Master Of Sorrows, by Justin T. Call
Blackstone Publishing - February 25, 2020
Series: Silent Gods - Book 1
E-book
592 Pages
Series: Silent Gods - Book 1
E-book
592 Pages
* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Blackstone Publishing, via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.
As the first book in an exciting new Fantasy series, Master of Sorrows is my choice to fulfill item #15 - New Beginnings - Start a new (to you) series or trilogy on my 20 for 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the whole challenge HERE.
Before we go any further can we talk about this cover?! It is gorgeous! Okay, now I'm ready to move on to the heart of it - the story!
Before we go any further can we talk about this cover?! It is gorgeous! Okay, now I'm ready to move on to the heart of it - the story!
A rich and epic tale for young and old, Master Of Sorrows is one of the most exciting new fantasy series I have had the pleasure of reading in some time.
The tiny village of Chaenbalu is hidden to others, nestled amidst the forests. In this village is a young man is dreaming of a future he was never meant to have. Born with only one arm, the baby - Annev, was was meant to be executed because he was seen as the child of an evil one armed deity. Instead, he was secretly returned to the village and raised by the local priest and taught forbidden magic. Thanks to a magical prosthetic, he attends the local academy with the other boys his age, and trains as a fighter and warrior. Nobody in the village, save for the priest who raised him, knows about his deformity.
When the dark forces hunting him start to close in, the opposing forces of his upbringing, training and destiny collide, and he is forced to make difficult decisions the results of which have enormous impact. Everything he ever thought he knew about anybody - including himself, is called into question.
The book does not open with a bang, but it did keep my interest as it laid a foundation worthy of all that was yet to come - and there was so much more to come in this book alone, let alone the remaining books planned for the series. Once the foundation was laid for this story, the rising action kept me white knuckling my Kindle the rest of the way.
The story contained all the classic elements of an epic fantasy - Good vs. Evil, moral dilemma, internal struggle, a battle against all odds, loyalty, rivalry, and self discovery, but somehow Call has breathed new life into the standard tropes and formulas.
This book felt fresh, new, and exciting. The magic system was original and well structured. While magic is usually revered in books, in this story while it is not an unknown element, it is not well received by the people of the village, with most magic considered sinister. The world building is on point, giving the reader a carefully crafted and consistent framework with which to view the events of the story. The characters were well developed and ranged from those I loved, to those I loved to hate, and some that were harder to define fell in-between. I loved that Call chose to write the story not without a love interest for the main character, but without clouding the story with an overbearing romance plot.
The year is young, yet I feel safe in saying that this book will make my list of favorite books of 2020. I am looking forward to the next book in the series - Master Artificer (first draft complete) due to release in the UK in February 2021 according to Call's website, and North American markets some time (hopefully soon) after that.
The tiny village of Chaenbalu is hidden to others, nestled amidst the forests. In this village is a young man is dreaming of a future he was never meant to have. Born with only one arm, the baby - Annev, was was meant to be executed because he was seen as the child of an evil one armed deity. Instead, he was secretly returned to the village and raised by the local priest and taught forbidden magic. Thanks to a magical prosthetic, he attends the local academy with the other boys his age, and trains as a fighter and warrior. Nobody in the village, save for the priest who raised him, knows about his deformity.
When the dark forces hunting him start to close in, the opposing forces of his upbringing, training and destiny collide, and he is forced to make difficult decisions the results of which have enormous impact. Everything he ever thought he knew about anybody - including himself, is called into question.
The book does not open with a bang, but it did keep my interest as it laid a foundation worthy of all that was yet to come - and there was so much more to come in this book alone, let alone the remaining books planned for the series. Once the foundation was laid for this story, the rising action kept me white knuckling my Kindle the rest of the way.
The story contained all the classic elements of an epic fantasy - Good vs. Evil, moral dilemma, internal struggle, a battle against all odds, loyalty, rivalry, and self discovery, but somehow Call has breathed new life into the standard tropes and formulas.
This book felt fresh, new, and exciting. The magic system was original and well structured. While magic is usually revered in books, in this story while it is not an unknown element, it is not well received by the people of the village, with most magic considered sinister. The world building is on point, giving the reader a carefully crafted and consistent framework with which to view the events of the story. The characters were well developed and ranged from those I loved, to those I loved to hate, and some that were harder to define fell in-between. I loved that Call chose to write the story not without a love interest for the main character, but without clouding the story with an overbearing romance plot.
The year is young, yet I feel safe in saying that this book will make my list of favorite books of 2020. I am looking forward to the next book in the series - Master Artificer (first draft complete) due to release in the UK in February 2021 according to Call's website, and North American markets some time (hopefully soon) after that.
Happy Reading,
Christine
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