Sordaneon by L.L. Stephens
“Legends Come True”
An Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
4 stars
Not since Ben Hur has horsemanship played such a pivotal role in a novel. Sordaneon weighs in at 511 pages & begins a six-volume saga of Dorilian’s trials & triumphs, the latter tomes being yet unpublished. After wrapping my head around all the similar names (there’s an index) & vaguely understanding the already transpired events’ significance, I began to love this book. Mostly it’s a political intrigue plot with multiple villains, encompassing dysfunctional family dynamics & mecha/god-magics. You’ll know early on who will become the main antagonist, however, from whom will any assistance come to our protagonist’s aid & what forms will that succor embody are the cruxes of the unfolding tale. And will Dorilian listen?
Marc Frederick’s purpose is to teach Dorilian how to “chart [that] one course by which to govern [peacefully]” defying “the nature of men & their gods” but as yet remains his enemy. By far my favorite character in any dozen books, this reluctant usurper King faces everything, hidden threats & brazen insults, resourcefully & expertly, with dignity. Only two things could break such a noble man. Thankfully both don’t come to pass.
Sordaneon is a must-read epic (minus that first chapter, yikes!). A few highlights: Fabulous descriptions (“eyed her with the narrow-lidded disdain of a thwarted toad”) abound without overshadowing the action; complex characters with diverse motivations; razor-sharp, ironic dialogue (“that they seize land & think it is theirs is not inconsistent with the example of their rulers”); banging-head-on-wall feuds; shocking obituaries; moments of hysterical humor; outstanding essential mind-meld understanding; serendipitous spontaneous evolution; and a memorable lesson on how hesitation & teleportation don’t mix!
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