BigEnk
5/5/2025
A standard medieval setting in which magic users are discriminated against and beholden to a rigid set of rules that they are magically bound to follow. A magic sensitive youth with extra abilities learns that a barrier in the north that prevents grotesque horrors from entering his world is losing strength, and sets out on a journey with his friends to discover the cause and put a stop to it. This is, of course, a vast simplification of the plot here, which I consider the strength of the novel for sure. Islington clearly had a vision for his story, and was dedicated to seeing it through to the end. Though I am not much of a fan for novels that are written with express intention that the reader must continue the series to reach a satisfying conclusion, I can also see that one novel would never have been enough to capture Islington's grand design. For the most part, Islington does a good job of attempting to weave such a complex narrative.
The writing itself is mixed in quality. Some passages are written with some deft and nuance. Characters are generally well written and relatable, outside of the clear trope that some of the main characters are all-powerful gods that can do whatever they please. Most of the time though the writing is merely pedestrian, serving only to communicate the plot. The casual tone of the novel, mostly felt through conversations between characters, was at odds with some of the highly graphic violence that peppered the story. I found the descriptions of character's emotions to be especially grating. Every minor action is followed by a habitual description of exactly how the character(s) involved feel in the moment, leaving no room for nuance or interpretation by the reader.
Theme also played second fiddle to the the plotline, with nothing of real importance being talked about or considered on a deeper level. There's some minor thought about where our definition of self comes from, how vital a role that memory plays in who we are. Beyond that, I think Islington wasn't all that concerned with anything.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the read, but I don't think there's anything truly special here. I think it would've done well with a deeper edit, narrowing the page count down a bit and leaving only what truly matters. Now, that might be coming from my disposition for shorter novels, but I think that most could agree that this 700 page behemoth could've been trimmed. As of now, I'm not sure whether I will continue reading the series. Certainly I would enjoy seeing how the plot line ends, how it develops over time, what surprises are in store. But I'm not sure if I can sit through two more similarly length books to get there.