Synopsis
“—when found, the bodies bore no signs of injuries, other than the eyes that appeared as if they had burned out from the inside and turned into stone; dark, black, like obsidian.”
So reads the report, which Lorian holds in his hands. As an inquisitor and servant to the aristoi—noble and sublime beings revered by the mortals of Askalon—he had taken an oath to uphold their sacred law, to uncover any forbidden magic, and to hunt those who dared to cast it.
Gruesome as these words are, they also remind him of another murder that happened so long ago. And a woman; a woman who seems to have left a mark on his very soul and has not granted him peace to this day.
And so Lorian sets out, through the stormy sea to the north, to the frozen continent, to investigate the murder of two young boys who were killed by a form of magic about which the Inquisition knows almost nothing.
He does not yet suspect the great forces that will soon confront him, nor how the fate of Askalon and all mortals is about to be decided; for the black sun has awakened.
Review
The Black Sun, book one in the Tales of Askalon, by Sebastian P. Melang is a brutal yet epic D&D-style story that started incredibly and ended even better.
I was a fan of the tone that Sebastian set throughout this book. There were dark fantasy vibes and I felt like listening to some ambient vibes whilst reading to be fully immersed in this. We follow Lorian, a servant of Askalon who is oathbound to rid those with forbidden magic. In typical RPG-style, there is a memory that sets the story in motion and we journey with Lorian through unsolved icy and vast landscapes. Sebastian writes these brilliantly as is evidenced by our opening scene – a creepy scene that sets the tone for the rest of the book.
The plot itself is one that keep you guessing. Lorian, as an investigator, uncovers a lot and, in turn, feeds the reader the lore. Sebastian writes descriptions so vividly and that keeps you hooked. There is a tension throughout the novel and everything feels so thrilling until another twist is thrown in.
This is a great dark fantasy that will keep you on your toes and I’m eager to see what the author does next.
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