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The Tethered Citadel #1
Map's Edge
Follow a renegade sorcerer off the edge of the map, in a thrilling adventure perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien de Castell'A page-turning adventure filled with excitement and intriguing characters. For those loving an epic fantasy with plenty of sword-fights, gun-play, bare-fisted combat and battles between sorcerers, this book's for you' Amazing StoriesSoldier, sorcerer and exiled nobleman Raythe Vyre has run out of places to hide. When the all-conquering Bolgravian Empire invaded, Raythe grabbed his daughter Zar and after taking part in a disastrous rebellion, they washed up on the edge of the continent.Now he's found a chance of redemption for himself and the precociously talented a map showing a hitherto unknown place that's rich in istariol, the rare mineral that fuels sorcery. Mining it will need people, but luckily there are plenty of outcasts, ne'er-do-wells and loners desperate enough to brave haunted roads through the ruins of an ancient, long-dead civilisation, to seek wealth and freedom. But the Bolgravian Empire is not about to let anyone defy it - and even out here, at the edge of the map, implacable imperial agent Toran Zorne has caught Raythe's scent.'There's a lot of cool stuff, ancient civilisations, magic, a heist, personal loss, love, and humour. I enjoyed this so much' Alalhambra Book Reviews
482 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2020
48 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
David Hair
47 books534 followersDavid Hair is the author of The Bone Tiki, winner of Best First Novel (Young Adult Fiction section) at the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards. The Bone Tiki and its sequel The Taniwha's Tear are fantasy novels set in New Zealand. David is a New Zealander, who has worked primarily in financial services. He has a degree in History and Classical Studies. He has lived from 2007 to 2010 in New Delhi, India, but usually resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Apart from writing, he is interested in folklore, history, and has a passion for football.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 19, 2021
It’s rare that a cover alone made me want to pick this up, but I’m glad I went with my gut, as this one was a lot of a fun. Three hundred ne’er-do-wells attempt to escape the Empire and go seek riches in uncharted lands. The expedition is led by a criminal rebel and his daughter, and they must team up with mercenaries, hunters, and an entire town of hard-pressed refugees as they trek hundreds of miles toward an unproven goal. And the Empire — and their endless resources of sorcerers and soldiers — are hot on their trail.
One thing that bothered me a bit was a lead female character who's actions and reactions were almost entirely based on male acceptance or rejection. She was either stalked--which, sure, awful--but when she wasn't, she was building a relationship with another man, and hinting at a future love triangle with another man, and nearly all her inner dialogue was about whether to trust or mistrust a man. And then she bonds with an ancient, spiritual male being that she somehow unquestionably trusts right off the bat. It was uneven and it also didn't allow for her as much agency as I was hoping, as she seemed to be one of the most interesting characters.
Another interesting character -- probably the second most interesting one after the character mentioned above -- got fridged. This just served to move the plot forward to make the murderer 'more evil' and barely a few lines acknowledged their death before chugging along with the plot, their purpose served. This person was victimized in more ways than one, and it just seemed to want to elicit a "hey, what a jerk!" emotion from the perpretrators instead of seeing the world through this person's eyes. A huge waste of potential and a trope I didn't like to see.
The story had imaginative magic and lore, but was a bit slow in some sections, yet had a strong and exciting ending. A decent start to what could be a very entertaining series if some of the characters could be a little more balanced and treated a bit more fairly.
3.5 / 7
One thing that bothered me a bit was a lead female character who's actions and reactions were almost entirely based on male acceptance or rejection. She was either stalked--which, sure, awful--but when she wasn't, she was building a relationship with another man, and hinting at a future love triangle with another man, and nearly all her inner dialogue was about whether to trust or mistrust a man. And then she bonds with an ancient, spiritual male being that she somehow unquestionably trusts right off the bat. It was uneven and it also didn't allow for her as much agency as I was hoping, as she seemed to be one of the most interesting characters.
Another interesting character -- probably the second most interesting one after the character mentioned above -- got fridged. This just served to move the plot forward to make the murderer 'more evil' and barely a few lines acknowledged their death before chugging along with the plot, their purpose served. This person was victimized in more ways than one, and it just seemed to want to elicit a "hey, what a jerk!" emotion from the perpretrators instead of seeing the world through this person's eyes. A huge waste of potential and a trope I didn't like to see.
The story had imaginative magic and lore, but was a bit slow in some sections, yet had a strong and exciting ending. A decent start to what could be a very entertaining series if some of the characters could be a little more balanced and treated a bit more fairly.
3.5 / 7
April 23, 2022
Die ersten Rezensionen zu dem Buch haben mich ja ein bisschen zweifeln lassen, was hier auf mich zukommt und ich wundere mich jetzt wirklich, warum es bei manchen nicht gut ankam... Mich hat es jedenfalls von der ersten Seite an gefesselt und bis zum Schluss nicht mehr losgelassen!
Dash Cowley flieht mit seiner Tochter Zar (Zarelda) vor dem imperialen Staatsstreich nach Teshveld, einem Randbezirk, in den sich viele Flüchtlinge zurückgezogen haben, um den drakonischen Strafen zu entgehen.
Durch einen Zufall gerät er in den Besitz einer Karte, auf der eine Istariol-Ader eingezeichnet ist - ein sehr seltenes und äußerst kostbares magisches Mineral, mit dessen Verkauf er hofft, das neue Regime wieder in seine Schranken zu weisen.
Doch der Weg ist weit, gefährlich und die ganze Unternehmung ein zu großer Aufwand, um ihn allein bewerkstelligen zu können...
Heldenreisen sind im High Fantasy Genre ja sehr oft vertreten - diese Reise hier ist aber völlig anders und die Entwicklung hat mich sehr überrascht. Ich lese ja schon länger keine Klappentexte mehr und werde deshalb völlig ahnungslos in die Geschichten geworfen, was mir zusehends gefällt. Obwohl ich jetzt im Rückblick nicht sagen könnte, dass die Handlung viele Facetten aufweist, bin ich durchgehend durch die Seiten geflogen - auch weil immer wieder kleine Spannungsbögen aufgebaut werden.
Aber grade auch die Welt wird sehr gut beschrieben, wenn wir hier auch nur einen kleinen Ausschnitt "sehen" können. Dafür gibt es eine Menge Anspielungen, grade was die Vergangenheit betrifft, die Herrschaft der Aldar, die ausgestorben sind und eine vernichtende Art von Magie besessen haben. Auch der Aufstieg der Kirche nach dem Fall der heidnischen Aldar ist präsent, mit all den kleinen Zweifeln und Fragen, wie glaubhaft Überlieferungen sind und ob nicht doch in diesen alten Mythen und Sagen ein wahrer Kern steckt.
Besonders mochte ich auch die Charaktere.
Über Dash möchte ich gar nicht zu viel verraten, um nicht zu spoilern, aber er ist mir sehr sympathisch in seinem Willen, sich nicht unterkriegen zu lassen. Ebenso in der Rolle als Vater seiner 15jährigen Tochter Zar, die aus seinen beschützenden Regeln ausbrechen will und das Erwachsensein ansteuert.
Dann gibt es noch einen "Bärenmann", der Spitzname spricht für sich, denke ich mal - und im Kampf ist er definitiv sein Geld wert, wie man so schön sagt.
Jesco, ein charmanter Abenteuer, immer auf einen guten Kampf aus und mit seiner guten Laune ein guter und verlässlicher Gefährte.
Im Gegensatz zu Kemara, eine Heilerin, die sich mit ihrer mürrischen und verbitterten Art keine Freunde macht. Was hinter ihrer harten Schale steckt wird nach und nach offenbart und birgt einige Überraschungen!
Die Reisegesellschaft ist jedoch größer als man denkt, was für mich einen besonderen Reiz ausgemacht hat, weil ich das in dieser Art bisher noch nie gelesen habe.
Während Dash Cowley also seinem Ziel entgegenstrebt, ist ihm (natürlich) das Imperium dicht auf den Fersen, was zusätzlich für Aufregung sorgt, da auch noch ein Zeitdruck entsteht und die vielen Hindernisse auf dem Weg nicht leichter zu umgehen macht. Die vielen Strapazen, Ängste und Unstimmigkeiten schüren immer wieder Streit und Handgreiflichkeiten - dazu die Gier auf die Reichtümer, auf die jedermann hofft und natürlich die Quertreiber, die am liebsten alles für sich alleine beanspruchen wollen.
Ich hab jedenfalls auf dieser Reise pure Unterhaltung gehabt mit vielen Entdeckungen über die Geheimnisse der Figuren, der Religionen und dieser Welt im Allgemeinen und vor allem auch der Magie, die hier übrigens anschaulich beschrieben wird und sehr interessante Facetten hat!
Von Logiklöchern oder blassen Charakteren, wie es in anderen Rezensionen heißt, konnte ich hier nichts entdecken. Einziger kleiner Schwachpunkt ist die Übersetzung, die an manchen Stellen wirklich holprig und für mich nicht so recht gelungen ist. Da kann aber der Autor nichts dafür :)
Am Ende gibts noch ein paar aufregende Überraschungen, mit denen ich jetzt gar nicht gerechnet hätte und darum bin ich umso gespannter auf die Fortsetzung, die hoffentlich bald in deutsch erscheint!
Weltenwanderer
Dash Cowley flieht mit seiner Tochter Zar (Zarelda) vor dem imperialen Staatsstreich nach Teshveld, einem Randbezirk, in den sich viele Flüchtlinge zurückgezogen haben, um den drakonischen Strafen zu entgehen.
Durch einen Zufall gerät er in den Besitz einer Karte, auf der eine Istariol-Ader eingezeichnet ist - ein sehr seltenes und äußerst kostbares magisches Mineral, mit dessen Verkauf er hofft, das neue Regime wieder in seine Schranken zu weisen.
Doch der Weg ist weit, gefährlich und die ganze Unternehmung ein zu großer Aufwand, um ihn allein bewerkstelligen zu können...
Heldenreisen sind im High Fantasy Genre ja sehr oft vertreten - diese Reise hier ist aber völlig anders und die Entwicklung hat mich sehr überrascht. Ich lese ja schon länger keine Klappentexte mehr und werde deshalb völlig ahnungslos in die Geschichten geworfen, was mir zusehends gefällt. Obwohl ich jetzt im Rückblick nicht sagen könnte, dass die Handlung viele Facetten aufweist, bin ich durchgehend durch die Seiten geflogen - auch weil immer wieder kleine Spannungsbögen aufgebaut werden.
Aber grade auch die Welt wird sehr gut beschrieben, wenn wir hier auch nur einen kleinen Ausschnitt "sehen" können. Dafür gibt es eine Menge Anspielungen, grade was die Vergangenheit betrifft, die Herrschaft der Aldar, die ausgestorben sind und eine vernichtende Art von Magie besessen haben. Auch der Aufstieg der Kirche nach dem Fall der heidnischen Aldar ist präsent, mit all den kleinen Zweifeln und Fragen, wie glaubhaft Überlieferungen sind und ob nicht doch in diesen alten Mythen und Sagen ein wahrer Kern steckt.
Besonders mochte ich auch die Charaktere.
Über Dash möchte ich gar nicht zu viel verraten, um nicht zu spoilern, aber er ist mir sehr sympathisch in seinem Willen, sich nicht unterkriegen zu lassen. Ebenso in der Rolle als Vater seiner 15jährigen Tochter Zar, die aus seinen beschützenden Regeln ausbrechen will und das Erwachsensein ansteuert.
Dann gibt es noch einen "Bärenmann", der Spitzname spricht für sich, denke ich mal - und im Kampf ist er definitiv sein Geld wert, wie man so schön sagt.
Jesco, ein charmanter Abenteuer, immer auf einen guten Kampf aus und mit seiner guten Laune ein guter und verlässlicher Gefährte.
Im Gegensatz zu Kemara, eine Heilerin, die sich mit ihrer mürrischen und verbitterten Art keine Freunde macht. Was hinter ihrer harten Schale steckt wird nach und nach offenbart und birgt einige Überraschungen!
Die Reisegesellschaft ist jedoch größer als man denkt, was für mich einen besonderen Reiz ausgemacht hat, weil ich das in dieser Art bisher noch nie gelesen habe.
Während Dash Cowley also seinem Ziel entgegenstrebt, ist ihm (natürlich) das Imperium dicht auf den Fersen, was zusätzlich für Aufregung sorgt, da auch noch ein Zeitdruck entsteht und die vielen Hindernisse auf dem Weg nicht leichter zu umgehen macht. Die vielen Strapazen, Ängste und Unstimmigkeiten schüren immer wieder Streit und Handgreiflichkeiten - dazu die Gier auf die Reichtümer, auf die jedermann hofft und natürlich die Quertreiber, die am liebsten alles für sich alleine beanspruchen wollen.
Ich hab jedenfalls auf dieser Reise pure Unterhaltung gehabt mit vielen Entdeckungen über die Geheimnisse der Figuren, der Religionen und dieser Welt im Allgemeinen und vor allem auch der Magie, die hier übrigens anschaulich beschrieben wird und sehr interessante Facetten hat!
Von Logiklöchern oder blassen Charakteren, wie es in anderen Rezensionen heißt, konnte ich hier nichts entdecken. Einziger kleiner Schwachpunkt ist die Übersetzung, die an manchen Stellen wirklich holprig und für mich nicht so recht gelungen ist. Da kann aber der Autor nichts dafür :)
Am Ende gibts noch ein paar aufregende Überraschungen, mit denen ich jetzt gar nicht gerechnet hätte und darum bin ich umso gespannter auf die Fortsetzung, die hoffentlich bald in deutsch erscheint!
Weltenwanderer
October 15, 2020
Raythe Vyre, an Otravian noble, sorcerer and a commander in Colfar’s rebellion left Otravia four years ago, taking his daughter and fleeing from his homeland when a coup from within allowed the Bolgravian Empire to invade and take power, the subsequent rebellion to win back Otravia failed. Since then, hunted for his role in the rebellion and a wanted man with a price on his head Raythe has been hiding out and laying low under the assumed name of ‘Dash Cowley’ moving from place to place and running from the might and the long reach of the Bolgravian Empire. Finally, finding himself at the edge of the known world, in a Teshveld, a small frontier village. In Teshveld, for the last few months, Raythe has been masquerading as a healer on the fringes of society and along with Zar/Zarelda, his fifteen-year-old daughter the pair had settled into some semblance of life, getting by, but not living when events transpire to offer Raythe an opportunity and a chance at something more, a life free from the Bolgravian Empire and a return to living instead of barely surviving.
On the return journey back from a mission mapping the newly discovered land of Verdessa, a Bolgravian party led by a Bolgrav Lord arrives in Raythe’s village in urgent need of a physicker as their cartographer is gravely ill and requires medical assistance. Raythe comes into possession of the cartographer’s journal and in the journal, unbeknownst to the Bolgravians, hidden in his notes, the cartographer found a possible source of Istariol (the mineral that aids in powering large-scale and powerful sorcery) on the journey. The sample, taken from a river contained high traces of Istariol that had bled into the water and the cartographer’s writings indicate that there is a large quantity of the mineral within Verdessa. Raythe has the idea that if he can follow the traces and find the source of the Istariol then the mineral could be excavated, mined, used and sold for vast amounts of money to help fund a new rebellion to reclaim Otravia from the hands of the Bolgravian Empire allowing Raythe and Zar the chance to finally go home.
The expedition to find the Istariol will be a vast undertaking of many months and hundreds of miles into the perilous unknown. Should Raythe be successful in finding the Istariol it will require a large body of people to mine the mineral. Teshveld is a place where those who had dreams that died and who are haunted by their past go, it is a place that you end up when you have lost everything and have nowhere else left to go. Just like Raythe, each villager has their own history, reason and story as to why they have ended up in Teshveld and it is home to many who have been forced to flee and who have lost their homes and their countries to the Bolgravian Empire. There is no love lost for the Empire in Teshveld and the population (mostly) comprises outlaws and refugees from various nations who have all suffered conquest the hands of Bolgravia as the Empire extends its bloody and brutal reach and its regime of oppression further and further across the world of Shamaya. Amongst the villagers, Raythe finds many who are willing to join him, who are prepared to take a chance to get out from under the yoke of the Bolgravian Empire in search of a future, riches and the hope of something better.
With a full travelling community of families and a large caravan of carts and wagons accompanying him, Raythe will follow the Ghost Road out of Teshveld leaving behind civilization, walking untravelled roads and venturing forth into the heart of the new and uncharted land of Verdessa. The journey to the source of the Istariol will be fraught with untold difficulties, hardships, obstacles, setbacks, treachery from within, internal conflicts, power struggles and dangers as the group traverse ancient underground Aldar ruins, frozen lakes, vast glaciers, forests, the harsh elements, hostile environments and face-off against the deadly Ferali (animalistic wild men) and ghouls.
The faraway, wild and untamed lands of Verdessa aren’t the only dangers that Raythe will face in Map’s Edge. Toran Zorne, an Under-Komizar in the Ramkiseri (the Bolgrav Secret Service) has been assigned to track down the renegade Raythe Vyre and is on his trail. The cold-blooded, stoic and ruthless Zorne is like a bloodhound, implacable, dogged, determined and relentless in the pursuit of his quarry and he will stop at nothing, enlisting the aid of Captain Larch Hawkstone and the Governor’s Borderers (the law enforcement in Teshveld) and a contingent of Bolgrav marines to hunt down Raythe.
There is a level of care and depth to the world-building in Map’s Edge, Teshveld, Otravia, the Bolgravian Empire, Verdessa and history, the Aldar, a race that perished centuries ago in the Mizra wars that caused the Ice Age and created the Iceheart. With certain aspects, there is definitely more to be seen with Hair only scratching the surface especially when you factor in the revelations and reveals that take place during the story that will expand both the story and the world in future books.
In Map’s Edge, the magic system is clever and well thought out. There are two types of magic, Praxis and Mizra. When the magic first manifests, budding and blossoming like an unfurling flower within, you open your soul and choose a spirit from the nebulum, the spirit world, but you must choose the right one and bond, becoming more than one, two parts of the same whole creating a lasting and strong connection. The familiar is invisible and can only be seen by other sorcerers and together, the sorcerer and their praxis-spirit form a partnership, the familiar acts as the energy, the channel that brings magic into the world and the sorcerer is the conduit through which the sorcery is cast. Praxis magic and the Praxis-spirits are attuned to nature, nurturing and healing, cultivating a symbiotic relationship between the spirit and the sorcerer while Mizra magic and the Mizra-spirits are the opposite, damaging and destructive, the Mizra-spirit will destroy the sorcerer infecting them inside with their hatred, Mizra magic helped to bring about the downfall of the Aldar and practitioners in the present are seen in the eyes of most to be evil. Raythe is a Praxis-sorcerer with his familiar, Cognatus, a Praxis-spirit. There are also the sinister Izuvei, sorcerers in the employ of the Ramkiseri who mutilate themselves to become more attuned to the nebulum and the spirit world.
An eclectic mix of characters all with their own individual personalities populate the pages in Map’s Edge, along with the charismatic Raythe and the menacing Zorne, you have Zar (Raythe’s daughter and soon-to-be sorceress), Kemara Solus (a Ferrean healer and lay-sister with the church), Mater Varahana (a former scholar and Deist priestess), Sir Elgus Rhamp (a Pelarian knight), Vidar Vidarsson (a Bearskin and Norgan ranger) and finally, a personal favourite of mine Jesco Duretto (a Shadran mercenary). Hair has a flair for the interaction between the characters, the various group dynamics at play, the relationships and there is some absolutely terrific banter to be found too. Written in the third-person the writing in Map’s Edge is accessible and easy to read creating an energetic and fast-paced story that is full of tension, set across a variety of vivid locations, featuring action that is lively and punchy, aggressive combat and some intense use of sorcery.
Hair is a talented storyteller and Map’s Edge a satisfying and fun read, entertaining and rewarding that will sate the appetite of any fantasy lover looking for an epic adventure. Simply, it is a quality dose of classic fantasy that left me excited to read more.
On the return journey back from a mission mapping the newly discovered land of Verdessa, a Bolgravian party led by a Bolgrav Lord arrives in Raythe’s village in urgent need of a physicker as their cartographer is gravely ill and requires medical assistance. Raythe comes into possession of the cartographer’s journal and in the journal, unbeknownst to the Bolgravians, hidden in his notes, the cartographer found a possible source of Istariol (the mineral that aids in powering large-scale and powerful sorcery) on the journey. The sample, taken from a river contained high traces of Istariol that had bled into the water and the cartographer’s writings indicate that there is a large quantity of the mineral within Verdessa. Raythe has the idea that if he can follow the traces and find the source of the Istariol then the mineral could be excavated, mined, used and sold for vast amounts of money to help fund a new rebellion to reclaim Otravia from the hands of the Bolgravian Empire allowing Raythe and Zar the chance to finally go home.
The expedition to find the Istariol will be a vast undertaking of many months and hundreds of miles into the perilous unknown. Should Raythe be successful in finding the Istariol it will require a large body of people to mine the mineral. Teshveld is a place where those who had dreams that died and who are haunted by their past go, it is a place that you end up when you have lost everything and have nowhere else left to go. Just like Raythe, each villager has their own history, reason and story as to why they have ended up in Teshveld and it is home to many who have been forced to flee and who have lost their homes and their countries to the Bolgravian Empire. There is no love lost for the Empire in Teshveld and the population (mostly) comprises outlaws and refugees from various nations who have all suffered conquest the hands of Bolgravia as the Empire extends its bloody and brutal reach and its regime of oppression further and further across the world of Shamaya. Amongst the villagers, Raythe finds many who are willing to join him, who are prepared to take a chance to get out from under the yoke of the Bolgravian Empire in search of a future, riches and the hope of something better.
With a full travelling community of families and a large caravan of carts and wagons accompanying him, Raythe will follow the Ghost Road out of Teshveld leaving behind civilization, walking untravelled roads and venturing forth into the heart of the new and uncharted land of Verdessa. The journey to the source of the Istariol will be fraught with untold difficulties, hardships, obstacles, setbacks, treachery from within, internal conflicts, power struggles and dangers as the group traverse ancient underground Aldar ruins, frozen lakes, vast glaciers, forests, the harsh elements, hostile environments and face-off against the deadly Ferali (animalistic wild men) and ghouls.
The faraway, wild and untamed lands of Verdessa aren’t the only dangers that Raythe will face in Map’s Edge. Toran Zorne, an Under-Komizar in the Ramkiseri (the Bolgrav Secret Service) has been assigned to track down the renegade Raythe Vyre and is on his trail. The cold-blooded, stoic and ruthless Zorne is like a bloodhound, implacable, dogged, determined and relentless in the pursuit of his quarry and he will stop at nothing, enlisting the aid of Captain Larch Hawkstone and the Governor’s Borderers (the law enforcement in Teshveld) and a contingent of Bolgrav marines to hunt down Raythe.
There is a level of care and depth to the world-building in Map’s Edge, Teshveld, Otravia, the Bolgravian Empire, Verdessa and history, the Aldar, a race that perished centuries ago in the Mizra wars that caused the Ice Age and created the Iceheart. With certain aspects, there is definitely more to be seen with Hair only scratching the surface especially when you factor in the revelations and reveals that take place during the story that will expand both the story and the world in future books.
In Map’s Edge, the magic system is clever and well thought out. There are two types of magic, Praxis and Mizra. When the magic first manifests, budding and blossoming like an unfurling flower within, you open your soul and choose a spirit from the nebulum, the spirit world, but you must choose the right one and bond, becoming more than one, two parts of the same whole creating a lasting and strong connection. The familiar is invisible and can only be seen by other sorcerers and together, the sorcerer and their praxis-spirit form a partnership, the familiar acts as the energy, the channel that brings magic into the world and the sorcerer is the conduit through which the sorcery is cast. Praxis magic and the Praxis-spirits are attuned to nature, nurturing and healing, cultivating a symbiotic relationship between the spirit and the sorcerer while Mizra magic and the Mizra-spirits are the opposite, damaging and destructive, the Mizra-spirit will destroy the sorcerer infecting them inside with their hatred, Mizra magic helped to bring about the downfall of the Aldar and practitioners in the present are seen in the eyes of most to be evil. Raythe is a Praxis-sorcerer with his familiar, Cognatus, a Praxis-spirit. There are also the sinister Izuvei, sorcerers in the employ of the Ramkiseri who mutilate themselves to become more attuned to the nebulum and the spirit world.
An eclectic mix of characters all with their own individual personalities populate the pages in Map’s Edge, along with the charismatic Raythe and the menacing Zorne, you have Zar (Raythe’s daughter and soon-to-be sorceress), Kemara Solus (a Ferrean healer and lay-sister with the church), Mater Varahana (a former scholar and Deist priestess), Sir Elgus Rhamp (a Pelarian knight), Vidar Vidarsson (a Bearskin and Norgan ranger) and finally, a personal favourite of mine Jesco Duretto (a Shadran mercenary). Hair has a flair for the interaction between the characters, the various group dynamics at play, the relationships and there is some absolutely terrific banter to be found too. Written in the third-person the writing in Map’s Edge is accessible and easy to read creating an energetic and fast-paced story that is full of tension, set across a variety of vivid locations, featuring action that is lively and punchy, aggressive combat and some intense use of sorcery.
Hair is a talented storyteller and Map’s Edge a satisfying and fun read, entertaining and rewarding that will sate the appetite of any fantasy lover looking for an epic adventure. Simply, it is a quality dose of classic fantasy that left me excited to read more.
September 28, 2021
If you’ve been sitting and waiting for that overwhelming fantasy novel that you can’t stop reading for ten hours straight, you found it. The story is one of a search for fabled treasure, like El Dorado, or like the Spice of Arrakis. Here, the treasure consists of a mother lode of, not gold, but istariol, the rare mineral that fuels sorcery and he who controls the Istariol has the keys to overthrowing the yoke of the Bolgravian Empire. To get to the treasure, rebel and sorcerer Raythe Vyre (who has been hiding in plain sight as a healer named Dash Cowl with a teenage daughter) must band together a motley crew of misfits, mercenaries, and treasure-seeking townfolk and trek past the map’s edge to territory not explored in thousands of years.
This crew, which is like the Fellowship of the Ring traveling under the Misty Mountains, numbers, however, not nine, but some three hundred, including women, children, and the like and rides not just on horseback, but on a line of wagons over impassable caverns, over glaciers, over mighty rivers, and set upon by all manner of barbarians, beasts, and giant birds. But, none of these things are as fearsome to the group as the mighty arm of the Belgravian Empire, among which are not merely trained soldiers, but sorcerers aplenty and endless cannons and small firearms. And, Raythe is not only a sorcerer, but a failed revolutionary and the most wanted man in all the world and nothing will stop the Empire in its relentless and unending search for his head.
Everything about this story felt real and authentic and believable from the magic which develops and is difficult to control to the divisions among the troop of 300, with the mercenaries barely holding on to civilized behavior among the women and children and bridling against Raythe’s authority. Yet, he needs them. His magic alone is not powerful enough to protect all these people from the Empire and the mercenaries cannot simply toss him aside and still tramp through the impregnable fortresses of the north and fight the istariol without him. This conflict between the groups traveling together rears itself over and over again with confrontations occurring at the most inopportune times.
Raythe is also vulnerable in regards to his fifteen-year-old daughter, Zar, who is maturing a bit too fast for her father’s taste what with all these strapping young lads about. Zar is his kryptonite. She is all he has left to care for what with his ex-wife having turned on him in favor of the Empire, his castle and titles ripped away, and his poster raised at every point in the Empire with every sharp eye on the watch for him. Zar, though, may surprise everyone with what she is capable of, that is, if Raythe ever has time to teach her how to control her powers.
The merry band marching through mountains and glaciers is also filled with other unforgettable characters such as a character like Wolverine, Vidar, who is part man, part wild beast. Kemara Solus is a multi-faceted character, a failed sorceress, steeped in church teachings, but whose powers are only hinted at in the beginning of the book. Her face-offs with other characters in the troop nearly grind the march to a stop. There are many other hunters, mercanaries, initiates, priests, and more among the large group Raythe is secretly (or as secretly as one can lead a 300-person wagon train through the mountains) to the treasure which they plan to spend a year mining before marching across the Empire, freeing the downtrodden peoples.
Best of all (or worst of all if you are impatient), this is the starting point for a three-volume trilogy which only promises to be more and more exciting and more and more amazing. A hearty thumbs-up for this novel (which will keep you up all night) and its great characterizations, history, and magic system. Bring on the next volume.
This crew, which is like the Fellowship of the Ring traveling under the Misty Mountains, numbers, however, not nine, but some three hundred, including women, children, and the like and rides not just on horseback, but on a line of wagons over impassable caverns, over glaciers, over mighty rivers, and set upon by all manner of barbarians, beasts, and giant birds. But, none of these things are as fearsome to the group as the mighty arm of the Belgravian Empire, among which are not merely trained soldiers, but sorcerers aplenty and endless cannons and small firearms. And, Raythe is not only a sorcerer, but a failed revolutionary and the most wanted man in all the world and nothing will stop the Empire in its relentless and unending search for his head.
Everything about this story felt real and authentic and believable from the magic which develops and is difficult to control to the divisions among the troop of 300, with the mercenaries barely holding on to civilized behavior among the women and children and bridling against Raythe’s authority. Yet, he needs them. His magic alone is not powerful enough to protect all these people from the Empire and the mercenaries cannot simply toss him aside and still tramp through the impregnable fortresses of the north and fight the istariol without him. This conflict between the groups traveling together rears itself over and over again with confrontations occurring at the most inopportune times.
Raythe is also vulnerable in regards to his fifteen-year-old daughter, Zar, who is maturing a bit too fast for her father’s taste what with all these strapping young lads about. Zar is his kryptonite. She is all he has left to care for what with his ex-wife having turned on him in favor of the Empire, his castle and titles ripped away, and his poster raised at every point in the Empire with every sharp eye on the watch for him. Zar, though, may surprise everyone with what she is capable of, that is, if Raythe ever has time to teach her how to control her powers.
The merry band marching through mountains and glaciers is also filled with other unforgettable characters such as a character like Wolverine, Vidar, who is part man, part wild beast. Kemara Solus is a multi-faceted character, a failed sorceress, steeped in church teachings, but whose powers are only hinted at in the beginning of the book. Her face-offs with other characters in the troop nearly grind the march to a stop. There are many other hunters, mercanaries, initiates, priests, and more among the large group Raythe is secretly (or as secretly as one can lead a 300-person wagon train through the mountains) to the treasure which they plan to spend a year mining before marching across the Empire, freeing the downtrodden peoples.
Best of all (or worst of all if you are impatient), this is the starting point for a three-volume trilogy which only promises to be more and more exciting and more and more amazing. A hearty thumbs-up for this novel (which will keep you up all night) and its great characterizations, history, and magic system. Bring on the next volume.
December 24, 2024
Stars: 2 out of 5
I had a tough time with this book. It took me a long time to finish, mostly because I would read a little, get bored, then put it down and go read something, anything else.
And it's sad because the book had good ingredients - an interesting road trip story, a fun magic system, and hints at immersive worldbuilding... but I couldn't gel with any of the characters.
Kemara, especially, got on my nerves almost from the first time we were introduced to her POV. Her whole inner dialog revolves around men and what they think of her. Men she distrusts or loathes, or men she wants to like her. Take that away from this character, and she is a non-entity. She got on my nerves so badly that I caught myself skimming through her chapters by the end.
The other characters didn't particularly impress me either, so getting through the story was a struggle since I like character-driven books.
I would also say that the story lags in places, especially at the beginning of their journey where it seems like we spend way too many chapters riding the wagons, complaining about leaving everything behind, and making questionable choices. I mean what purpose did the episode with Bess and staying behind for a night or two serve apart from getting Kemara to like Jesco? Oh, and kill a character so forgettable, that I can't even remember his name.
In the end, this was a disappointment. I might check out book 2 just to see if the writing improves when creating compelling characters because the world is interesting. But if that doesn't happen I will be bailing on this series.
I had a tough time with this book. It took me a long time to finish, mostly because I would read a little, get bored, then put it down and go read something, anything else.
And it's sad because the book had good ingredients - an interesting road trip story, a fun magic system, and hints at immersive worldbuilding... but I couldn't gel with any of the characters.
Kemara, especially, got on my nerves almost from the first time we were introduced to her POV. Her whole inner dialog revolves around men and what they think of her. Men she distrusts or loathes, or men she wants to like her. Take that away from this character, and she is a non-entity. She got on my nerves so badly that I caught myself skimming through her chapters by the end.
The other characters didn't particularly impress me either, so getting through the story was a struggle since I like character-driven books.
I would also say that the story lags in places, especially at the beginning of their journey where it seems like we spend way too many chapters riding the wagons, complaining about leaving everything behind, and making questionable choices. I mean what purpose did the episode with Bess and staying behind for a night or two serve apart from getting Kemara to like Jesco? Oh, and kill a character so forgettable, that I can't even remember his name.
In the end, this was a disappointment. I might check out book 2 just to see if the writing improves when creating compelling characters because the world is interesting. But if that doesn't happen I will be bailing on this series.
October 14, 2020
Such a cool cover right! I have to start there, this world does have the chance of their being floating stone islands. So interesting.
And in this world we have an evil empire, crushing other countries and turning people to their side.
Raythe is hiding out since he was a a known rebel, but hey who wouldn't be when the empire invaded. He is secretly a magic user (again, that empire can find him if he shows it). He was determined, he loves his daughter, and wants to get his country back (and his wife, oh man, just forget her.)
This is a roadtrip book. He gathers a bunch of people and sets out to mine a mineral used for magic at the edge of the world. But the empire wants that too, and to catch him among others.
There are a lot of other characters too as they are all on the road together. His daughter. The "bad gang", I will call them that cos he should just have thrown them out, I will not say more. A novice priestess who I was not sure about first, but then grew to like. But even though a lot of characters popped in and out there never felt like there were too many. They were all there, they all had to be there, and the book still mainly focuses on a few of them.
I enjoyed it, I do like a journey book, and when they got there, ohhh, drama. I felt it was an easy read, it went by fast, the characters managed to grab me and made me wonder what would happen next. They are at the edge of the world, and there is no going back. How can they even get out of that?
A journey filled with tension, some backstabbing, being hunted and magic. What more could one ask for
And in this world we have an evil empire, crushing other countries and turning people to their side.
Raythe is hiding out since he was a a known rebel, but hey who wouldn't be when the empire invaded. He is secretly a magic user (again, that empire can find him if he shows it). He was determined, he loves his daughter, and wants to get his country back (and his wife, oh man, just forget her.)
This is a roadtrip book. He gathers a bunch of people and sets out to mine a mineral used for magic at the edge of the world. But the empire wants that too, and to catch him among others.
There are a lot of other characters too as they are all on the road together. His daughter. The "bad gang", I will call them that cos he should just have thrown them out, I will not say more. A novice priestess who I was not sure about first, but then grew to like. But even though a lot of characters popped in and out there never felt like there were too many. They were all there, they all had to be there, and the book still mainly focuses on a few of them.
I enjoyed it, I do like a journey book, and when they got there, ohhh, drama. I felt it was an easy read, it went by fast, the characters managed to grab me and made me wonder what would happen next. They are at the edge of the world, and there is no going back. How can they even get out of that?
A journey filled with tension, some backstabbing, being hunted and magic. What more could one ask for
July 6, 2023
(english version below)
Eine wirklich sehr fantasievolle, ideenreiche, abwechslungsreiche, rasante Geschichte in einem schönen, gefälligen Schreibstil. Aber die Charaktere sind mir leider alle völlig egal und keiner geht mir wirklich nah.
A really very imaginative, inventive, varied, fast-paced story in a nice, pleasing writing style. But unfortunately I don't care about any of the characters and none of them really touches me.
Eine wirklich sehr fantasievolle, ideenreiche, abwechslungsreiche, rasante Geschichte in einem schönen, gefälligen Schreibstil. Aber die Charaktere sind mir leider alle völlig egal und keiner geht mir wirklich nah.
A really very imaginative, inventive, varied, fast-paced story in a nice, pleasing writing style. But unfortunately I don't care about any of the characters and none of them really touches me.
December 22, 2020
Something about the world and characters didnt gel with me. Plenty of great action. I really enjoyed the magic system within.
October 31, 2020
Well, this is fun! I quickly got swept up in the story as Dashryn is having to deal with brutal invaders crashing into his home and demanding he treat an injured patient. He isn’t someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, but it doesn’t take long to discover his loathing of the Bolgravians, who are responsible for smashing his life apart. He also has a teenage daughter to keep safe…
I was immediately hooked and stayed that way. This story quickly gains momentum as most of a village uproots itself and goes on the road in search of sufficient riches to change everyone’s future. I stayed up reading this one far into the early morning, unable to tear myself away from the sheer tension and adventure. All sorts of things go wrong on the road, from broken wagon wheels, to thuggish mercenaries who think women are good for only two things – and no… conversing with them intelligently as equal human beings isn’t on that very short list.
Dashryn has his own reasons for wanting to earn a large sum of money – which he can’t do without a lot of help. And despite his apparent breezy, can-do demeanour, I liked him a whole lot more when he agonised over the inevitable deaths and did his level best to ensure casualties are kept to a minimum. I also like his rather spiky relationship with his teenage daughter, who is wanting more independence. I’ve read far too many fantasy books where teenagers are either completely beaten down by intolerant parents, or are simply far too sensibly compliant to be remotely true. While my grandmother was fond of telling me that when she was growing up, teenagers were far too busy trying to earn a wage and learn the ropes from older work colleagues, who weren’t tolerant of mistakes to be rebellious – I am sure that in this context, a motherless daughter would be seriously questioning her father’s decisions. Which she does…
There are a number of vividly drawn, memorable characters in this story, including a twisty mercenary leader, a Priestess who’d rather study than preach a sermon, and a shape-shifting bear. Over the space of the book, I grew involved in their trek to seek out a better life and thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and various setbacks they endured. The denouement was very well handled – taking the plot suddenly in an unexpected direction and leaving me desperate to read more.
In short, this is a cracking fantasy adventure that I highly recommend to all fantasy fans and I very much look forward to reading the next book. While I obtained an arc of Map’s Edge via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
I was immediately hooked and stayed that way. This story quickly gains momentum as most of a village uproots itself and goes on the road in search of sufficient riches to change everyone’s future. I stayed up reading this one far into the early morning, unable to tear myself away from the sheer tension and adventure. All sorts of things go wrong on the road, from broken wagon wheels, to thuggish mercenaries who think women are good for only two things – and no… conversing with them intelligently as equal human beings isn’t on that very short list.
Dashryn has his own reasons for wanting to earn a large sum of money – which he can’t do without a lot of help. And despite his apparent breezy, can-do demeanour, I liked him a whole lot more when he agonised over the inevitable deaths and did his level best to ensure casualties are kept to a minimum. I also like his rather spiky relationship with his teenage daughter, who is wanting more independence. I’ve read far too many fantasy books where teenagers are either completely beaten down by intolerant parents, or are simply far too sensibly compliant to be remotely true. While my grandmother was fond of telling me that when she was growing up, teenagers were far too busy trying to earn a wage and learn the ropes from older work colleagues, who weren’t tolerant of mistakes to be rebellious – I am sure that in this context, a motherless daughter would be seriously questioning her father’s decisions. Which she does…
There are a number of vividly drawn, memorable characters in this story, including a twisty mercenary leader, a Priestess who’d rather study than preach a sermon, and a shape-shifting bear. Over the space of the book, I grew involved in their trek to seek out a better life and thoroughly enjoyed the plot twists and various setbacks they endured. The denouement was very well handled – taking the plot suddenly in an unexpected direction and leaving me desperate to read more.
In short, this is a cracking fantasy adventure that I highly recommend to all fantasy fans and I very much look forward to reading the next book. While I obtained an arc of Map’s Edge via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
June 24, 2021
Excellent- after a slow start griping and with many surprises and lots of inventiveness; ends on a sort of cliffhanger so book 2 is an asap
October 15, 2020
I was first drawn to this book because of the title and cover, and that lovely, tantalising ‘At the edge of the map, there’s no going back…’ I am obsessed with maps and cartography, so Map’s Edge had me hooked from that point, even before I read the blurb which confirmed that this was a book I wanted to read.
It must be said that the summary made it sound a little more ‘heist-like’ than the final product felt, although at its core is a heist. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and what it did, as well as the foundation that it is has lain for the rest of the series, and there was more than enough action throughout. Map’s Edge does, however, have that classic fantasy adventure-quest feeling from the offset, one that starts with the odds against it, because the main character had fought and lost against the Empire before, which added a nice flavour to the story.
Fittingly for a book called ‘Map’s Edge’ great care has been taken with the worldbuilding, and Hair has created a breadth and depth to this world that really brings it to life. There is a wonderful blend of variety and interconnectedness between Treshveld where our story begins, across the Bolgravian Empire and the countries that have fallen beneath them, and in Verdessa. And there is a deep sense of history, both recent and ancient, through the ancient race of the Aldar who had perished centuries ago. Even better, for all the richness that this first book has given us, there is very much the impression that we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of the world the author has created, and I look forward to discovering more of it in the future books.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was the magic system, which was interesting and for the most part well developed and explained – there were a few places where I had questions, but as this is book one that is to be expected. There are two primary types of magic Praxis and Mirza, both of which see the Sorcerer bonding with a spirit which becomes a familiar that is invisible to anyone but the Sorcerer and other Sorcerers. Praxis Sorcerers have a natural, symbiotic relationship with their spirits while Mirza Sorcerers bonds with their spirits are self-destructive, the Mirza spirits essentially corrupting them from within. As with the worldbuilding, you get the impression that there is more to both sides of this magic system, especially when there is also the Izuvei, sorcerers working to become more attuned to the spirit world, and it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
While a lot has been put into the worldbuilding and magic, the characters have not been left behind, and Hair has created a broad, varied cast right from the start. Every character, whether main or secondary, has there own motivations and history, and the dynamics between them especially as the group comes together, and threatens to fall apart, and endures a journey that pushes them all to the limit, are spectacular. There is banter, there is emotion and conflict and resolution. The characters and the world, bringing one another to life. Not all the characters are likeable, but you are invested in all of them, no matter where they fall on the spectrum, even if you only want to see their downfall, and that is because of the writing.
This was a fast-paced, entertaining read, set within a world that I want to explore more of. It has the breadth and depth of epic fantasy, the action and excitement of a heist, and it has left me wanting more. I would highly recommend for anyone looking for an epic adventure, and I will eagerly be waiting for the next instalment in this series. In the meantime, I will be picking up the Moontide Quartet by David Hair which has been on the TBR for far too long.
It must be said that the summary made it sound a little more ‘heist-like’ than the final product felt, although at its core is a heist. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and what it did, as well as the foundation that it is has lain for the rest of the series, and there was more than enough action throughout. Map’s Edge does, however, have that classic fantasy adventure-quest feeling from the offset, one that starts with the odds against it, because the main character had fought and lost against the Empire before, which added a nice flavour to the story.
Fittingly for a book called ‘Map’s Edge’ great care has been taken with the worldbuilding, and Hair has created a breadth and depth to this world that really brings it to life. There is a wonderful blend of variety and interconnectedness between Treshveld where our story begins, across the Bolgravian Empire and the countries that have fallen beneath them, and in Verdessa. And there is a deep sense of history, both recent and ancient, through the ancient race of the Aldar who had perished centuries ago. Even better, for all the richness that this first book has given us, there is very much the impression that we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of the world the author has created, and I look forward to discovering more of it in the future books.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was the magic system, which was interesting and for the most part well developed and explained – there were a few places where I had questions, but as this is book one that is to be expected. There are two primary types of magic Praxis and Mirza, both of which see the Sorcerer bonding with a spirit which becomes a familiar that is invisible to anyone but the Sorcerer and other Sorcerers. Praxis Sorcerers have a natural, symbiotic relationship with their spirits while Mirza Sorcerers bonds with their spirits are self-destructive, the Mirza spirits essentially corrupting them from within. As with the worldbuilding, you get the impression that there is more to both sides of this magic system, especially when there is also the Izuvei, sorcerers working to become more attuned to the spirit world, and it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
While a lot has been put into the worldbuilding and magic, the characters have not been left behind, and Hair has created a broad, varied cast right from the start. Every character, whether main or secondary, has there own motivations and history, and the dynamics between them especially as the group comes together, and threatens to fall apart, and endures a journey that pushes them all to the limit, are spectacular. There is banter, there is emotion and conflict and resolution. The characters and the world, bringing one another to life. Not all the characters are likeable, but you are invested in all of them, no matter where they fall on the spectrum, even if you only want to see their downfall, and that is because of the writing.
This was a fast-paced, entertaining read, set within a world that I want to explore more of. It has the breadth and depth of epic fantasy, the action and excitement of a heist, and it has left me wanting more. I would highly recommend for anyone looking for an epic adventure, and I will eagerly be waiting for the next instalment in this series. In the meantime, I will be picking up the Moontide Quartet by David Hair which has been on the TBR for far too long.
May 11, 2022
Das Buch beginnt alles andere als gemächlich, als eine der beiden Hauptfiguren Dash Cowley aus dem Schlaf gerissen wird. So, wie quasi mit der ersten Zeile etwas passiert, so folgt diese actionreiche Handlung bis zum Ende des Buchs. Der neuseeländische Autor David Hair lässt sich kaum Zeit, um gemächlich mal über das Land und die Leute zu erzählen, sondern flechtet diese Informationen geschickt in die Dialoge der unterschiedlichen Figuren ein.
Die Welt ist ein bunter Mix aus verschiedenen Epochen unserer Zeit gepaart mit einem eigenwilligen Magiesystem. Beides lernt der Leser im Laufe der Zeit immer besser kennen, zumal bis zum Ende immer wieder Kleinigkeiten zum Weltbild hinzugefügt werden. Die Idee, dass es zwei Magiearten gibt, ist sicherlich nicht neu, aber gut umgesetzt. Auch, dass die Magiebegabten, Hexen und Zauberer erst nach und nach ihre Talente erkennen bzw. dem Leser nach und nach offenbaren.
Auch ungewöhnlich die Reise der Hauptfiguren. Nicht, dass Reisen in High-Fantasy-Romanen ungewöhnlich sind, aber dass es gleich ein größerer Trek ist, in dem Planwagen mit Maultieren vorkommen, schon. Was auch hier fehlt sind ausufernde Beschreibungen und Erläuterungen, wie sehr häufig in dieser Art von Romanen anzutreffen sind. Dafür gibt es im Gegenzug viel Action und eine geschickte Erzählweise. Wie der Stab bei einem Staffellauf werden die Ereignisse von einer Figur zur anderen weitergegeben bzw. weitererzählt. Das treibt den Leser förmlich durch die Geschichte.
Fazit
Ja, dieser Auftakt hat es in sich und liest sich sehr angenehm. Die Welt mit ihren Figuren und dem Magiesystem sind sehr ansprechend und werden sicherlich den gestandenen High-Fantasy-Freund ansprechen. Es gibt ausreichend Wendungen und Überraschungen in der Geschichte und einen etwas fiesen Cliffhanger am Ende. Von meiner Sicht aus ist das Buch empfehlenswert.
Die Welt ist ein bunter Mix aus verschiedenen Epochen unserer Zeit gepaart mit einem eigenwilligen Magiesystem. Beides lernt der Leser im Laufe der Zeit immer besser kennen, zumal bis zum Ende immer wieder Kleinigkeiten zum Weltbild hinzugefügt werden. Die Idee, dass es zwei Magiearten gibt, ist sicherlich nicht neu, aber gut umgesetzt. Auch, dass die Magiebegabten, Hexen und Zauberer erst nach und nach ihre Talente erkennen bzw. dem Leser nach und nach offenbaren.
Auch ungewöhnlich die Reise der Hauptfiguren. Nicht, dass Reisen in High-Fantasy-Romanen ungewöhnlich sind, aber dass es gleich ein größerer Trek ist, in dem Planwagen mit Maultieren vorkommen, schon. Was auch hier fehlt sind ausufernde Beschreibungen und Erläuterungen, wie sehr häufig in dieser Art von Romanen anzutreffen sind. Dafür gibt es im Gegenzug viel Action und eine geschickte Erzählweise. Wie der Stab bei einem Staffellauf werden die Ereignisse von einer Figur zur anderen weitergegeben bzw. weitererzählt. Das treibt den Leser förmlich durch die Geschichte.
Fazit
Ja, dieser Auftakt hat es in sich und liest sich sehr angenehm. Die Welt mit ihren Figuren und dem Magiesystem sind sehr ansprechend und werden sicherlich den gestandenen High-Fantasy-Freund ansprechen. Es gibt ausreichend Wendungen und Überraschungen in der Geschichte und einen etwas fiesen Cliffhanger am Ende. Von meiner Sicht aus ist das Buch empfehlenswert.
February 25, 2024
A brilliant first book in what I hope is a riveting fantasy trilogy - I had a really good time reading this, and I'm mad at myself for letting it sit on my TBR cart for so long. Also the cover of this book is drool-worthy.
We follow Raythe Vyre, an exiled sorcerer who is on the run from the empire that has taken over his country, his daughter Zar and a town of similar exiles and outcasts who find an opportunity drop into their laps when they find out about a source of istariol, a mineral that strengthens magic and can bring its miners a lot of money. The trouble is they have to travel across the land to find it, and they are being chased by the Bolgravian empire who only leave death.
This book is mostly set on the journey to the istariol location but it's also full of interesting backstory as a bit by bit we learn more about Raythe and who he is, and why he is wanted by Empire, as well as those within the town he knew before from a previous uprising. We also follow Kemara, a healer with a hidden talent for magic but not the kind that Raythe knows much about, and one that can go quickly out of control.
I really liked this writing from the characters and the pacing, as well as the world building and the history we find out about from a variety of characters and how they are all connected in one way or another from fighting alongside each other or just having the same enemies. I also really liked the different female characters in this from strong, stealthy Tami, beautiful, intelligent Mater and strong, secretive Kemara - as well as headstrong, excitable Zar. I would have preferred the journey part of the story to have a lot less threats of sexual assault and attempted rapes - as well as a lot less men talking in extremely disparaging ways about any woman in their vicinity.
I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next!
We follow Raythe Vyre, an exiled sorcerer who is on the run from the empire that has taken over his country, his daughter Zar and a town of similar exiles and outcasts who find an opportunity drop into their laps when they find out about a source of istariol, a mineral that strengthens magic and can bring its miners a lot of money. The trouble is they have to travel across the land to find it, and they are being chased by the Bolgravian empire who only leave death.
This book is mostly set on the journey to the istariol location but it's also full of interesting backstory as a bit by bit we learn more about Raythe and who he is, and why he is wanted by Empire, as well as those within the town he knew before from a previous uprising. We also follow Kemara, a healer with a hidden talent for magic but not the kind that Raythe knows much about, and one that can go quickly out of control.
I really liked this writing from the characters and the pacing, as well as the world building and the history we find out about from a variety of characters and how they are all connected in one way or another from fighting alongside each other or just having the same enemies. I also really liked the different female characters in this from strong, stealthy Tami, beautiful, intelligent Mater and strong, secretive Kemara - as well as headstrong, excitable Zar. I would have preferred the journey part of the story to have a lot less threats of sexual assault and attempted rapes - as well as a lot less men talking in extremely disparaging ways about any woman in their vicinity.
I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next!
March 14, 2021
When Map's Edge begins, Dash Cowley is working as a healer in Teshveld, a town on the outskirts of the Bolgravian empire. It's the kind of place where people wash up when they have nowhere left to go and nowhere else to run.
Dash is coerced into trying to heal a man from a Bolgravian expedition into the unknown lands beyond Teshveld, and in doing so he acquires a journal that gives tantalising hints of a massive seam of Istriol in the lands to the north. Istriol is a mineral used to power sorcery and so is immensely valuable. Valuable enough that he unmasks himself to the rest of the townsfolk and comes clean that he is actually Raythe Vyre, an Otravian commander in a failed rebellion against the empire and a wanted man.
Most of the town's inhabitants have fled to the edge of the empire for their own reasons, and it doesn't take long for Raythe to convince a band of them to join him and his daughter Var on a quest to find and mine the mineral.
This is a really promising start to a series. Great characters and lots of action as the ragtag band struggle through some difficult terrain with the Bolgravian Secret Service on their tail. There are sorcerers on both sides making for some epic battle sequences. Although this first instalment is all about the journey, it ends with a scene that really leaves you wanting more - roll on book two!
Dash is coerced into trying to heal a man from a Bolgravian expedition into the unknown lands beyond Teshveld, and in doing so he acquires a journal that gives tantalising hints of a massive seam of Istriol in the lands to the north. Istriol is a mineral used to power sorcery and so is immensely valuable. Valuable enough that he unmasks himself to the rest of the townsfolk and comes clean that he is actually Raythe Vyre, an Otravian commander in a failed rebellion against the empire and a wanted man.
Most of the town's inhabitants have fled to the edge of the empire for their own reasons, and it doesn't take long for Raythe to convince a band of them to join him and his daughter Var on a quest to find and mine the mineral.
This is a really promising start to a series. Great characters and lots of action as the ragtag band struggle through some difficult terrain with the Bolgravian Secret Service on their tail. There are sorcerers on both sides making for some epic battle sequences. Although this first instalment is all about the journey, it ends with a scene that really leaves you wanting more - roll on book two!
January 4, 2023
A truly captivating read, a densely packed story, great characters and a magnificent new world. Can't wait to read how the story turns out in the next Part.
While different view points usually don't work for me, Hair makes it work by keeping every viewpoint close to the storyline (no one gets lost in a side plot) and layering different character's philosophies. Speaking of characters: they all truly felt like multidimensional people with different driving forces and not just like a cliché. I love that in the fantasy genre where I often feel like some people are cardboard cut outs I have met before.
All in all: would definitely recommend. Also kudos to the translator in my case as I have read the German translation.
While different view points usually don't work for me, Hair makes it work by keeping every viewpoint close to the storyline (no one gets lost in a side plot) and layering different character's philosophies. Speaking of characters: they all truly felt like multidimensional people with different driving forces and not just like a cliché. I love that in the fantasy genre where I often feel like some people are cardboard cut outs I have met before.
All in all: would definitely recommend. Also kudos to the translator in my case as I have read the German translation.
November 5, 2022
Am Anfang hat sich das Buch für mich etwas gezogen, aber ich muss sagen das ist relativ schnell verflogen. Es gab immer irgendeine Kleinigkeit, auf die man achten musste und immer verschiedene Absichten der Charaktere. Ich bin auch sehr gut mit den verschiedenen Perspektiven zurechtzukommen, das wurde sehr gut verständlicht. Die Idee der Zauberer und dem Istariol ist wirklich der Wahnsinn und hat eine wundervolle High-Fantasy Welt gebracht😍 Ich bin schon sehr gespannt auf den nächsten Teil und wie es weitergeht✨️
June 1, 2025
Spannende Geschichte, endet mit einem schönen Cliffhanger. 🤣
October 4, 2020
I enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
The author weaves together a whole bunch of familiar elements into a fast paced and fun story.
It's not a taxing book to read, the plot is straightforward and unsurprising, the characters are fairly typical and a little bit two dimensional.
What the author does really well is tension at all levels; internal, family units, intra group, inter group, world wide. I really loved this element of the book, the author clearly understands people and how they interact and it's pitched perfectly so it doesn't slow the overall pace of the book down.
The author weaves together a whole bunch of familiar elements into a fast paced and fun story.
It's not a taxing book to read, the plot is straightforward and unsurprising, the characters are fairly typical and a little bit two dimensional.
What the author does really well is tension at all levels; internal, family units, intra group, inter group, world wide. I really loved this element of the book, the author clearly understands people and how they interact and it's pitched perfectly so it doesn't slow the overall pace of the book down.
August 23, 2023
** I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This is a pretty standard fantasy set up. A found family-ish group of rebels, wanted by an oppressive and unwaveringly evil empire set out on a journey against the odds to restore peace and overthrow their oppressors. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but the story doesn't really bring anything new or interesting enough in terms of narrative, characters, or world-building to make this an engaging read.
There are some interesting twists--but they are sort of overshadowed by the otherwise predictable and very standard plot.
Some of the narrative choices don't make sense to me. Dash has a super secret mission and his next step is having the barman gather everyone so he can ask them to join him. I feel like there are better ways to recruit than to just hope and pray no one rats them out. Plus, I cannot wrap my mind around how he just immediately reveals his real identity to all of them, a secret that he has closely guarded for years to protect himself and his daughter. But he sees a bunch of outlaws and outcasts who have yet to agree to embarking on this journey with him and goes "yes... this is the right time to unmask myself... a man with a massive bounty on my head..." Also, when Kemara goes up to a woman whoe is very possibly losing her pregnancy, she greets her with "what's up?" like there must have been other dialogue options here, right???
There is also some diversity in terms of sexuality although nothing ever happens in terms of relationships or (except for one character) actually confirming their sexual preference. Varahana is hinted to be bisexual (she says "I do like a good red", referring to red-headed Kemara, but we never get any more development on that note). There is also one gay man, Jesco, who is just overtly sexual all the time. That is literally his only personality trait.
Characters:
Dash Cowley/- exiled noble and sorcerer fleeing the Bolgravian empire and seeking revenge for his stolen life
Zarelda (Zar) - Cowley's fifteen-year-old daughter, fled with him from the Bolgravian empire,
Vidar Vidarsson - Norgan ranger, bearskin, one of Cowley's allies throughout the journey
Jesco Duretto - Cowley's ally from Colfar's rebellion, skilled swordsman, one of Cowley's most important allies during the journey
Mater Varahana - Deist priestess, Cowley's ally from before he arrived in
Kemara Solus - Deist novate, healer,
Sir Elgus Rhamp - Pelarian knight and mercenary, primary opponent to Cowley on the journey
Osvard Rhamp - Elgus' eldest son, belligerent and short-sighted
Banno Rhamp - Elgus' son, Zar's love interest
"One day I'm going to kill every damned Bolgrav in Pelaria, or die trying."
Why do boys always say things like that? There will always be more Bolgravs - isn't it better to be alive?
This is a pretty standard fantasy set up. A found family-ish group of rebels, wanted by an oppressive and unwaveringly evil empire set out on a journey against the odds to restore peace and overthrow their oppressors. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but the story doesn't really bring anything new or interesting enough in terms of narrative, characters, or world-building to make this an engaging read.
There are some interesting twists--but they are sort of overshadowed by the otherwise predictable and very standard plot.
Some of the narrative choices don't make sense to me. Dash has a super secret mission and his next step is having the barman gather everyone so he can ask them to join him. I feel like there are better ways to recruit than to just hope and pray no one rats them out. Plus, I cannot wrap my mind around how he just immediately reveals his real identity to all of them, a secret that he has closely guarded for years to protect himself and his daughter. But he sees a bunch of outlaws and outcasts who have yet to agree to embarking on this journey with him and goes "yes... this is the right time to unmask myself... a man with a massive bounty on my head..." Also, when Kemara goes up to a woman whoe is very possibly losing her pregnancy, she greets her with "what's up?" like there must have been other dialogue options here, right???
There is also some diversity in terms of sexuality although nothing ever happens in terms of relationships or (except for one character) actually confirming their sexual preference. Varahana is hinted to be bisexual (she says "I do like a good red", referring to red-headed Kemara, but we never get any more development on that note). There is also one gay man, Jesco, who is just overtly sexual all the time. That is literally his only personality trait.
Characters:
Dash Cowley/- exiled noble and sorcerer fleeing the Bolgravian empire and seeking revenge for his stolen life
Zarelda (Zar) - Cowley's fifteen-year-old daughter, fled with him from the Bolgravian empire,
Vidar Vidarsson - Norgan ranger, bearskin, one of Cowley's allies throughout the journey
Jesco Duretto - Cowley's ally from Colfar's rebellion, skilled swordsman, one of Cowley's most important allies during the journey
Mater Varahana - Deist priestess, Cowley's ally from before he arrived in
Kemara Solus - Deist novate, healer,
Sir Elgus Rhamp - Pelarian knight and mercenary, primary opponent to Cowley on the journey
Osvard Rhamp - Elgus' eldest son, belligerent and short-sighted
Banno Rhamp - Elgus' son, Zar's love interest
October 15, 2020
Originally reviewed here on my blog - https://fantasy-smorgasbord.blogspot....
Happy Book Birthday to David Hair, his new book Map's Edge ( Part 1 of the Tethered Citadel) releases today, Oct 15th. Am really happy to be taking part in this blog tour for his new book - as David is a prolific writer, one of the most hardworking authors with at least three completed series behind him.
Map's Edge is his latest book, part of an exciting new trilogy with his characteristic deep focus on sumptuous world building, flawed loveable characters and wall-to-wall explosive action. The narrative starts off fairly straightforward and gets ahead by leaps and bounds with David cramming the story with all sorts of adventures for his main set of protagonists, till they get to their goals. It all starts with story of Dashryn Cowl who is masquerading as a 'physiker' in this rag-tag village of Teshveld at the edge of the Bolgrovian Empire. He and his teenage daughter Zara, are obviously hiding something and want to lie low. But a chance encounter with the empire commissioned team of soldiers and a 'cartomancer' who are tasked with charting the edges of the world so to help the Empire spread it's wings even further, blows his cover wide open. The soldiers turn rowdy - and Dash ends up killing them. But he also uncovers the cartomancer's secret findings that reveal a huge deposit of this mineral called "Istariol" that helps spark and sustain the magic in this kingdom - at the tundra-frozen edge of the known world.
This is when Dash makes a wild gamble - to basically set out to mine the Istariol all for himself and puts together a rogue crew of men and women, all desperate and having a grudge against the Bolgrovians. Dash revels The narrative then picks up pace as Dash - or Raythe as is his real name, a leader of the original rebellion against the Bolgrovians and a wanted man with a reward to his head, leads this motley crew of villagers, mercenary knights and a set of hunters/trappers away from the comforts of civilisation, deep into the unknown uncharted territories - and hence, the name the Map's Edge.
What can I say? Map's Edge has been a swashbuckling adventure, teeming with explosive action, exciting magic-systems, fun characters all of this backed up by a detailed history of this strange wonderful world including the different faiths and Gods who hold sway. As is David's style, this is no low-fantasy. Magic and myths play a very important part in the whole epic and while there are predominantly two systems of magic. The older wilder form is rare and unheard of in the current world - after the last large upheaval of powers. And then there is Praxis, a sort of spirit-led magic where your 'kindred' spirit binds with you to give you destructive power that you imbibe, control and use for good. Our main protagonist Raythe is a praxis-sorcerer - and so is his daughter, Zar. There are countless dangers on the road which keeps the narrative always on the boil and frankly, quite fun. Some super inventive action sequences that involve plant-based ghouls, some predictable run-ins into 'cannibalistic' men - and the catastrophic elements of nature, including floods, snow and the like.
David's world building is exquisite, with different camp fire stories and hidden artefacts from the last age surfacing up, providing enough lull in the action, to have them unravel the layers of history that makes up this amazing world. Apart from the elaborate magic system, there is the question of faith and the Gods who dictate the rules of such. Raythe is our chief POV, the fearless leader who actually is a fallen nobility still seething for revenge against the outsiders (the blood-thirsty Bolgrovians). What makes him interesting is that midway through this difficult odyssey, he is torn between his greed, his grief (for an estranged wife, stuck in the enemy lands) and his new-found love for this 'found-family'. He comes off as a man of action, staunch in his beliefs and deeds. If I had to be a bit critical, I would call him sort of a straight edge and thus, a bit boring 'hero'.
He's mainly got two side-kicks. Vidar - a man who can transform into a bear when he gets angry ( how cool is that! Hello Bear-form of Wolverine!) and Jesco, the 'handsome rogue' friend of Raythe from his revolution days, who claims to be the best shot and the swordsman this side of the world. Jesco is a much more fun chap and brings in the much-needed levity to the grim travel-company. Female POVs - there are actually three main ones, including Raythe's feisty teenager daughter, Zar short for Zarelda just coming into her own power and discovering the nuances of Praxis-magic and her own spirit-companion bonds. Her chapters came off a bit YA - with her blooming feelings for the handsome knight errant Banno but these chapters gave us a great view point of how magic like Praxis evolves. Then there is the Mater, Varahana who is the voice of God to these villagers but is unconventional in her own manner. And last, there is the view point of Kemala, a disgruntled healer who comes with her own dark pasts and secrets. Each of them discover in themselves, their power and the choices to shape their own destiny and thus, affect the world around them. David skilfully brings out both the internal and the harsh outer world journeys that the characters undertake and for most parts, this is what makes the first book in the Tethered Citadel shine. Faced with dangers at every turn and competent villains, these unlikely band of renegades set up this extremely fast-paced read that hooks readers right from the beginning and keeps them on the edge throughout.
Map's Edge is the kind of fast-paced, fun read that mixes up the best of what epic fantasy has to offer. David has once again created an endearing bunch of toughies, up against towering odds stacked up, amongst them, bringing in myriad dangers caused by the vagaries of Mother Nature and traitorous human factions. This is an adventure set in a well realised world filled with magic and wonders, about an impossible journey undertaken by a bunch of renegades, stirring up the embers of a revolution. If you like your fantasy infused with magic, explosive action and rogue flawed heroes, Map's Edge the first instalment in an exciting new series by David Hair definitely fits the bill. Recommended!
Happy Book Birthday to David Hair, his new book Map's Edge ( Part 1 of the Tethered Citadel) releases today, Oct 15th. Am really happy to be taking part in this blog tour for his new book - as David is a prolific writer, one of the most hardworking authors with at least three completed series behind him.
Map's Edge is his latest book, part of an exciting new trilogy with his characteristic deep focus on sumptuous world building, flawed loveable characters and wall-to-wall explosive action. The narrative starts off fairly straightforward and gets ahead by leaps and bounds with David cramming the story with all sorts of adventures for his main set of protagonists, till they get to their goals. It all starts with story of Dashryn Cowl who is masquerading as a 'physiker' in this rag-tag village of Teshveld at the edge of the Bolgrovian Empire. He and his teenage daughter Zara, are obviously hiding something and want to lie low. But a chance encounter with the empire commissioned team of soldiers and a 'cartomancer' who are tasked with charting the edges of the world so to help the Empire spread it's wings even further, blows his cover wide open. The soldiers turn rowdy - and Dash ends up killing them. But he also uncovers the cartomancer's secret findings that reveal a huge deposit of this mineral called "Istariol" that helps spark and sustain the magic in this kingdom - at the tundra-frozen edge of the known world.
This is when Dash makes a wild gamble - to basically set out to mine the Istariol all for himself and puts together a rogue crew of men and women, all desperate and having a grudge against the Bolgrovians. Dash revels The narrative then picks up pace as Dash - or Raythe as is his real name, a leader of the original rebellion against the Bolgrovians and a wanted man with a reward to his head, leads this motley crew of villagers, mercenary knights and a set of hunters/trappers away from the comforts of civilisation, deep into the unknown uncharted territories - and hence, the name the Map's Edge.
What can I say? Map's Edge has been a swashbuckling adventure, teeming with explosive action, exciting magic-systems, fun characters all of this backed up by a detailed history of this strange wonderful world including the different faiths and Gods who hold sway. As is David's style, this is no low-fantasy. Magic and myths play a very important part in the whole epic and while there are predominantly two systems of magic. The older wilder form is rare and unheard of in the current world - after the last large upheaval of powers. And then there is Praxis, a sort of spirit-led magic where your 'kindred' spirit binds with you to give you destructive power that you imbibe, control and use for good. Our main protagonist Raythe is a praxis-sorcerer - and so is his daughter, Zar. There are countless dangers on the road which keeps the narrative always on the boil and frankly, quite fun. Some super inventive action sequences that involve plant-based ghouls, some predictable run-ins into 'cannibalistic' men - and the catastrophic elements of nature, including floods, snow and the like.
David's world building is exquisite, with different camp fire stories and hidden artefacts from the last age surfacing up, providing enough lull in the action, to have them unravel the layers of history that makes up this amazing world. Apart from the elaborate magic system, there is the question of faith and the Gods who dictate the rules of such. Raythe is our chief POV, the fearless leader who actually is a fallen nobility still seething for revenge against the outsiders (the blood-thirsty Bolgrovians). What makes him interesting is that midway through this difficult odyssey, he is torn between his greed, his grief (for an estranged wife, stuck in the enemy lands) and his new-found love for this 'found-family'. He comes off as a man of action, staunch in his beliefs and deeds. If I had to be a bit critical, I would call him sort of a straight edge and thus, a bit boring 'hero'.
He's mainly got two side-kicks. Vidar - a man who can transform into a bear when he gets angry ( how cool is that! Hello Bear-form of Wolverine!) and Jesco, the 'handsome rogue' friend of Raythe from his revolution days, who claims to be the best shot and the swordsman this side of the world. Jesco is a much more fun chap and brings in the much-needed levity to the grim travel-company. Female POVs - there are actually three main ones, including Raythe's feisty teenager daughter, Zar short for Zarelda just coming into her own power and discovering the nuances of Praxis-magic and her own spirit-companion bonds. Her chapters came off a bit YA - with her blooming feelings for the handsome knight errant Banno but these chapters gave us a great view point of how magic like Praxis evolves. Then there is the Mater, Varahana who is the voice of God to these villagers but is unconventional in her own manner. And last, there is the view point of Kemala, a disgruntled healer who comes with her own dark pasts and secrets. Each of them discover in themselves, their power and the choices to shape their own destiny and thus, affect the world around them. David skilfully brings out both the internal and the harsh outer world journeys that the characters undertake and for most parts, this is what makes the first book in the Tethered Citadel shine. Faced with dangers at every turn and competent villains, these unlikely band of renegades set up this extremely fast-paced read that hooks readers right from the beginning and keeps them on the edge throughout.
Map's Edge is the kind of fast-paced, fun read that mixes up the best of what epic fantasy has to offer. David has once again created an endearing bunch of toughies, up against towering odds stacked up, amongst them, bringing in myriad dangers caused by the vagaries of Mother Nature and traitorous human factions. This is an adventure set in a well realised world filled with magic and wonders, about an impossible journey undertaken by a bunch of renegades, stirring up the embers of a revolution. If you like your fantasy infused with magic, explosive action and rogue flawed heroes, Map's Edge the first instalment in an exciting new series by David Hair definitely fits the bill. Recommended!
July 18, 2021
Having never read anything by this author, I was interested to read this book as it looked like exactly to my taste.
I wasn't disappointed, in fact I was amazed by just how good this book actually is.
In my mind, fantasy is really hard to write, as it needs to walk between cliché & the perceived constraints of the fantasy worlds. This book ticks all the boxes and is truly engrossing & captivating, so much so that I physically had to dedicate an hour for the finale as I simply couldn't put it down.
The only downside is that this is a trilogy and the author leaves it finely poised for the sequel. I for one simply cannot wait to devour the next instalment of this amazing adventure.
I wasn't disappointed, in fact I was amazed by just how good this book actually is.
In my mind, fantasy is really hard to write, as it needs to walk between cliché & the perceived constraints of the fantasy worlds. This book ticks all the boxes and is truly engrossing & captivating, so much so that I physically had to dedicate an hour for the finale as I simply couldn't put it down.
The only downside is that this is a trilogy and the author leaves it finely poised for the sequel. I for one simply cannot wait to devour the next instalment of this amazing adventure.
July 12, 2021
I have been wanting to read David Hair’s work for a while, and I really loved the concept of this new book, which starts a brand new series called the Tethered Citadel. Even so, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, since the blurb doesn’t give much away. It took me a while to get to know the characters, though I did like most of the right away, and there were moments in the first half in which I felt there were too many points of view and things were moving a little slowly, but as I got further in I started to appreciate all of it, and in the end I really loved it.
Map’s Edge is set in a world that has seen many upheavals; from the shattering of the ancient Aldar kingdom and the Ice Age their twisted magic brought forth, to the conquering of smaller countries by the Bolgravian Empire, a Russian-like people who wish to erase all other cultures in favour of one uniform nation. Raythe Vyre, the central figure in this story, is an Otravian noble who joined the rebellion against the Bolgravs and was forced to run when things went badly, ending up in Teshveld, a town on the fringes, full of people escaping their pasts and the watchful eyes of the Empire. Raythe is a sorcerer posing as a healer, and when he awakes one night to a group of Bolgravs at his door, ordering him to heal one of their men, he discovers they have just returned from an expedition in the newly discovered lands of Verdessa, where they have discovered vast reserves of istariol, a substance that fuels magic.
Sensing opportunity, Raythe incapacitates the enemy group, and calls a meeting with those of Teshveld that he trusts, to organise their own trek up into Verdessa, to mine the istariol before the Empire discovers it. Now, at this stage, I was expecting a Fellowship of the Ring-style group, a ragtag little team up against the world, but as Raythe rightly realises, mining and transporting a vast quantity of istariol takes a lot of people, and almost the entire town of Teshveld packs up their belongings and begins the long and dangerous journey North in search of wealth and freedom. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this at first, because a big group is hard to keep track of, and it can be difficult to remember and care about more individual characters, but I needn’t have worried. David Hair brings them all to life brilliantly, a group of morally grey, complex people, all scarred in some way by the invading Bolgravs.
Of course, there are key people that dominate, all of them with their own agendas and past traumas, and I loved getting to know them all. The first half of the book focuses very much on the way their dynamics develop in these close confines, and the power plays between all of them. Though at the time I wanted the story to move faster, I am grateful for the time spent on character development, because it pays off later during the more action-based scenes. Apart from the challenge of entering Verdessa undetected, and the dangers of the road, Raythe and his people are being followed by Toran Zorne, a tenacious member of the Bolgrav secret service who has been hunting Raythe for two years, and tracks him on his mad quest north, creating further obstacles for him and his people.
A big part of this story, as you can tell, centres around character tension, but another crucial, and beautifully crafted element, is the world building. There is so much packed into this book, so many little moments that suggest greater things, that made the world feel much vaster than the confines of the map. The mythology of the Aldar and their floating cities, the planetary rings that split the skies at night, the folk songs and stories, the range of different cultures represented within Raythe’s caravan, the magic system so reliant on the spirit world – it all builds such an exciting backdrop that I would happily explore for hours on end.
I really loved Map’s Edge and, what with the massive twist that comes right at the end, I cannot wait to get my hands on what comes next!
Map’s Edge is set in a world that has seen many upheavals; from the shattering of the ancient Aldar kingdom and the Ice Age their twisted magic brought forth, to the conquering of smaller countries by the Bolgravian Empire, a Russian-like people who wish to erase all other cultures in favour of one uniform nation. Raythe Vyre, the central figure in this story, is an Otravian noble who joined the rebellion against the Bolgravs and was forced to run when things went badly, ending up in Teshveld, a town on the fringes, full of people escaping their pasts and the watchful eyes of the Empire. Raythe is a sorcerer posing as a healer, and when he awakes one night to a group of Bolgravs at his door, ordering him to heal one of their men, he discovers they have just returned from an expedition in the newly discovered lands of Verdessa, where they have discovered vast reserves of istariol, a substance that fuels magic.
Sensing opportunity, Raythe incapacitates the enemy group, and calls a meeting with those of Teshveld that he trusts, to organise their own trek up into Verdessa, to mine the istariol before the Empire discovers it. Now, at this stage, I was expecting a Fellowship of the Ring-style group, a ragtag little team up against the world, but as Raythe rightly realises, mining and transporting a vast quantity of istariol takes a lot of people, and almost the entire town of Teshveld packs up their belongings and begins the long and dangerous journey North in search of wealth and freedom. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this at first, because a big group is hard to keep track of, and it can be difficult to remember and care about more individual characters, but I needn’t have worried. David Hair brings them all to life brilliantly, a group of morally grey, complex people, all scarred in some way by the invading Bolgravs.
Of course, there are key people that dominate, all of them with their own agendas and past traumas, and I loved getting to know them all. The first half of the book focuses very much on the way their dynamics develop in these close confines, and the power plays between all of them. Though at the time I wanted the story to move faster, I am grateful for the time spent on character development, because it pays off later during the more action-based scenes. Apart from the challenge of entering Verdessa undetected, and the dangers of the road, Raythe and his people are being followed by Toran Zorne, a tenacious member of the Bolgrav secret service who has been hunting Raythe for two years, and tracks him on his mad quest north, creating further obstacles for him and his people.
A big part of this story, as you can tell, centres around character tension, but another crucial, and beautifully crafted element, is the world building. There is so much packed into this book, so many little moments that suggest greater things, that made the world feel much vaster than the confines of the map. The mythology of the Aldar and their floating cities, the planetary rings that split the skies at night, the folk songs and stories, the range of different cultures represented within Raythe’s caravan, the magic system so reliant on the spirit world – it all builds such an exciting backdrop that I would happily explore for hours on end.
I really loved Map’s Edge and, what with the massive twist that comes right at the end, I cannot wait to get my hands on what comes next!
November 12, 2020
This is my first experience with this author and what a wonderful experience it was. This is the first book in the trilogy and I very quickly found myself hooked. Often I find that there can be a lot of time spent setting up the scene and characters not so with this one.
The Empire rules the land and dominates through fear, force and magic. People are pressganged into submission and are keen to be seen to follow the rules.
A healer and his daughter live in the edge of the country along with those who wish to be left alone, forgotten keeping their heads down. The healer learns of a power source that could be the chance of starting over, not just for himself but for the rest of the ragtag bunch that make up the community living on the edge of the civilised world as they know it.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the idea of a dominating empire lording it over those seen to be weaker than themselves. It gave me a chance to cheer on the underdogs! But, are the underdogs? What I gradually learn is that not everyone is as they first appear, this gives a wonderful edge of uneasiness as I was never quite sure if I was cheering the right side on.
The author uses names that are pronounceable, this is a big thing for me as often I know the characters but cannot pronounce the name and this takes some of the personal side away from them. There was the odd one that I did pause over but I soon got them in my head. The names of the characters have a European feel to them, and I think this helped to cement the characters more. Certain names have a more Eastern European feel and look and this adds an ominous side to the character.
The story is one of action and adventure and one that I was really able to get my teeth into. The words are easy to follow and the author does give descriptions along the way so I was aware of what he was referring to, e.g. istariol – the source of the power. Along with various other place names, things are explained and histories are given along the route the characters make. Explaining the past as they travel makes it more part of the story rather than an aside.
There is action along the way, death and birth, reckoning, conspiracy and uncertainty as to who to trust. Even the main characters make you wonder, are they really doing it for the greater good or are they looking after themselves and their ends? This again adds to the intrigue of the story.
As this is the first in the series, there is that almost cliff hanger to it. Yes this first story ends at a good place and it makes sense, but it also leaves a teaser.
This is a very accessible fantasy series that has a historical feel at times with mentions of flintlocks but then does have magic and politics of a ruling empire. It is a brilliantly paced story that has beasts, and otherworld animals, sorcerers, healers and good honest characters as well as a good amount of baddies.
A wonderful book that I flew through in a couple of days. I would definitely recommend this to those who are looking to start a new series, it has left me wanting to eagerly read the next one
The Empire rules the land and dominates through fear, force and magic. People are pressganged into submission and are keen to be seen to follow the rules.
A healer and his daughter live in the edge of the country along with those who wish to be left alone, forgotten keeping their heads down. The healer learns of a power source that could be the chance of starting over, not just for himself but for the rest of the ragtag bunch that make up the community living on the edge of the civilised world as they know it.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the idea of a dominating empire lording it over those seen to be weaker than themselves. It gave me a chance to cheer on the underdogs! But, are the underdogs? What I gradually learn is that not everyone is as they first appear, this gives a wonderful edge of uneasiness as I was never quite sure if I was cheering the right side on.
The author uses names that are pronounceable, this is a big thing for me as often I know the characters but cannot pronounce the name and this takes some of the personal side away from them. There was the odd one that I did pause over but I soon got them in my head. The names of the characters have a European feel to them, and I think this helped to cement the characters more. Certain names have a more Eastern European feel and look and this adds an ominous side to the character.
The story is one of action and adventure and one that I was really able to get my teeth into. The words are easy to follow and the author does give descriptions along the way so I was aware of what he was referring to, e.g. istariol – the source of the power. Along with various other place names, things are explained and histories are given along the route the characters make. Explaining the past as they travel makes it more part of the story rather than an aside.
There is action along the way, death and birth, reckoning, conspiracy and uncertainty as to who to trust. Even the main characters make you wonder, are they really doing it for the greater good or are they looking after themselves and their ends? This again adds to the intrigue of the story.
As this is the first in the series, there is that almost cliff hanger to it. Yes this first story ends at a good place and it makes sense, but it also leaves a teaser.
This is a very accessible fantasy series that has a historical feel at times with mentions of flintlocks but then does have magic and politics of a ruling empire. It is a brilliantly paced story that has beasts, and otherworld animals, sorcerers, healers and good honest characters as well as a good amount of baddies.
A wonderful book that I flew through in a couple of days. I would definitely recommend this to those who are looking to start a new series, it has left me wanting to eagerly read the next one
September 27, 2023
One factor that is under acknowledged when it comes to enjoyment of a book is timing. As much as I read, it is far from all that I do, and life will continue to happen no matter what. So inevitably, there will be books I read that are influenced by other factors in my life, for better and for worse. A book may hit harder because you connect with events in it at a certain moment in time, or it may turn you off.
In this case, my enjoyment of Map’s Edge was dulled a bit not because of anything significant like that, but rather due to the fact that the last book I read was Ship of Magic. As that was my favorite book of the year so far, and only part one of the series, I couldn’t help but compare the two books, which made Map’s Edge feel like it was lacking. The thought that kept drifting into my head was “why aren't you reading The Mad Ship instead?”
This is unfair I realize, but it cannot be helped. It's possible that I would have enjoyed this book more at another time, though there are several aspects that would’ve limited my excitement regardless. First off, beyond the blurb being intriguing and the author comparisons, the main reason I chose to read this was because of the cover- a floating city attached to the earth by chains is super intriguing to learn more about. I assumed that this would be the main setting, but while our characters eventually make it to this place, this is the story about the journey there. This is a type of story that I often struggle through, when the characters spend the entire book trying to reach a desired location. Hair does a decent job of making the journey interesting, with discoveries and battles and a large cast of characters with differing motivations clashing with one another, so this didn’t really feel like a drag to read, but had I known this ahead of time, I may have been less inclined to read this one.
The characters are another issue as well- while there are a lot of them that are given decent attention, and a couple I eventually got invested in (the healer mainly), it felt more like most characters were there to assist the plot, and were more devices than characters. When a story has a deep cast I suppose that there will be some that exist outside of the main plot, but really there were a few here that seemed to exist just for one moment in time, adding nothing further.
Hair also doesn’t have my favorite writing style- he does the thing where a character's thoughts show up in italics, which gets overused and distracting. The thoughts that are added from his characters here are largely useless, just reiterating things that it would have been easy to understand from context, or are just reactions to others that could have been handled in a way that was much less irritating.
There is still good stuff here, I like the setup that is created at the end, and the worldbuilding is intriguing enough. It certainly seems like a story that is going to rapidly expand in scope, which could make the series jump off from this point to another level. But I just don’t think I care enough about the people here to need to read more, especially when Robin Hobb’s work is sitting right there. (Grade:6/10)
In this case, my enjoyment of Map’s Edge was dulled a bit not because of anything significant like that, but rather due to the fact that the last book I read was Ship of Magic. As that was my favorite book of the year so far, and only part one of the series, I couldn’t help but compare the two books, which made Map’s Edge feel like it was lacking. The thought that kept drifting into my head was “why aren't you reading The Mad Ship instead?”
This is unfair I realize, but it cannot be helped. It's possible that I would have enjoyed this book more at another time, though there are several aspects that would’ve limited my excitement regardless. First off, beyond the blurb being intriguing and the author comparisons, the main reason I chose to read this was because of the cover- a floating city attached to the earth by chains is super intriguing to learn more about. I assumed that this would be the main setting, but while our characters eventually make it to this place, this is the story about the journey there. This is a type of story that I often struggle through, when the characters spend the entire book trying to reach a desired location. Hair does a decent job of making the journey interesting, with discoveries and battles and a large cast of characters with differing motivations clashing with one another, so this didn’t really feel like a drag to read, but had I known this ahead of time, I may have been less inclined to read this one.
The characters are another issue as well- while there are a lot of them that are given decent attention, and a couple I eventually got invested in (the healer mainly), it felt more like most characters were there to assist the plot, and were more devices than characters. When a story has a deep cast I suppose that there will be some that exist outside of the main plot, but really there were a few here that seemed to exist just for one moment in time, adding nothing further.
Hair also doesn’t have my favorite writing style- he does the thing where a character's thoughts show up in italics, which gets overused and distracting. The thoughts that are added from his characters here are largely useless, just reiterating things that it would have been easy to understand from context, or are just reactions to others that could have been handled in a way that was much less irritating.
There is still good stuff here, I like the setup that is created at the end, and the worldbuilding is intriguing enough. It certainly seems like a story that is going to rapidly expand in scope, which could make the series jump off from this point to another level. But I just don’t think I care enough about the people here to need to read more, especially when Robin Hobb’s work is sitting right there. (Grade:6/10)
April 27, 2025
Machen wir es wie bei einem Pflaster: kurz und schmerzlos. Anscheinend habe ich hier einen (in meinen Augen) klassischen und dabei guten epischen Fantasyroman erwischt, der wieder einmal nicht weiterübersetzt wird. Im Englischen gibt es bereits drei Bände, bei den deutschen Ausgaben hängen wir seit 2022 bei Band Eins. Rückmeldung des Verlags steht noch aus, falls diese kommt, schreibe ich sie in die Kommentare.
Das Buch war ein Zufallskauf. Der Autor sagte mir (noch) nichts, aber die Handlung der Geschichte reizte mich. Allerdings gab es bei mir eine kleine Lesepause, dann zog ich jedoch durch und beendete das Buch innerhalb weniger Tage.
Ich poste euch die Inhaltsangabe in die Kommentare, damit ich mich mit meiner Meinung hier austoben kann.
Das zentrale und klassische Thema ist der Aufbruch einer Gruppe politischer Flüchtlinge und anderer verzweifelten Menschen, um ihren Verfolgern zu entkommen und auf die Suche nach einem besonderen Rohstoff zu gehen: Istariol. Quasi das Pendant zu unserem Erdöl, nur ein bisschen magischer.
Im Mittelpunkt stehen der Magier Raythe Vyre und seine Tochter Zar, die im Imperium in Ungnade gefallen sind. Raythe Vyre führt die bunte Truppe aus Jägern, Söldnern, Heilern und Handwerkern an. Ein bisschen musste ich da an die Reise in “Der Medikus” denken. Die einzelnen Gruppen in den Tross haben ihre eigenen Anführer, die mit dem Magier Vyre ein Bündnis eingehen - und natürlich führen unterschiedliche Charaktere und Interessen regelmäßig zu (blutigen) Konflikten.
Und genau dies ist in meinen Augen überrachend gut gelungen. Als erstes: Das Worldbuilding gefällt mir sehr gut: Es ist detailliert, kreativ und sorgt für das eine oder andere unfreiwillige Abenteuer unserer Reisegruppe. Die komplexe Welt in Kombination der Figuren machte für mich den eigentlichen Reiz aus. So gibt es natürlich gewisse Clichés bei den Söldnern, aber es ist nicht stumpf und ausnahmslos brutal. Die Charaktere sind nicht in ihrer Rolle “gefangen”, sondern haben mehr Facetten, eine Historie und überraschten mich auf diese Art und Weise.
Ja, es gab auch Kämpfe, deren Ausgestaltung mich ebenfalls positiv überrascht hat. Gerade die magische Komponente war für mich gelungen, mitunter recht blutig, jedoch kreativ und passte einfach.
Und das Magiesystem möchte ich nicht unter den Tisch fallen lassen, spielt dieses doch eine wichtige Rolle. Magie wird nicht vererbt, sondern sie erwacht unter gewissen Umständen und wird dann an bestimmten Orten ausgebildet. Und das Imperium mag unausgebildete und nicht überwachte Magier gar nicht. Und noch weniger mögen die Obersten alle Formen der Magie. Im Gegenteil, manche Magieformen werden gnadenlos verfolgt und die Betroffenen auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt. Mit dem Segen der Kirche selbstredend.
Die Geschichte ist für mich eine sehr gute Mischung aus Worldbuilding, Charakteren, Magiesystem und Schreibstil. Ich habe mich an keiner Stelle gelangweilt und habe Lust auf mehr.
Eine ganz klare Empfehlung kann ich jedoch nicht aussprechen, wenn die Trilogie nicht weiter übersetzt wird. Denn nur den ersten Teil lesen, da bin ich ehrlich, macht für mich leider nur wenig Sinn.
Das Buch war ein Zufallskauf. Der Autor sagte mir (noch) nichts, aber die Handlung der Geschichte reizte mich. Allerdings gab es bei mir eine kleine Lesepause, dann zog ich jedoch durch und beendete das Buch innerhalb weniger Tage.
Ich poste euch die Inhaltsangabe in die Kommentare, damit ich mich mit meiner Meinung hier austoben kann.
Das zentrale und klassische Thema ist der Aufbruch einer Gruppe politischer Flüchtlinge und anderer verzweifelten Menschen, um ihren Verfolgern zu entkommen und auf die Suche nach einem besonderen Rohstoff zu gehen: Istariol. Quasi das Pendant zu unserem Erdöl, nur ein bisschen magischer.
Im Mittelpunkt stehen der Magier Raythe Vyre und seine Tochter Zar, die im Imperium in Ungnade gefallen sind. Raythe Vyre führt die bunte Truppe aus Jägern, Söldnern, Heilern und Handwerkern an. Ein bisschen musste ich da an die Reise in “Der Medikus” denken. Die einzelnen Gruppen in den Tross haben ihre eigenen Anführer, die mit dem Magier Vyre ein Bündnis eingehen - und natürlich führen unterschiedliche Charaktere und Interessen regelmäßig zu (blutigen) Konflikten.
Und genau dies ist in meinen Augen überrachend gut gelungen. Als erstes: Das Worldbuilding gefällt mir sehr gut: Es ist detailliert, kreativ und sorgt für das eine oder andere unfreiwillige Abenteuer unserer Reisegruppe. Die komplexe Welt in Kombination der Figuren machte für mich den eigentlichen Reiz aus. So gibt es natürlich gewisse Clichés bei den Söldnern, aber es ist nicht stumpf und ausnahmslos brutal. Die Charaktere sind nicht in ihrer Rolle “gefangen”, sondern haben mehr Facetten, eine Historie und überraschten mich auf diese Art und Weise.
Ja, es gab auch Kämpfe, deren Ausgestaltung mich ebenfalls positiv überrascht hat. Gerade die magische Komponente war für mich gelungen, mitunter recht blutig, jedoch kreativ und passte einfach.
Und das Magiesystem möchte ich nicht unter den Tisch fallen lassen, spielt dieses doch eine wichtige Rolle. Magie wird nicht vererbt, sondern sie erwacht unter gewissen Umständen und wird dann an bestimmten Orten ausgebildet. Und das Imperium mag unausgebildete und nicht überwachte Magier gar nicht. Und noch weniger mögen die Obersten alle Formen der Magie. Im Gegenteil, manche Magieformen werden gnadenlos verfolgt und die Betroffenen auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt. Mit dem Segen der Kirche selbstredend.
Die Geschichte ist für mich eine sehr gute Mischung aus Worldbuilding, Charakteren, Magiesystem und Schreibstil. Ich habe mich an keiner Stelle gelangweilt und habe Lust auf mehr.
Eine ganz klare Empfehlung kann ich jedoch nicht aussprechen, wenn die Trilogie nicht weiter übersetzt wird. Denn nur den ersten Teil lesen, da bin ich ehrlich, macht für mich leider nur wenig Sinn.
October 15, 2020
Map's Edge's, in a nutshell, is this: A bunch of Otravians, Pelarians are led by Dashryn Cowl to find the 'secret' Istariol that has long been funneling the source of sorcery in this distant land. All I can say is that from the outset, it appears and looks to be like a pulling a sneaky heist as the Bolgravians seek to stop this from happening in the first place. Dashryn also needs to convince a bunch of people to come with him on this quest. It is long, dangerous and it is not an easy quest to go on. Especially when you consider the fact Dashryn fought against the Bolgravians and failed. And he lost his Kingdom to a powerful family where his wife...
I shall leave it at that. I believe the book itself paced itself very nicely with its characters. Jesco Duretto, being the loyal and rogue-like mercenary from Shadran was a sort for sight eyes. He brought in many comedic moments within the book. Vidar, a man with an ability to turn into a rogue-like bear and a scout in the Royal Nordan Army before the Bolgravs smashed them. The Bolgravs are the equivalent of invaders that you don't want to come into your homeland. They are a tough and brutal race, but I believe they possess no skill nor art. They don't. They're just drunkards.
And Dashryn has to keep mediating this rag-tag band of followers between him and Sir Elgus. All I'll say is a Chameleon has more shades than Sir Elgus has. That's the only clue I'll give. You'll figure it out in the novel. Zarelda is a delight to read in this novel. She's like the daughter every father loves. Strong and stubborn, but smart and fiesty however she does get a little lovesick within this novel. Oh, and Sir Elgus has a proud, loyal son...I'll leaves you to figure this one out. The book description is correct: You'll be exploring mountains, you'll be going through the ruins of the Aldar, the forgotten civilization that eerily resembles a Carthaginian Society to me.
There are plenty of floods, avalanches, heck, magic blasting frigates! (Also watch out for this one, this was my favorite scene in the entire book) I didn't like two characters in this book: Firstly, Toran Zorne is a despicable member of any race that would fit well in a dictatorship's secret service. Loyal and ruthless to the core, feeling no emotions. There's nothing clear about his origin than this: He's just evil from birth. That's what I feel. WWII had many people expressing their evilness when in reality it just demonstrates that human nature is very fickle indeed. Secondly, Kemara I felt doesn't have that chemistry yet with Dashryn. I feel Dashyrn needs another partner. You'll get what I mean when you read further.
There's a lot of cool stuff, ancient civilizations, magic, a heist, personal loss, love, and humor. I enjoyed this so much and I would def say, that's it for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien De Castell. A VERY apt description indeed :)
I shall leave it at that. I believe the book itself paced itself very nicely with its characters. Jesco Duretto, being the loyal and rogue-like mercenary from Shadran was a sort for sight eyes. He brought in many comedic moments within the book. Vidar, a man with an ability to turn into a rogue-like bear and a scout in the Royal Nordan Army before the Bolgravs smashed them. The Bolgravs are the equivalent of invaders that you don't want to come into your homeland. They are a tough and brutal race, but I believe they possess no skill nor art. They don't. They're just drunkards.
And Dashryn has to keep mediating this rag-tag band of followers between him and Sir Elgus. All I'll say is a Chameleon has more shades than Sir Elgus has. That's the only clue I'll give. You'll figure it out in the novel. Zarelda is a delight to read in this novel. She's like the daughter every father loves. Strong and stubborn, but smart and fiesty however she does get a little lovesick within this novel. Oh, and Sir Elgus has a proud, loyal son...I'll leaves you to figure this one out. The book description is correct: You'll be exploring mountains, you'll be going through the ruins of the Aldar, the forgotten civilization that eerily resembles a Carthaginian Society to me.
There are plenty of floods, avalanches, heck, magic blasting frigates! (Also watch out for this one, this was my favorite scene in the entire book) I didn't like two characters in this book: Firstly, Toran Zorne is a despicable member of any race that would fit well in a dictatorship's secret service. Loyal and ruthless to the core, feeling no emotions. There's nothing clear about his origin than this: He's just evil from birth. That's what I feel. WWII had many people expressing their evilness when in reality it just demonstrates that human nature is very fickle indeed. Secondly, Kemara I felt doesn't have that chemistry yet with Dashryn. I feel Dashyrn needs another partner. You'll get what I mean when you read further.
There's a lot of cool stuff, ancient civilizations, magic, a heist, personal loss, love, and humor. I enjoyed this so much and I would def say, that's it for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien De Castell. A VERY apt description indeed :)
October 15, 2020
Map's Edge's, in a nutshell, is this: A bunch of Otravians, Pelarians are led by Dashryn Cowl to find the 'secret' Istariol that has long been funneling the source of sorcery in this distant land. All I can say is that from the outset, it appears and looks to be like a pulling a sneaky heist as the Bolgravians seek to stop this from happening in the first place. Dashryn also needs to convince a bunch of people to come with him on this quest. It is long, dangerous and it is not an easy quest to go on. Especially when you consider the fact Dashryn fought against the Bolgravians and failed. And he lost his Kingdom to a powerful family where his wife...
I shall leave it at that. I believe the book itself paced itself very nicely with its characters. Jesco Duretto, being the loyal and rogue-like mercenary from Shadran was a sort for sight eyes. He brought in many comedic moments within the book. Vidar, a man with an ability to turn into a rogue-like bear and a scout in the Royal Nordan Army before the Bolgravs smashed them. The Bolgravs are the equivalent of invaders that you don't want to come into your homeland. They are a tough and brutal race, but I believe they possess no skill nor art. They don't. They're just drunkards.
And Dashryn has to keep mediating this rag-tag band of followers between him and Sir Elgus. All I'll say is a Chameleon has more shades than Sir Elgus has. That's the only clue I'll give. You'll figure it out in the novel. Zarelda is a delight to read in this novel. She's like the daughter every father loves. Strong and stubborn, but smart and fiesty however she does get a little lovesick within this novel. Oh, and Sir Elgus has a proud, loyal son...I'll leaves you to figure this one out. The book description is correct: You'll be exploring mountains, you'll be going through the ruins of the Aldar, the forgotten civilization that eerily resembles a Carthaginian Society to me.
There are plenty of floods, avalanches, heck, magic blasting frigates! (Also watch out for this one, this was my favorite scene in the entire book) I didn't like two characters in this book: Firstly, Toran Zorne is a despicable member of any race that would fit well in a dictatorship's secret service. Loyal and ruthless to the core, feeling no emotions. There's nothing clear about his origin than this: He's just evil from birth. That's what I feel. WWII had many people expressing their evilness when in reality it just demonstrates that human nature is very fickle indeed. Secondly, Kemara I felt doesn't have that chemistry yet with Dashryn. I feel Dashyrn needs another partner. You'll get what I mean when you read further.
There's a lot of cool stuff, ancient civilizations, magic, a heist, personal loss, love, and humor. I enjoyed this so much and I would def say, that's it for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien De Castell. A VERY apt description indeed :)
I shall leave it at that. I believe the book itself paced itself very nicely with its characters. Jesco Duretto, being the loyal and rogue-like mercenary from Shadran was a sort for sight eyes. He brought in many comedic moments within the book. Vidar, a man with an ability to turn into a rogue-like bear and a scout in the Royal Nordan Army before the Bolgravs smashed them. The Bolgravs are the equivalent of invaders that you don't want to come into your homeland. They are a tough and brutal race, but I believe they possess no skill nor art. They don't. They're just drunkards.
And Dashryn has to keep mediating this rag-tag band of followers between him and Sir Elgus. All I'll say is a Chameleon has more shades than Sir Elgus has. That's the only clue I'll give. You'll figure it out in the novel. Zarelda is a delight to read in this novel. She's like the daughter every father loves. Strong and stubborn, but smart and fiesty however she does get a little lovesick within this novel. Oh, and Sir Elgus has a proud, loyal son...I'll leaves you to figure this one out. The book description is correct: You'll be exploring mountains, you'll be going through the ruins of the Aldar, the forgotten civilization that eerily resembles a Carthaginian Society to me.
There are plenty of floods, avalanches, heck, magic blasting frigates! (Also watch out for this one, this was my favorite scene in the entire book) I didn't like two characters in this book: Firstly, Toran Zorne is a despicable member of any race that would fit well in a dictatorship's secret service. Loyal and ruthless to the core, feeling no emotions. There's nothing clear about his origin than this: He's just evil from birth. That's what I feel. WWII had many people expressing their evilness when in reality it just demonstrates that human nature is very fickle indeed. Secondly, Kemara I felt doesn't have that chemistry yet with Dashryn. I feel Dashyrn needs another partner. You'll get what I mean when you read further.
There's a lot of cool stuff, ancient civilizations, magic, a heist, personal loss, love, and humor. I enjoyed this so much and I would def say, that's it for fans of Brandon Sanderson and Sebastien De Castell. A VERY apt description indeed :)
July 22, 2021
I am torn about this story, there are parts of it that are gripping, the magic system is interesting though not unique and the female character Kemara has a story that I want to keep reading. Unfortunately it's also exposition heavy (especially in the beginning), the pace is far too slow not helped by overlong chapters and familiar fantasy situations kept cropping up.
Positives. On the whole the characters are well written, though I found the protagonist Raythe (ex-nobleman and sorcerer) to be one of the least interesting, however, he is the glue holding everything together. Kemara (the healer or is she?), for me, is the most interesting character and the one that kept me reading. I always wanted more about her.
The second half of the book is a better read than the first half. There is much more actually happening, towards the end perhaps too much and characters are actually doing things rather than talking about doing things.
The story does slowly pull you in, the quest aspect becomes more interesting and the behaviour of the various groups within the band of travellers increases the intrigue as they all decide whether to put their own self-interest first or help the others. Though the fluidity of this change among some of the characters became somewhat repetitive.
Negatives. There are lots of characters and no character list. In the first chapter I knew I was going to struggle with who was who and it doesn't improve as the story goes on and more and more characters are introduced. In the end I decide to keep track of the characters who interest me and treat the others as background because there are too many for me to remember.
The first half of the book is slow. Not helped by the length of the chapters, for example chapter 4 starts on page 70 and finishes on page 126. As someone who reads a chapter a night before going to sleep I found myself dropping off somewhere around page 100 still nowhere near the end. It's also exposition heavy and is not subtle about it.
It felt like the story took a while to find it's own identity and if you read a lot of fantasy / watch fantasy television you may find it a little derivative. Example at the start there's a bit where I was thinking, this is a little bit like the Mines of Moria (Lord of the Rings) and then later on a character says "You know nothing" to another character and if you've watched Game of Thrones you're automatically adding "Jon Snow" to the end of that sentence.
It's a bit of a mixed bag, worth checking out if you're looking for a new read but be ready for a bit of a slog in the beginning. Not a series that I will be following any further.
Positives. On the whole the characters are well written, though I found the protagonist Raythe (ex-nobleman and sorcerer) to be one of the least interesting, however, he is the glue holding everything together. Kemara (the healer or is she?), for me, is the most interesting character and the one that kept me reading. I always wanted more about her.
The second half of the book is a better read than the first half. There is much more actually happening, towards the end perhaps too much and characters are actually doing things rather than talking about doing things.
The story does slowly pull you in, the quest aspect becomes more interesting and the behaviour of the various groups within the band of travellers increases the intrigue as they all decide whether to put their own self-interest first or help the others. Though the fluidity of this change among some of the characters became somewhat repetitive.
Negatives. There are lots of characters and no character list. In the first chapter I knew I was going to struggle with who was who and it doesn't improve as the story goes on and more and more characters are introduced. In the end I decide to keep track of the characters who interest me and treat the others as background because there are too many for me to remember.
The first half of the book is slow. Not helped by the length of the chapters, for example chapter 4 starts on page 70 and finishes on page 126. As someone who reads a chapter a night before going to sleep I found myself dropping off somewhere around page 100 still nowhere near the end. It's also exposition heavy and is not subtle about it.
It felt like the story took a while to find it's own identity and if you read a lot of fantasy / watch fantasy television you may find it a little derivative. Example at the start there's a bit where I was thinking, this is a little bit like the Mines of Moria (Lord of the Rings) and then later on a character says "You know nothing" to another character and if you've watched Game of Thrones you're automatically adding "Jon Snow" to the end of that sentence.
It's a bit of a mixed bag, worth checking out if you're looking for a new read but be ready for a bit of a slog in the beginning. Not a series that I will be following any further.
Want to read
May 27, 2020In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a rather intriguing sounding fantasy release that is set to come out later this year, Map’s Edge by David Hair.
David Hair is a New Zealand-born fantasy author who has been pumping out captivating novels since his 2009 debut, The Bone Tiki. Hair has so far produced four awesome-sounding series, including the Aotearoa series, The Return of Ravana series, The Moontide Quartet and The Sunsurge Quartet. I have had not had the pleasure of reading any of these books yet, although I have heard some good things about them, and a couple have caught my eye in recent years. In particular, I really like the sound of The Sunsurge Quartet, and I will have to try and check it out at some point.
In the meantime, Hair has not slowed down in the slightest, and even after finishing The Sunsurge Quartet earlier this year with Mother of Daemons, he already has another book coming out in a few months’ time. This book is Map’s Edge, which is currently set for release on 13 October 2020. Map’s Edge is the first book in Hair’s new The Tethered Citadel series, which I believe is not connected to any of his previous series or books, and which should hopefully be a good starting point for me to check out this author.
Now you have to admit that this book has a really impressive and exciting plot synopsis. Map’s Edge sounds like it is going to be an awesome and enjoyable book, and I am curious to see how this intriguing story pans out. The whole idea of a rogue wizard conning a whole lot of people in order to take them on an epic quest for power and riches has a lot of potential, and I am anticipating an extremely entertaining and action packed novel, with a lot of fun moments.
Due to the combination of its intriguing plot and the fact that it is a good starting point to check out an author that I am unfamiliar with, I am looking forward to reading this book. Map’s Edge has a cool premise behind it, and I think that it could turn out to be an extremely entertaining novel that I am going to have an amazing time reading, and I cannot wait to see where Hair’s new series goes.
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
David Hair is a New Zealand-born fantasy author who has been pumping out captivating novels since his 2009 debut, The Bone Tiki. Hair has so far produced four awesome-sounding series, including the Aotearoa series, The Return of Ravana series, The Moontide Quartet and The Sunsurge Quartet. I have had not had the pleasure of reading any of these books yet, although I have heard some good things about them, and a couple have caught my eye in recent years. In particular, I really like the sound of The Sunsurge Quartet, and I will have to try and check it out at some point.
In the meantime, Hair has not slowed down in the slightest, and even after finishing The Sunsurge Quartet earlier this year with Mother of Daemons, he already has another book coming out in a few months’ time. This book is Map’s Edge, which is currently set for release on 13 October 2020. Map’s Edge is the first book in Hair’s new The Tethered Citadel series, which I believe is not connected to any of his previous series or books, and which should hopefully be a good starting point for me to check out this author.
Now you have to admit that this book has a really impressive and exciting plot synopsis. Map’s Edge sounds like it is going to be an awesome and enjoyable book, and I am curious to see how this intriguing story pans out. The whole idea of a rogue wizard conning a whole lot of people in order to take them on an epic quest for power and riches has a lot of potential, and I am anticipating an extremely entertaining and action packed novel, with a lot of fun moments.
Due to the combination of its intriguing plot and the fact that it is a good starting point to check out an author that I am unfamiliar with, I am looking forward to reading this book. Map’s Edge has a cool premise behind it, and I think that it could turn out to be an extremely entertaining novel that I am going to have an amazing time reading, and I cannot wait to see where Hair’s new series goes.
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews