β Scribed by Mark Charan Newton
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Starred Review. Newton opens a complex epic fantasy series with this impressive debut. The ancient fortress city of Villjamur is filled with human and nonhuman inhabitants, many of them refugees seeking shelter from a predicted decades-long ice age. The untimely death of the mad emperor Jamur Johynn forces his unworldly elder daughter, Rika, to assume the throne as her sister, Eir, gains a perspective beyond her palace walls and the members of the council make their own power plays. War and religious conflicts as well as more personal matters of desires for power and immortality set the scene for acts of compassion and betrayal. Newton handles his multilayered world and diverse cast of characters with the assurance of an experienced author and balances his fantasy tropes with elements of horror and political commentary in vividly descriptive, compelling prose.
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Newtons debut is the first in an epic fantasy series, Legends of the Red Sun, and it adds a murder mystery to the usual epic-fantasy mix. The inhabitants of the city of Villjamur are preparing for an upcoming ice age when a member of the ruling Council is gruesomely murdered. Jeryd, a nonhuman Rumel, is the citys senior investigator, and after nearly 200 years, he thinks he has seen it all. Meanwhile, island boy Randur has come to the city in hopes of persuading the magic-wielding cultists to extend his mothers life. As the ice tightens its grip on the island empire, enemies strike and an unknown force kills most of the Night Guard, an elite force led by Brynd, the kings most trusted advisor and fighter. Because the mystery isnt the only plotline, this is best recommended to fantasy fans who also enjoy mysteries; there may be too much fantasy for most mystery readers. Unusual characters, including those from nonhuman races and a compelling gay protagonist, give this genre-bender plenty of appeal for a variety of readers. --Jessica Moyer
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