A review by helterskelliter
Children of the Whales, Vol. 1 by Abi Umeda
4.0
“I write for the future.”
The Mud Whale drifts in an endless sea of sand.
It is a floating island, home to a little under 600. On this island city, there are those who don’t possess special powers and those who possess magic—called thymia. The magic users have reduced life spans while those without magic live long lives, becoming elders of the community eventually.
Emotions are strictly forbidden. Leaving the Mud Whale except on scouting missions is forbidden—and dangerous. The sand dunes could easily swallow you whole without proper preparations.
Rule-breakers are sent to the “belly” of the island.
Chakuro is the Mud Whale’s archivist. He records the community’s stories, careful not to be too sentimental. Mainly, he records lives and deaths. He is also a thymia user—but not so great at it. Because he has a reduced life span, he wants to ensure he leaves as many records as possible for those who will come behind him.
The prior generations left so few records.
When the Mud Whale comes across another floating island suddenly, they send a scouting team. On that mission, they discover the other settlement mostly abandoned, save for one girl. She’s very weak but clearly skilled in using thymia.
When the girl is brought back to the Mud Whale, the elders immediately sequester her. They question her and quickly discover she was a soldier—was supposed to be one. Her emotions are subdued, her skills sharp. She begs to be returned to her island. Warns of coming danger.
Chakuro wants to know all about this girl. Who she is and the world beyond the Mud Whale.
But, what may be uncovered?
This is a beautiful and comprehensive start to a series. The world is expansive and the characters are distinct, offering different insights into the human condition. Already, I can see this series shaping up to be a profound one.
Definitely recommend for anyone who likes high fantasy stories with a slant towards exploring the human condition~
The Mud Whale drifts in an endless sea of sand.
It is a floating island, home to a little under 600. On this island city, there are those who don’t possess special powers and those who possess magic—called thymia. The magic users have reduced life spans while those without magic live long lives, becoming elders of the community eventually.
Emotions are strictly forbidden. Leaving the Mud Whale except on scouting missions is forbidden—and dangerous. The sand dunes could easily swallow you whole without proper preparations.
Rule-breakers are sent to the “belly” of the island.
Chakuro is the Mud Whale’s archivist. He records the community’s stories, careful not to be too sentimental. Mainly, he records lives and deaths. He is also a thymia user—but not so great at it. Because he has a reduced life span, he wants to ensure he leaves as many records as possible for those who will come behind him.
The prior generations left so few records.
When the Mud Whale comes across another floating island suddenly, they send a scouting team. On that mission, they discover the other settlement mostly abandoned, save for one girl. She’s very weak but clearly skilled in using thymia.
When the girl is brought back to the Mud Whale, the elders immediately sequester her. They question her and quickly discover she was a soldier—was supposed to be one. Her emotions are subdued, her skills sharp. She begs to be returned to her island. Warns of coming danger.
Chakuro wants to know all about this girl. Who she is and the world beyond the Mud Whale.
But, what may be uncovered?
This is a beautiful and comprehensive start to a series. The world is expansive and the characters are distinct, offering different insights into the human condition. Already, I can see this series shaping up to be a profound one.
Definitely recommend for anyone who likes high fantasy stories with a slant towards exploring the human condition~