https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55294419-first-chasm
A 19-year-old Daren is a military academy grown trainee warrant officer. He is unexposed to the real world because of his protected upbringing inside a fort. Being due for a promotion to become a prestigious Lieutenant, he has been assigned a challenging task, the real purpose behind it is unknown to him.
A nest of harpies often kill the live cattle stock, thus disturbing the peace of cattle herders in settlements around a mountain. Daren has to hunt them down. To aid the process in that mission, he is supported by three military personnel... a 60-year-old Sergeant Fran, a jealous low-ranked Armon, and Armon's schoolmate Anthia.
During the expedition, there is travelling in much the same vein -- they walk, they rest, they talk, and they climb through dangerous terrains helping each other. They pass through ruined village statues and monuments that dot the landscape. Then they spot a Gamayun …" Yara " with 'prophetic powers' ...'woman's head' … 'stunning collection of colourful feathers' …' imitating human voices'. They befriend her. Though they manage to kill a few harpies, their real challenge comes in the form of a Gryphon, an evil Alpha Chasmal with…' four intimidating legs' …' each hair resembling an oversized needle.'
Then, what happened? Who survived the attack? What did Daren learn?
The novella, a dark fantasy, written in the third person, has a simple plot but has good readability with some fluid narrations. The author has been able to give each character their own distinctive voice and personality. It has some originality features. It has good entertainment value with a good portrayal of a subtle sub-story of the love Anthia has for Daren, whereas Armon has it for Anthia. A good description of Yara and Gryphon, and the battle scene between the squad and the Gryphon, is a visual treat as if they are in front of you!...wholly absorbing towards a natural climax!!
I liked this particular book because: a) There is a perilous adventure. b) Well depicted humane consideration of helping a person in dire need though jealousy was ruling the mind! c) Courage exhibited by all the 3 young characters against the formidable force of Gryphon. d) Amazing Yara ...(though I wish her prophetic character could have been detailed out in this first novella (of the series) itself).
This is the author's maiden attempt but amazingly powerful and fresh. I enjoyed some really beautiful moments when the party members helped each other during the blood-chilling crisis. I liked the fun when the characters interacted with each other in their own characteristic ways.
My favourite line: "And I had just started getting acquainted with this whole ‘freedom’ thing that Anthia seemed so passionate about."
Sure, there are some things that may not enthuse the readers. The author could have added some more good flavours and twists to make the story more interesting. The narrative had some drags and the story lacked momentum initially till the squad spotted Yara. However, I relished the reading experience after that incident. I think a balance between the narratives and the dialogues in each page could have kept the reader more excited. True, the author's cryptic narrations in some places have disturbed the flow. I must admit that I zoned out a bit.
However, do I recommend this as a good book? Yes, if you persevere until the squad spots Yara. In my opinion, the novel started being engaging from this checkpoint onwards. Read it to understand for yourself. Being the first attempt of the author, I had my own reservations, but the novel has managed to surpass my expectations.
My rating is based on the true happiness I derived when I read the novella leaving aside the flaws. I do possess a soft corner for the creators… I mean the authors. Fantasy is my all-time favourite genre as it's filled with fantastic creativity from an author. And for pure escapism, it provides me to go out of the "real world" during reading. Hence, I don't undermine the efforts of any good author as it's almost impossible for an avid reader to do so.
No comments:
Post a Comment