Review: The Wraith Returns by Paul G. Zareith
Blurb:
A fallen warrior discovers that the mission of his life was one enormous deception.
A race of scavenger aliens orchestrates the most dangerous maneuver to save themselves.
An ambitious researcher is willing to stake the lives of millions to become the next great power.
A celestial reconciler is ready to wipe out entire civilizations to restore space-time continuity.
Who will survive? And at what cost...
Discover in this grimdark epic saga.
Review:
To begin with, in all honesty, I had absolutely no idea that this total GEM of a book was out and about until the author made a very kind and generous offer for me to read and review his debut novel. The fact that ‘ancient/early India’ was both an inspiration and a setting for it got my attention straight away. Not to forget that the description was very, very intriguing as well. An indie debut that marks the start to a new grimdark epic saga… inspired and based on ancient India, you say?! HECK YEAH! Count me right in!
Needless to say, I immediately accepted the offer! I had never before ventured into Indian inspired/based grimdark SFF, with ‘THE SHIVA TRILOGY’ by Amish being the only proper exception (and although it does have dark tones/themes, it is still classed as just fantasy rather than being grimdark). If you haven’t checked it out, I would highly recommend that you do so. Also, a certain Gaurav Mohanty has been making waves globally through his debut ‘SONS OF DARKNESS’, which does indeed classify as an Indian grimdark fantasy. How am I yet to check it out remains a mystery even to myself (need to do it asap!).
The point being – Indian grimdark is quite rare (unless I’m mistaken, that is!), and to finally be able to have a go at one such story was quite something. So yeah. I was super, super eager and equally excited for it. And hence, before we move on, I would like to extend my highest of thanks towards the author, Paul, for giving me such a wonderful opportunity.
What’s it about?
War had been, after all, coming for a long time.
Rather than me trying to break down the stuff that’s happening, here’s a quick synopsis that was pitched by the author himself (sums it up perfectly in my opinion!):
Rana has given up all hope when he realises that his decade long quest to exact revenge on a corrupt aristocracy and a totalitarian religious order has been exploited by an otherworldly malicious organisation determined to destabilise the very foundation of the known civilization.
Against all odds though, he finds himself free of his shackles in a world that he barely recognizes.
As Rana gradually comes to understand the world he has woken up in, many strange facts begin to unfold. The alien gods whom he and his companions had brought down, have managed to alter the timeline as a last ditch attempt to save themselves. The empire he fought for, the army he stood with and the patron deity who helped their civilization prosper are all gone.
The world now is a bleak dark place, and the alien scavengers are aggressively stripping the planet of the mineral that forms the foundation of all runecraft - the traditional magic system that mages have used since time immemorial. Thanks to their actions, the practice of runecraft has been relegated to something in myths and bedtime stories. Slavery and violence run rampant and with every day that passes, the world moves closer to chaos and anarchy.
Rana's only hope is that he still has access to an older, ancient but dangerous form of magic. And he is not alone. His sister whom he long thought dead, apparently still survives and can play a crucial role in saving the world. As Rana slowly discovers, there are enough who abhor their mysterious overlords for what they are and what they have done - and are willing to stand up for what is right.
“The story takes place in a fictional world, but the setup is partly inspired by early India. Basically what led me to this story was the question - what if ancient India was the epicenter of civilization in the old world, and the mughals invading the country were actually a race of vampires from another world, intent on scavenging the resources that the subcontinent has to offer. It is written for a niche audience - essentially people who like intricate plots, lovecraftian themes and morally gray characters.”
How could someone possibly say no to this?! No wonder I was super pumped to jump into it straight away! (and rightly so indeed!)
The good:
First off, let me just get it out there before anything else – this was an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING debut by all means! Really exceeded and surpassed all the expectations! A real GEM of a read, and one of the BEST indie reads of the year for me hands down.
The characters were really well-written; gray, fleshed out, and with their respective past/backgrounds present as well. New ones were introduced throughout, and really added to the story.
The plot was excellent! Loved it! Fast-paced, loads of action, mystery, and drama present that kept me hooked till the end. There were several plotlines going on simultaneously, with the narrative switching back and forth between them. Did I mention time travel shenanigans and leviathan monsters were present too?!
The magic system, and the whole lore surrounding it, was quite detailed and very well depicted. Not to forget the blood sorcery, which added a whole new dimension and depth to the world. Really enjoyed it all.
The writing was very good altogether, and I really, really liked the bleak, sort of gray world and setting that the author put forward. Again, altogether, really well-written and really well fleshed out.
There were multiple POVs present, with both first person and third person perspectives. I thought all the POVs were handled really well. The ending was crazy, with fast, multi-POV action!
There were loads of Indian/Hindi/Sanskrit names, words, and terms present, which were not only nicely incorporated into the story, but, as an Indian myself, was a great reading experience in itself (gotta be honest!).
The ending was very satisfactory, super fun and action-packed, and sets up the sequel very well and in an intriguing manner.
The “not so” good:
My only complaint would be that the lore and worldbuilding might get a bit overwhelming at times, mainly due to the fact that there’s just so much depth present overall. There’s absolutely no doubt that I really enjoyed and loved it. But on certain occasions, it just felt a little too much to take in!
The standout stuff:
The moon, a pale sliver in the inky sky, cast long, skeletal shadows that danced with the flickering flames licking at the edges of abandoned stalls. They had set up a hideout under an abandoned construction site which also served as the makeshift stash for the weapons and enchanted items they could gather. [excerpt from one of the chapters; this particular one was just so much fun to read!]
There was an old saying that Karma loops around through links in destiny.
“… Faith has a way of swaying people that reason cannot quite match.”
When all cards are stacked against you, you need to sharpen and hone every weapon in your arsenal, irrespective of whether or not you like the feel of its shape.
Any skill requires practice, and essence manipulation requires practicing on blood - preferably blood that is still connected to life - after all it is not the blood itself that the magic targets, but the life essence coursing through it.
All life fights for preservation of its essence. Essence harvesting is, in its core, the art of repurposing the essence that fuels life, to fuel whatever magic the harvester desires. For a skilled essence harvester, wrestling life out of even enormous beasts who have lived for centuries is within the realm of possibility.
Other info.
A beautiful map of Ildaria is present at the start.
A detailed glossary of the various Indian/Hindi/Sanskrit terminologies is present at the end (loved it!).
There are quite a few subtle Indian references, especially that of culture/folklore, present throughout which were wonderful to read.
Warning: “This work includes vivid depictions of violence and may not be suitable for all readers.” Other trigger warnings include – blood/gore, swearing, etc.
Final thoughts
‘The Wraith Returns’ by Paul G. Zareith is AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING INDIE DEBUT by all means. This opening chapter to a new grimdark epic fantasy series inspired and based upon ancient India is certainly NOT TO BE MISSED. Boasting a fast-paced, action-packed plot having very well-written, gray characters, multi-POVs, a rich dose of lore/worldbuilding, and an incredibly detailed and fun magic system, it certainly manages to grab hold of you until the very end. I had a total blast reading it, and cannot RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY enough. Go check it out now!
