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The World Breaker Requiem
Prince of Woe…
Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother’s love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he’s tasked with the recreation of The Raven’s Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.
Daughter of the Mountain…
Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven’s Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true—can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed?
Toll the Hounds…
They are hungry—and they are here.
Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother’s love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he’s tasked with the recreation of The Raven’s Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.
Daughter of the Mountain…
Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven’s Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true—can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed?
Toll the Hounds…
They are hungry—and they are here.
- GenresFantasy
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 21, 2021
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Luke Tarzian
30 books81 followersFantasy Author. Long Doggo Enthusiast. Snoot Booper. Shouter of Profanities. Drinker of Whiskey.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 29, 2021
There are certain dark fantasy books that feel as if you've stepped into the author's nightmare and are along for every excruciating minute of the ride. Well with regard to Luke Tarzian, his nightmares are extremely vivid, utterly engrossing, and filled with stunning imagery and beautiful prose. This sequel to The World Maker Parable is no different. For those not familiar, the two books that make up the Adjacent Monsters series are in effect prequels to Tarzian's main Shadow Twins series (the next installment releases in 2022).
"To save what has been lost, one first must destroy what is yet to be lost."
The opening of THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM follows the two main characters Avaria and Erath as they both seek the legendary sword, The Raven's Rage. This is no ordinary sword mind you, for this is a weapon that when wielded in a certain way, has the ability to alter history and time itself. As they journey to the dead city of Banerowos in search of this all powerful artifact, it becomes clear that each has their own reason for wanting to erase their past deeds, but an even more nagging question is what really will be the ultimate consequences of daring to perform such a literally life-changing deed? And do either of them have the nerve to actually go through with it?
This was another crazy intense dark fantasy romp from Luke Tarzian. I always tell myself that I'm not going to be shocked by anything that Tarzian pulls from his deeply dark and creative mind, and yet it never fails that I am consistently wrong on that account. It shouldn't come as a surprise anymore really. Tarzian's trademarks at this point are his incredible world-building, and a fluid writing style that makes his imagery come to life in the most striking of ways. You can almost feel the pain and misery that these characters are put through against the gorgeously stark and desolate landscape that is Tarzian's cheerless funereal world.
And yet there's also an underlying thread, ever so slight maybe, but still very present. That thread is consistent throughout this book and many of the books that Tarzian writes. It's a desire that his characters have to see the hope in even the most direst of circumstances and the feeling that things can be changed no matter how unbalanced the odds. It's what makes these books worth reading. If it were all hopelessness and gloomy, what would be the point to it all? There has to be something worth saving or holding on to, otherwise I wouldn't care a whit about any of these characters and their individual stories. Tarzian makes you care about every single one and delivers it with breathtaking prose that demands your undivided attention. And when it all comes together, the results are both heartbreaking and uplifting.
THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM is just another in what is becoming a long line of captivating stories from Luke Tarzian. It was a pleasure to read and as a huge dark fantasy fan, it really moved me up to and including the final page. I've become such a devotee of both of these series and love how they are intertwined and structured in such a way that we get glimpses of what came before even as we are totally engaged in what is taking place currently. It's such a cool way to deliver a story and it is why every chapter needs the reader's complete and total focus to reap the overall reward.
I guess by now you can tell that I very much enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a great dark fantasy read, you really can't go wrong with Luke Tarzian's Adjacent Monsters and Shadow Twins series. Just a warning, once you pick one of his books up you are going to want to read everything by him. Because ultimately the stories in each book build off each other and create such a wonderful tapestry that is difficult to match.
"To save what has been lost, one first must destroy what is yet to be lost."
The opening of THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM follows the two main characters Avaria and Erath as they both seek the legendary sword, The Raven's Rage. This is no ordinary sword mind you, for this is a weapon that when wielded in a certain way, has the ability to alter history and time itself. As they journey to the dead city of Banerowos in search of this all powerful artifact, it becomes clear that each has their own reason for wanting to erase their past deeds, but an even more nagging question is what really will be the ultimate consequences of daring to perform such a literally life-changing deed? And do either of them have the nerve to actually go through with it?
This was another crazy intense dark fantasy romp from Luke Tarzian. I always tell myself that I'm not going to be shocked by anything that Tarzian pulls from his deeply dark and creative mind, and yet it never fails that I am consistently wrong on that account. It shouldn't come as a surprise anymore really. Tarzian's trademarks at this point are his incredible world-building, and a fluid writing style that makes his imagery come to life in the most striking of ways. You can almost feel the pain and misery that these characters are put through against the gorgeously stark and desolate landscape that is Tarzian's cheerless funereal world.
And yet there's also an underlying thread, ever so slight maybe, but still very present. That thread is consistent throughout this book and many of the books that Tarzian writes. It's a desire that his characters have to see the hope in even the most direst of circumstances and the feeling that things can be changed no matter how unbalanced the odds. It's what makes these books worth reading. If it were all hopelessness and gloomy, what would be the point to it all? There has to be something worth saving or holding on to, otherwise I wouldn't care a whit about any of these characters and their individual stories. Tarzian makes you care about every single one and delivers it with breathtaking prose that demands your undivided attention. And when it all comes together, the results are both heartbreaking and uplifting.
THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM is just another in what is becoming a long line of captivating stories from Luke Tarzian. It was a pleasure to read and as a huge dark fantasy fan, it really moved me up to and including the final page. I've become such a devotee of both of these series and love how they are intertwined and structured in such a way that we get glimpses of what came before even as we are totally engaged in what is taking place currently. It's such a cool way to deliver a story and it is why every chapter needs the reader's complete and total focus to reap the overall reward.
I guess by now you can tell that I very much enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a great dark fantasy read, you really can't go wrong with Luke Tarzian's Adjacent Monsters and Shadow Twins series. Just a warning, once you pick one of his books up you are going to want to read everything by him. Because ultimately the stories in each book build off each other and create such a wonderful tapestry that is difficult to match.
April 18, 2022
Absolutely incredible! I honestly think every time I pick up a book by Luke Tarzian, it will be something special and this book is no exception! Be prepared to once again enter a world of dreams, melancholy, memory and also some of the most beautiful prose I have ever read.
A full review will be on the blog soon as part of The Write Reads Tour coming up soon.
A full review will be on the blog soon as part of The Write Reads Tour coming up soon.
February 22, 2022
Review first posted at FanFiAddict. 10/10.
The World Breaker Requiem has a pulse of its own. Tarzian paints a twisted and melancholic picture, revealing its dark secrets and simmering menace with the utmost patience.
Set in the same world as his full-length debut Vultures, Requiem is the second standalone in the Adjacent Monsters prequel series. As someone who hasn’t read Vultures yet, I found that starting with the prequel series was a good entry into the world. I did read the first book, The World Maker Parable, and it earned high marks for it’s enthralling, stunningly evocative personal look into morality, redemption, and the lies we tell ourselves. Before I dive in further, if you’re interested in reading my review for Parable, it can be found here.
“This place is but a moment in a time long dead and we are naught but ghosts.”
Requiem is a testament to Tarzian’s ability to craft an engaging story, weaving introspection and symbolism with skill and breathing new life into genre fiction. Written in his signature style of dreamlike and sometimes enigmatic voice and form, the return to Ariath was a blazing success. The intention behind pacing in various portions is really quite impressive and is something that cannot be rushed. The writing conveys so much depth and meaning in so little words.
This is storytelling at its finest from god-things and dead cities to magic and monstrous beings, multiple threads uniting, names within names, tangled histories, shadow twins, sinful manifestations, and fragmented realities. If I have learned anything it’s that I can always count on Tarzian to deliver the unpredictable. With his stories, you’ll commonly hear “it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read” and there is a lot of truth there. His gift to his readers is the unexpected, a heartachingly beautiful manifestation of dreams and nightmares, scenes of poetic lamentations.
The synopsis gives a great description of what Requiem is about. On their journey to find The Raven’s Rage, a legendary blade that is the key to rewriting history, Avaria and Erath find themselves facing their own nightmares. All roads lead toward the cursed forest filled with the souls of the restless, the one that surrounds the ruins of Banerowos, the forsaken city where it all began.
“I am timeless, though my soul has felt the wax and wane of millennia as I watch realities rise and fall.”
As someone who spends a lot of time inside their own mind, like these characters do, the heavy presence of whatever is consuming our waking moments can be relentlessly callous. Introspection can have the habit of breaching all comfort and security because it makes us confront the core of things. The Poe-esque manner in which this was all represented worked really well for me. I felt the desperation to unleash their heavy burdens while questioning who they really were. They were made of memories, transformed by their past, their souls crying out to be remembered. Each character wanted something different in their desire to rewrite the past, with most wanting to feel worthy in the eyes of those they once loved. That hits home because I lost my mother eleven years ago and there is never a day that goes by when I wonder if she would be proud of the woman I’ve become. There are days when my memory of her feels distant, as if her time on this earthly plane was but wisp in the air, an echo in the wind.
“We are all of us prey to the world maker parable.”
It’s not always the external monsters that are the scariest, but it’s the look deep inside our human psyche that can be scariest of all. When you reflect upon what he was trying to capture, you can really appreciate the brilliance of Adjacent Monsters. Each story feels like its own entity and yet they’re interconnected in this natural, delicate manner. The stories that his mind creates are brilliantly dark yet you can feel the tenderness and heart within every word. It’s exactly the dark fantasy that I have been searching years for which is why Luke Tarzian is a universal treasure and must be protected at all costs.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Shown on page and alluded to: Depression, Anxiety, Guilt, Loss, Death, Anger, Alcohol
I wanted to close by giving a huge thanks to Escapist Book Tours for allowing me the opportunity to join the book tour. They’re doing great work for the indie book community. I received a reading copy and this did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
The World Breaker Requiem has a pulse of its own. Tarzian paints a twisted and melancholic picture, revealing its dark secrets and simmering menace with the utmost patience.
Set in the same world as his full-length debut Vultures, Requiem is the second standalone in the Adjacent Monsters prequel series. As someone who hasn’t read Vultures yet, I found that starting with the prequel series was a good entry into the world. I did read the first book, The World Maker Parable, and it earned high marks for it’s enthralling, stunningly evocative personal look into morality, redemption, and the lies we tell ourselves. Before I dive in further, if you’re interested in reading my review for Parable, it can be found here.
“This place is but a moment in a time long dead and we are naught but ghosts.”
Requiem is a testament to Tarzian’s ability to craft an engaging story, weaving introspection and symbolism with skill and breathing new life into genre fiction. Written in his signature style of dreamlike and sometimes enigmatic voice and form, the return to Ariath was a blazing success. The intention behind pacing in various portions is really quite impressive and is something that cannot be rushed. The writing conveys so much depth and meaning in so little words.
This is storytelling at its finest from god-things and dead cities to magic and monstrous beings, multiple threads uniting, names within names, tangled histories, shadow twins, sinful manifestations, and fragmented realities. If I have learned anything it’s that I can always count on Tarzian to deliver the unpredictable. With his stories, you’ll commonly hear “it’s unlike anything I’ve ever read” and there is a lot of truth there. His gift to his readers is the unexpected, a heartachingly beautiful manifestation of dreams and nightmares, scenes of poetic lamentations.
The synopsis gives a great description of what Requiem is about. On their journey to find The Raven’s Rage, a legendary blade that is the key to rewriting history, Avaria and Erath find themselves facing their own nightmares. All roads lead toward the cursed forest filled with the souls of the restless, the one that surrounds the ruins of Banerowos, the forsaken city where it all began.
“I am timeless, though my soul has felt the wax and wane of millennia as I watch realities rise and fall.”
As someone who spends a lot of time inside their own mind, like these characters do, the heavy presence of whatever is consuming our waking moments can be relentlessly callous. Introspection can have the habit of breaching all comfort and security because it makes us confront the core of things. The Poe-esque manner in which this was all represented worked really well for me. I felt the desperation to unleash their heavy burdens while questioning who they really were. They were made of memories, transformed by their past, their souls crying out to be remembered. Each character wanted something different in their desire to rewrite the past, with most wanting to feel worthy in the eyes of those they once loved. That hits home because I lost my mother eleven years ago and there is never a day that goes by when I wonder if she would be proud of the woman I’ve become. There are days when my memory of her feels distant, as if her time on this earthly plane was but wisp in the air, an echo in the wind.
“We are all of us prey to the world maker parable.”
It’s not always the external monsters that are the scariest, but it’s the look deep inside our human psyche that can be scariest of all. When you reflect upon what he was trying to capture, you can really appreciate the brilliance of Adjacent Monsters. Each story feels like its own entity and yet they’re interconnected in this natural, delicate manner. The stories that his mind creates are brilliantly dark yet you can feel the tenderness and heart within every word. It’s exactly the dark fantasy that I have been searching years for which is why Luke Tarzian is a universal treasure and must be protected at all costs.
Content/Trigger Warnings: Shown on page and alluded to: Depression, Anxiety, Guilt, Loss, Death, Anger, Alcohol
I wanted to close by giving a huge thanks to Escapist Book Tours for allowing me the opportunity to join the book tour. They’re doing great work for the indie book community. I received a reading copy and this did not influence my thoughts or opinions.
January 14, 2022
I LOVED THIS BOOK! There is no other way for me to start this review than to say that. I’ve loved every one of Tarzian’s books so far, but I have to say that The World Breaker Requiem is peak Tarzian.
The first time I read Requiem, I spent a couple of hours just sitting there processing how amazing this book was.
The second time I read it, I was just as swept away as the first time.
The third time, I was still finding new bits to fall in love with.
As with The World Maker Parable, this really is a book that you have to experience and I think that is exemplified by the fact that every time I’ve read this book, I’ve been struck by different lines, different imagery that has given me pause. I feel as though I could read this book a dozen times more (and to be fair, I probably will) and still find new moments to hook me in. Another aspect that adds to that re-readability, and one of the reasons I love Tarzian’s books is just how powerful and lasting the emotional impact of the story is, and how it has landed each and every time and how I feel as though I am still unspooling that particular thread of the book. I wish that I could bottle the feelings that Requiem provoked because they are so profound, so complicated – that as raw as they can be, I want to experience them all and keep experiencing them as long as possible.
“I found myself by losing hope.”
That emotional impact links in with another reason why I think The World Breaker Requiem lands so well, and that is amongst the emotions and the almost dream-like feeling that Tarzian conjures with his words, there are nuggets of truth like the quote above. Phrases. Moments. That just hit like a gut-punch, because they’re raw and real. Anchors of truth, in a nightmare of lies and illusions, deceptions and buried memories.
“The mind is a dangerous place. Quite disordered, as you can see.” His expression darkened. “Especially when your dreams and memories braid together with those belonging to a monster.”
As I’ve said before I absolutely love how Tarzian writes, and one aspect of that which was really highlighted for me in Requiem was how he uses the repetition of certain motifs, phrases or even words, both throughout the entire book or in the space of a page. I love how it highlights key moments and emotions, offering subtle threads of connection, both within the book itself and in the series as a whole, but it also deepens the emotional impact of key moments – leaving you with the feeling that the words and the emotions they conjure are sinking into your soul.
There has always been a wonderfully complex sense of humanity to Tarzian’s books. Amongst the fantastical elements, the bending of reality and time itself, and the intertwining of different timelines, this is a very human story – and I feel as though that shines even brighter in Requiem. Part of that is due to the characters, who we’ve seen in so many emotional states and stages of their own individual stories, as well as part of the overarching cycles – and Tarzian knows how to create living, breathing characters who are as complex and multi-faceted as the world he’s weaved around them. There are those who flee from their past, trying to forget it, those who have forgotten, and those who face it, or stumble into it – some who seem almost caught in a web of their own making, and others desperately forging a path forward – and a thousand shades of grey between them all in a world that would break them all. But, they all have reasons to keep going – threads of hope even in the darkest moments, goals and dreams – and it leaves us as the reader rooting for them, unable to look away even as the darkness reaches its zenith.
The characterisation has always been there, but that feeling of humanity reaches another level here because the characters are searching for a way to fix the past. This has been an ongoing theme, but with characters striking out to find a legendary sword with the power to alter history and time itself, and with glimpses across the Temporal sea, it takes centre stage here.
“To save what has been lost, one first must destroy what is yet to be lost.”
In Requiem Tarzian and the characters asks questions that can’t help but resonate with readers.What price would you be willing to pay if you could change the past? If you could fix the world? Is it worth destroying the world as it is, to go back or forward to a hoped-for ideal? How many of us have pondered that in the quiet moments, how many of us have those moments we would like to undo, a choice that we would see undone? Made all the more raw and real, by the fact that we’ve experienced what the characters have gone through – what they’ve done, or had done to them, and what they’ve lost – so it is impossible not to feel the pull they have towards the potential to be able to save what has been lost because it feels as though we have lost it too. Yet, at the same time, we have also been shown the dangers of messing with the Temporal sea, the warnings of what must be sacrificed, and as the book reaches the crescendo there is very much the feeling that everything rests on A knife-edge – with hope drawn like a hair across a sharp blade, waiting to see if it will be split – and it’s just fantastic to experience.
Also, as an aside and something that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before in my reviews of these books, is that I love the names – both of the characters and the places. Again, there is that lyrical nature that is so prevalent in Tarzian’s language, and they’re not always the easiest to remember – Requiem requires focus – but there is just something so fitting about all the names, puzzle pieces that fit into the whole.
Tarzian had already become a favourite, must-read author for me, but The World Breaker Requiem has well and truly cemented that, as I loved every single dark, twisted, consuming moment of this book. This is how dark fantasy should be done, and it’s delicious, and yes it does demand one hundred per cent of your attention all the way through, but the payoff is simply sublime. If you haven’t tried Tarzian’s work yet then you are truly missing out.
The first time I read Requiem, I spent a couple of hours just sitting there processing how amazing this book was.
The second time I read it, I was just as swept away as the first time.
The third time, I was still finding new bits to fall in love with.
As with The World Maker Parable, this really is a book that you have to experience and I think that is exemplified by the fact that every time I’ve read this book, I’ve been struck by different lines, different imagery that has given me pause. I feel as though I could read this book a dozen times more (and to be fair, I probably will) and still find new moments to hook me in. Another aspect that adds to that re-readability, and one of the reasons I love Tarzian’s books is just how powerful and lasting the emotional impact of the story is, and how it has landed each and every time and how I feel as though I am still unspooling that particular thread of the book. I wish that I could bottle the feelings that Requiem provoked because they are so profound, so complicated – that as raw as they can be, I want to experience them all and keep experiencing them as long as possible.
“I found myself by losing hope.”
That emotional impact links in with another reason why I think The World Breaker Requiem lands so well, and that is amongst the emotions and the almost dream-like feeling that Tarzian conjures with his words, there are nuggets of truth like the quote above. Phrases. Moments. That just hit like a gut-punch, because they’re raw and real. Anchors of truth, in a nightmare of lies and illusions, deceptions and buried memories.
“The mind is a dangerous place. Quite disordered, as you can see.” His expression darkened. “Especially when your dreams and memories braid together with those belonging to a monster.”
As I’ve said before I absolutely love how Tarzian writes, and one aspect of that which was really highlighted for me in Requiem was how he uses the repetition of certain motifs, phrases or even words, both throughout the entire book or in the space of a page. I love how it highlights key moments and emotions, offering subtle threads of connection, both within the book itself and in the series as a whole, but it also deepens the emotional impact of key moments – leaving you with the feeling that the words and the emotions they conjure are sinking into your soul.
There has always been a wonderfully complex sense of humanity to Tarzian’s books. Amongst the fantastical elements, the bending of reality and time itself, and the intertwining of different timelines, this is a very human story – and I feel as though that shines even brighter in Requiem. Part of that is due to the characters, who we’ve seen in so many emotional states and stages of their own individual stories, as well as part of the overarching cycles – and Tarzian knows how to create living, breathing characters who are as complex and multi-faceted as the world he’s weaved around them. There are those who flee from their past, trying to forget it, those who have forgotten, and those who face it, or stumble into it – some who seem almost caught in a web of their own making, and others desperately forging a path forward – and a thousand shades of grey between them all in a world that would break them all. But, they all have reasons to keep going – threads of hope even in the darkest moments, goals and dreams – and it leaves us as the reader rooting for them, unable to look away even as the darkness reaches its zenith.
The characterisation has always been there, but that feeling of humanity reaches another level here because the characters are searching for a way to fix the past. This has been an ongoing theme, but with characters striking out to find a legendary sword with the power to alter history and time itself, and with glimpses across the Temporal sea, it takes centre stage here.
“To save what has been lost, one first must destroy what is yet to be lost.”
In Requiem Tarzian and the characters asks questions that can’t help but resonate with readers.What price would you be willing to pay if you could change the past? If you could fix the world? Is it worth destroying the world as it is, to go back or forward to a hoped-for ideal? How many of us have pondered that in the quiet moments, how many of us have those moments we would like to undo, a choice that we would see undone? Made all the more raw and real, by the fact that we’ve experienced what the characters have gone through – what they’ve done, or had done to them, and what they’ve lost – so it is impossible not to feel the pull they have towards the potential to be able to save what has been lost because it feels as though we have lost it too. Yet, at the same time, we have also been shown the dangers of messing with the Temporal sea, the warnings of what must be sacrificed, and as the book reaches the crescendo there is very much the feeling that everything rests on A knife-edge – with hope drawn like a hair across a sharp blade, waiting to see if it will be split – and it’s just fantastic to experience.
Also, as an aside and something that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before in my reviews of these books, is that I love the names – both of the characters and the places. Again, there is that lyrical nature that is so prevalent in Tarzian’s language, and they’re not always the easiest to remember – Requiem requires focus – but there is just something so fitting about all the names, puzzle pieces that fit into the whole.
Tarzian had already become a favourite, must-read author for me, but The World Breaker Requiem has well and truly cemented that, as I loved every single dark, twisted, consuming moment of this book. This is how dark fantasy should be done, and it’s delicious, and yes it does demand one hundred per cent of your attention all the way through, but the payoff is simply sublime. If you haven’t tried Tarzian’s work yet then you are truly missing out.
April 24, 2022
A highly enjoyable, fast paced dark fantasy following the adventures of Avaria Norrith, the heir to the Ariathan throne, in his quest to find 'the raven’s edge, a sword which if it were in a video game would most certainly be labeled as ridiculously ‘OP (over powered)’. Basically if you have this thing, you win the game, the story, life, whatever it may be.
A masterfully written piece that shows that dark fantasy doesn’t have be a gigantically long, slow-paced affair and that a good author can tell a truly captivating tale in a very short space of time. This is quality over quantity and a big recommendation from me.
A masterfully written piece that shows that dark fantasy doesn’t have be a gigantically long, slow-paced affair and that a good author can tell a truly captivating tale in a very short space of time. This is quality over quantity and a big recommendation from me.
February 24, 2022
The World Breaker Requiem is the second in a duology of standalone novellas, the first being The World Maker Parable. I have read all of Tarzian’s books up to this point and I continue to be a huge fan of his. You can read my previous reviews of both Vultures and The World Maker Parable here and here, respectively.
I sit, now, in the courtyard of a spire-keep and do as I have done for years— I Listen. To a prelude long and dark. A herald to a symphony of broken dreams.
While it is set in (mostly) the same world, there’s a cast of (mostly) new characters that have (mostly) new motivations and goals. I’m being facetious of course, but one of the things that tie the series together are the group of god-like beings called the Reshapers and their magic, which can both create and destroy, as well as allow them to travel through time. Because of this, certain characters play a huge role in both books and you will see certain motifs, such as regret, guilt, vengeance, and greed appear throughout the duology.
Requiem starts with a quest, but it’s a far cry from traditional fantasy. In fact, the quest itself really has nothing to do with what makes this book so good. The main characters each start out with the intention of finding a sword that can be used to rewrite time. This central question, what would you do to fix past mistakes, is ever at the core of the narrative and the way that is woven into the narrative itself is what drives the story forward. Avaria and Erath are each trying to fix a broken world and bring back those that were lost to it, but are either of them actually in control? And, are their motivations for their own or just a product of someone else’s machinations?
“The mind is a dangerous place. Quite disordered, as you can see.” His expression darkened. “Especially when your dreams and memories braid together with those belonging to a monster.”
I may have said this in a previous review, but I think Requiem‘s biggest success is also its biggest fault, and that’s sheer complexity of the narrative. Now, I am normally a plot reader through and through, preferring a tightly plotted narrative to one driven by the characters. I love to sit and puzzle out the mysteries of a story, but The World Breaker Requiem may be too esoteric for its own good. Don’t get me wrong, it has everything I enjoy in a story in spades, but I feel like Tarzian sometimes gets lost in the weeds, where the message he wants to deliver, the parable if you will, takes precedence over the plot. Though, I think that Tarzian goes into writing with a message in mind, with the story simply being the vehicle through which it is delivered and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Storytelling is at its best when it is used to explore ourselves and Tarzian’s writing is an excellent example of such.
The World Breaker Requiem marks my third Tarzian book (I’ve collected the whole set!) and it’s the best one yet. Rarely have I found an author that has improved with every subsequent release, but Tarzian has managed just that, all while developing a truly unique voice. Tarzian is a modern day Poe, weaving together strands of dark fantasy with an in-depth exploration of his characters psyches and I just can’t get enough of it. Bring on House of Muir.
“I have tried many times before—and each time, I have failed. So many names. So many children. So much death. My legacy, my child, is destruction, failure.”
I sit, now, in the courtyard of a spire-keep and do as I have done for years— I Listen. To a prelude long and dark. A herald to a symphony of broken dreams.
While it is set in (mostly) the same world, there’s a cast of (mostly) new characters that have (mostly) new motivations and goals. I’m being facetious of course, but one of the things that tie the series together are the group of god-like beings called the Reshapers and their magic, which can both create and destroy, as well as allow them to travel through time. Because of this, certain characters play a huge role in both books and you will see certain motifs, such as regret, guilt, vengeance, and greed appear throughout the duology.
Requiem starts with a quest, but it’s a far cry from traditional fantasy. In fact, the quest itself really has nothing to do with what makes this book so good. The main characters each start out with the intention of finding a sword that can be used to rewrite time. This central question, what would you do to fix past mistakes, is ever at the core of the narrative and the way that is woven into the narrative itself is what drives the story forward. Avaria and Erath are each trying to fix a broken world and bring back those that were lost to it, but are either of them actually in control? And, are their motivations for their own or just a product of someone else’s machinations?
“The mind is a dangerous place. Quite disordered, as you can see.” His expression darkened. “Especially when your dreams and memories braid together with those belonging to a monster.”
I may have said this in a previous review, but I think Requiem‘s biggest success is also its biggest fault, and that’s sheer complexity of the narrative. Now, I am normally a plot reader through and through, preferring a tightly plotted narrative to one driven by the characters. I love to sit and puzzle out the mysteries of a story, but The World Breaker Requiem may be too esoteric for its own good. Don’t get me wrong, it has everything I enjoy in a story in spades, but I feel like Tarzian sometimes gets lost in the weeds, where the message he wants to deliver, the parable if you will, takes precedence over the plot. Though, I think that Tarzian goes into writing with a message in mind, with the story simply being the vehicle through which it is delivered and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Storytelling is at its best when it is used to explore ourselves and Tarzian’s writing is an excellent example of such.
The World Breaker Requiem marks my third Tarzian book (I’ve collected the whole set!) and it’s the best one yet. Rarely have I found an author that has improved with every subsequent release, but Tarzian has managed just that, all while developing a truly unique voice. Tarzian is a modern day Poe, weaving together strands of dark fantasy with an in-depth exploration of his characters psyches and I just can’t get enough of it. Bring on House of Muir.
“I have tried many times before—and each time, I have failed. So many names. So many children. So much death. My legacy, my child, is destruction, failure.”
December 23, 2021
We need to talk about Luke!
From the first time that I read Vultures, I was hooked on Luke Tarzian and his approach to storytelling. It is just utterly stunning!
He is some sort of mad genius that creates these mindmashingly, surrealistic landscapes that just grab you by the face and suck you right in. I am totally in awe.
And his latest creation is again that Frankenstein monster of utter brilliance.
The World Breaker Requiem is the second standalone novel of The Adjacent Monsters series, which is a prequel to the Shadow Twins Series.
The story revolves around two characters, Avaria and Erath as they search for the legendary sword The Raven’s Rage, The sword of a world maker that can turn the tides of the temporal sea and thus alter history and events. As the main characters journey to the heart of the dead city Banerowos, each of the protagonists must come face to face with their own motivations and overcome trials (including being dead at one point) in order to reach the fabled sword.
I have to say, that I think the World Breaker Requiem is Luke Tarzian’s best work, and I was completely blown away by the levels of complexity that he has managed to write into this story. The prose has an almost hallucinatory quality to it, and sometimes you may get a little lost in all the unrelentingly mind bending prose and adjustments in timelines, but he writes with a stark rawness of the soul that you cannot help but fall into a trance at the brilliance of it.
Luke Tarzian’s books are utterly unique and I don’t think that I have ever read anything before or since like them. At times they can have the wild abandon of Burroughs and the like, but there is always an underlying feeling of humanity at the heart of it.
His characters are just amazing, at times confusing as they take on different aspects of past lives, multiple lives and interdimensional lives.
But what I also love is the surreal absurdity of the narrative with which Luke Tarzian peppers throughout the book. There are some really fine pieces of black humour throughout the book, which whilst it is classed of Dark Fantasy, there are lots of moments of light heartedness in the story, like the relationship with Avaria and Geph.
And whilst this isn’t run of the mill fantasy, Luke Tarzian does incorporate many recognisable aspects of fantasy fiction and twists them for his own evil misdeeds, for instance using a magically imbibed sword to turn back time, or the main characters going on a quest. In addition there is the main evil big bad Te Mirkvahil.
Throughout the story, Luke Tarzian makes an effective use of recurring distinctive features, such as recurring words and sentences. In all honesty, it took me a little while to catch on to this device, but when I did it added to the impact of the story by increasing the emotive quality of it.
I did read the book twice (and generally do with Luke Tarzian’s books) as there is so much that can be missed in the first experience, you start to pick out bits that you missed on the first time round, and even the second time around to be honest. I think I tend to just digest the story when I first read it and then as it becomes more familiar I can pick things out and determine aspects of the story.
To say that I like these books is an understatement. I cannot hide my utter delight at the way that Luke Tarzian manipulates common tropes. His story is malleable and twists and turns to ways that you don’t expect, moving forwards, backwards and even to the side
From the first time that I read Vultures, I was hooked on Luke Tarzian and his approach to storytelling. It is just utterly stunning!
He is some sort of mad genius that creates these mindmashingly, surrealistic landscapes that just grab you by the face and suck you right in. I am totally in awe.
And his latest creation is again that Frankenstein monster of utter brilliance.
The World Breaker Requiem is the second standalone novel of The Adjacent Monsters series, which is a prequel to the Shadow Twins Series.
The story revolves around two characters, Avaria and Erath as they search for the legendary sword The Raven’s Rage, The sword of a world maker that can turn the tides of the temporal sea and thus alter history and events. As the main characters journey to the heart of the dead city Banerowos, each of the protagonists must come face to face with their own motivations and overcome trials (including being dead at one point) in order to reach the fabled sword.
I have to say, that I think the World Breaker Requiem is Luke Tarzian’s best work, and I was completely blown away by the levels of complexity that he has managed to write into this story. The prose has an almost hallucinatory quality to it, and sometimes you may get a little lost in all the unrelentingly mind bending prose and adjustments in timelines, but he writes with a stark rawness of the soul that you cannot help but fall into a trance at the brilliance of it.
Luke Tarzian’s books are utterly unique and I don’t think that I have ever read anything before or since like them. At times they can have the wild abandon of Burroughs and the like, but there is always an underlying feeling of humanity at the heart of it.
His characters are just amazing, at times confusing as they take on different aspects of past lives, multiple lives and interdimensional lives.
But what I also love is the surreal absurdity of the narrative with which Luke Tarzian peppers throughout the book. There are some really fine pieces of black humour throughout the book, which whilst it is classed of Dark Fantasy, there are lots of moments of light heartedness in the story, like the relationship with Avaria and Geph.
And whilst this isn’t run of the mill fantasy, Luke Tarzian does incorporate many recognisable aspects of fantasy fiction and twists them for his own evil misdeeds, for instance using a magically imbibed sword to turn back time, or the main characters going on a quest. In addition there is the main evil big bad Te Mirkvahil.
Throughout the story, Luke Tarzian makes an effective use of recurring distinctive features, such as recurring words and sentences. In all honesty, it took me a little while to catch on to this device, but when I did it added to the impact of the story by increasing the emotive quality of it.
I did read the book twice (and generally do with Luke Tarzian’s books) as there is so much that can be missed in the first experience, you start to pick out bits that you missed on the first time round, and even the second time around to be honest. I think I tend to just digest the story when I first read it and then as it becomes more familiar I can pick things out and determine aspects of the story.
To say that I like these books is an understatement. I cannot hide my utter delight at the way that Luke Tarzian manipulates common tropes. His story is malleable and twists and turns to ways that you don’t expect, moving forwards, backwards and even to the side
March 16, 2022
I can’t say I’ve read anything like this book. Dream-like, surreal and haunting, Tarzian has crafted a hallucinatory nightmare of a novel. Prose that creeps into the darkest recesses of your mind and brings forth emotions and images in a way only he can.
Something else I love is the way Tarzian handles tropes. He not only subverts them, but advances them. Never once did it feel like a deconstruction but an evolution. Dark fantasy with a heart.
The characters come to life off the pages as they cross dimensions and time. At times I felt lost but it all came together for me. I will definitely be re-reading soon as I’m sure there’s plenty I missed. But that isn’t a complaint to me, it’s quite the opposite.
All in all, The World Breaker Requiem is a trippy, uncompromising, dark fantasy, laced with black humor and a lot of imagination. Fans of Clayton Snyder and Michael R Fletcher will be right at home.
Something else I love is the way Tarzian handles tropes. He not only subverts them, but advances them. Never once did it feel like a deconstruction but an evolution. Dark fantasy with a heart.
The characters come to life off the pages as they cross dimensions and time. At times I felt lost but it all came together for me. I will definitely be re-reading soon as I’m sure there’s plenty I missed. But that isn’t a complaint to me, it’s quite the opposite.
All in all, The World Breaker Requiem is a trippy, uncompromising, dark fantasy, laced with black humor and a lot of imagination. Fans of Clayton Snyder and Michael R Fletcher will be right at home.
February 19, 2022
4 1/2 stars
The World Breaker Requiem, by Luke Tarzian, was probably the most unusual fantasy novel I have read. I will say that after reading it, it is not the type of fantasy I normally read. There was magic, world building, and well-developed characters that are typical parts of fantasy novels. It was, however, very dark, more so than many grimdark fantasies I have read. Since the dark, desolate world was difficult for me, I will rate this book on what I feel the author wanted to accomplish as I feel would be unfair to rate it any other way. It is perfect for anyone who enjoys dark, psychological fantasy. I was also reading this book when we received news that the brother of one of our closest friends passed away from COVID. That certainly could have added to my reaction to novel. My reaction is complicated, especially after reading Mr. Tarzian’s Acknowledgements and the place where he himself was at when he wrote the book. It put quite a bit into perspective. Readers of this review should not interpret this as a dislike of the book. The opposite is true, this book is remarkably brilliant in how it is written.
When I started reading The World Breaker Requiem, I felt as if I was stepping into a Salvatore Dali painting. It was surreal, and like the painter himself, brilliant. The world and many of the characters are unlike any other in fantasy. They are bizarre, dark, desolate, and depressing. Like a Dali painting, reality is distorted. We meet one of the main protagonists, Avaria Norrith, who has a contentious relationship with his mother, the queen. She sends him on a journey to recreate the sword, The Raven’s Rage, which could re-write history and set their world right. At the same time, the second protagonist, Erath, sets out to find the blade in hopes of helping her people, confined underground for the misuse of the blade. Both want to make everything right again; bring back those that were lost in wars, the cities in ruin. Avaria has a longhound companion, Geph, who can speak, but does not accompany him on his journey. Avaria dreams, and ends up in dream worlds where he meets people and receives cryptic messages. The most disturbing to Geph was one about sinhounds. Unleashed, they will wreak havoc on the world. Geph would know, he is one and committed untold horror:
“Geph wept at her feet. She had died peacefully-they all had, with grins stretched wide across their faces. It horrified him; the joy of corpses wormed its way inside his mind, tattooed itself to Geph so he would never forget what had transpired this day-what he had done this day.” Luke Tarzian, The World Breaker Requiem
When the journey begins, the book takes an unusual turn. Avaria travels to abandoned cities, meets strange beings. He runs into Erath, whom he knows, and they travel together. The travels are wrought with meeting these strange people, some are disguised gods. The sheer amount of characters Mr. Tarzian created is amazing, each with their own personality and agenda. I will admit, at times, it was hard to follow some, as they disguised themselves as others our protagonists knew. They get separated, more abandoned cities, realms in between reality and death. Where they travel is desolate, brings despair, and confusion to them both. They come to cities to destroyed by the sinhounds and could only stare at the horror the beasts brought.
“What must this place have looked like once? Before it fell, before rock and snow consumed it for their own. Erath assumed it had been beautiful…Her fingers brushed the wall of a small structure; she winced-a distant wail kissed the depth of her mind. Touched the wall again, longer this time; the wail turned to shrieks…What happened here?” Luke Tarzian, The World Breaker Requiem
What shines in this book is the prose. Although it is dark, it is beautiful and poetic. As we follow the characters, we feel their despair, their longing, their hope. We see the horrors they see, the confusion as to what has happened in the places they travel too. The writing elicits a visceral response. I felt very alone, like the characters. I felt their despair. I felt hopeless as I read this novel. While not my usual read, I can certainly appreciate the brilliance of Mr. Tarzain’s writing. It did not quite hit me until after I finished it. The feelings I had lingered and I felt, for lack of a better word, empty. This is exactly what The World Breaker Requiem was supposed to do. The description of the book is a dark and psychological fantasy, and this certainly accomplished its goal. Poetry takes on many forms, and in this novel, within the writing, the prose is stunningly grim and beautiful at the same time. How? I’ve always maintained that good writing elicits a response from the reader. For me, the writing touched me very deeply, feeling everything the characters did. I wanted their despair and desolation to end. To Mr. Tarzian, thank you for showing me a very different, albeit dark, side of fantasy.
Overall Thoughts
The World Breaker Requiem, a dark, psychological fantasy, is masterfully written by Luke Tarzian. This was my first exposure to his writing. While not my usual fantasy read, the writing was deeply effective, and draws the reader into this surreal world. There are many worlds, some real, some dreams, and still others that straddle reality, dream worlds and even death. Each is amazingly crafted to bring together this story of trying to remake the world. I think perhaps this is a reflection of what many of us long for. What if we could reset our world? What if we could bring back those who are lost? The despair and desolation in this novel are like a mirror for us. In it, we see how we feel when we lose someone we love, or feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. If one steps back from the fantasy element, I felt this is what Mr. Tarzian was communicating. In the surreal worlds and beautifully dark poetic prose, he captures those feelings as we read the characters journeys. We so desperately want them to accomplish their goals. For if they do, perhaps not all is lost. I highly recommend The World Breaker Requiem for anyone who loves dark, psychological fantasy. You will not be disappointed in this novel.
Full review here: https://bookandnatureprofessor.com/20...
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The World Breaker Requiem, by Luke Tarzian, was probably the most unusual fantasy novel I have read. I will say that after reading it, it is not the type of fantasy I normally read. There was magic, world building, and well-developed characters that are typical parts of fantasy novels. It was, however, very dark, more so than many grimdark fantasies I have read. Since the dark, desolate world was difficult for me, I will rate this book on what I feel the author wanted to accomplish as I feel would be unfair to rate it any other way. It is perfect for anyone who enjoys dark, psychological fantasy. I was also reading this book when we received news that the brother of one of our closest friends passed away from COVID. That certainly could have added to my reaction to novel. My reaction is complicated, especially after reading Mr. Tarzian’s Acknowledgements and the place where he himself was at when he wrote the book. It put quite a bit into perspective. Readers of this review should not interpret this as a dislike of the book. The opposite is true, this book is remarkably brilliant in how it is written.
When I started reading The World Breaker Requiem, I felt as if I was stepping into a Salvatore Dali painting. It was surreal, and like the painter himself, brilliant. The world and many of the characters are unlike any other in fantasy. They are bizarre, dark, desolate, and depressing. Like a Dali painting, reality is distorted. We meet one of the main protagonists, Avaria Norrith, who has a contentious relationship with his mother, the queen. She sends him on a journey to recreate the sword, The Raven’s Rage, which could re-write history and set their world right. At the same time, the second protagonist, Erath, sets out to find the blade in hopes of helping her people, confined underground for the misuse of the blade. Both want to make everything right again; bring back those that were lost in wars, the cities in ruin. Avaria has a longhound companion, Geph, who can speak, but does not accompany him on his journey. Avaria dreams, and ends up in dream worlds where he meets people and receives cryptic messages. The most disturbing to Geph was one about sinhounds. Unleashed, they will wreak havoc on the world. Geph would know, he is one and committed untold horror:
“Geph wept at her feet. She had died peacefully-they all had, with grins stretched wide across their faces. It horrified him; the joy of corpses wormed its way inside his mind, tattooed itself to Geph so he would never forget what had transpired this day-what he had done this day.” Luke Tarzian, The World Breaker Requiem
When the journey begins, the book takes an unusual turn. Avaria travels to abandoned cities, meets strange beings. He runs into Erath, whom he knows, and they travel together. The travels are wrought with meeting these strange people, some are disguised gods. The sheer amount of characters Mr. Tarzian created is amazing, each with their own personality and agenda. I will admit, at times, it was hard to follow some, as they disguised themselves as others our protagonists knew. They get separated, more abandoned cities, realms in between reality and death. Where they travel is desolate, brings despair, and confusion to them both. They come to cities to destroyed by the sinhounds and could only stare at the horror the beasts brought.
“What must this place have looked like once? Before it fell, before rock and snow consumed it for their own. Erath assumed it had been beautiful…Her fingers brushed the wall of a small structure; she winced-a distant wail kissed the depth of her mind. Touched the wall again, longer this time; the wail turned to shrieks…What happened here?” Luke Tarzian, The World Breaker Requiem
What shines in this book is the prose. Although it is dark, it is beautiful and poetic. As we follow the characters, we feel their despair, their longing, their hope. We see the horrors they see, the confusion as to what has happened in the places they travel too. The writing elicits a visceral response. I felt very alone, like the characters. I felt their despair. I felt hopeless as I read this novel. While not my usual read, I can certainly appreciate the brilliance of Mr. Tarzain’s writing. It did not quite hit me until after I finished it. The feelings I had lingered and I felt, for lack of a better word, empty. This is exactly what The World Breaker Requiem was supposed to do. The description of the book is a dark and psychological fantasy, and this certainly accomplished its goal. Poetry takes on many forms, and in this novel, within the writing, the prose is stunningly grim and beautiful at the same time. How? I’ve always maintained that good writing elicits a response from the reader. For me, the writing touched me very deeply, feeling everything the characters did. I wanted their despair and desolation to end. To Mr. Tarzian, thank you for showing me a very different, albeit dark, side of fantasy.
Overall Thoughts
The World Breaker Requiem, a dark, psychological fantasy, is masterfully written by Luke Tarzian. This was my first exposure to his writing. While not my usual fantasy read, the writing was deeply effective, and draws the reader into this surreal world. There are many worlds, some real, some dreams, and still others that straddle reality, dream worlds and even death. Each is amazingly crafted to bring together this story of trying to remake the world. I think perhaps this is a reflection of what many of us long for. What if we could reset our world? What if we could bring back those who are lost? The despair and desolation in this novel are like a mirror for us. In it, we see how we feel when we lose someone we love, or feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. If one steps back from the fantasy element, I felt this is what Mr. Tarzian was communicating. In the surreal worlds and beautifully dark poetic prose, he captures those feelings as we read the characters journeys. We so desperately want them to accomplish their goals. For if they do, perhaps not all is lost. I highly recommend The World Breaker Requiem for anyone who loves dark, psychological fantasy. You will not be disappointed in this novel.
Full review here: https://bookandnatureprofessor.com/20...
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December 11, 2021
So have you ever wondered what would happen if you took the hallucinatory insanity of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the ethereal otherness of Elric of Melnibone, the crazy complexity of the pantheon of Malazan gods, and smashed them all together in a particle collider while watching a TED talk on Cosmology and tripping on acid? Welcome to the world of Luke Tarzian and The World Breaker Requiem.
This is a story about nightmares and regret told almost entirely by completely unreliable narrators. It switches between multiple points of view. There are two main characters, Avaria, a resurrected prince, and Erath, a woman searching for answers after demons attacked her home. Gods and beings of power of many varieties tell their tale, moving back and forth in time, stuck in somewhere between nightmare and madness. Plagued by the weight and repercussions of their monstrous actions.
Almost every character seems to be fighting with, or against, madness. This madness permeates everything in this world. It is dark and broken and stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth. Madness seems to be a powerful theme in this book. Everything feels unsettled and uncertain. What is nightmare and what is real? How close is the line between?
This story, for me, is very much a Weird Fiction tale. It's filled with powerful and powerfully broken beings, struggling to correct their mistakes, yet continually falling victim to their inner demons. The characters are fascinating. A number of them have enough depth and lore that they could easily have their own story. The prose is excellent. It evokes vivid imagery that serves to intensify the feeling of a dream state.
At this point you might be thinking okay this is all great, but what is the story about? Well I think the beauty of Requiem is that it can be different things to different people. This isn't a farm boy saves the world by any means. There is a quest of sorts. There is a group working to stop a dangerous foe but there really aren't any real good guys or bad guys here. No good vs evil. It seems to be designed to make you ask questions and maybe even create a sense of disquiet at times. It's the kind of story that wants to challenge you.
4 stars - Verified Dope - Worth your time
This is a story about nightmares and regret told almost entirely by completely unreliable narrators. It switches between multiple points of view. There are two main characters, Avaria, a resurrected prince, and Erath, a woman searching for answers after demons attacked her home. Gods and beings of power of many varieties tell their tale, moving back and forth in time, stuck in somewhere between nightmare and madness. Plagued by the weight and repercussions of their monstrous actions.
Almost every character seems to be fighting with, or against, madness. This madness permeates everything in this world. It is dark and broken and stuck in a cycle of death and rebirth. Madness seems to be a powerful theme in this book. Everything feels unsettled and uncertain. What is nightmare and what is real? How close is the line between?
This story, for me, is very much a Weird Fiction tale. It's filled with powerful and powerfully broken beings, struggling to correct their mistakes, yet continually falling victim to their inner demons. The characters are fascinating. A number of them have enough depth and lore that they could easily have their own story. The prose is excellent. It evokes vivid imagery that serves to intensify the feeling of a dream state.
At this point you might be thinking okay this is all great, but what is the story about? Well I think the beauty of Requiem is that it can be different things to different people. This isn't a farm boy saves the world by any means. There is a quest of sorts. There is a group working to stop a dangerous foe but there really aren't any real good guys or bad guys here. No good vs evil. It seems to be designed to make you ask questions and maybe even create a sense of disquiet at times. It's the kind of story that wants to challenge you.
4 stars - Verified Dope - Worth your time
December 27, 2021
Haunting and imaginative. This novel could easily have gotten away with being classified as horror due to the grim world the characters inhabit. Instead, the terror readers receive is a dive into the psyche of plagued minds and the heartbreak each character endures. This was an excellent and moving story with beautifully crafted characters living in a vividly painted world of woe. It builds upon what was started with the previous books and offers new ways to reflect on this universe.
July 15, 2022
I AM JUST-- I LOVED IT. Writing review for this book is going to be more difficult than I anticipated.💚😭
CONVINCING YOU TO READ THIS IN 6 WORDS:
Haunting, Beautiful, Time Jumps, Gods as Humans, Confusing but in a good way, Emotional Roller Coaster
REVIEW:
“I have tried many times before—and each time, I have failed. So many names. So many children. So much death. My legacy, my child, is destruction, failure."
I have said it before and I will say it again I cannot. I just cannot in good conscious write a summary for Luke's books because they cannot be summed up. The World Breaker Requiem is not an exception. Woven a story of forgotten gods who are on the quest to change all the wrong things they accidentally or in ignorance did, only to create a bigger chaos to take care of. I read this book twice. Twice in just this year. And each time it made more sense and well, created some more question in my small, inconsequential brain. The world breaker Requiem will break your heart, fuck up with your brain, make you question your sanity and inevitably make you fall in love with the chaos.
We all have regrets. Regrets are inevitable in life. But what would you do if you had a chance to go and change them. Would you grab on that chance in the hopes of creating a new reality or you will let that chance slide by. While we have toyed with that idea, Tarzian mixes the idea and has Gods trying to fix their mistakes, their regrets. Now, maybe it's just me but seeing Gods who are generally portrayed as those whom you go to in state of confusion and regrets are suddenly those who are trying to mend their mistakes. It is bloody brilliant.
For whom you desire most, what price will you pay?
While the quest to find the sword that can help them re-write the past is still in motion, what is even more amazing is that you don't know who exactly is trying to do that. Is it their past, is it something they wish to do or is it manifestations of some dreams or some other people who somehow have managed to not just live in your mind and body but somehow also control it. The constant jumps from one time to other, from one memory to other, from one character to other is confusing but so satisfyingly.!
One more thing that I absolutely loved was how everyone at a point could be done with Gods? How for Gods, life was just nothing. They grieved, sure. But if they could just go back and re-write history, they would- even at the expense of all the life they killed on the way or will have to kill. Reading Fantasy books just makes me think every now and then the value of life.
Nameless shuddered; he felt weak in his knees and allowed himself to collapse into Irgi's firm embrace and weep.
I love writing emotions and more than that I love reading about emotions. I can honestly say, Tarzian is one of the authors who managed to wrap so many emotions all together, highlighting emotions which aren't easy but just stay with us for a long, long time. GUILT. REGRETS. GRIEF. MANIPULATION. I definitely think, Tarzian took the world is your stage to a new level and decided to write in similar manner which somehow created something unique.
I have absolutely no doubt that Tarzian's writing style is unique and something that I count myself fortunate enough to read. Writing is not an easy task. Writing a dark fantasy where Gods fuck up? Well, let's just say Tarzian did it spectacularly and I will read anything and everything he writes.
The world Breaker Parable is a #spfbo 8 participant.
CONVINCING YOU TO READ THIS IN 6 WORDS:
Haunting, Beautiful, Time Jumps, Gods as Humans, Confusing but in a good way, Emotional Roller Coaster
REVIEW:
“I have tried many times before—and each time, I have failed. So many names. So many children. So much death. My legacy, my child, is destruction, failure."
I have said it before and I will say it again I cannot. I just cannot in good conscious write a summary for Luke's books because they cannot be summed up. The World Breaker Requiem is not an exception. Woven a story of forgotten gods who are on the quest to change all the wrong things they accidentally or in ignorance did, only to create a bigger chaos to take care of. I read this book twice. Twice in just this year. And each time it made more sense and well, created some more question in my small, inconsequential brain. The world breaker Requiem will break your heart, fuck up with your brain, make you question your sanity and inevitably make you fall in love with the chaos.
We all have regrets. Regrets are inevitable in life. But what would you do if you had a chance to go and change them. Would you grab on that chance in the hopes of creating a new reality or you will let that chance slide by. While we have toyed with that idea, Tarzian mixes the idea and has Gods trying to fix their mistakes, their regrets. Now, maybe it's just me but seeing Gods who are generally portrayed as those whom you go to in state of confusion and regrets are suddenly those who are trying to mend their mistakes. It is bloody brilliant.
For whom you desire most, what price will you pay?
While the quest to find the sword that can help them re-write the past is still in motion, what is even more amazing is that you don't know who exactly is trying to do that. Is it their past, is it something they wish to do or is it manifestations of some dreams or some other people who somehow have managed to not just live in your mind and body but somehow also control it. The constant jumps from one time to other, from one memory to other, from one character to other is confusing but so satisfyingly.!
One more thing that I absolutely loved was how everyone at a point could be done with Gods? How for Gods, life was just nothing. They grieved, sure. But if they could just go back and re-write history, they would- even at the expense of all the life they killed on the way or will have to kill. Reading Fantasy books just makes me think every now and then the value of life.
Nameless shuddered; he felt weak in his knees and allowed himself to collapse into Irgi's firm embrace and weep.
I love writing emotions and more than that I love reading about emotions. I can honestly say, Tarzian is one of the authors who managed to wrap so many emotions all together, highlighting emotions which aren't easy but just stay with us for a long, long time. GUILT. REGRETS. GRIEF. MANIPULATION. I definitely think, Tarzian took the world is your stage to a new level and decided to write in similar manner which somehow created something unique.
I have absolutely no doubt that Tarzian's writing style is unique and something that I count myself fortunate enough to read. Writing is not an easy task. Writing a dark fantasy where Gods fuck up? Well, let's just say Tarzian did it spectacularly and I will read anything and everything he writes.
The world Breaker Parable is a #spfbo 8 participant.
March 30, 2024
I read this while at a tattoo shop that was blaring funk music, so I blame that on not understanding a word of it. Still very much so enjoyed
July 13, 2022
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Avaria and Erath are seeking The Raven’s Rage, a sword that has the power to alter history. They are aided in the journey by other souls however, everyone has their own reasons to start on a clean state. But the more important question is what will be the consequences of changing events in the past.
The World Breaker Requiem by Luke Tarzian was an utterly dark and intense fantasy full of splendid world-building. Tarzan conjures a bleak, wasted world through which Avaria and Erath must journey to find the Raven’s Rage. I could feel the visceral pain and misery that the characters felt.
Initially, I found the story confusing. There were names within names, past events tangling with present ones which kept the characters (and me) confused as to which/who was real. But as I kept on reading, things started becoming clearer and intriguing.
It is undoubtedly an original tale, albeit a grim one. Also, I found it a tad slow-paced for my liking. I recommend this to dark fantasy lovers.
A complimentary digital copy was provided to me by the publisher for review. It does not affect my opinion of the book.
Avaria and Erath are seeking The Raven’s Rage, a sword that has the power to alter history. They are aided in the journey by other souls however, everyone has their own reasons to start on a clean state. But the more important question is what will be the consequences of changing events in the past.
The World Breaker Requiem by Luke Tarzian was an utterly dark and intense fantasy full of splendid world-building. Tarzan conjures a bleak, wasted world through which Avaria and Erath must journey to find the Raven’s Rage. I could feel the visceral pain and misery that the characters felt.
Initially, I found the story confusing. There were names within names, past events tangling with present ones which kept the characters (and me) confused as to which/who was real. But as I kept on reading, things started becoming clearer and intriguing.
It is undoubtedly an original tale, albeit a grim one. Also, I found it a tad slow-paced for my liking. I recommend this to dark fantasy lovers.
A complimentary digital copy was provided to me by the publisher for review. It does not affect my opinion of the book.
September 1, 2022
Perhaps Tarzian's most dream-like story yet. What begins as a fairly simple quest descends into a maddening collage of memories, visions, and nightmares. Readers will be rewarded for having first read Tarzian’s previous works, though, surprisingly, that may leave them with more questions than answers. Like his other works, this story is filled with symbolism of psychology and mental health, exploring in particular the negative aspects (fear, grief, guilt, rage, etc.). It is very thoughtful and heartfelt, but make no mistake it is also quite a tough read. Visions, dreams, memories, and lies all mix together. With many characters' identities being false truths, some inhabiting other characters' bodies, all of which spread across many alternate realities... it will challenge you. But if you're up for the challenge of descending into a labyrinthine nightmare a mad god might have... check this one out.
November 21, 2022
The story takes place eons after the events of the first book. The Vulture was driven insane by her guilt. The fallen world has splintered into an untold number of parallels, all doomed to repeat the fate of their predecessor.
As with the previous book, it starts simply enough and spirals into something more. There are multiple characters, connected to the original trio of gods in ways no one could have expected.
Compared to the first one, the novella felt a bit repetitive, and so much was happening, in both real worlds and dreams, it was hard to keep track at times. Still, it was enjoyable, thought-provoking read.
As with the previous book, it starts simply enough and spirals into something more. There are multiple characters, connected to the original trio of gods in ways no one could have expected.
Compared to the first one, the novella felt a bit repetitive, and so much was happening, in both real worlds and dreams, it was hard to keep track at times. Still, it was enjoyable, thought-provoking read.
February 19, 2024
Imaginative but hard to follow
I struggled with picturing this story in my mind, it may have been the overlapping timelines where the characters have different names or trying to envision whether the characters were bird like, human, or other animal. There is a lot that is novel and imaginative but it was hard for me to follow.
I struggled with picturing this story in my mind, it may have been the overlapping timelines where the characters have different names or trying to envision whether the characters were bird like, human, or other animal. There is a lot that is novel and imaginative but it was hard for me to follow.
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