Review: Bloodwoven by G.J. Terral
Blurb:
Lies woven in blood are lines waiting to be crossed.
Lin is a competent, dedicated soldier but his mission takes a drastic turn when one of his charges is found murdered. Soon after, he is ambushed by magic-twisted monsters, gravely wounded, and abandoned by his one remaining ally.
Waking to find his injuries healed by forbidden magic, Lin is marked as an oathbreaker by the very laws and beliefs he upholds.
Lin soon finds his faith in the faction he’s lived his life upholding tested by the woman who saved him from the brink of death. With his fate hanging by a thread, he faces an impossible choice: stand by his new ally and seek vengeance for his murdered charge or betray her for amnesty from those who’d execute him.
Review:
To start off, I would like to wholeheartedly thank the author for sending me an excellently packaged physical copy (signed; and with other goodies present too!). Needless to say, I’ll be forever grateful for this gesture.
Nothing good happens on moonless nights. Lin’s mentor’s words hung in his head, heavy as the crimson cloak on his shoulders. Words which, more often than not, tended to be true.
How good are those opening lines?! No wonder I was pulled into the book straight away! So, what really is ‘Bloodwoven’ all about? Here’s a quick summary:
Lin is a Ferrucium soldier. An Escorter, to be very precise. His current assignment: to escort Margaret and Aemun to the Ferrucium Hold located in the south of Danica. Being a “Binder” who is gifted with the “Sight” to see the “Bindings” (magic) does make life a bit easier. But their stop at a seemingly peaceful village is turned into a nightmare when Lin is attacked by an “untethered” – brutal, magic-laced things that had once been people. After barely managing to overcome his adversary, Lin is shocked to discover that one of the two people he came in with has been murdered. Lin is left with no other choice but to take the accused, Tylle, as a prisoner and see to it that judgement is rightfully served. But is Tylle really guilty of the crime, even though she pleads innocence and implies treachery and betrayal? Or are there other, bigger things at play which Lin can’t fathom yet?
Not long after departing the village, they are attacked by a group of untethered this time – true madness-twisted monsters with Stitches in their flesh. Lin is very nearly killed in the ambush, but Tylle saves him… by performing magic that is against the very teachings of the Ferrucium.
… the Ferrucium was the light standing against the darkness. The only thing keeping the untethered controlled.
These fights, standing against untethered, were what made Ferrucium soldiers. These moments where life and death were on the line.
Lin, now healed by the same “Stitches” that made up the untethered, is not only devastated but also massively conflicted. He has not only turned into a law breaker… an oath breaker in reality, but is also now one step closer to being an untethered himself in the eyes of the Ferrucium. The very magic, the “Fell-Bindings” used by the monsters, has now been used on him… breaking the “Binding Tenets” in the process.
Lin is now left with the one person he doesn’t trust, but who still managed to save his life despite being his prisoner. Lin is sure there is more to Tylle than what meets the eye. How did she manage to best such deadly monsters… and that too all on her own?
‘By being more of a monster than my enemy and more of a savior than the man who thought to save me.’
Can Lin well and truly trust her? Even after she has more than proved her worth and skill, and saved his life in the process? As the duo progresses on their journey, Lin’s thoughts are pushed to the limits by Tylle’s claims about the Ferrucium, and the whole history of Danica itself. Whose perspective is right, and whose is wrong? Are the beliefs and the faith that Lin has followed throughout his life all been built on lies? With every moment spent on the path, Lin is slowly beginning to question everything he has ever stood for. Can he really trust the word of a stranger… a prisoner… a murderer?
But there are pieces moving on the board that have been stagnant until now, and Lin has knowingly or otherwise become a part of it too… whether he was for, or against the whole thing. With help from Tylle’s old friend Pael (an old, shambling man who seemed unaware at times, but made solid points more often than not), and after meeting the mysterious “Grovetender”, Lin is determined to bring justice and right the wrongs of his failure in the escort mission. But uncertainty still gnaws him at the back of his mind, ready to devour him if he’s not careful enough. Can he live his life knowing that he is now an untethered? Is there really a way to remove the Stitches? Can he ever return to his past life as a true Ferrucium soldier?
Lin and his companions must brave the odds of the many challenges that they will encounter along the way including the untethered, with the added threat of being hunted by the King’s personal Binders – the Noosemen. And if Lin is to see through these dangers, and discover the new meaning to his life, he must focus and use all of his training in both combat and magic to even stand a chance against such powerful enemies… and against his own faith and beliefs… while staying true to his own strength – the ability to adapt.
“All gods seem untouchable until they first bleed.”
“If they bleed, then they aren’t Gods.”
The good:
The start was pretty good, and really pulled me in straight away.
The magic is really, really intriguing to say the least! Throughout the book, I was genuinely excited to learn more about it, see it in action, and discover its usage. I’m super impressed by how well it’s written and expressed. Not only that, the various types of “Bindings” were also nicely portrayed. I LOVED the magic system! Something different and unique too.
The plot is focused more on the travel/journey aspect, and me being a big fan of the same, felt that it was executed pretty well (which can be a challenge if not done right).
The characters were well written altogether, and the chemistry/relationship between them as the book progresses was great to read (especially that of Lin and Tylle). The villain is just a massive pain in the… uh, you get what I’m saying, right? Pael’s character was fun to read.
The theme of two different faiths/religions, the conflicts between the characters about the same with respect to the ideologies, and the whole depiction of it all in general was well done.
The action sequences were thrilling and very well depicted. Loved the concept of both the untethered and the Noosemen.
The lore/world building was pretty neat too.
The ending was both good and satisfactory, and I’m looking forward to the sequel!
The “not so” good:
Although I really liked and enjoyed the characters and their chemistry, I felt they could’ve done with a bit more depth, especially with respect to their past/background.
Again, I enjoyed the third person POV (focusing primarily on Lin), but thought it would’ve been more fun to go through the others’ perspective as well.
Other info.
A map of “The Duchies of Danica” is present at the start.
Mature themes are present, like – blood/gore, violence, death, profanity, etc.
Final thoughts:
‘Bloodwoven’ by G.J. Terral is a fantastic debut which thrives on the travel/journey aspect of fantasy; has a great magic system mixed with tons of thrilling action, and a strong theme of faith at its core. The characters and their chemistry was very well written and fun to read, although I felt a bit more depth could’ve been perfect. Overall, I really enjoyed the first entry in the ‘Binding Tenets Trilogy’, and am looking forward to the sequel! Certainly RECOMMEND that you check it out!
