Heather’s Bookshelf: Pariah’s Lament
Author: Richie Billing
Released: March 17, 2021
Genre: High Fantasy
“That flash of vulnerability permitted fear to speak, to remind her that these could be her final moments. No matter how much she struggled to overcome it, to silence the nagging voice in her head, it was always there, opportunistically waiting.”
“Pariah’s Lament” introduces you to two main characters and storylines that take place in a fictional world as part of the “Of Metal and Magic” stories. The first main character, Edvar, is a young advisor to the Keeper Ashara who is attacked early on in the story. The second main character, Isy, is a young outsider who is kidnapped by a group of strangers, the Amast.
Edvar tries to find the culprit behind the attack in order to save himself, the Keeper, and the rest of of kingdom.
Isy soon realizes that she has been taken by a community that is desperate and scared. She feels compelled to help them and finds a little help along the way. Isy and Edvar’s paths lead them to continue their journeys toward destinies that intertwine.
There is a lot of action in this book including battles and really vivid attacks by giant killer blue ravens. In fact, the last quarter of the book is a depiction of a major battle that is the result of everything else that has happened in the novel. By that point in the story, I was invested in the characters and really wanted many of them to make it through to the end of the story. The world building was also really well done and it is easy to see how this book could fit into a much bigger world.
Fair Warning: Violence, murder, battle
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. The different points of view from Isy and Edvar were interesting and assisted in developing their characters in a clear way. I especially enjoyed the development of Isy as a character. She starts out as unsure and timid and develops into a brave and selfless young woman. I also really enjoyed the depictions of some of the ancillary characters including Vil and Kora, but did not feel a connection to the main villain, Tesh. I will say that the additional points of view from Tesh and some of the other soldiers allowed insight into some of the more memorable action scenes in the book but did not have the same emotional connection as the storylines that followed Isy and Edvar. The ending was also satisfying but open-ended enough for many more stories to come.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A character-driven story in a fantasy world with an epic battle ending but a so-so bad guy
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with Richie Billing
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