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introverted_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ARC provided by publisher on NetGalley for an honest review
“Truths often are what we make them, and never mind the reality that might be, because each of us remembers what we wish for things to have been. / We are, in the end, the greatest liars…”
The First Binding, the first book in the Tales of Tremaine series, is a novel of rich layers of stories, truths and lies. Central protagonist and storyteller Ari is the centre of rumours, legends, twisted truths and stories, and it’s easy to understand why. Ari, as a character, is complex and highly developed. Now I have a soft spot for moral ambiguity and Ari definitely fulfils this. Much like an Aristotelean tragic hero, Ari is a fundamentally flawed protagonist, and his flaws are critical to the development of the narrative. Ari is plagued by his own hubris, sly, driven by vengeance and a desire for power, yet his charismatic voice and its comedic quality (particularly the cat content; as a cat owner, the depiction of cats is spot on!) shape Ari into a character that you won’t be able to forget, something Ari would undoubtedly take much pride in. He shapes himself to be a fantastical figure through his stories and the rumours he sows: the Unburned; scion of Brahm; devil; the one who brought the mountain down upon Ampur; the Storyteller.
“Some say a king. Wizard. Bard. Hero. A villain.”
Ari cannot be easily categorised as one character archetype which demonstrates R. R. Virdi’s skill with storytelling. Ari finds pleasure in hurting those who wrong him but understands that this is wrong, yet he makes a choice to persist. The First Binding is a tale of revenge and Ari will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Virdi has constructed a novel which pushes the boundaries and explores truth, examining the human instinct to shape the truth to a dramatised story.
Stories and myths are a central focus of the entire plot, weaving an intricate web of folklore and mythology to construct a vivid literary world. The First Binding is, at its heart, a high fantasy of rich world building and for this reason I recognise this won’t be to everyone’s taste. For those searching for a more casual read, or those not interested in complex universe constructions, The First Binding may seem too slow-paced. However, if you do adore a high fantasy which mythological or historical roots, like me, R. R. Virdi’s exquisitely theatrical prose will captivate your mind and draw you deep into a vivid world of magic, gods, stories, and South Asian culture.
I thoroughly enjoyed The First Binding and am very much looking forward to the progression of Virdi’s new fantasy series. This is the first of Virdi’s work that I have had the pleasure of reading and if their other novels are anything like this, I’m sure that I have a new instant-buy-author. The First Binding is an intoxicating, highly developed and beautifully mythological opening to a fantasy series that all fans of high fantasy and mythology would love to have on their shelves.
“We’re all stories. Every one of us. Each important, more than any one could ever know. A story of those who came before us, of where we are, and where we’re headed. The lives we’ve touched, and those we’ve lost. We are, all of us, the most important things in the world. For what’s more important than a story? What’s more important than the hero of their own tale?”
Quotes taken from e-ARC provided through NetGalley and may change in final published work
“Truths often are what we make them, and never mind the reality that might be, because each of us remembers what we wish for things to have been. / We are, in the end, the greatest liars…”
The First Binding, the first book in the Tales of Tremaine series, is a novel of rich layers of stories, truths and lies. Central protagonist and storyteller Ari is the centre of rumours, legends, twisted truths and stories, and it’s easy to understand why. Ari, as a character, is complex and highly developed. Now I have a soft spot for moral ambiguity and Ari definitely fulfils this. Much like an Aristotelean tragic hero, Ari is a fundamentally flawed protagonist, and his flaws are critical to the development of the narrative. Ari is plagued by his own hubris, sly, driven by vengeance and a desire for power, yet his charismatic voice and its comedic quality (particularly the cat content; as a cat owner, the depiction of cats is spot on!) shape Ari into a character that you won’t be able to forget, something Ari would undoubtedly take much pride in. He shapes himself to be a fantastical figure through his stories and the rumours he sows: the Unburned; scion of Brahm; devil; the one who brought the mountain down upon Ampur; the Storyteller.
“Some say a king. Wizard. Bard. Hero. A villain.”
Ari cannot be easily categorised as one character archetype which demonstrates R. R. Virdi’s skill with storytelling. Ari finds pleasure in hurting those who wrong him but understands that this is wrong, yet he makes a choice to persist. The First Binding is a tale of revenge and Ari will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Virdi has constructed a novel which pushes the boundaries and explores truth, examining the human instinct to shape the truth to a dramatised story.
Stories and myths are a central focus of the entire plot, weaving an intricate web of folklore and mythology to construct a vivid literary world. The First Binding is, at its heart, a high fantasy of rich world building and for this reason I recognise this won’t be to everyone’s taste. For those searching for a more casual read, or those not interested in complex universe constructions, The First Binding may seem too slow-paced. However, if you do adore a high fantasy which mythological or historical roots, like me, R. R. Virdi’s exquisitely theatrical prose will captivate your mind and draw you deep into a vivid world of magic, gods, stories, and South Asian culture.
I thoroughly enjoyed The First Binding and am very much looking forward to the progression of Virdi’s new fantasy series. This is the first of Virdi’s work that I have had the pleasure of reading and if their other novels are anything like this, I’m sure that I have a new instant-buy-author. The First Binding is an intoxicating, highly developed and beautifully mythological opening to a fantasy series that all fans of high fantasy and mythology would love to have on their shelves.
“We’re all stories. Every one of us. Each important, more than any one could ever know. A story of those who came before us, of where we are, and where we’re headed. The lives we’ve touched, and those we’ve lost. We are, all of us, the most important things in the world. For what’s more important than a story? What’s more important than the hero of their own tale?”
Quotes taken from e-ARC provided through NetGalley and may change in final published work
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Torture, Death, Slavery, Self harm, and Murder
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