A review by caylieratzlaff
Dauntless , by Elisa A. Bonnin
4.0
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars!
I've had this on my NetGalley shelf FOREVER and finally got around to it, and I was not disappointed. Set up in a lush, fantasy but also science fictiony but also dystopian world modeled on the Phillipines, I was drawn in to the world quickly. While some of the concepts were hard to grasp at first with the beasts and the trees and the valor and the armor, they were explain as the MC, Seri, learned more about them as well. Seri's path with Eshai is stunning, and I love how Eshai becomes both a mentor and a friend to Seri as they both learn from each other.
The addition of Tsana and the twist she brings is well done, and it almost reminds me of an allegory for colonization or assimilation with how they view the way of life and beasts differently. I do almost want to know more of the history though, e.g., why is Tsana's group the one with the more modern language built on how Seri's language is "old" and why do they have metal but Seri didn't even know what metal was? Also, this novel is SAPPHIC but like without the "this is the plot. the plot is they're sapphic" because it's not the focus of the plot which makes it a refreshing LGBTQ read.
I do think the ending leaves a lot of questions with Seri and her capabilities, and I wish there would have been more between the end of the novel and the epilogue, but overall, this was a fantastic read. Full of action and beautiful world building.
I've had this on my NetGalley shelf FOREVER and finally got around to it, and I was not disappointed. Set up in a lush, fantasy but also science fictiony but also dystopian world modeled on the Phillipines, I was drawn in to the world quickly. While some of the concepts were hard to grasp at first with the beasts and the trees and the valor and the armor, they were explain as the MC, Seri, learned more about them as well. Seri's path with Eshai is stunning, and I love how Eshai becomes both a mentor and a friend to Seri as they both learn from each other.
The addition of Tsana and the twist she brings is well done, and it almost reminds me of an allegory for colonization or assimilation with how they view the way of life and beasts differently. I do almost want to know more of the history though, e.g., why is Tsana's group the one with the more modern language built on how Seri's language is "old" and why do they have metal but Seri didn't even know what metal was? Also, this novel is SAPPHIC but like without the "this is the plot. the plot is they're sapphic" because it's not the focus of the plot which makes it a refreshing LGBTQ read.
I do think the ending leaves a lot of questions with Seri and her capabilities, and I wish there would have been more between the end of the novel and the epilogue, but overall, this was a fantastic read. Full of action and beautiful world building.