Review: Renia by Karl Forshaw
Blurb:
The Halls of Venn are the seat of both knowledge and power in the great continent of Luna Ruinam. Renia, a scribe with a tragic past, spends her days expertly copying books that do little to satiate her desire for knowledge.
When a fateful commission lands on her desk, she finds herself tasked with transcribing a book coveted by assassins from the southern continent. Its theft throws the scribing halls into chaos and threatens to destroy the fragile peace that exists between their nations.
Haunted by dreams of her past, Renia must learn to master her impulses and awaken her long dormant magical abilities if she is to prevent war.
Fate, it would seem, is eager to grant her wishes. Yet she must risk everything to pursue it, and pay the bloody price it demands.
Content Warning: This book contains dark themes that some readers may find unsettling.
Review:
A while ago I received a beautiful book from an incredible author by the name of Karl Forshaw. It still has one of my most favorite covers that is out there with the combination of colors, it just speaks to me. That being said, I have been looking forward to when I was finally able to read it. I started it about four times, but unfortunately my brain was against me and I kept setting it to the side for another time. This was a mistake on my part. I finally read this incredible novel of depth and enjoyed it immensely. It is a very complex story with unique characters that will live in the minds of many readers. There are many friends who have read this and kept telling me that I would really enjoy it. I am glad that I am able to say that I really really did. The world that Mr. Forshaw set up is one with depth beyond just the typical fantasy world. It has its own version of technology and almost feels like a sci-fi and fantasy mashup. But it is layered in complexity and it all begins to come to light through a fantastic voice of multiple points of view.
The strength of the novel to me was the magic system. The stones make an early appearance but the true depth of what they can do is not explained immediately. In a way the reader is able to discover it along with the characters as the mysteries are continually unfolded before them. This air of mystery with the magic (I can’t say a lot about it, otherwise it would spoil some of the best parts) and even the entire world will suck a reader in without them realizing how deep they have sunk into the world. It is refreshing and very entertaining in a variety of ways. There are some flashbacks that describe the history of some of the characters and also provide some very neat world building themselves. I could see some readers getting the timelines muddled up a bit if they are not paying the closest of attention. This is a novel that is deep and engaging, but will require more focus than some other reads. The characters are very much a big help in this regard and are truly what drive the overall narrative. Some of the themes and issues that these characters have to overcome are true testaments of mankind. They are dark and very realistic, which are a true testament of the skill of the author in that they do not overwhelm the readers in how dark they could be.
Renia is the beginning of what will truly be a memorable dark fantasy series that will resonate with many readers. It should definitely be at the forefront of many minds when thinking about what book they should recommend to readers looking for their next memorable read. I can’t believe how smooth the writing of this novel is, as once I got into the flow of it, I could not stop and reached the end before I even knew I was close. Renia matches and even surpasses the beauty of the cover with the beautiful narration that the author has placed upon its pages. Do yourself a favor and bump this one up on your to be read so that you can appreciate its beauty with me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!
