TL;DR Review: A new approach to leveling up and gaining power. A progression fantasy hero unlike any other, and a fresh addition to the genre.
Synopsis:
Power is not given. It’s taken.
In the Tze Empire, spirits and demons rule the wilds, but Ring Warlocks control civilization. For Rimon, the son of a courtesan and lowest in society, Ring Warlocks seem like gods.
Each has their own magic drawn from Titans, and they can do whatever they please, regardless of how it affects the prefectures they rule.
But when a chance encounter places one of the ancient and powerful rings in Rimon’s hands, everything changes. For there is a trick to the rings, and Rimon sees through the test given to him.
Suddenly, he is no longer a player at the fringes of power; he is a Ring Warlock and granted his own territory.
Determined to make sure his prefecture thrives, Rimon must contend with jealous rivals, demons seeking his ring for themselves, and forces he cannot yet name, all while mastering his new abilities. He will prove even the lowest can rise to challenge gods.
Rimon will have to grow twice as strong as his rival warlocks just to survive in this new Progression Fantasy Adventure by Shami Stovall, the Dragon-Award winning author of Knightmare Arcanist!
Full Review:
Words of Power impressed me with its ability to play within genre lines while also striking out in the direction of the fresh and new!
In this story, we’re introduced to Rimon, a brothel-born slave whose job is to care for the courtesans under the brothel’s roof. But when the danger to one of those closest to him compels him to act, he finds himself with the opportunity to seize power—in the form of a magical ring that binds him to an ancient titan, granting him abilities beyond his wildest imagining.
His choice imbues him with death magic, but it’s done cleverly so things are not quite as they first appear. As we discover his abilities along with him, his path to power becomes clear.
Only he doesn’t go about things as we expect. He’s elevated to the station of ruler of the entire province in which he was born a slave, but rather than seizing power with both hands, he takes a clever, cunning approach to infiltrating the highest echelons of his realm to see how things really work behind the Ring Warlock’s back. Once he’s got the information he needs, he’ll make his move and claim his throne.
The character’s thoughtful, measured, and above all, decent approach to every situation made him a protagonist I really enjoyed. It had a really upbeat tone that made the story very enjoyable and left me feeling lighter and happier with every chapter because no matter how hard things got, I could always count on the character to at least try to do what’s right. In a world filled with grimdark and dark fantasy where everyone is some shade of moral gray, it’s always a pleasure to read a character who chooses the route of goodness and decency.
The world was fascinating, too. It’s filled with spirits, demons, titans, great beasts, powerful magical forces, and grand threats that promise great adventures the farther in we go. For now, though, it was enough to simply want to learn about the small day-to-day aspects of running the province and building his community of people he can count on to help him be a good, wise, and just ruler.
There are challenges and dangers aplenty, but as Rimon assembles his collection of hand-picked allies, he’ll grow stronger—until he can challenge powers far beyond his.
Words of Power is an excellent introduction to a new progression fantasy series, one that prioritizes intelligence and decency over the ability to punch or blast enemies. It’s a more thoughtful progression fantasy series I am very much looking forward to continuing!
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