Review: The Land Herself by Ainy Cormac
Blurb:
This faith is a double-edged sword, indeed.
In the deserts of Utter Ung, there lies a great stone dagger, buried in the heart of the dead goddess.
Sahul.
The mother.
The land herself.
For hundreds of millennia, the artefact has drawn broken people to it; those in search of answers, and those in search of power. It stands impassive and looming, casting a single shadow that sweeps across the deserts of the goddess' breast. In the Tower that the blade has become, two halves of a monastic order have formed, set on tradition and reverence for the blade that brought the death of their land. The Tower, home to a myriad of ever-shifting and ever-changing rooms; doors that open onto other realities and worlds, is as feared as it is honoured.
Delving into the Tower's secrets are Turtles, an elderly mute, and his companion Shadram, a muscled and guilt-ridden killer. They have spent years searching its secrets and notating its minute details. Joining them is a Sister of the Order of Agony, who has received a disturbing gift from the Tower.
When the Tower begins giving them messages, will they answer the call?
This story is the first of The Tales of the Cirilliarc, and introduces to world and magic of Sahul — setting of the Cirilliarc.
Review:
I’m once again delighted by the works of Ainy Cormac, this time delving into his The Land Herself novel, which is set in a very unique world with an equally unique cast of characters. The Land Herself is the introductory story to one of Ainy’s planned series delving into a land of dark fantasy, so while it is mostly set up, it is a hell of a good time. The extent to which Ainy has developed this world is profound, but not just that, it goes beyond worldbuilding (universebuilding??). We find a few instances of different realms our POVs venture into, including one with aggressive wasps that are… more than meets the eyes, as well as rumors of others teased throughout the chapters.
We start off with Turtles, a genial older fellow who has had his tongue cut out, and speaks through a sign language of sorts, with varying degrees of success. Here, we find ourselves in The Tower, an ancient sword used to kill the world, which is the body of a goddess (awesome, right?). Within are secrets, mysteries, and strange artefacts lingering from far off lands. One such artefact makes its way to another of our main POVs, Kadh, a priestess, and she knows at once that this is an ill omen. She, along with Turtles and our other POV, Shadram, journey to dispose of the artefact, all the while wondering what it might mean not just for the Tower, but for the lands of Utter Ung and beyond.
Their journey is not overly long, but it is not without hardship and some important questions to be asked. What is their place? What is happening to the Tower, to them, and to the world? And more importantly, what is it? But as this is happening, Shadram and Turtles have their own mission on this journey, one that is equally as uninspiring for them.
What I loved most about this story was how smooth everything was. The prose and worldbuilding were effortless and a joy to read. Each chapter went by in a flash. That's probably my only gripe; I wish this story was longer. But the good thing? Ainy has more stories in the works, and you better believe I’m eagerly awaiting them.
This story sucked me in from the get go, depositing me right in the middle of this world and dragging me along for the ride. If you’re a fan of Glen Cook, Joe Abercrombie, and any other grimdark/dark fantasy author, this is a perfect story for you because the Land Herself is a dark fantasy tour de force, and Cormac’s storytelling leaves me dying for more. I can’t wait to see what’s in store both in this series, and beyond.
