Published: June 2024
Pages: 404
Series: The Book of Astea #1
Summary
For untold millennia, mankind lived subservient to the dryads, forced into worship of the Earth-Mother, Astea. Then one man ventured into the Scorched Desert and returned with the secret of fire. His rebellion brought the dryad empire to ash. In its place, he founded the Kingdom of Heartsong.
Twelve years later, the new king is missing. The earth trembles. Famine ravages the land, and a mysterious illness creeps through the capital.
My thoughts
This was such a great find! I haven’t heard of this duology before but I’m glad I came across it. The cover caught my attention but it was the writing that kept me hooked.
“You are the fastest, and her best chance. Never feel guilty about it.”
This is an emotionally gripping story. There are some tough themes throughout this story. Death, sickness, prejudice, depression. This story is centred around a human rebellion as they’ve been continually oppressed and mistreated by the dryads of the forest. It was heart wrenching to read the experiences and what life looked like for them. With that you might think that this is a very clear cut story of good vs evil but that is not the case. This is not so simple as on both sides there is good and evil. We don’t get everything all at once but instead its trickled to us throughout the story as we get more and more information. I felt so challenged to form an opinion as my head was all over the place – it was brilliantly done!
My body became a separate entity, a world of pain, thirst, and hunger that seemed far and distant. My mind was trapped in its own cage. I had not the capacity for thought. All I could muster was a faint idea. To keep going.
Although the humans rebelled there is a big theme in this story about the value and purpose of history. The lasting consequences that come from historical events and how that passes through the generations in the new way of living. Do the younger generation appreciate or understand the significance of their history, and why or why not? Has that insight gone with those that lived through it but are no longer here? How to keep humans learning from their mistakes if they no longer remember? It was so fascinating to explore that and I think we can take that onboard with how our own reality is shaping up.
If we forget where we come from, it will not be long before we are back where we started.
The characters a brilliantly written with many sides to them. You could say they are morally grey but I would say they are desperate people who only want the best for their people. It just happens that what is best for one could come at the expense of another. Mixed with their own personal challenges and motivations there was a lot to unpick and they made for an interesting bunch that kept my attention. What they do have in common is an emotional and religious burden which make these characters more relatable and compelling.
We made peace, but only because we were strong enough to make war.
“Death came and it held fire”
The world building detailed a harsh, gritty world with different species that have their own strong religious beliefs. It set the stage for a complex exploration of power, religion, and revolution. The writing was very detailed and I could definitely picture it in my mind and follow the journey alongside our characters. What really gripped me was the lyrical style, it was provocative and as mentioned earlier, I was completely torn with my sense of right and wrong as this is a story with complexity and it isn’t so clear cut. I especially liked the cut scenes to the past through diary entries which helped pull the story together.
The pacing was a little bit off at times, some scenes felt very slow compared to others which moved on quickly. But I enjoyed the story so much that it didn’t fuss me very much!
Amongst the larger themes at play this book delicately addresses depression and anxiety. How it feels for a person going through that and the impacts it can have for their loved ones. I felt it was handled with grace but realistic of how it can hit a person. The author has done his research well in this aspect and it came across very well.
Would I recommend?
Absolutely, this was a brilliant book! It engaged my mind, my feelings and my moral compass. It was written incredibly well, I am so glad that I found this hidden gem.