Review: An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker

Blurb:

Brandon Sanderson's Rhythm of War meets Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time in this epic fantasy mystery adventure.

EXILED FROM HEAVEN. FORCED INTO HELL.

For centuries, the Aobians of the Great Tree have shared the continent of Q’ara with humanity. A select few known as Sleepers are empowered by Luminosity, the Tree’s greatest blessing.

Drift, a young and cynical Aobian, has been exiled from his homeland – forever. Now, with no understanding of this condemnation, Drift must traverse the land of humans below, and find his purpose in an ever-changing world. Tarri, his betrothed, seeks to do the same, whilst also bringing him home.

Elsewhere on Q’ara, an unknown organisation seeks to weaponise Luminosity for their own nefarious purposes. Drift himself is a part of this puzzle, and it quickly becomes apparent that the struggle for true power in Q’ara is emerging for reasons greater than anyone is prepared to grasp.

Review:

I had my eye on An Exile of Water & Gold ever since the cover was first revealed. The mesmerizing landscape with the massif tree evokes an almost classic fantasy vibe. When I saw that SFF Insiders were doing a buddy read for this novel, I just had to join in. Getting the author’s insights into certain chapters, scenes, and characters definitely enhanced my reading experience. 

But, the important thing to ask is—is the book worth reading? Let’s unpack! 

What I liked:

Walker’s writing shines right from the very first chapter. We are introduced to Esme, crown princess of Adira, as Walker builds on the world and its politics through her POV. Until something happens which will compel you to drop everything and keep reading. Seriously, few opening chapters have hooked me to a book quite like this one.

What follows is a relatively slow burn. We meet more of the main roster—Drift, Tarri, and Nischia. Each POV is unique, taking us through different parts of Aobia, a country of elf-like beings made of the Great Tree. You are barely getting used to this familiar-yet-unique take on elves, when Walker pulls the rug from under your feet and pushes these three characters into an emotionally tumultuous journey which will test their limits and loyalties. 

As much as the world is beautiful and fascinating, it’s the characters that really shine through this story. Compelling and complex, they are dealing with extremely personal conflicts while larger mysteries brew in the background. As we move forward chapter by chapter, we slowly begin to see how the Aobians co-exist with humans, what their social dynamics are like, how their respective cultures affect their lives, and much more. 

Tarri and Nischia’s stories shine in this aspect. From Tarri, we get the layman’s perspective of Aobia, while Nischia’s sheds light on the lore and grander machinations of the Magisterium. As the story progresses, the mystery keeps getting more and more complex, resulting in a state of semi-confusion and semi-intrigue. However, Walker navigates this self-created maze deftly, with every new piece of information adding layers of wonder to the world of Q’ara. You can’t help but root for Tarri as she strives against all odds to find out what happened to Drift, doubting Nischia, who herself is secretly trying to figure out who in the Magisterium is the bad apple that could potentially threaten world peace. The growth in their characters and the emotional journeys of their stories were some of my favorite parts to read. 

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Coming to Drift in the human lands. He is a character that I did not like at first, yet it was his journey that made me feel the most tension. Be it the near escape from Providence, or the scuffle with the Sethi couple that results in the forest fire, or even his capture and torture, Drift’s entire arc is literally like his name; the poor guy is just carried along this tormented path. And guess what? There is an actual narrative reason for his story being this way. I think what Walker has done with Drift’s story, especially with the “Naming” (pun intended), is a huge stretch that somehow works because Drift’s personality perfectly suits this narrative journey. He has always been someone to question authority, someone who would probably go out of his way to explore and take risks, all of which blossom beautifully when he begins interacting with humans. Drift isn’t my favorite character, but I’ll give Walker brownie points for his treatment of this guy. 

Lastly, I want to talk about the strong environmental themes that give this book that extra nudge into being a must-read. It starts with a flood, follows it up with a forest fire, and ends with a reveal that suggests the death of the Great Tree (blight?). Each incident is provoked either by the characters’ inability to control nature, failure to control themselves, or a general lack of awareness regarding how nature truly functions. Just knowing that Esme’s father was heavily involved in studying this slow ecological death of their world, I was mind-blown! I can’t wait for this theme to take precedence in the coming entries, because this is a topic that’s very much relevant today. 

To sum up my likes, Walker’s characters come alive with their emotions. Their actions are perfectly in line with their personalities, running their narratives smoothly and progressing the plot naturally. Padded with an imaginative world that’s familiar yet unique, with hints of darkness and torment to spice things up, An Exile of Water & Gold is a brilliant read that sets the bar high for Walker’s coming works. 

What I didn’t like:

Now, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Particularly the ending. It’s not a bad ending in any way, but I was left wanting more. 

SPOILERS AHEAD!

As mentioned earlier, I loved the reveal of the ecological repercussions that await our characters and this world. The hints are there, but to have them confirmed is what cements the treatment of the coming entries. However, I wish these reveals had come a tad earlier, with us getting to see how these learnings affect the world and its power dynamics. A lot comes to light in the final chapters, and every single one of these is mind-blowing in its own right. However, it didn’t satisfy me as much as it left me desperate to grab the next book. I know I’ll satiate my hunger with the novella (already downloaded onto my Kindle). 

Another issue I had with the book was the conspiracy that our characters are investigating. It’s great, but I wasn’t fully satisfied with the answers I got. It’s not a cliffhanger, honestly. Most of the characters reach the natural conclusion of their arcs. However, the conspiracy reveals left something to be desired. I wanted to know more about the Therador side of things, particularly their motivations. I wanted to know what exactly Staril and Koln were up to, and why. I’m sure we’re going to get all the answers in the sequels. But, it would have been more satisfying to get some, if not all these answers within this book. 

The negatives didn’t really take away from my reading experience, but it wouldn’t be fair to ignore them either.

Conclusion:

An Exile of Water & Gold is a fantastic debut that deserves your attention. With an imaginative world, compelling and fully-realised characters, and underlying themes that are extremely relevant, this is one book you don’t want to miss. 

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Character work, world-building, ecological meta-narrative.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: Some parts of the ending, some parts of the mystery/conspiracy reveals.