Rating: 8/10
Synopsis
Several millennia ago a war raged between the factions of dragonkind. With their world ravaged, the Kaldean Alliance forged the Amulet of Draconic Control and the Tethering Stone, and banished their foes to other realms, saving Kalda from utter destruction. Fearing the power of the Amulet, the survivors secreted it away. But now knowledge of the Amulet has resurfaced–and in the wrong hands, war could erupt anew.
A PRINCE’S ERRAND
Long ago, men harnessed the Channels of Power, creating tevisrals-devices capable of manifesting magic. But men weren’t the only ones to accomplish such feats. Dragons crafted the most sophisticated tevisrals. These shaped the world, defining civilization of man and elf alike.
Over the centuries, the people of Kalda have fallen into a dark age, where elves are estranged from men and dragons have retreated into legend. Tevisrals are scarce and men are willing to trade everything for them. But there are some who wish to bury the past, and in their lands, possessing tevisrals is tantamount to treason.
Still, daring men scour the world in search of Kalda’s past. One such man, the scholar Krindal, seeks an ancient order known as the Keepers of Truth and Might. He yearns for their knowledge, long feared lost.
Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire’s enemies. His empire’s survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers’ secrets.
An aging warrior, Cornar Dol’shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers’ hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala.
Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye. His search takes him to the Empire of Mindolarn, where all is not as it seems.
An ancient war was won by a simple amulet. It brought peace, but in the wrong hands it could spell a doom the likes of which no world has ever seen.
Review
As I am sure most people in the fantasy community are diving head first into Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson, the question must be asked what else can I read to fill the void when you are finished? What epic fantasy work can scratch that itch we will all be feeling for the next three years with a grand world, intriguing magic systems, and characters who will grow and become ones you want to support and love, may I present to you A Prince’s Errand. Written by a father and son, the world of Kalda is filled with history, magical weapons, different races, and a engaging story that will keep you guessing until the very end. I listened to this book on audible by the legendary Michael Kramer for all of you audible junkies out there.
The Prince’s Errand is structure pretty much the same way as the Stormlight Archive books. The book is split off into several parts with interlude chapters of other characters across the land of Kalda. This is a multi-POV story and not once did I feel that any specific character dragged the story or was tedious to read. Several millennia ago a war raged between the factions of dragonkind. With their world ravaged, the Kaldean Alliance forged the Amulet of Draconic Control and the Tethering Stone, and banished their foes to other realms, saving Kalda from utter destruction. Fearing the power of the Amulet, the survivors secreted it away. But now knowledge of the Amulet has resurfaced, and in the wrong hands, war could erupt anew.
Over the centuries, the people of Kalda have fallen into a dark age, where elves are estranged from men and dragons have retreated into legend. Tevisrals are scarce and men are willing to trade everything for them. But there are some who wish to bury the past, and in their lands, possessing tevisrals is tantamount to treason. One such man, the scholar Krindal, seeks an ancient order known as the Keepers of Truth and Might. He yearns for their knowledge, long feared lost. Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire’s enemies. His empire’s survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers’ secrets. An aging warrior, Cornar Dol’shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers’ hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala. Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye. His search takes him to the Empire of Mindolarn, where all is not as it seems.
What makes the Prince’s Errand such a great story is the attention to detail not only in the epic worldbuilding, but also in the intricate details of combat scenes especially those involving tevisrals. This book does contain some typical fantasy troupes like elves and dragons but I consider it an homage to classical fantasy with plenty of creativity added to the story to drive the plot forward. After that, the story becomes its own epic tale which will make all epic fantasy fans will rejoice.
By far my favorite characters to read were Iltar and Cornar. Iltar has a dark past which comes to the forefront throughout the story and the way he has to deal with his troubles was amazing to read. Cornar is one of the most loyal characters you will ever read. All he wanted to do was retire and be with his wife, but he decided to go on one last mission with his group and the sacrifices he has to make almost brought me to tears. This novel sits at just under 1000 pages an there is plenty of meat on the bone for everyone to enjoy. I believe that the Tales of the amulet is supposed to be 12 novels long and with book 2 The Dark Necromancer looking to be released sometime in 2021, now is the perfect time to jump into Kalda. The story is a fresh, magical, character driven novel which is worthy of a larger audience and fanbase. I hope you will join the journey!
Cheers!
I loved it! The Prologue was a bit intimidating with all the names thrown at you but once you get into the first chapter it’s so warming and inviting. It pulled me right in!
Exactly, one of my favorite reads of 2020
Exactly, one of my best reads of 2020