Review by Zachary Forbes
September 30th, 2024
These posts are just our opinions of the books we read, and don't yet reflect the decision of our judging team or the progression of the book in the SFINCS competition.
Summary:
Ward and Breone are riding atop their flying beasts, a dragon and a Great Eagle respectively, to the aid of a place called Wisha, which is under attack by a shadow creature. This shadow creature is a remnant from the kingdom's great war--an ancient battle which bestowed the power of the shine upon Ward's people.
Ward is a member of the Eagles, and his powers involve manipulation of this shine. It is described as a sort of bright energy that builds up inside its user. His people used it, and continue to use it, as a weapon against the shadows, just as their deity intended.
Breone is a mystic. Her eyes shine violet, mesmerizing to those whom her people can control with their minds. The mystics also live much longer lives, and many have existed since before the great war. They've wisened with experience, seeing generations of their neighbors come and go.
Ward and Breone's people come into serious disagreement over the looming presence of the shadow-beasts. Ward's people view the mystics as manipulative and untrustworthy, while the mystics view them as childish and unworthy of their strength.
But Ward and Breone both have good hearts, ones that beat strongest for each other. It is only when the political strife burns out of control that both of them are forced to make some tough decisions, and the fate of a once-united kingdom comes into question.
The Good:
I came into this story not knowing anything about the world, and wholly unaware of its nature as a prequel, yet within the first few chapters I was captivated by it. It's fairly simple, yet still powerful as a setting. The great war serves almost as a creation myth. And the way the different factions/species exist in relation to it is both interesting and believable.
Which segways into the characters themselves. I don't believe anyone in this story behaves irrationally. On the contrary, I can understand where every argument comes from. The extent of the mystics' power is uncertain, and more than likely incomprehensible to a person who has lived a fraction as long. Who's to say these mystics aren't some sort of Bene Gesserit-esque collective? If they were, would they behave any different? And as a mystic, how would you prove you aren't malicious without risking your own lives in the hands of an emotionally volatile people?
The king also makes a brutal decision after a law is broken, and I believe this appropriately reflects his paranoia. There is a great balance between the fantastical and the politically grounded. And the politics of this world are not shoe-horned in awkwardly. They are breathed into the world in such a way that the reader can remain completely immersed throughout.
These elements are some of the most important to me--characters, worldbuilding, immersion--both as a writer and a reader. It is the perfect recipe for a my kind of story, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
The Bad:
This is another one of those books that makes me question naming this segment 'The Bad'. For the record, I don't feel as though anything in Eagle's Fall is particularly bad.
The prose does not stand out as much as some other fantasy works I've read recently, but it is definitely not bad. And there were no serious errors, grammatical or otherwise, to drag it down.
I think the strongest sin I can attribute to this book might just be a personal gripe: naming the dragon-riders with which Ward associates 'Eagles' (people) while the mystics ride actual 'Great Eagles' (animals). In-universe, I would assume Ward's people chose this name after the mystics had already been riding their great eagle companions. I'm not sure why they would do this. And on a meta level, it really only serves the symbolism of the novella's name.
It's a world-building decision I probably wouldn't have gone with as I could see it raising some confusion, but perhaps it is used/explained better in the series this serves as a prequel to.
Overall:
Eagle's Fall is an awesome story. I enjoyed the world, the politics, and the characters immensely. And I will almost certainly be picking up the main series.
If you're looking for a new fantasy story to check out, especially one with a noble male lead, I would recommend you pick this one up too.
Be sure to tune in to our Twitter/X @ZachForbesBro for new blog posts about the novellas we read for the SFINCS competition! And click through to our website if you want to see other projects my brother and I have been working on!
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