Review: The Source of Strife by Alex Arch
Blurb:
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Only stolen.
Mages feed on catalysts like Dinnie to enhance their spells, and since she’s the most formidable weapon alive, they will stop at nothing to control her. Even her parents, leaders of warring realms, wage a battle for her custody, imprisoning her to prevent the other from gaining the upper hand.
No more.
For the first time, Dinnie isn’t alone. With the help of Ghost, a glum deserter shackled to his past, she intends to flee this madness. But as they witness the horrors unleashed to retrieve her, one thing becomes clear: Her parents will never abandon their claim.
Death and destruction follow in Dinnie’s wake, and she must decide if her freedom is worth the cost.
With a unique magic system and engaging characters this epic fantasy with a dash of western is the perfect read for fans of Red Dead Redemption and Brian McLellan.
Review:
The cover and the premise immediately made me interested in this book. I am always impressed when authors take the time to develop hard magic systems. In these stories, magic always has limits, which can lead to some interesting plot moments. I was also intrigued when I saw comparisons to John Wick and Red Dead Redemption. Both of these franchises are character-driven and action-packed so I was excited to see how Arch combined these 2 elements in a fantasy western.
In this novel, we follow 3 POVs: Dinnie, Ghost, and Bravid. Dinnie is a catalyst, who has an almost unlimited pool of source (mana) where Mages can channel and enhance their spells. Based on this magic system, she is like a powerful support class, and cannot use her source to cast spells. With her incredible abilities, whoever has possession of her can easily destroy her enemies and accomplish incredible feats. Unfortunately for Dinnie, when we first meet her we discover how her parents are leaders of 2 warring realms, who are constantly trying to steal Dinnie away from the other.
Ghost is a deserter with a tragic past. He is a sharpshooter with crafting abilities. Through his technical expertise, he developed a way to create special ammo for his gun by channeling magical sources, which are naturally found in this environment. In some ways, he reminds me of Percy from Vox Machina. Similar to Percy, he struggles with his past and is quiet, but also resourceful. After having an old acquaintance call Ghost up, he ends up joining Bravid and his team who are determined to return Dinnie to her father. Last but not least is Bravid, who was originally a sourceguard for Dinnie’s mother. He decides to kidnap Dinnie and betray his queen with his fellow sourceguards. They believe if Dinnie is back under her father’s custody, then he will stop opening up dangerous rifts, which unleash terrible monsters whenever they appear.
Out of the 3 POVs, I emotionally became attached to Dinnie and Ghost. Dinnie is an incredibly gifted catalyst. From the moment she was born, her gift has become a curse. You can’t help but get angry with how she has been treated and the trauma she has endured. Parents are supposed to protect their children, but in her case her parents just see her as a tool to achieve their goals. As the story progresses we see a shy traumatized girl find her voice and independence. It's heartwarming to see how a person can find strength when they receive support from others. Meanwhile, Ghost, (an adequate nickname) floats around life filled with regret for past mistakes and is unfulfilled. The way their friendship develops is sweet and is the perfect way to show the bonds made between friends can be closer than family.
Bravid also plays a role in the story. Without any spoilers, he is someone who has always seen himself as the hero. Once he starts traveling with his crew, Dinnie and Ghost he starts to realize he may have been doing more harm than good in his life. There is also a cast of side characters we meet along the way, who are interesting, but we don’t get the same level of development as the 3 MCs. At times, I wished we learned a little more about them since it felt as if we only got a glimpse of who they were.
At first, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the magic system due to its complexity, but once I had my bearings it was quite simple. Catalysts are people or things that emit constant power. They are kind of like battery packs. There is only a finite amount of energy most catalysts have so they have to be careful they don’t deplete their energy reserves. Dinnie is the exception since she has an extraordinary amount of source that can be drawn from without killing her. Channellers are mages who can extract source from these catalysts. The last magic type is dampeners, who can suppress the power that catalysts emit. This world also includes people who have no magical abilities. Bravid is one example who is a competent fighter and is equipped with a shield to block magical attacks.
I read the ARC of this book, but Arch was kind enough to share the glossary and a diagram of the magic system, which will be in the official book. I took a look and it will make it easier to understand and visualize how everything works.
In terms of the setting, I thought Arch nailed the Western vibes. Our MCs mostly travel by horse across various types of terrain from outlaw cities to swamplands and more. Each location felt unique from one another. You could also see how the environment influenced the flora and fauna as well as the people who live there. One of my favorite and unexpected locations was Marshalla. I won’t say what makes it so unique because I think it's best to find out for yourself but it left a lasting impression.
When I think of my critiques, I have to admit I had 2 minor issues with the writing. One of the things I disliked was how nicknames were used without any introduction at the beginning of the story. For me, it threw off my reading flow, since I thought I may have missed something. Another issue I had was distinguishing where characters were in a room. This only occurred a handful of times, but I found myself re-reading these sections. I couldn’t figure out how a character moved from one place to another when they were in an enclosed space. Overall, I think these critiques are minor and they didn’t dampen my reading experience, but I had to note it while I was reviewing the ARC I received.
Ultimately, this fantasy western is a story of hope. Through the POVs, we see how each character struggles with their past. As we follow them, they are discovering what their futures could be by taking action in the present. I found this to be an incredibly moving story. It filled the western vibes I was hoping to get from the character studies to traveling in unfamiliar lands. This book is perfect for fans who enjoy going on a journey with their characters, and learning more about a fantastical world, filled with unique cultures and strange terrains.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an ARC of this book for an honest review. By the time this review is published, The Source of Strife will be available to purchase.
