TL;DR Review: A dark, high fantasy that slowly grows more epic. Fast-paced action, great characters, and a compelling story.
Synopsis:
Three lives come together in this modern epic fantasy where magic users go missing, old gods return, and creatures of light ravage the land.
A high general with a dark voice in his head that begs to be released.
A sheltered young woman addicted to magic.
A reckless young man whose life changes after he dies.
Together, they will change the world—whether they intend to or not.
Full Review:
Voice of War somehow manages to stride the line between high fantasy, epic fantasy, and dark fantasy, an engaging and fascinating blend of the three that make for a wonderful read.
The story begins by introducing us to Chrys, a High General and former war hero (and mass murderer, we suspect?) whose job is keeping the peace in his kingdom. He’s tasked with hunting down the Bloodthieves, people who are kidnapping magic-wielders (threadweavers) and draining their blood to sell as a potent narcotic.
Through his POV, we get an excellent introduction to threadweaving, learning about the two colors (blue eyes and green eyes, one for push, one for pull) and the limitations of the magic. We also get to meet quite the colorful cast of characters—one of which, Laz, became an instant favorite of mine because he’s stark, raving mad in a way I absolutely loved.
Then, we’re bounced off to Laurel, who lives in a treetop village with a company of pacifistic-seeming humans (that feel very much like elves) who choose to remain separate from the world. Only Laurel can’t seem to fit in, and she chafes at the restrictions set in place to keep her and the rest of her people safe.
The story switches back and forth between these two characters, and though their threads seem far distant at first, eventually they’re woven together in a very clever way that brings them face to face at a pivotal turning point in the book.
Though it starts out a bit slower—focusing on the world, the magic, and the cultures—by the 40% mark, the book sets off at a faster clip with one action-packed scene and reveal after another. Some of the plot twists I could see coming, but some caught me totally by surprise and delighted me.
As the story wends on, we see their intertwined lives spiraling toward an epic climax that left me breathless and an ending that made me so eager to find out more about this world.
My favorite thing about this story was the “parent” of it all. Chrys’s wife, Iriel, gives birth during the book, and their child sends shockwaves through the world, propelling them to flee. The story does a wonderful job of showcasing the lengths to which a parent would go to protect—or avenge—their child.
Voice of War did an excellent job of setting the stage and getting me interested in the characters. I’ve no doubt that with the remaining two books in the series, I’ll be fully sucked into this colorful world, especially as we see the fallout of the events that transpired during the ending. I will definitely be back to find out what comes next in the Threadlight series!
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