SYNOPSIS
Centuries have passed since the Dhal’nar fled the Sphere of Man, fearing extinction at the hands of humans. All that remains of the otherworldly race are the forgotten relics and ruins of an ancient age, now coveted by kingdoms.
Aliss Cistalion has never set foot beyond her city’s walls. An untested servant of the Prophet, Dhal’nar history is heresy to her creeds. But someone high in the Empire believes otherwise, deeming her worthy of leading her first expeditionary force. The Empire’s very survival hinges on her to pursue the rumors of a Dhal’nar relic buried behind enemy borders. Intent on restoring the Empire’s glory, Aliss leaves her home and family behind, with no promise of seeing either ever again.
Across the sea, the Protectorate are the long-hated enemies of the Luviatran Empire— and seek the rumored Dhal’nar relics for themselves. Already, they possess a powerful Dhal’nar craft capable of prophecy, and seek to plunder yet another jewel to add to their trove. Having lost their lands to the Protectorate centuries ago, Aliss and her squad of veterans must outrace them, lest their dying Empire be doomed to become a footnote in the annals of man.
REVIEW
Scorn not the mortals, for their sins they will atone. Mourn not the mortals, for they feed us flesh and bone.
Jordan Smith’s Mourn not the Mortals is a strong contender for my book of the year already.
I’ve been following progress of this for a while and with each reveal and tidbit I’ve been on the edge of my seat to digest more. Little did I know that I’d be engrossed in a journey for the ages and find a new favourite series. And one that I haven’t been able to get out of my head.
This was a book that just had me wanting to read it constantly. I was neck deep into this world and I did not want to get out. Jordan has written the story in such a way that we have multiple points of view showing different parts of the world and what impact they have overall. You can tell that Jordan has thought of everything with how vastly different each area is and how each persons POV offers different insights to the world and the area that they are in.
The character work here was outstanding. The multiple points of view felt like their own story and I was constantly excited to see how each persons story pushed forward. These were characters with incredibly written backstory, their own concerns and goals, and their own personalities. It’s hard to pick a favourite but there’s a certain character that is really excited to uncover a long-lost language and I love stories like that. I also enjoyed the character dynamics and how each POV had their own personal story. These character relationships were a definite highlight and Jordan doesn’t shy away from their flaws. The different personalities offered a good flow to the story. We have the scholars, pit-fighters and politicians and each of them offered a unique insight.
Jordan’s writing is easily accessible, but I was a massive fan of how deep the lore was and how we uncovered everything. There are gods, dead languages, hidden corners of the world, mysteries and everything in between. I’m really excited to see where the story goes from here and how Jordan grows as an author. The plot is an exciting one and is only just getting started. I cannot wait for book two to see where this plot is going.
This is a solid debut that I am obsessed with. I’ve never been more gutted to finish a book, due to the sheer enjoyment I was having. From the start of Jordan’s journey until the end of Mourn not the Mortals, I have been utterly fascinated by this, and I can honestly say that it will not end there. This is dark fantasy that will keep your eyes glued to the page for all its length. This is one of those stories that takes you to a faraway land and has you invested until you snap out of that trance.
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