Valor doubles down on everything that worked in book one and then some. Gwynne goes darker and more epic, building out a world and mythos for his series that steps out of any lingering shadows cast by its predecessors and fully into its own identity.
It seems like Dragonriders are everywhere nowadays. It’s not hard to understand why; dragons are cool. But more importantly, the subgenre taps into many of the fundamental elements that makes fantasy so captivating and fulfilling.
This engrossing novella drops you into a world practically seeps with mystery and danger without the barest hint of an explanation or preparation. You are almost immediately thrown into a strange contest alongside a Knight and his Squire which proves to be the sort of nightmarish fever dream one might expect to find in a book by the pre-Disneyfied Brother’s Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson.
His story is part murder mystery, part conspiracy thriller, and part revolutionary story all wrapped up in the rather basic science fiction premise. Unlike many similar books however, his use of multiple and varied POV’s and consistent unexpected twists keeps the narrative feeling fresh and unexpected.
Peterson tackles many of the fundamental elements of epic fantasy with a deft hand, elevating her story with fantastic characters, emotionally resonant moments, and a richly built world that feels both ancient and alive at the same time.
For those in the know, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is one of those staples of the genre that is more than just the some of its parts. The series takes what was established in the previous generation and mixed in the seeds of what would eventually bloom to become modern fantasy.
Gwynne takes all the beloved but perhaps a bit tired and predictable story beats and tropes from classic fantasy and breathes new life into them. He instills his story with a certain energy and sense of uncertainty perfect for a modern audience, all while redressing the classic epic fantasy story in a new, viking inspired costume.
Shadows is a character focused, action forward story that is driven by an interesting magic system, a cast that feels engaging and familiar and a plot that creates immediate investment. It is a compelling debut that establishes the world and makes big promises of what’s to come from this author.
While Crouch touches on some really interesting questions and crafts an emotional, fulfilling ending, if you’re the type of reader who loves exploring the weird and wild limits that Sci-Fi can take you to, you might be left a little underwhelmed.
Perhaps it is a sign of the times that I as a reader found myself bored with reading about our central characters pillaging innocent villages and scalping people, but the fact remains the same. Violence in a story is only useful in what it accomplishes for the narrative, and in this case, it felt like it accomplished very little beyond the shock value.Â
