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.
Funnily enough, publishing a prequel novella was never part of my original plan for the Crucible of Legacy series. I mapped out the series as three books and planned to move on to other projects once I finished, but writing has a funny way of taking you in unexpected directions.
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.
When the opportunity to do a podcast with two awesome authors who I already knew and got along well with came along I couldn’t turn it down. So now it seems like I will be adding podcaster to my long and eclectic list of titles.
My debut novel has officially gone wide!
