Blurb:

Forty years ago in the midst of war, an Anagovian soldier discovered the incredible ability to manipulate the very fabric of reality. Without thought of the consequences, man-kind used it to every advantage, winning the war and sending Anagovia into an age of peace and prosperity. Weavers grabbed hold of the Threads of reality and shaped them to their will. They are considered by most to be a blessing from the gods themselves. But a darkness is seeping in through the Fabric that none of them anticipated. Scores of men and women are going missing and beasts that normally keep to the dark corners of the world are moving in growing numbers.

Li’or is a mercenary. She takes any job that pays well and keeps her moving- no matter how dangerous. One night while she’s setting up camp, a young Weaver named Hashkan stumbles in and throws her careful plans off course. Before they realize it, they find themselves tangling with armies of monsters and madmen as they try to unravel the schemes of a tyrant. But will their small band of hired swords be enough to save Anagovia?

Review:

Sometimes you want a novel that feels like playing Dungeons & Dragons. A band of adventurers traveling together, saving the world–or at least getting paid. And there are a lot of Dungeons & Dragons inspired novels out there, but the best ones not only tell an intriguing story, but also make you invested in the characters. 

When the World Starts to Fray by Sam Parrish is the best kind of D&D novel. We have our merry band of adventures: Li’or, an elven fighter who’s pretty damn good with a sword and not too bad with a bow either; Hashkan, a Weaver (magic-user) who’s pretty good at thinking highly of himself; and Emond, a big hulking warrior who’s quick with a quip and with a beheading.  Did I say they were a merry band? Well, Emond’s merry, all right. Li’or is more the brooding type of heroine. She’s lived a difficult life and the last thing she wants to do is deal with some young, idiot Weaver.   Of course, that’s exactly what she ends up having to do.

Li’or was an excellent character. Lots of emotion, lots of pain, the grumpiest of the three, and some of the humor in the novel came from Li’or’s obvious annoyance with nearly anything Hashkan had to say. 

Hashkan is a spoiled brat, and I love it. I enjoyed watching him grow and change as the novel went on, and I liked how he started to catch some feelings toward Li’or. While unrequited so far, I ship it. 

Emond was my favorite character. I love a big, cheerful dude who goes around cleaving limbs and lopping off heads. He had some excellent banter, and the side plot with him and the very amorous owner of an inn had me smiling every time. 

The world is a high fantasy world: elves, humans, and other fantasy creatures.  Most of the people worship The Seamstress, a relatively new deity, but one with immense power. The Seamstress gives the Weavers their abilities, and they serve her. Li’or isn’t totally sure about the Seamstress, but Hashkan, as a Weaver, follows her devoutly. Emond is more worried about ale than religion. 

Special shout out to the zhu’dac: an antagonistic creature that works as the minions for the big bad evil guy. In my mind, the zhu’dac are zombie werewolves, though I don’t know if that’s because of the descriptions in the novel or because I just need more zombie werewolves in my life.

Parrish is an excellent writer who creates relatable characters and put them in intriguing situations fraught with danger. I devoured this book in three days, which is saying something. My focus with ebooks and physical books hasn’t been the best lately, but this one drew me and compelled me to keep reading.  The only part that slightly took me out of the story was a section where we followed Hashkan on a journey and didn’t see Li’or or Emond for quite a while. I still cared about Hashkan in these moments, but I did wonder what the other two were up to. 

Really, this book has everything you need! Action, great characters, excellent writing, found family, and dnd vibes. When the World Starts to Fray breathes new life into the fantasy adventure journey novel, and Sam Parrish is definitely an author to watch. Do yourself a favor and check it out!