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A review by mesal
Dark Apprentice: Fall of Magic Book One by Val Neil
adventurous
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
REREAD 10/01/23: Full review on my blog here!
Following dark wizard-aspirant Nikolai Fedorov in his quest to become the most powerful wizard in the world, the novel stands out as unique within its genre of dark fantasy by means of its tendency towards humor. It is by no means lighthearted—the author doesn't shy away from discussing the very real issues of the era within which the story is set—but the narrative intermixes these serious and comical moments in a way that reworks one's expectations of what a dark fantasy novel should be. Not all the jokes landed well, for a few seemed to be derived from popular ones found on the internet; the ones that did land, often those rooted in Nikolai being wrong or getting thwarted at every turn, had me in stitches. (One of the principal plot twists, revealed near the very end, was such a moment.)
Of the two major characters in this novel, one is a clinical psychopath. The other is autistic. This aspect of their characters is substantial in its effect on each of their thoughts, actions, and motivations, explored in depth by the author, but a reader unfamiliar with ASPD or autism—or at the very least unfamiliar with this detail behind our main cast—might find these same actions and motivations confusing. Early on in the novel, there's a scene where Nikolai confesses to dropping his "social mask" in front of an old man, leaving the man terrified by his "acerbic remarks and lack of emotional expression." Initially I wondered if the above was enough to warrant the old man pleading with the flat owners to remove Nikolai from his house; the slightest bit of research into the matter, however, cleared up my misconceptions. While I myself may not be able to speak on the quality of representation within the novel, the author has mentioned being diagnosed with autism, and others have spoken as to the depiction of Nikolai's psychopathy.
A quarter of this book is dedicated to Nikolai trying to gain an apprenticeship under the immortal mage Medea (not to be confused with the Greek mythological figure). When he finally succeeds—and no, this can't be considered a spoiler since it's mentioned in the blurb—one assumes that the novel will pick up its pace. It doesn't. This is part of the reason why I was shocked when I looked the book up again and discovered it was only 470 pages long, when during the read it felt like 600 at a minimum: it progresses very slowly, preferring to give time to each scene and character interaction. While I personally have no issue with such novels, to the point I often actively look for them to read, I'm aware other readers have varying preferences, so do keep that in mind when considering reading this one.
There's also a lot of description in the novel in order to allow the reader to visualize the world and its workings clearly. Coupled with the leisurely pace, this suggests that Dark Apprentice's main purpose is as an introductory novel setting up the series to come. Though by no means perfect, it is by far one of the most enjoyable novels I discovered last year, and I recommend it to all fantasy readers who prioritize character exposition and development over a briskly moving plot.
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REREAD 13/08/22: i reread it thinking i'd write a better review with the book fresh in my mind but then i just sat on it. again. anyway this is sexy and fun and i keep recommending it to everyone asking for recs to make up a 2023 tbr so!
-------
this book was so good that i'm actually going to review it in full on my blog (someday) (hopefully soon) (look i have exams upcoming). rtc!!
Following dark wizard-aspirant Nikolai Fedorov in his quest to become the most powerful wizard in the world, the novel stands out as unique within its genre of dark fantasy by means of its tendency towards humor. It is by no means lighthearted—the author doesn't shy away from discussing the very real issues of the era within which the story is set—but the narrative intermixes these serious and comical moments in a way that reworks one's expectations of what a dark fantasy novel should be. Not all the jokes landed well, for a few seemed to be derived from popular ones found on the internet; the ones that did land, often those rooted in Nikolai being wrong or getting thwarted at every turn, had me in stitches. (One of the principal plot twists, revealed near the very end, was such a moment.)
Of the two major characters in this novel, one is a clinical psychopath. The other is autistic. This aspect of their characters is substantial in its effect on each of their thoughts, actions, and motivations, explored in depth by the author, but a reader unfamiliar with ASPD or autism—or at the very least unfamiliar with this detail behind our main cast—might find these same actions and motivations confusing. Early on in the novel, there's a scene where Nikolai confesses to dropping his "social mask" in front of an old man, leaving the man terrified by his "acerbic remarks and lack of emotional expression." Initially I wondered if the above was enough to warrant the old man pleading with the flat owners to remove Nikolai from his house; the slightest bit of research into the matter, however, cleared up my misconceptions. While I myself may not be able to speak on the quality of representation within the novel, the author has mentioned being diagnosed with autism, and others have spoken as to the depiction of Nikolai's psychopathy.
A quarter of this book is dedicated to Nikolai trying to gain an apprenticeship under the immortal mage Medea (not to be confused with the Greek mythological figure). When he finally succeeds—and no, this can't be considered a spoiler since it's mentioned in the blurb—one assumes that the novel will pick up its pace. It doesn't. This is part of the reason why I was shocked when I looked the book up again and discovered it was only 470 pages long, when during the read it felt like 600 at a minimum: it progresses very slowly, preferring to give time to each scene and character interaction. While I personally have no issue with such novels, to the point I often actively look for them to read, I'm aware other readers have varying preferences, so do keep that in mind when considering reading this one.
There's also a lot of description in the novel in order to allow the reader to visualize the world and its workings clearly. Coupled with the leisurely pace, this suggests that Dark Apprentice's main purpose is as an introductory novel setting up the series to come. Though by no means perfect, it is by far one of the most enjoyable novels I discovered last year, and I recommend it to all fantasy readers who prioritize character exposition and development over a briskly moving plot.
-------
REREAD 13/08/22: i reread it thinking i'd write a better review with the book fresh in my mind but then i just sat on it. again. anyway this is sexy and fun and i keep recommending it to everyone asking for recs to make up a 2023 tbr so!
-------
this book was so good that i'm actually going to review it in full on my blog (someday) (hopefully soon) (look i have exams upcoming). rtc!!