Synopsis
The gods of Ashkareth built their world on blood and silence.
Someone else’s blood.
Someone else’s silence.
Brann spent fourteen years drinking away the things he’d done-what the gods demanded, what the temple required, what his bond was built on. He was done with all of it. Then a name he buried came back to find him. And something older than the gods began to speak.
Now he must learn the horror of what it means when the thing the gods fear most call him by name.
Review
“…A hand on the door may be holding it shut, or it may be the only thing keeping it from being torn from its hinges. The vessel rarely learns the difference in time. He is taught to trust the open hand and fear the closed one, when more often it is the reverse.”
I’m writing this review as soon as I’ve finished the book. And thusly we’ve to talk about the ending. It is truly stunning. I read books in two languages and watch content in more than four languages and I genuinely thought I had figured out where Noah was taking us. He sincerely exceeded my assumptions. I was not ready. In the way of Sanderlanche, the last 70 odd pages simply can’t be put down. Noahlanche needs to be a thing. I cannot talk a lot about it as it would venture into spoiler territory but the way it all converged and then exploded in scope left me reeling. It was shocking but also logical and I was fully immersed in the misdirect from earlier.
The book starts off like a typical dark fantasy and I was getting a lot of Witcher (I love Witcher) type vibes in the first third of the book. But from chapter 14, it felt like the book shifted gears and then never let go. There were confrontations and reveals that one would usually find towards the end of books present smack dab around the middle of the book and Noah built it all even bigger from that highpoint. His skill at this is so high that ardent dark fantasy readers and even veterans of the genre will have to watch out for a few surprises.
“They did not act in what they thought was malice, or so they pretend. That is the cruelest part of what they did. The road to the Wound was paved with good intention,…”
As with most books, I would say it is best to go in blind. I sincerely didn’t know anything about the book except that Noah wrote it and that it features two main characters from all the artwork that has been revealed. On that note, the cover and all of the art pieces present in the book is truly excellent. My most favourite piece is the one of Frostkareth by Hien Le. If you’ve not seen it yet, please look it up. It is extraordinary and an absolute visual treat.
In lieu of talking about the plot, I will mention the other highlights. The pacing, the world building, and the magic. It is very easy to breeze through the book. It is also filled with so much magic. It’s not just cool but becomes so essential to this world that it is one of the first characters of this book. Blood magic, light magic, shadow magic, magic portals, glowing swords, biomass manipulation, exploding body parts- he’s got it all.
The world of the tethered god is built around the tethered god (such an apt title- one will understand why after finishing the book) and some non tethered gods. This world will not be the answer to what is a favourite fantasy world you would like to be transported to but it examines the theme of divine horror so well. The gods here are dark, violent, self-serving and apathetic. The state of the world is also left at a very interesting point by the end of the book. I am very excited to see how it is in book 2.
In conclusion, I would say that if you like God of War, First Law, or Eragon- give this book a chance. Your potential new favourite is waiting for you.
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