September 2022 Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
A
Touch of Light (The Ashes of Avarin: Book 1)
By
Thiago Abdalla
Three
Cursed Protagonists, Zombies & the Unknown
4
stars
Like
a star-gazing child grown & educated in astronomy, who as his knowledge
increased greatly, finally appreciated the heavens’ immeasurable vastness, only
then realizing how little he “knows” & the preponderance of what remains
unknown. So too shall readers who
complete A Touch of Light really begin to wonder about the Seraph & all of
Her domain’s myriad of creative mysteries.
We
follow three independent heroes (or unwitting villains who wish to be heroes,
as the case may be)—a brave prince, a scrappy woodswoman & disgraced
sentinel—and their parallel adventures or trials with many chapters ending in
cliffhangers as the narrative switches between stories. Even before the prologue, the overarching
crises (feudal, trade & religious wars, disease & zombies) & the
relevant curses—death/blood, possession/madness & regret/hollowness—have
already taken hold, steering the populace to ruin & sending society tumbling
toward apocalypse. Yet despite their
burdens, our main characters, Adrian, Nasha & Lynn, struggle privately to
cope in new ways: Assuming risky responsibilities,
choosing violent accountability or through forgiveness & inner growth. Without plumbing the depths of the religions,
inter-kingdom intrigues, hungry earth’s history & the primary trio’s pasts,
we learn what’s probably most important:
Friendship, loyalty, morality & owning one’s flaws but persevering
nonetheless, faithfully.
A
Touch of Light has broken prohibitions & betrayals, holy magics,
swashbuckling, other-inner voices, a tangible (yet absent) God, dungeons,
griffins, ghoulish zombies, flying ships, epic battles & a touch of humor
too! Astute readers may enjoy “that one
bard” who sang of how soldiers screamed when slain instead of glorious feats &
military propaganda. Will the degrees of
separation between our protagonists decrease in the forthcoming sequel? I don’t know, nor did I figure out what makes
the virus work, who if anyone controls it or where it came from nor why the
power rocks stop glowing, among many, many other sometimes overwhelming
details. However, the worthwhile path is
clear: One must answer fear & doubt firmly,
with conviction, for “the Light stands in no shadow!”
By Thiago Abdalla
Three Cursed Protagonists, Zombies & the Unknown
4 stars
We follow three independent heroes (or unwitting villains who wish to be heroes, as the case may be)—a brave prince, a scrappy woodswoman & disgraced sentinel—and their parallel adventures or trials with many chapters ending in cliffhangers as the narrative switches between stories. Even before the prologue, the overarching crises (feudal, trade & religious wars, disease & zombies) & the relevant curses—death/blood, possession/madness & regret/hollowness—have already taken hold, steering the populace to ruin & sending society tumbling toward apocalypse. Yet despite their burdens, our main characters, Adrian, Nasha & Lynn, struggle privately to cope in new ways: Assuming risky responsibilities, choosing violent accountability or through forgiveness & inner growth. Without plumbing the depths of the religions, inter-kingdom intrigues, hungry earth’s history & the primary trio’s pasts, we learn what’s probably most important: Friendship, loyalty, morality & owning one’s flaws but persevering nonetheless, faithfully.
A Touch of Light has broken prohibitions & betrayals, holy magics, swashbuckling, other-inner voices, a tangible (yet absent) God, dungeons, griffins, ghoulish zombies, flying ships, epic battles & a touch of humor too! Astute readers may enjoy “that one bard” who sang of how soldiers screamed when slain instead of glorious feats & military propaganda. Will the degrees of separation between our protagonists decrease in the forthcoming sequel? I don’t know, nor did I figure out what makes the virus work, who if anyone controls it or where it came from nor why the power rocks stop glowing, among many, many other sometimes overwhelming details. However, the worthwhile path is clear: One must answer fear & doubt firmly, with conviction, for “the Light stands in no shadow!”
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