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The World Maker Parable
Guilt will always call you back...
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.
You are a lie...
Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.
You are a lie...
Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.
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First published April 14, 2020
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About the author
Luke Tarzian
30 books81 followersFantasy Author. Long Doggo Enthusiast. Snoot Booper. Shouter of Profanities. Drinker of Whiskey.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 26, 2024
My complete review is published at Grimdark Magazine.
Luke Tarzian discovers truth in madness with The World-Maker Parable, an ingeniously constructed dark fantasy novella that feels like a nightmare brought to life. The World-Maker Parable serves as a prequal to Tarzian’s novel, Vultures, but can also be read as its own standalone story.
The novella opens with Rhona, a dutiful citizen of her country who leads her lover, Djen, toward execution in the corpse-laden Hang-Dead Forest. Djen has been sentenced to death for treason after unleashing the chaotic Vulture goddess, Luminíl, upon the world.
The Vulture goddess represents entropy unbounded, delivering irreversible disorder and destruction, culminating with certain death. The Vulture’s power is the opposite of the Phoenix goddess, Mirkvahíl, who signifies creation and rebirth.
The Phoenix goddess is sought by the other main point-of-view character, Varésh Lúm-talé, a notorious liar who seeks atonement for his sins. Varésh’s journey also brings him toward the Hang-Dead Forest as he uncovers truths about both himself and the Vulture goddess.
The World-Maker Parable is told on two timelines denoted “then” and “now.” I won’t say anything else about the plot of the novella, since I don’t want to spoil the myriad of surprises that Luke Tarzian has in store for the reader.
The dark, brooding atmosphere of The World-Maker Parable feels like a lucid dream. Tarzian’s prose is dense but engrossing. The author makes effective use of unreliable narration as he addresses issues of character identity and motivation, including one character who argues with a shadow twin. The novella is also bursting with a gamut of emotions. In the end, I realized that the title of the novella is meant to be taken quite literally.
The World-Maker Parable has an almost shockingly deep level of worldbuilding for such a short book. I thoroughly enjoyed the bird-inspired goddesses and their related lore of both creation and destruction. The thermodynamicist in me was delighted by both the Vulture goddess of entropy and the spirit of Equilibrium, who tries to maintain balance in the land.
Altogether, The World-Maker Parable is an impressive showcase for Luke Tarzian’s unbounded imagination and his ability to translate nightmarish visions into an unputdownable, emotionally rich story.
Luke Tarzian discovers truth in madness with The World-Maker Parable, an ingeniously constructed dark fantasy novella that feels like a nightmare brought to life. The World-Maker Parable serves as a prequal to Tarzian’s novel, Vultures, but can also be read as its own standalone story.
The novella opens with Rhona, a dutiful citizen of her country who leads her lover, Djen, toward execution in the corpse-laden Hang-Dead Forest. Djen has been sentenced to death for treason after unleashing the chaotic Vulture goddess, Luminíl, upon the world.
The Vulture goddess represents entropy unbounded, delivering irreversible disorder and destruction, culminating with certain death. The Vulture’s power is the opposite of the Phoenix goddess, Mirkvahíl, who signifies creation and rebirth.
The Phoenix goddess is sought by the other main point-of-view character, Varésh Lúm-talé, a notorious liar who seeks atonement for his sins. Varésh’s journey also brings him toward the Hang-Dead Forest as he uncovers truths about both himself and the Vulture goddess.
The World-Maker Parable is told on two timelines denoted “then” and “now.” I won’t say anything else about the plot of the novella, since I don’t want to spoil the myriad of surprises that Luke Tarzian has in store for the reader.
The dark, brooding atmosphere of The World-Maker Parable feels like a lucid dream. Tarzian’s prose is dense but engrossing. The author makes effective use of unreliable narration as he addresses issues of character identity and motivation, including one character who argues with a shadow twin. The novella is also bursting with a gamut of emotions. In the end, I realized that the title of the novella is meant to be taken quite literally.
The World-Maker Parable has an almost shockingly deep level of worldbuilding for such a short book. I thoroughly enjoyed the bird-inspired goddesses and their related lore of both creation and destruction. The thermodynamicist in me was delighted by both the Vulture goddess of entropy and the spirit of Equilibrium, who tries to maintain balance in the land.
Altogether, The World-Maker Parable is an impressive showcase for Luke Tarzian’s unbounded imagination and his ability to translate nightmarish visions into an unputdownable, emotionally rich story.
August 8, 2020
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I am a reader who tried to support all readers, specially traditionally published ones. So when the chance emerged to read and review this book, I did not hesitate and jumped right into it.
Have you ever been in a math or physics class and the teacher was writing equations and you were focused and understood everything and then you turn around a bit because your friends called you and when you turn back, the board is already filled and you are so lost till the end of the class. Reading this book was similar to that experience. I got into the story and was enjoying it but I got distracted halfway through for a couple of pages maybe and voila, I was confused after that. What I am trying to say is that this is not a bad book (Even my final rating is still good) at all. I blame myself for getting distracted. I thought it is going to be an easy read since it is a novella but it was not. I think this book should be approached with the right mindset.
The book belongs to the psychological fantasy genre which I am a big fan of. It follows the story of Rhona and Varésh. The story begins with Rhona taking her lover to the Hang- Dead forest to kill her so that was definitely gripping. After that she starts to question everything. Varésh on the other hand has memory loss and we get to see things fall in place gradually. I think the characters were fairly written. I just got confused by the way the story was told.
The world-building although not very vast is still amazing for a novella. I enjoyed reading about the Raven, the Vulture and the Phoenix deities. Writing Novellas and inserting everything into a small number of pages is not an easy task without much info dump. I think Tarzian did a good job in sorting things out and getting the story in a very good shape.
Summary: I am not feeling the best about my rating of the book because I think I should have concentrated more while reading but at the same time, I think a perfect story for me would still allow me to get the basic level of distraction without losing much joy. Be aware that I ended up understanding what happened. I think the writing, the characters to be well written and the cover is great so if you want a mind-bending novella then go for this one!
You can get more books from Book Depository
“And with great power came great emotional instability.”
I am a reader who tried to support all readers, specially traditionally published ones. So when the chance emerged to read and review this book, I did not hesitate and jumped right into it.
Have you ever been in a math or physics class and the teacher was writing equations and you were focused and understood everything and then you turn around a bit because your friends called you and when you turn back, the board is already filled and you are so lost till the end of the class. Reading this book was similar to that experience. I got into the story and was enjoying it but I got distracted halfway through for a couple of pages maybe and voila, I was confused after that. What I am trying to say is that this is not a bad book (Even my final rating is still good) at all. I blame myself for getting distracted. I thought it is going to be an easy read since it is a novella but it was not. I think this book should be approached with the right mindset.
The book belongs to the psychological fantasy genre which I am a big fan of. It follows the story of Rhona and Varésh. The story begins with Rhona taking her lover to the Hang- Dead forest to kill her so that was definitely gripping. After that she starts to question everything. Varésh on the other hand has memory loss and we get to see things fall in place gradually. I think the characters were fairly written. I just got confused by the way the story was told.
The world-building although not very vast is still amazing for a novella. I enjoyed reading about the Raven, the Vulture and the Phoenix deities. Writing Novellas and inserting everything into a small number of pages is not an easy task without much info dump. I think Tarzian did a good job in sorting things out and getting the story in a very good shape.
Summary: I am not feeling the best about my rating of the book because I think I should have concentrated more while reading but at the same time, I think a perfect story for me would still allow me to get the basic level of distraction without losing much joy. Be aware that I ended up understanding what happened. I think the writing, the characters to be well written and the cover is great so if you want a mind-bending novella then go for this one!
You can get more books from Book Depository
May 1, 2020
Since THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE is a prequel novella to Luke Tarzian's full-length novel Vultures, I will refrain from giving away too much of the story to avoid potential spoilers. I will say that if you haven't read the first book in his Shadow Twins series, you really should. It's an amazing exercise in philosophical ideas set against the backdrop of hauntingly dark imagery. That book was one of my favorite reads of 2019 and to this day the book still stays with me, it's that thought-provoking and impactful.
THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE takes place before the events in Vultures. We begin the story in Hang-Dead Forest (what could be more ominous than that, right?) as Rhona is dragging her beloved Djen to the tree where she will be put to death. Why is she being sentenced to this fate? Only the gods and goddesses of the deeply complex world born of Luke Tarzian's imagination know. Suffice it to say, the higher powers of this land don't take kindly to those who tamper with their edicts and rules. And anyone who dares cross them, must meet a terrible fate.
Yet there are those who do not entirely trust some of these gods and goddesses, and are beginning to question whether they should be falling in line with the rigid rules that govern Jemoon and the surrounding territories. As the story unfolds through alternating timelines of then and now, we get glimpses of the main characters and the actions that they took that have led us to this place. And nobody is equipped to deliver these glimpses better than author Luke Tarzian.
The one thing that I always emphasize with this series is that you really have to give the books your full attention or you will be utterly lost. Luke doesn't info-dump and he doesn't lead you to the clues planted within his story easily. He trusts his readers to have the acumen to figure it out on their own, which I absolutely love. It's the very best reading experience that you can have in my opinion.
If you are looking for a dark fantasy read that is trippy beyond belief, is infused with a mind-bending philosophy that challenges you to think beyond your normal capacity, and delivers some of the most emotionally tortured characters who you can't help but connect with, then you should check out both Vultures and THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE. Luke Tarzian is an author who is just beginning his ascent to the summit where the pantheon of the best fantasy authors reside. Keep an eye on him, because he only gets better with each book.
THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE takes place before the events in Vultures. We begin the story in Hang-Dead Forest (what could be more ominous than that, right?) as Rhona is dragging her beloved Djen to the tree where she will be put to death. Why is she being sentenced to this fate? Only the gods and goddesses of the deeply complex world born of Luke Tarzian's imagination know. Suffice it to say, the higher powers of this land don't take kindly to those who tamper with their edicts and rules. And anyone who dares cross them, must meet a terrible fate.
Yet there are those who do not entirely trust some of these gods and goddesses, and are beginning to question whether they should be falling in line with the rigid rules that govern Jemoon and the surrounding territories. As the story unfolds through alternating timelines of then and now, we get glimpses of the main characters and the actions that they took that have led us to this place. And nobody is equipped to deliver these glimpses better than author Luke Tarzian.
The one thing that I always emphasize with this series is that you really have to give the books your full attention or you will be utterly lost. Luke doesn't info-dump and he doesn't lead you to the clues planted within his story easily. He trusts his readers to have the acumen to figure it out on their own, which I absolutely love. It's the very best reading experience that you can have in my opinion.
If you are looking for a dark fantasy read that is trippy beyond belief, is infused with a mind-bending philosophy that challenges you to think beyond your normal capacity, and delivers some of the most emotionally tortured characters who you can't help but connect with, then you should check out both Vultures and THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE. Luke Tarzian is an author who is just beginning his ascent to the summit where the pantheon of the best fantasy authors reside. Keep an eye on him, because he only gets better with each book.
March 27, 2020
Oooff my brain haha! Luke Tarzian has amazing writing skills, I always end up captivated from page one. Like the novel Vultures, The World Maker Parable has this story to tell through the same amount of characters but through time and memories and omg I got so confused!! But it is a matter of hanging in there cause at the end things get more clear. So you are going through this short story like ok who is who, what isn't that being repeated. Wait this is another time! It clears up at the end. But I haven't grasped what it is about, yes balance and power and manipulation between Gods. We follow Varesh, a God who builds societies I think? And he has done horrible things, causing many to die. And believes a fellow Goddess can help him. His memories though are missing and snippets of the past come back during his search. And damn I loved it but things also went over my head! Of course my brain is mushier than normal so that doesn't help either, and I am simply not good with books where you have to use your brain and figure things out. I always go with what I read at that moment, hardly ever try to figure out plots. So this is a book and type of storytelling that isn't in my nature to begin with. And still I flew through it. The curiosity to find out what is going on and how these Gods are connected and rule this world is strong and fascinating. Def read if you love epic God tales and mindfuckery in books that need attention! The writing alone is a treat! Kudos and loads of chocolate for those who are bright and able to figure out the entirety of the plot!
October 4, 2023
Review originally on
JamReads
The World Maker Parable is a dark fantasy novella, part of Adjacent Monsters, written by Luke Tarzian. It is a complex book to analyze, as Tarzian takes us in what we could call a metaphorical experience built around trauma and guilt, in multiple layers and using several timelines which make following the plot a bit difficult.
If there are two aspects in where Tarzian excels, those are the atmosphere and the emotions. He has made an excellent job at transmitting the sensation of a world in decay, a grim place, rotting in time, showing sometimes the same experience from different POVs. It is difficult to separate this atmosphere from the emotions the characters are showing and expressing; few books will be as excellent in this particular aspect.
However, I found myself at some points trying to guess how the plot was evolving, confused at times due to how the novella is layered; it requires your full focus to grasp all the meaning behind the words. Despite there are only two POVs, in moments, it feels like they multiply into multiple ones, due to the amount of temporal jumps..
In general, I found The World Maker Parable to be an extremely strong novella in some aspects but which becomes confusing at points. If you are into dark fantasy and would like to have a quite unique experience, Luke Tarzian's books are definitely what you are looking for.
Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides.
The World Maker Parable is a dark fantasy novella, part of Adjacent Monsters, written by Luke Tarzian. It is a complex book to analyze, as Tarzian takes us in what we could call a metaphorical experience built around trauma and guilt, in multiple layers and using several timelines which make following the plot a bit difficult.
If there are two aspects in where Tarzian excels, those are the atmosphere and the emotions. He has made an excellent job at transmitting the sensation of a world in decay, a grim place, rotting in time, showing sometimes the same experience from different POVs. It is difficult to separate this atmosphere from the emotions the characters are showing and expressing; few books will be as excellent in this particular aspect.
However, I found myself at some points trying to guess how the plot was evolving, confused at times due to how the novella is layered; it requires your full focus to grasp all the meaning behind the words. Despite there are only two POVs, in moments, it feels like they multiply into multiple ones, due to the amount of temporal jumps..
In general, I found The World Maker Parable to be an extremely strong novella in some aspects but which becomes confusing at points. If you are into dark fantasy and would like to have a quite unique experience, Luke Tarzian's books are definitely what you are looking for.
Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides.
January 11, 2022
This review was first posted at FanFiAddict
Luke Tarzian’s novella The World Maker Parable made it’s entry into the world confidently, set on a trailblazing course through the indie community.
The World Maker Parable, by self-published author Luke Tarzian, is a prequel novella to his full-length debut Vultures. Set in the same world as Vultures, this novella is the first in his Adjacent Monsters series. I ended up reading Parable before Vultures and it worked out just fine. If you asked me what I loved about this novella, my answer would be everything. A full 10 because I can’t find a single thing that didn’t work for me. I’m grateful for writers like Tarzian who dare to take risks, challenging readers to move beyond the comfort of what is familiar.
Parable is best approached knowing very little about the characters and plot so these details will be limited, sorry folks! Parable deals with concepts that I think everyone struggles with to some degree or another; life, death, failure, guilt, grief, the passage of time, your decisions and what they mean for you and the people around you. Tarzian takes these concepts and plays with them, stretching them out within his symbolism and characterization.
The characters are some of the most original I’ve come across and I am very impressed with how well the setting, characters, and symbolism tied together. Told through timelines that weave back and forth, we follow the perspective of two main characters. The novella begins with Rhona, a loyal sword to her country, leading her beloved to be executed due to the role she played in freeing the Vulture goddess. The second perspective we follow is that of Varésh Lúm-talé, a god-like being, a builder of worlds who is seeking help from this same Vulture. I was immediately taken by these two characters as soon as they appeared on page. Rhona and Var��sh are about as unreliable as you will find in a novel. Both haunted by past choices, their minds were an ocean of thoughts, crashing and tumbling, wearing down mental and emotional barriers that were kept in place.
Tarzian imagined an all consuming dreamscape the likes of Poe or Morpheus. In a world rife with tension, this dark psychological fantasy is laced in horror and existential dread. The setting became increasingly complex as different sections were introduced. The use of duality (life/death, light/dark, creation/entropy, destruction/evolution) and symbolism were my favorite parts. Tarzian has this extraordinary way of writing that envelopes you inside the story, and this is where he shines. There were moments of harrowing situations, emotionally charged narratives, and bizarre-blurring of realities. It’s dark yet at times penned in this beautiful, ethereal way.
You’re always learning something novel while the plot is building. Just when you think you have it figured out, there is another layer that unfolds, creating plots within plots that are paced out perfectly. What at first felt like a smaller, contained story in its own dimly lit corner of the world ended up being much larger in scale. Parable strikes that perfect balance of giving enough information to begin unraveling the details while still being able to stay mysterious to the very end.
The World Maker Parable is a devastatingly beautiful piece of art. It’s exactly the sort of dark fantasy I’ve always wanted to read. My mind is still reeling with needing to know more about this world Tarzian created. I may not have understood the meaning of every detail, but I fully understood the meaning of the story. Vultures is up next, and then I’ll return for The World Breaker Requiem, book 2 in Adjacent Monsters which released December 2, 2021.
Luke Tarzian’s novella The World Maker Parable made it’s entry into the world confidently, set on a trailblazing course through the indie community.
“Be still, said the tree. Be as the souls you seek.”
The World Maker Parable, by self-published author Luke Tarzian, is a prequel novella to his full-length debut Vultures. Set in the same world as Vultures, this novella is the first in his Adjacent Monsters series. I ended up reading Parable before Vultures and it worked out just fine. If you asked me what I loved about this novella, my answer would be everything. A full 10 because I can’t find a single thing that didn’t work for me. I’m grateful for writers like Tarzian who dare to take risks, challenging readers to move beyond the comfort of what is familiar.
Parable is best approached knowing very little about the characters and plot so these details will be limited, sorry folks! Parable deals with concepts that I think everyone struggles with to some degree or another; life, death, failure, guilt, grief, the passage of time, your decisions and what they mean for you and the people around you. Tarzian takes these concepts and plays with them, stretching them out within his symbolism and characterization.
“There was a profound correlation between morality, truth, and the lies one told oneself.”
The characters are some of the most original I’ve come across and I am very impressed with how well the setting, characters, and symbolism tied together. Told through timelines that weave back and forth, we follow the perspective of two main characters. The novella begins with Rhona, a loyal sword to her country, leading her beloved to be executed due to the role she played in freeing the Vulture goddess. The second perspective we follow is that of Varésh Lúm-talé, a god-like being, a builder of worlds who is seeking help from this same Vulture. I was immediately taken by these two characters as soon as they appeared on page. Rhona and Var��sh are about as unreliable as you will find in a novel. Both haunted by past choices, their minds were an ocean of thoughts, crashing and tumbling, wearing down mental and emotional barriers that were kept in place.
Tarzian imagined an all consuming dreamscape the likes of Poe or Morpheus. In a world rife with tension, this dark psychological fantasy is laced in horror and existential dread. The setting became increasingly complex as different sections were introduced. The use of duality (life/death, light/dark, creation/entropy, destruction/evolution) and symbolism were my favorite parts. Tarzian has this extraordinary way of writing that envelopes you inside the story, and this is where he shines. There were moments of harrowing situations, emotionally charged narratives, and bizarre-blurring of realities. It’s dark yet at times penned in this beautiful, ethereal way.
“This must be what it feels like, what it looks like when guilt manifests, she thought, pushing back tears. Ghosts of yore, harbingers of sorrow, bannermen for a lady of woe. They were her legacy, and what an awful thing that was.”
You’re always learning something novel while the plot is building. Just when you think you have it figured out, there is another layer that unfolds, creating plots within plots that are paced out perfectly. What at first felt like a smaller, contained story in its own dimly lit corner of the world ended up being much larger in scale. Parable strikes that perfect balance of giving enough information to begin unraveling the details while still being able to stay mysterious to the very end.
The World Maker Parable is a devastatingly beautiful piece of art. It’s exactly the sort of dark fantasy I’ve always wanted to read. My mind is still reeling with needing to know more about this world Tarzian created. I may not have understood the meaning of every detail, but I fully understood the meaning of the story. Vultures is up next, and then I’ll return for The World Breaker Requiem, book 2 in Adjacent Monsters which released December 2, 2021.
May 22, 2020
“They marched on through gnarled and twisted trees. Guilt nipped at Rhona’s heels like a hungry dog and her heart stung. It wasn’t supposed to have come to this.”
The World Maker Parable is a self-published novella by Luke Tarzian. Set within the same world as Tarzian’s debut novel, Vultures, The World Maker Parable serves as a prequel.
The mind can often be a terrifying place. It’s where we tend to feel the most comfortable, while also having the ability to completely fuck us up consciously or unconsciously. Existential anxiety, anyone?!?
The World Maker Parable is a rumination on trauma, morality, memories, guilt and redemption. It’s an unflinchingly brutal story that is at times difficult to read not only because of the dark and disturbing elements, but with just how complex it is. Easy and breezy this is not! Although the novella clocks in under 200 pages, I found myself taking longer than usual, allowing it to saturate my mind, my emotions. There was an urgent sense of what was going to happen next, except that I never felt rushed. The scope of this world is clearly something to be experienced. This novella may be bite-sized, however the impact is anything but.
“Blood paid was a debt owed.”
Conflict, heartache, mind-fucking and corpses (many, many corpses)! The World Maker Parable is grim, without a doubt. It’s also incredibly profound. When one feels as though they can no longer go on, yet they persist; when their world is turned upside down, yet they find a way to endure; when the fear of the unknown, of what was, what is and what will be seemingly shatters your very being.. yet you survive.
Told through multiple timelines, we follow two main POV’s. Rhona is first introduced when she is found leading Djen Shy’eth, her beloved partner, to a tree where she will be hanged for unleashing the Vulture Luminíl. Has her life been a lie, or was she right in defending her country over the woman she loved?
Varésh Lúm-talé, son of Ouran, is an Architect. Quite literally, he is a World Builder, a rank reserved for the most respected of Celestials. Wanting to rectify his wrongs, he is on a journey to seek out the Phoenix Mirkvahíl. Complicating matters further? He’s missing memories. Also? He completely loathes himself, which is one thing his conscience doesn’t let him forget.
If you are looking for a more in-depth plot outline, you won’t find that here. SORRY NOT SORRY! This is one of those stories where it’s difficult to summarize without giving too much away. It’s dark fantasy with a focus on mental health, extremely character-driven and a haunted quality to the writing.
There’s a certain beauty in the small moments and Tarzian captured that impressively here with his rich, descriptive prose. Painting an atmospheric, vivid forest of the hanging dead, a myriad of murdered souls and ash. The scent of fear and death lingering in the air. The reader is carefully immersed within this darkly imaginative world.
Luke Tarzian is making his voice heard in the indie fantasy scene and I am most definitely on this bandwagon!
(Big thanks to Storytellers on Tour for inviting me to be a part of the World Maker Parable Bookstagram/Blog tour! Be sure to checkout the rest of the rad reviews, author interviews and spotlights! If you are interested in becoming a future roadie for this fantastic new service promoting indie SFF books to a broader audience, you can sign up on the website. DO THE DAMN THING!!)
The World Maker Parable is a self-published novella by Luke Tarzian. Set within the same world as Tarzian’s debut novel, Vultures, The World Maker Parable serves as a prequel.
The mind can often be a terrifying place. It’s where we tend to feel the most comfortable, while also having the ability to completely fuck us up consciously or unconsciously. Existential anxiety, anyone?!?
The World Maker Parable is a rumination on trauma, morality, memories, guilt and redemption. It’s an unflinchingly brutal story that is at times difficult to read not only because of the dark and disturbing elements, but with just how complex it is. Easy and breezy this is not! Although the novella clocks in under 200 pages, I found myself taking longer than usual, allowing it to saturate my mind, my emotions. There was an urgent sense of what was going to happen next, except that I never felt rushed. The scope of this world is clearly something to be experienced. This novella may be bite-sized, however the impact is anything but.
“Blood paid was a debt owed.”
Conflict, heartache, mind-fucking and corpses (many, many corpses)! The World Maker Parable is grim, without a doubt. It’s also incredibly profound. When one feels as though they can no longer go on, yet they persist; when their world is turned upside down, yet they find a way to endure; when the fear of the unknown, of what was, what is and what will be seemingly shatters your very being.. yet you survive.
Told through multiple timelines, we follow two main POV’s. Rhona is first introduced when she is found leading Djen Shy’eth, her beloved partner, to a tree where she will be hanged for unleashing the Vulture Luminíl. Has her life been a lie, or was she right in defending her country over the woman she loved?
Varésh Lúm-talé, son of Ouran, is an Architect. Quite literally, he is a World Builder, a rank reserved for the most respected of Celestials. Wanting to rectify his wrongs, he is on a journey to seek out the Phoenix Mirkvahíl. Complicating matters further? He’s missing memories. Also? He completely loathes himself, which is one thing his conscience doesn’t let him forget.
If you are looking for a more in-depth plot outline, you won’t find that here. SORRY NOT SORRY! This is one of those stories where it’s difficult to summarize without giving too much away. It’s dark fantasy with a focus on mental health, extremely character-driven and a haunted quality to the writing.
There’s a certain beauty in the small moments and Tarzian captured that impressively here with his rich, descriptive prose. Painting an atmospheric, vivid forest of the hanging dead, a myriad of murdered souls and ash. The scent of fear and death lingering in the air. The reader is carefully immersed within this darkly imaginative world.
Luke Tarzian is making his voice heard in the indie fantasy scene and I am most definitely on this bandwagon!
(Big thanks to Storytellers on Tour for inviting me to be a part of the World Maker Parable Bookstagram/Blog tour! Be sure to checkout the rest of the rad reviews, author interviews and spotlights! If you are interested in becoming a future roadie for this fantastic new service promoting indie SFF books to a broader audience, you can sign up on the website. DO THE DAMN THING!!)
April 26, 2020
…Even the worst of us, the most misguided can achieve redemption.
The World Maker Parable is Luke Tarzian's creatively complex and poignant follow-up novella to his Dark Fantasy debut Vultures. Much like its predecessor, it focuses on the fragile balance between order and chaos, and is an exposition of the very human feelings of guilt and grief, as well as the horrific punishment one endures at the hands of their own self. This review is going to be a bit different than what I usually present for several reasons; the most significant being talking about both the plot and characters in detail will completely spoil this tale in its entirety, and simply because I feel the need to speak about what this novella evokes, rather than an examination of the story itself. I've given this much thought, and honestly, I can't get this story out of my head.
Thumbing through the pages of one of Tarzian's books is akin to studying a Dali. Gorgeously mind-bending and thought-provoking, an emotional journey, if you will. His ability to pay homage to humanity with characters and worlds that are anything but is just astounding, a skill so very rarely seen in the literary world. What you see is by no means what you get, the truth lurking far beneath the surface just waiting to emerge. Hauntingly beautiful, these strange and intelligent forays into his mind leave you in a state of utter disorientation, with an endless, insatiable hunger for more.
In Parable we're submerged in a deluge of surreal and menacing landscapes, each cultivating such a sense of hopeless foreboding–a forest of the hanging dead, crumbling ruins lost to time, sky-shattering monolithic towers, all encompassed by a wind that carries upon it the unmistakable taste of ash. And strangely, they somehow also conjure an impression of complete serenity – solace in the silence. What should've taken me about a day to read took far longer, because there was a need to savor the experience, carefully visualizing the world being constructed around me.
Life where once there had been death. Brilliance where once the light was silent. But most of all, the dreams. The images and whispers born of illium prying memories from the depths of the abyss.
As mentioned, I won't discuss the characters in much detail, but I need to touch upon how superbly they are portrayed. Otherworldly, divine beings cloaked in majestic wings, with eyes that reflect the endless chasm of the universe, their power only threatened by their self-doubt. They're world-shapers, creating life that echoes themselves, inevitably leading to exquisite imperfection.
Tarzian tells this tale with a remarkable lyrical prose, setting the stage for a staggering dreamlike spiral of a journey, using descriptors that easily rip readers from reality and pitch them into the yawning black abyss. While many stories offer a glimmer of hope, Parable continues on its slow and grisly descent into the shadowy recesses of the psyche, where all manner of monsters prowl. Even without the use of excessive bloodshed and the dread and consequences of war, it is easily one of the darkest books I've ever read, because what could possibly be more grim than the horrors of the mind? It's crushing, it's moving, it's a thing of beauty.
It's far too easy to lose yourself while searching for truth in the lies as you make your way through The World Maker Parable. Tarzian, unafraid to crack open his heart and let his soul blanket the pages, takes readers on an expedition detailing the origins of his Shadow Twins universe, where nothing is as it seems. This is definitely not for those looking for a light, airy adventure, but rather for those seeking a challenge. Expect confusion, but know that everything will come together in the most unexpected of ways. In order to truly appreciate what Tarzian has done here, you really need to pick up the story yourself – I can't recommend this book enough.
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April 29, 2021
This book is psychedelic and surreal like a Dali painting that exudes an intangible and terrifying beauty, a fragile sense of reality that erodes the rational senses, and plunges perception into the dark abyss of a fragmented consciousness. This is a story of endless guilt, murder, and redemption, a futile search for hope in a broken world emptied of promise and life. Tarzian have packed the existential and absurd agony of eternities in an ethereal, yet elegaic narrative that seamlessly weaves stories within moments that eludes any meaningful gentrification.
Tarzian deconstructs the creation and destruction myths that lies in the heart of every culture and belief, moulding it into a Jungian quest for truth and meaning beyond a symbolic manifestation, asking questions of power and freedom, faith and ideology, remorse and redemption, delving into the dark labyrinthine psyche that belies the god-complex. Through the technique of dream sequences, fallible memory prowling at the edge of stream-of-consciouness, and fractured timeframes, Tarzian depicts a ruined world filled with broken deities, and inconsolable loss. I was awed and terrified while reading this.
Like the story, the characters too are vast and complex, inherently flawed. Within a few pages, there's an entire novels worth of events condensed like an intricate clockwork mechanism, words coalescing into surrealistic landscapes, language reshaping the perceptions of both the characters and the readers in a bleak reality. This isn't an easy read, it's sort of entering into a dream and nightmare which memories haunt long after you've forgotten, or which you've chose not to remember, but can't escape it either.
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Tarzian deconstructs the creation and destruction myths that lies in the heart of every culture and belief, moulding it into a Jungian quest for truth and meaning beyond a symbolic manifestation, asking questions of power and freedom, faith and ideology, remorse and redemption, delving into the dark labyrinthine psyche that belies the god-complex. Through the technique of dream sequences, fallible memory prowling at the edge of stream-of-consciouness, and fractured timeframes, Tarzian depicts a ruined world filled with broken deities, and inconsolable loss. I was awed and terrified while reading this.
Like the story, the characters too are vast and complex, inherently flawed. Within a few pages, there's an entire novels worth of events condensed like an intricate clockwork mechanism, words coalescing into surrealistic landscapes, language reshaping the perceptions of both the characters and the readers in a bleak reality. This isn't an easy read, it's sort of entering into a dream and nightmare which memories haunt long after you've forgotten, or which you've chose not to remember, but can't escape it either.
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November 29, 2023
I received this novella to judge for SFINCS. Opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by the team.
Take this with a grain of salt/sand/ashes/world making crystals (if you will)…as this story unfortunately did not connect for me. I found it to read as disjointed, often jumping between times while also switching characters in a way that did nothing but confuse me. The scenes are often very short, perhaps a couple hundred words each, and it felt like I couldn’t sink my teeth into anything. Like I was constantly trying to connect or understand but then it changed again. Even after finishing, I’m not quite sure what the plot is.
Perhaps just not my style, writing taste, or the wrong story for me, as I actually highlighted quite a bit that I thought was fantastic. Quotes and odds and ends that hit me as profound. As I received this to review, it wasn’t an actual kindle version, so I couldn’t upload them to goodreads sadly.
Personally a 3/5* for me. Just not to my taste.
Take this with a grain of salt/sand/ashes/world making crystals (if you will)…as this story unfortunately did not connect for me. I found it to read as disjointed, often jumping between times while also switching characters in a way that did nothing but confuse me. The scenes are often very short, perhaps a couple hundred words each, and it felt like I couldn’t sink my teeth into anything. Like I was constantly trying to connect or understand but then it changed again. Even after finishing, I’m not quite sure what the plot is.
Perhaps just not my style, writing taste, or the wrong story for me, as I actually highlighted quite a bit that I thought was fantastic. Quotes and odds and ends that hit me as profound. As I received this to review, it wasn’t an actual kindle version, so I couldn’t upload them to goodreads sadly.
Personally a 3/5* for me. Just not to my taste.
Read
November 8, 2025 DNF at 33%
Unfortunately I couldn't get into it. Too abstract for my taste and didn't find anything to keep me going.
Unfortunately I couldn't get into it. Too abstract for my taste and didn't find anything to keep me going.
April 30, 2020
I've been meaning to read VULTURES for a while but I haven't gotten around to it yet, so when I heard that there was a prequel novella coming out, I thought this would be a good way to get into the world of Shadow Twins. It's a complicated and intricate novella for being so short and just when you think that you might have something figured out, it changes again. It has a dreamlike quality with constantly shifting timelines, names, scenarios, etc., and it's not until the end that things fall into place.
At first, I was struggling to keep track of everything, but eventually, I gave in and let the story take me along for the ride. The descriptions are poetic and lyrical so I could just let them wash over me and paint a picture. This is dark fantasy at its finest: when it's not about the horror or the gruesome scenarios, but that old-style fairy tale or myth where nothing is as it seems, but you feel that sense of dread creeping up the back of your spine with every new revelation. It takes the style of the Brothers Grimm and Greek tragedy, and weaves them into a new tapestry about gods, guilt, magic, and memory.
One of the main characters is a queer woman who faces a great test. She is forced to kill her lover for going against their beliefs and thinks that it will save the world, but there is more that she doesn't know. Her guilt follows her through the story. It's a tragic love story, but not one that has anything to do with homophobia, at least. There is no mention that same-sex relationships are treated differently than any other relationship.
It's hard to describe this story without spoiling too much but I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading Vultures. If you like mythopoetic fantasy like Tanith Lee or Neil Gaiman, you might like this book.
At first, I was struggling to keep track of everything, but eventually, I gave in and let the story take me along for the ride. The descriptions are poetic and lyrical so I could just let them wash over me and paint a picture. This is dark fantasy at its finest: when it's not about the horror or the gruesome scenarios, but that old-style fairy tale or myth where nothing is as it seems, but you feel that sense of dread creeping up the back of your spine with every new revelation. It takes the style of the Brothers Grimm and Greek tragedy, and weaves them into a new tapestry about gods, guilt, magic, and memory.
One of the main characters is a queer woman who faces a great test. She is forced to kill her lover for going against their beliefs and thinks that it will save the world, but there is more that she doesn't know. Her guilt follows her through the story. It's a tragic love story, but not one that has anything to do with homophobia, at least. There is no mention that same-sex relationships are treated differently than any other relationship.
It's hard to describe this story without spoiling too much but I enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to reading Vultures. If you like mythopoetic fantasy like Tanith Lee or Neil Gaiman, you might like this book.
September 3, 2020
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2020/09/...
I’ve been dying to read Luke Tarzian’s books. The cover art is magnificent, and I’ve seen some snippets and knew his writing style was really something to behold (I adore lyrical writing full of metaphor and Tarzian has all of that in spades). I had a feeling his books were right up my alley. When I got a copy, I devoured it. The World Maker Parable is the prequel to his other book, Vultures. I believe, unless I’m wrong, he is working on more books in that series as well. Now, most people, it seems, read Vultures first, and then this one. Since I’ve never read either, I just decided to start with the prequel and work my way on as nature intended (har har).
The World Maker Parable is a touch 151 pages long. Once you get into it, the book will absolutely fly past you. This is not only due to its relatively short length, but because Tarzian has a knack for writing a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. I will go so far as to say, I read this in a night because I absolutely just could not stop. I was up until 2am. It was an event.
The World Maker Parable is one of those books that is really hard to pin down. Part of the reason is due to all of this books layers. A lot of the story is told through memories, ruminations, and different timelines (alternating chapters of then and now). There are multiple individuals, sometimes remembering or experiencing the same event from different perspectives. This can lead to some repetition, but I actually didn’t mind that because these different angles often give the reader other sets of information, which can add to and change your understanding of what happened, and what is happening.
“They marched on through gnarled and twisted trees. Guilt nipped at Rhona’s heels like a hungry dog and her heart stung. It wasn’t supposed to have come to this.”
The book starts out with a grim sort of bang. There are corpses. A whole lot of them, but I never really felt like this book veered into blood, guts, and glorification (fantastic imagery, like “Hang-Dead Forest” is the icing on the cake). Tarzian has a way with carefully unfolding his story, and making sure he’s layered his characters with enough emotion to make everything, even the most fantastic elements, feel so incredibly grounded and real. I am a huge sucker for emotional fantasy, and Tarzian is one of the few authors who manages to not only hook me with all his unique darkness, but also stab me right in the heart with all the emotions he weaves through his story.
I loved it so much, I’ll address it a few times in this review.
I am a big sucker for fables, and the writing or re-writing of them. A really good fantasy fable will absolutely captivate me. What Tarzian manages here, is not only that dark fairy tale feel that I love, but also the emotional impact of the story as he unflinchingly explores aspects of guilt, action/consequence, personal development and evolution, questioning one’s identity and more. I was quite surprised with just how much depth and realism Tarzian could attain in so few pages.
“And with great power came great emotional instability.”
Now, you might notice that I’m not saying a whole lot about the plot, and there’s a reason for that. It’s really hard for me to say much about the book without giving away important bits of it. Suffice it to say, Tarzian writes character-driven dark fantasy with plenty of layers and texture. This book is 150 pages, but the depth offered here was quite honestly, one of the most surprising, delightful parts of the book. Tarzian is unafraid to reach in, and make every moment count, from furthering the plot, to character development, to emotional punch.
All of this works together to make The World Maker Parable both fast and engrossing. He sets the stage for an incredibly unique world, and does so with a stunning amount of attention to detail. You have to completely focus on this book to understand it. Tarzian doesn’t lob information at you, rather, he delicately drops clues along the way. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss them. But Tarzian trusts his reader to figure everything out, and if you pay attention, you will. If you don’t, you’ll become completely and absolutely confused. He doesn’t tell a story the same way most people do (be still, my heart). He has his own unique way to lead readers down the path of his choosing. Pay attention, or you’ll get lost in the weeds.
One thing I haven’t touched on that I really want to, is how Tarzian makes the tiny moments sing. It’s one thing to show all the big scenes and the flashpoint moments, but Tarzian has a knack for taking these small, quiet, intimate scenes and making them just as important as all the big stuff. This is so true to life, and human nature. Big things stick in our minds, but often it’s the little moments that drive us to certain actions, and the choices we make. I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed that. It honestly might be my favorite part of the book. Every little thing matters in The World Maker Parable, and I mean that as literally as possible.
Life where once there had been death. Brilliance where once the light was silent. But most of all, the dreams. The images and whispers born of illium prying memories from the depths of the abyss.
The atmosphere is well done, dark with a sort of looming, mysterious, almost angsty feel that burrowed right into my bones. I was very pleasantly surprised by just how well Tarzian crafted his world and atmosphere, to the point where it felt as though the world he’d created became a character in its own right. I could almost see the trees, and feel the looming tension and emotional turmoil that was as a part of the world as the characters themselves.
In all, The World maker Parable was brilliantly done, with prose that made the book sing, and an attention to detail that pleasantly surprised me. This isn’t a book where you can overlook anything. Every little detail matters, and every little detail is glorious. Here, you will find small, quiet moments as important as the big flashbang plot points. You’ll find characters grappling with the essence of who they are. Here is a book that is told in an atypical way, with numerous timelines and memories, different perspectives of one event, it almost broke my brain trying to figure out how Tarzian wrote it, but he did, and oh, is the world a better place for this book existing.
I’ve been dying to read Luke Tarzian’s books. The cover art is magnificent, and I’ve seen some snippets and knew his writing style was really something to behold (I adore lyrical writing full of metaphor and Tarzian has all of that in spades). I had a feeling his books were right up my alley. When I got a copy, I devoured it. The World Maker Parable is the prequel to his other book, Vultures. I believe, unless I’m wrong, he is working on more books in that series as well. Now, most people, it seems, read Vultures first, and then this one. Since I’ve never read either, I just decided to start with the prequel and work my way on as nature intended (har har).
The World Maker Parable is a touch 151 pages long. Once you get into it, the book will absolutely fly past you. This is not only due to its relatively short length, but because Tarzian has a knack for writing a book that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. I will go so far as to say, I read this in a night because I absolutely just could not stop. I was up until 2am. It was an event.
The World Maker Parable is one of those books that is really hard to pin down. Part of the reason is due to all of this books layers. A lot of the story is told through memories, ruminations, and different timelines (alternating chapters of then and now). There are multiple individuals, sometimes remembering or experiencing the same event from different perspectives. This can lead to some repetition, but I actually didn’t mind that because these different angles often give the reader other sets of information, which can add to and change your understanding of what happened, and what is happening.
“They marched on through gnarled and twisted trees. Guilt nipped at Rhona’s heels like a hungry dog and her heart stung. It wasn’t supposed to have come to this.”
The book starts out with a grim sort of bang. There are corpses. A whole lot of them, but I never really felt like this book veered into blood, guts, and glorification (fantastic imagery, like “Hang-Dead Forest” is the icing on the cake). Tarzian has a way with carefully unfolding his story, and making sure he’s layered his characters with enough emotion to make everything, even the most fantastic elements, feel so incredibly grounded and real. I am a huge sucker for emotional fantasy, and Tarzian is one of the few authors who manages to not only hook me with all his unique darkness, but also stab me right in the heart with all the emotions he weaves through his story.
I loved it so much, I’ll address it a few times in this review.
I am a big sucker for fables, and the writing or re-writing of them. A really good fantasy fable will absolutely captivate me. What Tarzian manages here, is not only that dark fairy tale feel that I love, but also the emotional impact of the story as he unflinchingly explores aspects of guilt, action/consequence, personal development and evolution, questioning one’s identity and more. I was quite surprised with just how much depth and realism Tarzian could attain in so few pages.
“And with great power came great emotional instability.”
Now, you might notice that I’m not saying a whole lot about the plot, and there’s a reason for that. It’s really hard for me to say much about the book without giving away important bits of it. Suffice it to say, Tarzian writes character-driven dark fantasy with plenty of layers and texture. This book is 150 pages, but the depth offered here was quite honestly, one of the most surprising, delightful parts of the book. Tarzian is unafraid to reach in, and make every moment count, from furthering the plot, to character development, to emotional punch.
All of this works together to make The World Maker Parable both fast and engrossing. He sets the stage for an incredibly unique world, and does so with a stunning amount of attention to detail. You have to completely focus on this book to understand it. Tarzian doesn’t lob information at you, rather, he delicately drops clues along the way. If you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss them. But Tarzian trusts his reader to figure everything out, and if you pay attention, you will. If you don’t, you’ll become completely and absolutely confused. He doesn’t tell a story the same way most people do (be still, my heart). He has his own unique way to lead readers down the path of his choosing. Pay attention, or you’ll get lost in the weeds.
One thing I haven’t touched on that I really want to, is how Tarzian makes the tiny moments sing. It’s one thing to show all the big scenes and the flashpoint moments, but Tarzian has a knack for taking these small, quiet, intimate scenes and making them just as important as all the big stuff. This is so true to life, and human nature. Big things stick in our minds, but often it’s the little moments that drive us to certain actions, and the choices we make. I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed that. It honestly might be my favorite part of the book. Every little thing matters in The World Maker Parable, and I mean that as literally as possible.
Life where once there had been death. Brilliance where once the light was silent. But most of all, the dreams. The images and whispers born of illium prying memories from the depths of the abyss.
The atmosphere is well done, dark with a sort of looming, mysterious, almost angsty feel that burrowed right into my bones. I was very pleasantly surprised by just how well Tarzian crafted his world and atmosphere, to the point where it felt as though the world he’d created became a character in its own right. I could almost see the trees, and feel the looming tension and emotional turmoil that was as a part of the world as the characters themselves.
In all, The World maker Parable was brilliantly done, with prose that made the book sing, and an attention to detail that pleasantly surprised me. This isn’t a book where you can overlook anything. Every little detail matters, and every little detail is glorious. Here, you will find small, quiet moments as important as the big flashbang plot points. You’ll find characters grappling with the essence of who they are. Here is a book that is told in an atypical way, with numerous timelines and memories, different perspectives of one event, it almost broke my brain trying to figure out how Tarzian wrote it, but he did, and oh, is the world a better place for this book existing.
March 26, 2023
The rules of the governing entities in Jemoon are being examined. Memories of the past befuddling. Thus challenging the balance of all.
This was something else! Incredible imagery & ideas. Lyrical writing. Descriptive. Confusing? Yes! Fun puzzling novella.
This was something else! Incredible imagery & ideas. Lyrical writing. Descriptive. Confusing? Yes! Fun puzzling novella.
February 28, 2022
I only recently got into fantasy and I was not prepared for the roller coaster that this book takes you on. I loved every minute of this and already want to read it again because so much is packed into this novella. If you removed even a single paragraph from this book it would read very differently. Every word in this book matters and I never once felt like anything dragged or was unnecessary. I am still trying to process this book because it is unlike anything I have read before in the best way possible.
This book had me questioning what's real and what isn't to such an extent that I am not even sure if I am real anymore. I am so excited to dive into The World Breaker Requiem just so I can learn more about this beautiful nightmare of a world that Tarzian has crafted.
This book had me questioning what's real and what isn't to such an extent that I am not even sure if I am real anymore. I am so excited to dive into The World Breaker Requiem just so I can learn more about this beautiful nightmare of a world that Tarzian has crafted.
December 17, 2025
A blend of psychological horror and dark fantasy, this novel is told through interwoven points of view that blur reality until existence itself feels unstable. It is literary, non-linear, and decidedly unique.
I'll start with the basics—setting, narrative style, and characters—before delving into the thematic elements. The latter will be enclosed in spoiler tags.
The story is mostly narrated from the perspectives of two characters: Rhona and Varésh. Their viewpoints alternate by scene rather than by chapter. Some scenes are labelled Then, others Now, providing a semblance of a timeline... though it remains unsteady and not entirely reliable, as the narrators themselves are unreliable. Not in the sense that they deliberately deceive, but because they are unaware of their unreliability.
The narrative is predominantly a limited, close third-person past tense, yet the prose flows in tandem with these unreliable narrators. I will elaborate further within spoilers tags.
The setting is a secondary world called Harthe, focusing primarily on the nation of Jémoon and its main city, Banerowos. This city was ‘created’ by three winged deities: the Raven Alerion (male), the Phoenix Mirkvahíl (female), and the Vulture Luminíl (female).
Here the thematic depth begins to emerge: each deity embodies a particular characteristic—not elemental, but rather forces or states essential to creation and development. For example, Alerion represents balance, Mirkvahíl renewal, and Luminíl death and decay. Together, they created Jémoon, Banerowos, and its inhabitants. The plot commences with Luminíl—previously imprisoned due to a dangerous 'disease'—being recently freed.
Without spoiling too much, the central themes are manifold. On an individual level, the author explores denial, self-perception, and maladaptive coping mechanisms—all conveyed subtly through a dreamlike atmosphere, inviting readers to interpret them. At a societal level, themes of belonging (e.g., 'us versus them'), censorship, blind idealism, and utilitarianism surface—some more overtly, but generally presented with subtlety.
Overall, this is a cerebral novel. I'll delve deeper into its themes below, behind spoiler tags.
Overall, this book reminded of Ubik by Philip K. Dick (in its distorted/ever-altering reality that can't quite be trusted), and This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (with two narrators and timelines that intertwine non-linearly).
Prose-wise, it has a lyrical quality, though the author occasionally slips in swearing and curses that, to me personally, felt somewhat jarring compared to the otherwise dreamy narrative. This is the main reason I withheld a five-star rating.
It's certainly niche, but if you like Weird Lit, you may love this one.
I'll start with the basics—setting, narrative style, and characters—before delving into the thematic elements. The latter will be enclosed in spoiler tags.
The story is mostly narrated from the perspectives of two characters: Rhona and Varésh. Their viewpoints alternate by scene rather than by chapter. Some scenes are labelled Then, others Now, providing a semblance of a timeline... though it remains unsteady and not entirely reliable, as the narrators themselves are unreliable. Not in the sense that they deliberately deceive, but because they are unaware of their unreliability.
The narrative is predominantly a limited, close third-person past tense, yet the prose flows in tandem with these unreliable narrators. I will elaborate further within spoilers tags.
The setting is a secondary world called Harthe, focusing primarily on the nation of Jémoon and its main city, Banerowos. This city was ‘created’ by three winged deities: the Raven Alerion (male), the Phoenix Mirkvahíl (female), and the Vulture Luminíl (female).
Here the thematic depth begins to emerge: each deity embodies a particular characteristic—not elemental, but rather forces or states essential to creation and development. For example, Alerion represents balance, Mirkvahíl renewal, and Luminíl death and decay. Together, they created Jémoon, Banerowos, and its inhabitants. The plot commences with Luminíl—previously imprisoned due to a dangerous 'disease'—being recently freed.
Without spoiling too much, the central themes are manifold. On an individual level, the author explores denial, self-perception, and maladaptive coping mechanisms—all conveyed subtly through a dreamlike atmosphere, inviting readers to interpret them. At a societal level, themes of belonging (e.g., 'us versus them'), censorship, blind idealism, and utilitarianism surface—some more overtly, but generally presented with subtlety.
Overall, this is a cerebral novel. I'll delve deeper into its themes below, behind spoiler tags.
Overall, this book reminded of Ubik by Philip K. Dick (in its distorted/ever-altering reality that can't quite be trusted), and This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (with two narrators and timelines that intertwine non-linearly).
Prose-wise, it has a lyrical quality, though the author occasionally slips in swearing and curses that, to me personally, felt somewhat jarring compared to the otherwise dreamy narrative. This is the main reason I withheld a five-star rating.
It's certainly niche, but if you like Weird Lit, you may love this one.
May 4, 2020
Self-Published
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 140
Format: ebook
This is an interesting short novel, whose strengths include worldbuilding, an all-encompassing sense of mystery and intrigue, plenty of misdirection and a hell of a clincher.
But first, lend me your ear. It’s okay, come ‘ere, come a wee bit closer. I’ve a secret to tell you — the only reason I wanted to read this book was the design. Shhh! Don’t tell anyone. It’s really good design, though – and it extends past the gorgeous cover. The two PoV characters each receive page-wide character pieces, at once minimalistic and very stylized. Wonderful work, truly.
The World Maker Parable is a game of misdirection. How things are is never certain, always in flux, ever in doubt. The characters of Rhona and Varésh are as unreliable a pair of narrators as you’re likely to find on short notice, and both of them are haunted hounded by past mistakes. There’s enough there to make you connect with them early on, both Rhona and Varésh have something to
The language is a draw…most of the time. This is highly stylized prose, both in speech and in description, and it is well-written. Often, it strikes deep. Sometimes, however, it feels a tad clichéd, a little too familiar. And once or twice, you can even hold the author suspect of trying too hard:
"With utopia comes darkness. Every candle lit is another shadow cast. Perfection is a lie. Law requires chaos. It is a vicious circle; one I fear we have realized far too late."
“A little too thick on the universal truths there,” I thought as I read this particular paragraph. Despite that, I enjoyed this one. It was a quick, pleasant read that took me a little over an hour, and it was an hour filled with plenty of surprises, each of them more delightfully dark than the previous ones.
The World Maker Parable is a story of guilt and lost love, and the depths of depravity duty might lead you to. I think, if it were another thirty pages shorter, it would’ve been even stronger. It’s not that it isn’t – but the punch it packs by the closing pair of chapters could’ve been even stronger.
Some of the novel, I disliked. The accents to names and words — especially those I saw as unnecessary or as making little sense — really bothered me. That’s very When it comes down to it, I often find myself disliking the use of fictional words, and those found in the Parable weren’t used in a way that made me overcome this dislike. I also caught a number of typos, annoying little mistakes that they are, early on in the novel.
My score for The World Maker Parable is a 4 out 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon.
This review was part of the World Maker Parable blog tour! Thanks to Timy and Justine for organising this, and for offering me a copy of the book for the review.
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 140
Format: ebook
This is an interesting short novel, whose strengths include worldbuilding, an all-encompassing sense of mystery and intrigue, plenty of misdirection and a hell of a clincher.
But first, lend me your ear. It’s okay, come ‘ere, come a wee bit closer. I’ve a secret to tell you — the only reason I wanted to read this book was the design. Shhh! Don’t tell anyone. It’s really good design, though – and it extends past the gorgeous cover. The two PoV characters each receive page-wide character pieces, at once minimalistic and very stylized. Wonderful work, truly.
The World Maker Parable is a game of misdirection. How things are is never certain, always in flux, ever in doubt. The characters of Rhona and Varésh are as unreliable a pair of narrators as you’re likely to find on short notice, and both of them are haunted hounded by past mistakes. There’s enough there to make you connect with them early on, both Rhona and Varésh have something to
The language is a draw…most of the time. This is highly stylized prose, both in speech and in description, and it is well-written. Often, it strikes deep. Sometimes, however, it feels a tad clichéd, a little too familiar. And once or twice, you can even hold the author suspect of trying too hard:
"With utopia comes darkness. Every candle lit is another shadow cast. Perfection is a lie. Law requires chaos. It is a vicious circle; one I fear we have realized far too late."
“A little too thick on the universal truths there,” I thought as I read this particular paragraph. Despite that, I enjoyed this one. It was a quick, pleasant read that took me a little over an hour, and it was an hour filled with plenty of surprises, each of them more delightfully dark than the previous ones.
The World Maker Parable is a story of guilt and lost love, and the depths of depravity duty might lead you to. I think, if it were another thirty pages shorter, it would’ve been even stronger. It’s not that it isn’t – but the punch it packs by the closing pair of chapters could’ve been even stronger.
Some of the novel, I disliked. The accents to names and words — especially those I saw as unnecessary or as making little sense — really bothered me. That’s very When it comes down to it, I often find myself disliking the use of fictional words, and those found in the Parable weren’t used in a way that made me overcome this dislike. I also caught a number of typos, annoying little mistakes that they are, early on in the novel.
My score for The World Maker Parable is a 4 out 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon.
This review was part of the World Maker Parable blog tour! Thanks to Timy and Justine for organising this, and for offering me a copy of the book for the review.
April 30, 2020
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2020...
Nothing like a novella packed with introspection, fantasy, and world-building. Seriously, colour me impressed. Tarzian writes this novella as an introduction/prequel to his Shadow Twins books, and after reading this, I’ve already added the first book of that to my tbr.
Tarzian’s style is extremely lyrical and atmospheric. The world is full of this entrenching darkness from what troubles befoul it from the creators and magic, the characters are complex and vivid as well. These are things that take time to build up and yet Tarzian does it in 140 pages.
The depth to it is really what caught my attention, but it is also a matrix story within a matrix story within a…well you get the picture. So, I was almost lost in the thread of it all, but I enjoyed it.
It’s a great framework to set up a series and I can’t wait to read the first book!
If you’re looking for a setup for a new adult fantasy series with a dark and lyrical quality, I recommend this novella. It may be small but its content is epic.
Thank you to Storytellers on Tour and Luke Tarzian for a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion as part of this tour! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour, the awesome giveaway, and the excerpt of this novella, all of which you can find below!
Nothing like a novella packed with introspection, fantasy, and world-building. Seriously, colour me impressed. Tarzian writes this novella as an introduction/prequel to his Shadow Twins books, and after reading this, I’ve already added the first book of that to my tbr.
Tarzian’s style is extremely lyrical and atmospheric. The world is full of this entrenching darkness from what troubles befoul it from the creators and magic, the characters are complex and vivid as well. These are things that take time to build up and yet Tarzian does it in 140 pages.
The depth to it is really what caught my attention, but it is also a matrix story within a matrix story within a…well you get the picture. So, I was almost lost in the thread of it all, but I enjoyed it.
It’s a great framework to set up a series and I can’t wait to read the first book!
If you’re looking for a setup for a new adult fantasy series with a dark and lyrical quality, I recommend this novella. It may be small but its content is epic.
Thank you to Storytellers on Tour and Luke Tarzian for a copy of this in exchange for my honest opinion as part of this tour! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour, the awesome giveaway, and the excerpt of this novella, all of which you can find below!
April 23, 2020
Wow. Just wow. So this is a prequel to rhe Vultures series which I am not at all famliar with. When I signed up to be part if this book tour, it was started that prior knowledge of the world was not essential. I believe this to be true. Even though I was thrust into this incredibly dark world with already developed characters, I wasn't lost. Well not really. This story did get confusing at times, but it always came back together. This was one of the darkest stories that I have read in a long time. These characters are toetured and tormented and looking for redemption. There are vulture, raven and phoenix gods who rule. And as well all know power corrupts. I loved this novella. It was so beautifully written, lyrical and captivating.
Thank you Storytellers on Tour for my review copy. It was fantastic. Now to buy Vultures.
Thank you Storytellers on Tour for my review copy. It was fantastic. Now to buy Vultures.
May 12, 2020
I read Tarzian’s ‘Vultures’ last year and was anticipating the next two books in the Shadow Twins Trilogy. ‘World Maker Parable’ is Luke Tarzian’s prequel novella to his Shadow Twins Trilogy. This story delves deeper into the characters introduced in ‘Vultures’. These characters leap off the page, making you feel as if you know them, empathizing with them and understanding why they make the choices they make. Good v evil, love of country v love of another person, truth v lies, etc. They’re all so very flawed, so very human, but so full of passion. We can identify. We’ve all had to make difficult choices and suffer the consequences.
I’m not a writer. I like to read. Tarzian’s imagination runs wild, dark and deep. Especially in the world we’re living in, please take me somewhere else. And I’m willing to follow his words wherever he wants to take me.
I’m not a writer. I like to read. Tarzian’s imagination runs wild, dark and deep. Especially in the world we’re living in, please take me somewhere else. And I’m willing to follow his words wherever he wants to take me.
September 5, 2020
I'm sure other people have eloquently written how much they loved this book so I'll be quick and to the point. I loved this! Unstable gods, guilt-ridden queer characters, a dying world. What's not to love! The book has layers to it and for a novella this size it packs a punch. Pick this up!
November 6, 2022
Welcome! To Luke Tarzian's dark, mind-fuck world. A world of love, death and guilt. It will leave you questioning the world we live in. Is it our world? Our reality? Or the convoluted dreams of power hungry gods?
This is a novella. I love you novella. You get straight to the story. No pissing on the walls like Stephen King does. You hear that, Luke Tarzian? I like you better than King!
This is a novella. I love you novella. You get straight to the story. No pissing on the walls like Stephen King does. You hear that, Luke Tarzian? I like you better than King!
May 4, 2020
Hello to you all and Wes thu hal to you. The lockdown and life in the great indoors has really allowed me to appreciate reading more and I hope that it has for you as well.
I believe we are living through a golden age of fantasy writing, with so many writing styles, worlds and characters being offered. This is Day 1 of the Storytellers on Tour blog tour of The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian, I am delighted to have been invited to take part.
On that note, I would now like to draw your attention to the works of Luke Tarzian and specifically, The World Maker Parable, a prequel novella to his Shadow Twins Trilogy. It is an exquisite novella, an amazing introduction to the world he has created and oh my, how this story lingers in your imagination when you are done, be prepared for an experience!
Here is the premise:
Guilt will always call you back…
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.
You are a lie…
Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.
This is an amazing little book, this author will be one to watch as it was such an engaging and thought provoking read, it lingered in my mind. Even from the start as we follow Rhona taking her beloved to be executed in one of the scariest sounding places ever...The Hang-Dead Forest, the atmosphere builds into a story that takes you through a dark fantasy world. Prepare for a journey through dreams, memory, regret and the reminiscence of gods, I was wowed how Luke effortlessly weaved this tale and how vivid the characters you will encounter are. This is a sparsely populated tale, the characters you will find are few, but all memorable.
There are two stories we follow, Rhona’s and Varesh Lum-Tale. Varesh is a character you will grow to like ( I hope). He has one fantastic arc in this novella, a character without his memories but a desire to fix a problem and a carrier of a conscience that will make you wonder about him. These two characters, with their concurrent stories, are really some of the best I have had the pleasure to read about and I encourage you to find them as well.
Now something I want to touch on in this review is the structure and how the novella is laid out, the concurrent stories and the use of past and present. Luke masterfully switches the action between a then and a now, the past the present and possibly the future? This was one of the best aspects of the book, it allowed the pace and the action to flow in a way that kept me reading this throughout and allowed the full breadth of the world described to be shown to me.
The world in any fantasy novel has become increasingly important to me as a reader. Luke has created a dark fantasy world and it is a wonderful example of secondary creation. In the time you spend there, you are introduced to entire cities and brief but beautiful snippets of this world. I am so excited to explore more of the world of Ariath when I read book 1 of his Shadow Twins series: Vultures.
Once again I feel very privileged to be involved in a blog tour organised by the incredible Storytellers on Tour. I am getting some incredible reading opportunities and this has definitely been one of them. Finally, check out Luke and his work because I believe it to be something special and worth your investment as a reader.
I believe we are living through a golden age of fantasy writing, with so many writing styles, worlds and characters being offered. This is Day 1 of the Storytellers on Tour blog tour of The World Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian, I am delighted to have been invited to take part.
On that note, I would now like to draw your attention to the works of Luke Tarzian and specifically, The World Maker Parable, a prequel novella to his Shadow Twins Trilogy. It is an exquisite novella, an amazing introduction to the world he has created and oh my, how this story lingers in your imagination when you are done, be prepared for an experience!
Here is the premise:
Guilt will always call you back…
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.
You are a lie…
Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.
This is an amazing little book, this author will be one to watch as it was such an engaging and thought provoking read, it lingered in my mind. Even from the start as we follow Rhona taking her beloved to be executed in one of the scariest sounding places ever...The Hang-Dead Forest, the atmosphere builds into a story that takes you through a dark fantasy world. Prepare for a journey through dreams, memory, regret and the reminiscence of gods, I was wowed how Luke effortlessly weaved this tale and how vivid the characters you will encounter are. This is a sparsely populated tale, the characters you will find are few, but all memorable.
There are two stories we follow, Rhona’s and Varesh Lum-Tale. Varesh is a character you will grow to like ( I hope). He has one fantastic arc in this novella, a character without his memories but a desire to fix a problem and a carrier of a conscience that will make you wonder about him. These two characters, with their concurrent stories, are really some of the best I have had the pleasure to read about and I encourage you to find them as well.
Now something I want to touch on in this review is the structure and how the novella is laid out, the concurrent stories and the use of past and present. Luke masterfully switches the action between a then and a now, the past the present and possibly the future? This was one of the best aspects of the book, it allowed the pace and the action to flow in a way that kept me reading this throughout and allowed the full breadth of the world described to be shown to me.
The world in any fantasy novel has become increasingly important to me as a reader. Luke has created a dark fantasy world and it is a wonderful example of secondary creation. In the time you spend there, you are introduced to entire cities and brief but beautiful snippets of this world. I am so excited to explore more of the world of Ariath when I read book 1 of his Shadow Twins series: Vultures.
Once again I feel very privileged to be involved in a blog tour organised by the incredible Storytellers on Tour. I am getting some incredible reading opportunities and this has definitely been one of them. Finally, check out Luke and his work because I believe it to be something special and worth your investment as a reader.
September 2, 2020
RTC soon
August 20, 2021
I have had my eye on The World Maker Parable for quite a while; I’ve been wanting to get to it ever since finishing the mind-meltingly amazing Vultures a few months ago (you can read my review of Vultures here.) Having read Tarzian’s freshman effort, I thought I had an idea of what to expect going into this one, a dark and twisted, mind-bending examination of the human psyche. And, to be fair, that’s mostly what I found. What surprised me, however, is how intimately I connected with the “parable” within.
“Failure,” his conscience prodded. “It rings in your ears. It buzzes like a thousand flies above a corpse. It is your legacy, Varésh Lúm-talé, and what a miserable thing it is. What a miserable thing she is.”
In The World Maker Parable, we follow two characters point of views, those of Rhona, a loyal sword for her country, and Varésh Lúm-talé, a god-like being with power over creation. The novella begins with Rhona on a death-march into Hang-Dead Forest to the tree from which she will hang her beloved for her role in freeing the Vulture Luminíl. At the same time, Varésh is also journeying into the heart of the Forest, seeking help from the aforementioned goddess. The story is told through a weaving back and forth narrative, with alternating POVs and intersecting timelines. Although it is set in the same world as Vultures, this is a distinct story and is set several hundred (thousand?) years before, but expect there to be some things that will catch your attention if you’ve already read the first book. There isn’t much more I can say about the plot without giving anything away though, so this is the most you’ll get from me.
The World Maker Parable, like its predecessor Vultures, is not an easy read on multiple fronts. It’s dark, the plot is quite difficult to follow for the majority of the novella, and, quite frankly, it’s damn depressing. For the most part, though, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Parable tackles some very heavy material and it does so in a very visceral way. At its core, it’s about guilt and the lies we tell ourselves in order to live with it, but also a look at what we can become if we never allow ourselves to confront the demons in our closet. Guilt is something that I struggle to overcome almost daily and can be a huge trigger for depressive episodes. My dad died nearly four years ago and I have so many regrets centered around our relationship and years leading up to his death. It’s easy to list the reasons why I was justified in distancing myself from him, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to live knowing my father wondered whether I loved him or not when he died. Obviously, my situation is completely different from the one in the book, but it’s a good example of how guilt eats at us and the things we do to cover it up.
“They marched on through gnarled and twisted trees. Guilt nipped at Rhona’s heels like a hungry dog and her heart stung. It wasn’t supposed to have come to this.”
Despite the subject material, I will say that I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved piecing together clues and trying to figure out exactly what was happening. Like I mentioned before, I spent quite a bit of time while reading Parable confused and trying to figure out what was going on, but when the revelations came, and oh boy did they come, they hit hard and fast. Victoria, fellow blog contributor and overall best wife in the world, read this with me and we had a very passionate discussion afterwards on what it all meant. I also made her track down my copy of Vultures so I could flip back through the pages to confirm some suspicions I had, after which I vowed to re-read it (something I don’t typically do.) I think this is Tarzian’s greatest strength, creating a story that compels you to witness it, even if it hurts you to do so.
Overall, I really liked The World Maker Parable. Tarzian has clearly grown as an author since publishing Vultures and I found The World Maker Parable to be a better book than its predecessor. While it addresses extremely heavy topics, such as guilt and, yes, madness, Tarzian’s explores it with a deft hand that proves that books don’t have to make us feel good in order to be great reads. I finished it feeling like my insides were scooped out and sanitized, in a concussion induced fugue state, and, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way from a Luke Tarzian Joint.
“Hell is a place of our own making. If you continue down this path, you’ll not come out alive.”
“Failure,” his conscience prodded. “It rings in your ears. It buzzes like a thousand flies above a corpse. It is your legacy, Varésh Lúm-talé, and what a miserable thing it is. What a miserable thing she is.”
In The World Maker Parable, we follow two characters point of views, those of Rhona, a loyal sword for her country, and Varésh Lúm-talé, a god-like being with power over creation. The novella begins with Rhona on a death-march into Hang-Dead Forest to the tree from which she will hang her beloved for her role in freeing the Vulture Luminíl. At the same time, Varésh is also journeying into the heart of the Forest, seeking help from the aforementioned goddess. The story is told through a weaving back and forth narrative, with alternating POVs and intersecting timelines. Although it is set in the same world as Vultures, this is a distinct story and is set several hundred (thousand?) years before, but expect there to be some things that will catch your attention if you’ve already read the first book. There isn’t much more I can say about the plot without giving anything away though, so this is the most you’ll get from me.
The World Maker Parable, like its predecessor Vultures, is not an easy read on multiple fronts. It’s dark, the plot is quite difficult to follow for the majority of the novella, and, quite frankly, it’s damn depressing. For the most part, though, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Parable tackles some very heavy material and it does so in a very visceral way. At its core, it’s about guilt and the lies we tell ourselves in order to live with it, but also a look at what we can become if we never allow ourselves to confront the demons in our closet. Guilt is something that I struggle to overcome almost daily and can be a huge trigger for depressive episodes. My dad died nearly four years ago and I have so many regrets centered around our relationship and years leading up to his death. It’s easy to list the reasons why I was justified in distancing myself from him, but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to live knowing my father wondered whether I loved him or not when he died. Obviously, my situation is completely different from the one in the book, but it’s a good example of how guilt eats at us and the things we do to cover it up.
“They marched on through gnarled and twisted trees. Guilt nipped at Rhona’s heels like a hungry dog and her heart stung. It wasn’t supposed to have come to this.”
Despite the subject material, I will say that I had a lot of fun reading this book. I loved piecing together clues and trying to figure out exactly what was happening. Like I mentioned before, I spent quite a bit of time while reading Parable confused and trying to figure out what was going on, but when the revelations came, and oh boy did they come, they hit hard and fast. Victoria, fellow blog contributor and overall best wife in the world, read this with me and we had a very passionate discussion afterwards on what it all meant. I also made her track down my copy of Vultures so I could flip back through the pages to confirm some suspicions I had, after which I vowed to re-read it (something I don’t typically do.) I think this is Tarzian’s greatest strength, creating a story that compels you to witness it, even if it hurts you to do so.
Overall, I really liked The World Maker Parable. Tarzian has clearly grown as an author since publishing Vultures and I found The World Maker Parable to be a better book than its predecessor. While it addresses extremely heavy topics, such as guilt and, yes, madness, Tarzian’s explores it with a deft hand that proves that books don’t have to make us feel good in order to be great reads. I finished it feeling like my insides were scooped out and sanitized, in a concussion induced fugue state, and, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way from a Luke Tarzian Joint.
“Hell is a place of our own making. If you continue down this path, you’ll not come out alive.”
December 23, 2022
This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: The World Maker Parable
Locked away for the good of Jermoon, the chaotic Vulture has been freed. Rhona has no choice but to lead her lover Djen to the Hang-Dead forest and put her to death for aiding the Vulture. But along the way she questions her decision, surely there must be another way? Similarly, Varesh has walked the same path as Rhona. Each carries the burden of guilt. Stories of the Vulture speak of the chaos wrought, but what is truth, and what is a lie?
The World Maker Parable is a complex story, wrought with raw emotion. Readers will follow multiple characters through stories of overwhelming guilt and their ambitions to make a better world. Each is so focused on their ideas, but ultimately the decisions they make plague them as they see the results of their actions. The writing style is crafted in such a way that it draws the reader into each story, even though the barest of details are given to the characters. And the internal battle of the mind is brought to life in startling clarity.
Luke Tarzian personified trauma, making it a shadow person to live within and at times stand by the characters. As they struggled to redefine their truths and bury the memories of wrongdoing, the shadow would pull memories forward. Characters were forced to relive their dark paths to confront the atrocities they committed. Telling the story in such a way allowed readers to journey through different times and view the making or at times unmaking, of the world.
This is one of those books that lay out the pieces of a puzzle, stringing the reader along until the very end to snap them all in place. While I do wish there had been a bit more build-up to allow the reader some hint of the truth, the sudden realization is satisfying and will urge readers to jump back into the story from the beginning. With new eyes, the story carries an entirely different feeling.
The World Maker Parable will immerse readers in a darkly creative and challenging world. I recommend this to readers who enjoy thought provoking dark fantasy books. I am intrigued to see where how future novels evolve this world.
Locked away for the good of Jermoon, the chaotic Vulture has been freed. Rhona has no choice but to lead her lover Djen to the Hang-Dead forest and put her to death for aiding the Vulture. But along the way she questions her decision, surely there must be another way? Similarly, Varesh has walked the same path as Rhona. Each carries the burden of guilt. Stories of the Vulture speak of the chaos wrought, but what is truth, and what is a lie?
The World Maker Parable is a complex story, wrought with raw emotion. Readers will follow multiple characters through stories of overwhelming guilt and their ambitions to make a better world. Each is so focused on their ideas, but ultimately the decisions they make plague them as they see the results of their actions. The writing style is crafted in such a way that it draws the reader into each story, even though the barest of details are given to the characters. And the internal battle of the mind is brought to life in startling clarity.
Luke Tarzian personified trauma, making it a shadow person to live within and at times stand by the characters. As they struggled to redefine their truths and bury the memories of wrongdoing, the shadow would pull memories forward. Characters were forced to relive their dark paths to confront the atrocities they committed. Telling the story in such a way allowed readers to journey through different times and view the making or at times unmaking, of the world.
This is one of those books that lay out the pieces of a puzzle, stringing the reader along until the very end to snap them all in place. While I do wish there had been a bit more build-up to allow the reader some hint of the truth, the sudden realization is satisfying and will urge readers to jump back into the story from the beginning. With new eyes, the story carries an entirely different feeling.
The World Maker Parable will immerse readers in a darkly creative and challenging world. I recommend this to readers who enjoy thought provoking dark fantasy books. I am intrigued to see where how future novels evolve this world.
April 12, 2020
Thank you to the Author, Luke Tarzian, who provided me a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for a fair, and honest review.
My personal blurb:
“Luke has written a visually stunning, and mind-spinning dark fantasy. I was swept along on it’s unique, myth buiding, puzzler of grand proportions!”
What a book, I had been looking forward to Luke’s book called Vultures, for sometime now. His self-deprecating humor, as seen on his social media is right down my alley, and many of my friends have had outstanding reviews of his writing. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this, as it is very new, and book 0 in his Vultures series.
I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit hard writing a straight forward review for this book, as it deals with dreams of Gods, dreams within dreams, and characters that are shifting around. I was enthralled though, by the dark and broken hearted world Luke has created. The world building is outstanding, and the characters are a part of that, as they are the Architect-Gods responsible for managing this world and creating the harmony that is supposed to exist. Something has gone terribly wrong though, and there is more darkness then light in this world of theirs. There is heart wrenching guilt that bleeds from the pages at times. I’m so eager to read Vultures now as well, as I feel like some things might be made clear to me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys darker fantasy that ventures into more abstract territory. I’m all for straight forward adventure, but, every once in a while, it’s good to remember that writing is an art form and each writer has their own view on reality, and fantasy is a great medium for venturing into ones creative vision.
Thanks for checking out my short review, and I hope you are hanging in there right now, another world itself is turned upside down.
5 of 5 Stars!!
My personal blurb:
“Luke has written a visually stunning, and mind-spinning dark fantasy. I was swept along on it’s unique, myth buiding, puzzler of grand proportions!”
What a book, I had been looking forward to Luke’s book called Vultures, for sometime now. His self-deprecating humor, as seen on his social media is right down my alley, and many of my friends have had outstanding reviews of his writing. I was so excited to get the opportunity to read this, as it is very new, and book 0 in his Vultures series.
I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit hard writing a straight forward review for this book, as it deals with dreams of Gods, dreams within dreams, and characters that are shifting around. I was enthralled though, by the dark and broken hearted world Luke has created. The world building is outstanding, and the characters are a part of that, as they are the Architect-Gods responsible for managing this world and creating the harmony that is supposed to exist. Something has gone terribly wrong though, and there is more darkness then light in this world of theirs. There is heart wrenching guilt that bleeds from the pages at times. I’m so eager to read Vultures now as well, as I feel like some things might be made clear to me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys darker fantasy that ventures into more abstract territory. I’m all for straight forward adventure, but, every once in a while, it’s good to remember that writing is an art form and each writer has their own view on reality, and fantasy is a great medium for venturing into ones creative vision.
Thanks for checking out my short review, and I hope you are hanging in there right now, another world itself is turned upside down.
5 of 5 Stars!!
October 24, 2025
This dark fantasy was insane, in quite a good way. It was also ambitious. Perhaps TOO ambitious. The amount of world building the author has laid out in just a succinct text, clearly laying the groundwork for more to come, is jaw-dropping. But I also found it to be TOO much, too fast for my personal preference. I spent too much of the story struggling to keep up with what was going on. I recognize that is by design of the author, something integral to the story that he succeeds at bringing across to the reader. Regardless, it left me feeling like he swung for a homer, and hit a triple. A triple is really good, but no home run. Did I enjoy reading this story? Sure. Interesting characters, great mystery, unique magic. But I feel like I'd need to read it again to REALLY understand what I just read. I'm all good with rereads to better appreciate a novel, to draw more of the goodness out, but this one left me a little too boggled. Thus, four stars. Remember, four stars (a triple) is still quite good!
September 10, 2021
Stunning prose and awesome metaphysics
First of all, let me praise the fantasy names in this book: Luminil, Djen, Banerowos, Jemoon, and many more. Names matter, and Tarzian chose awesome names that help transport you into the dark fantasy world he's crafted.
What an insanely creative world it is. This story is built around a strange and unique metaphysics that seems to be dooming the world and its characters. There is a sense of dread, despair, and longing that pervades the entire story, and the characters are struggling against entropy itself, which if you paid attention in your physics class, is an inevitable end.
The best part of this novel is the prose. Tarzian's descriptions flow like poetry and effortlessly marry together the inward emotions of the characters and the outward descriptions of the scenes.
I devoured this book very quickly and will be checking out the author's other works!
First of all, let me praise the fantasy names in this book: Luminil, Djen, Banerowos, Jemoon, and many more. Names matter, and Tarzian chose awesome names that help transport you into the dark fantasy world he's crafted.
What an insanely creative world it is. This story is built around a strange and unique metaphysics that seems to be dooming the world and its characters. There is a sense of dread, despair, and longing that pervades the entire story, and the characters are struggling against entropy itself, which if you paid attention in your physics class, is an inevitable end.
The best part of this novel is the prose. Tarzian's descriptions flow like poetry and effortlessly marry together the inward emotions of the characters and the outward descriptions of the scenes.
I devoured this book very quickly and will be checking out the author's other works!
May 7, 2020
So this is a very different kind of fantasy story, and I loved it. It had a mythology setup and vibe, and it worked well. It’s also one of those books that needs a second reading to grasp all the hints and implications laid out by the author that led to the finale reveals.
As other reviewers have pointed out, it’s 1) the kind of book that should be read in a short amount of time in order to properly enjoy it and 2) can get confusing at times, but all becomes clear in the end. It’s a relatively short read, so accomplishing the aforementioned suggested parameter isn’t difficult, even for a slow reader like myself.
All in all, a solid read, and I look forward to reading his novel Vultures that is set in the same world.
I recommend this book to people looking for: a non conventional fantasy story, mythology world building and characters, and for a quick read that pays off.
As other reviewers have pointed out, it’s 1) the kind of book that should be read in a short amount of time in order to properly enjoy it and 2) can get confusing at times, but all becomes clear in the end. It’s a relatively short read, so accomplishing the aforementioned suggested parameter isn’t difficult, even for a slow reader like myself.
All in all, a solid read, and I look forward to reading his novel Vultures that is set in the same world.
I recommend this book to people looking for: a non conventional fantasy story, mythology world building and characters, and for a quick read that pays off.
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