A review by kappareads
The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood
3.0
*ARC received from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
TW: blood, fighting/violence, hallucinations,
I feel like I say this at the beginning of every SFF book I've ever read, but this has amazing world building. This universe, all of the cities and worlds, are connected by Gates or portals. These worlds are unique, but would all fall into what you would consider "fantasy" places. Don't expect them to go through a gate and end up on a space station. All Gates lead into the "Maze," this dark, mountainous place where people have access to every Gate. Also, everyone is an orc, which, as someone who has never reads adult fantasy, I've never encountered, but more on that later.
I also really enjoyed that this book had an emphasis on religion, with many of the characters having some connection to a god, none of which were similar to another one.
The story begins when Csorwe is 14 and slated to be sacrificed to an old god for the religion she has always been a part of. She’s offered an out at the last second in the form of a mage offering an apprenticeship and takes it. We follow her as the mage teaches her the finer points of a sword and she becomes his right-hand woman.
I really enjoyed these characters. We really see Csorwe grow and change throughout the book. Other characters were less dynamic or just less interesting to me.
The f/f romance was a subplot that kicked in halfway through the novel, but I really enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very connected the story or characters. It may have been in part because I haven’t ever read a fantasy with no humans, but there was just a feeling of being disconnected.
I enjoyed the story and Csorwe, but it didn’t make a big impact on me. I’m sure people who read more adult fantasy will enjoy it more.
TW: blood, fighting/violence, hallucinations,
I feel like I say this at the beginning of every SFF book I've ever read, but this has amazing world building. This universe, all of the cities and worlds, are connected by Gates or portals. These worlds are unique, but would all fall into what you would consider "fantasy" places. Don't expect them to go through a gate and end up on a space station. All Gates lead into the "Maze," this dark, mountainous place where people have access to every Gate. Also, everyone is an orc, which, as someone who has never reads adult fantasy, I've never encountered, but more on that later.
I also really enjoyed that this book had an emphasis on religion, with many of the characters having some connection to a god, none of which were similar to another one.
The story begins when Csorwe is 14 and slated to be sacrificed to an old god for the religion she has always been a part of. She’s offered an out at the last second in the form of a mage offering an apprenticeship and takes it. We follow her as the mage teaches her the finer points of a sword and she becomes his right-hand woman.
I really enjoyed these characters. We really see Csorwe grow and change throughout the book. Other characters were less dynamic or just less interesting to me.
The f/f romance was a subplot that kicked in halfway through the novel, but I really enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel very connected the story or characters. It may have been in part because I haven’t ever read a fantasy with no humans, but there was just a feeling of being disconnected.
I enjoyed the story and Csorwe, but it didn’t make a big impact on me. I’m sure people who read more adult fantasy will enjoy it more.