War Comes For Those Who Forge It. And It Never Forgives…
Haltveldt is a nation built on bloodshed. With the Order of Sparkers brought to heel, Emperor Locke wields his mages – and their magic the Spark – like a weapon as he wages a war of genocide.
But the enemies of his empire multiply.
In the almost-forgotten north, the ancient citadel of Solitude, filled with two-hundred exiled Sparkers, watches over the mysterious Banished. With a new apprentice under her wing, Zanna Alpenwood pines for her estranged daughter when everything changes – for the first time in centuries, The Banished are on the move.
Miles away in Haltveldt’s southern frontlines, Calene Alpenwood makes a startling discovery in the most unlikely of places and her estrangement from her mother is tested. As is her faith in the Order of Sparkers and loyalty to the Empire.
And in Haltveldt’s capital, Kade Besem – whose son Arlo is training with Zanna – scrambles to react to the events at Solitude in a den of vipers.
Haltveldt is an empire forged in fire and nothing is at it seems. But one thing is certain: with the Banished returning, and the elves to the south on the brink of annihilation, Zanna, Calene and Kade stand on the brink of earth-shattering change.
A great game, millennia in the making, is coming to its stunning conclusion. Who will survive? And who is the true enemy of Haltveldt? ‘In Solitude’s Shadow: Extended Edition’ – now with all new chapters, expanded scenes and including the prequel ‘Before The Shadow’, reveals all…
The magic of ‘The Wheel of Time’ meets the grittiness of ‘The Witcher’ in this fast-paced series starter!
https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/book-inner
If you read ebooks, the whole saga is available on Kindle Unlimited.
My Review
I have two editions of this book, the original and the updated edition. I’ve only read the updated edition. There are spoilers in this review.
Set some time after Magic, Maps, and Mischief, about two centuries I think, we return to Haltveldt to find the eleven genocide almost complete, a paranoid emperor, and a Master of War searching for new enemies.
In Solitude, Zanna Alpenwood watches as the Banished gather before the gates, running from something. Zanna wants to talk to them, the leadership want to kill them.
Her daughter, Calene, leaving the southern battle front finds herself escorting a Banished to the capital, until terrible events in Spring Haven and an assault on the road, leads Calene and her new companions towards Solitude. Something is happening in the far north and it’ll bring destruction to the empire.
The characters of Zanna and Calene are fully fleshed out and their relationship reads realistically. The rift between them is illogical – Zanna killed to save Calene – but understandable in the cultural context. The healing of their rift is a slow but natural consequence of the changing circumstances.
Zanna is caring for a 12 year old apprentice, Arlo. His parents are a man of influence in Spring Haven, Kade, and an elven slave, who died in childbirth. The relationship between Zanna and Arlo is parental and loving. She’s in awe of his growing power and dedication to research. He’s instrumental in finding information relevant later in the story. His heritage puts him at a severe disadvantage in Spring Haven but in Solitude nobody notices and his strong Spark protects him. So long as no one finds out his mother is an elf.
The nascent relationship between Sparker Calene, recently returned from the battlefields to the south, and Brina, an elven freedom fighter who rescues enslaved elves from humans, is subtle and well-written. Brina is angry and hates humans, because they’re committing genocide against her people. The humans have been convinced by imperial propaganda that elves are evil and will kill humans if given a chance, even though the elves and humans worked together to defeat their common enemy in the past. Calene doesn’t believe it, but she is forced by the Emperor, like all Sparkers, to fight in his war. She doesn’t kill, only defend and heal. Brina makes it clear she feels that’s a narrow distinction without meaning.
Kade Besem has a minor ministerial position in the imperial government, with a serious addiction to a snuff-like substance, a son in Solitude, and very few friends. He is increasingly side-lined, when he receives the message that the Betrayed are at Solitude’s gates and tells everyone, he is ignored. Kade tries to get mercenaries to go to Solitude but is prevented by the mad Master of War, who kills his allies and tries to kill Kade. Kade grabs a ship and travels north.
Tilo is Tilo. A Betrayed sent south to find his purpose and to warn the humans of the south that there is something coming. Calene finds him in a cellar and initially plans to take him to Spring Haven, but an attack on the road by a new type of Sparker changes plans. He slowly learns to understand Brina and Calene, as they travel north, and rescues Kade from a murderous attack. His singing magic is unusual to Calene and Brina who are used to the Spark.
This disparate and desperate band come together on the road to Solitude to help Zanna and Arlo, find out what is happening beyond Solitude, and alert the rest of Haltveldt to the danger.
Greton makes appearances by reputation if not in person throughout. He’s leading some sort of resistance from his library by the sounds of it.
Unfortunately, there are people who don’t really want them to get there. The emperor and his Master of War are both paranoid and narcissistic, convinced that they are right and that hidden prophesies are about them. This leads them to commit terrible acts of torture, murder, and genocide which leaves the empire vulnerable to the unseen forces coming from beyond Solitude.
The worldbuilding is strong and full. The magical system has rules and consequences for breaking the rules. The writing is easy to read and flows well, while the dialogue feels natural. The events rush along with action and not a scene wasted. The tone is quite dark but the moments of affection and lightness relieve it.
The final scenes are a crashing wave of excitement, fear, and then a mix of sadness and relief. I loved it, but I need to know what happens next.
I really enjoyed the novel and would like to read the rest of the series. I need to order them directly from the author, when I’ve got enough money together. The full series is available on Kindle Unlimited, but as people know, I struggle with e-books, so usually use that to read graphic novels. I will be downloading it though, to help David.
Paperback
Everything Is Better With Dragons 