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:

Two exiles; two destinies lie that along the same fragile thread of light. One a wayward spirit forced to leave. The other forging a path against the odds. 

“But this part of the world wasn’t meant for us, Drift.”

THE THINGS I LIKED

I was immediately enraptured with the easy way Walker introduces us to each character – of which there are five points-of-view, and all a mix of what his constructed universe has to offer. 

Being split up into two parts, the first focuses mostly on Drift, the first exile. And the second half revolves more around Esme, the second exile, who gets far less than she bargains for in the end. I’m heavily invested in both of their outcomes. 

Characters: 9/10

“And if you were to believe the legend that became of the story, you would also expect the ending to be different depending on who told it.”

Throughout the book, Walker weaves a wonderful, glowing landscape, and I can’t help but want more from this series. The lore alone is so fascinating I could read a mythology on it (can we make that happen, Mr. Walker?) and the way the characters are so connected to their environment creates the perfect atmosphere for this high fantasy. 

Atmosphere: 13/14

Writing Style: 16/18

“I wish you luck, Tarri. The kind that does not expire.”

I had a lot of speculations as I read this. I aim to keep this review spoiler-free, but the reason for Drift’s exile and his adventure into the human lands thereafter kept me on the edge of my seat. There’s rogues. There’s deception. There is culture shocks abound. 

The way Tarri relentlessly pursues the truth about the event and uncovers the secrets kept by the Sleepers inspires hope that they will be reunited. She’s so tenacious, and if anyone is going to dismantle the utopia that is Aobia, it’s going to be her. 

On the completely other side is Esme, who is foreign her own path to find out the truth about her father. I loved her chapters and am eager to see what ends up happening to her in the next installment. Another very tenacious woman in this universe. She has VASTLY under-estimated some people, but I have a feeling she will find an ally in a certain ambassador. 

Plot: 9/10

Intrigue: 11/14

Logic: 12/14

“The only stars in Tarri’s sky, extinguished in minutes.”

Overall, I did very much enjoy this story!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Excitement: 9/10

SOMETHING ON MY MIND….

Flow was on the top of my list of “must watch” characters and someone I was very eager to see show up on the page. He was set up with a lot of potential for subterfuge and his character was building, but at some point he pivoted and fell a bit flat. In fact the arc between Flow and Sedulus overall felt cut short when I thought it would take on a larger storyline in conjunction with Tarri/Nischia. It’s one of the few things that I marked against the story. 

Conclusion

CAWPILE Score: 78/90