pull would either turn this into a huge snarl, or make this the most brilliant thing I’ve read all year.

Thankfully, this stands well on its own with few snarls, the main questions answered but lots of room to continue. An impressive debut. 

my score 8.5/10 or 5

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[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if Romeo was a bit of a prick?

That’s not an apt enough description for the book in its entirety, far from it – but it does encapsulate my impression of its first quarter. And indeed, throughout I could never escape the impression that there’s something almost Shakespearean in Angela Boord’s Fortune’s Fool. The setting is inspired by Italian city-states in their hay-day, with all the backstabbing, trade rights and struggling for power. The story is heavy on personal drama, and is, when all is said and done, one of the most enjoyable love stories I’ve encountered in a long while.

Kyrra d’Aliente has lost everything. Once the only daughter of one of the most powerful noble families in the land, Kyrra is a gavaro, a mercenary for hire at the services of the highest bidder. Her story begins thus:

My right arm is made of metal.
A man named Arsenault made it for me, but he never told me its secrets. He didn’t have time. He gave me the arm and sent me to safety, then he rode off to die.
My arm shines like silver and withstands all weather and all blows, but it isn’t a dead thing. No leather straps attach it to my stump, no belts or buckles of any kind. The metal grows right into my flesh. From the sculpted whorls of my metal fingerprints to the dimple of my metal elbow, it might be the arm with which I was born.
Except that it’s not.
That arm lies rotting in a cedar casket I the ground beneath a cork tree, an arm of meat, kin and blood like any other woman’s.
Not that anyone can tell I’m a woman. I dress like a man and work as a gavaro, wielding my sword for coin. People know me as Kyris. But the name I was born with is Kyrra. Kyrra d’Aliente, only child of Pallo, the Householder of House Aliente.

It’s a hell of an opening. Everything about it is concrete, in the past, and the way the narration is handled introduces strong character voice in a way both memorable and interesting. After, it’s a bit overwhelming – plenty of names and events in short order aren’t easy to digest at first but bear with the first few chapters and you’ll find your way into the world of Renaissance not-Italy.

This novel adopts a familiar structure, interposing the events of Kyrra’s past in order to shine a light on her present. The tenses used, past and present, work well in this framework, and the change in tone is immediately felt. No confusion in that aspect, for which I salute the author; many have messed it up.

It’s length, while daunting, is excused by the story contained within… for the most part. I can’t escape the thought that some of the scenes weren’t necessary and may have been a little too padded out. Despite that, I was surprised when, upon finishing the last page of Fortune’s Fool, I immediately wanted to read more.

Of the three novels I’ve reviewed for booknest’s SPFBO scorecard, this brought me the most in terms of enjoyment. The prose is very fine indeed – I’m impressed by the skill at display here. Brood’s characters have that little something that makes you buy into the illusion of fiction, that makes you believe these are real people you’re reading about.

The action was serviceable for the most part, though several scenes stand out, especially the concluding one. Magic, gods – these elements awoke in me that sense of wonder and intrigue that’s one of the mainstay reasons as to why I read fantasy. Nothing Sanderson-esque about it, no element of a “hard” magic system; what is here goes for wonder and mystery. In that, it succeeds.

My score for Fortune’s Fool is an 8.5 out of 10. There’s a lot to enjoy in this book, and though it might not appeal to everyone, it did resonate with me in more ways than one.

[Emma Cathryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was a TOTAL surprise. I don’t even remember how it ended up on my TBR, only that it showed up at the top and I dove in without much thought for what I was getting into, and accidentally stumbled into one of my favorite reads of this year.

It takes place in a Venetian inspired fantasy world dominated by two powerful Houses. Kyrra is the only daughter of a minor house caught between the warring factions, and when a suitor with ill intentions throws her family and life into a tailspin, she is exiled from her family and becomes a serf on their land. The story jumps between Kyra’s struggles to navigate her new life in the past, dogged by a strange new magic, and the present where she has become a wandering gavaro (mercenary) bent on revenge against her erstwhile suitor and determined to locate the other man she has come to love.

Despite the intricate politics and compelling world-building this remains an intensely character-driven novel. Kyrra is easily my top protagonist of the year. She is practical without being boring, brave without being reckless, sympathetic without being obnoxious, and tough without being cruel. Boord thoughtfully explores heavy themes of disability and trauma (Kyrra is a one-armed amputee who has had a difficult past abortion) and drives home strong messages about bodily autonomy and identity. Arsenault is also delightful: alternately taciturn and tender but always, always burning bright in his devotion and ideals. Even the minor characters leave a strong imprint: troubled, unpredictable Lobardin; naive, empathetic Mikelo. I wish we'd gotten more from Jon Barra, not in the least because his role and loyalties in the story were very confusing, but other than his character being ill-defined I really don't have many complaints.

Also: THE ROMANCE!! It’s not often I get pulled this deep into a literary relationship, but Kyrra and Aresnault were unparalleled paramours. Boord did an amazing job of making this a “romantic fantasy” rather than a “fantasy romance”, where I felt like the subplot added much to the development of the narrative rather than subtracting from it. I’m also a sucker for the memory loss trope and it’s done incredibly well here. Give me those strong, confusing feelings for a person who feels strangely familiar yet you’ve never met! Give me those pained glances and lingering touches for a lover who can’t recall your face!

Clocking in at nearly 700 pages, this book is certainly a commitment, but I cannot recommend it highly enough for fans of political intrigue, unique magic systems and religious lore, and well-executed, slow-burn romance.

[C.M. Debell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book, and it was even better than I remembered. Dark and twisty with fascinating characters and gorgeously rich world building. Can't wait for book two.