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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 10/10
Setting & Atmosphere: 10/10
Plot & Structure: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Themes & Emotions: 9/10
Narrative Perspective/Voice: 10/10
Reading Experience: 10/10
Overall: 5 ⭐️
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.75 Stars!
Synopsis: Cahan du Nahare was the 'Chosen One', or so he was told. Cahan lives on the outskirts of Harn, clanless, isolated, alone. But when the Cowl-Rai come for him, Cahan must make a choice - does he keep running or does he fight?
CW/TW: Death/Murder/Violence/War/Body Horror/Mass Killings/Mass Killings of Trions/Mass Killings of those with magic/Imprisonment/Others may be present...
Rep: Queer Characters | Trions - Non-binary characters
https://kbbookreviews867789450.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/book-review-gods-of-the-wyrdwood-the-forsaken-trilogy-1-by-rj-barker/
RJ Barker's books never cease to amaze me! I absolutely fell in love with The Tide Child Trilogy and could not wait for this series to drop - and the wait was worth it!
In classic Barker style, we get thrown right into this world, no hand-holding, no heavy info-dumps, just straight into this brutal and creepy world and I loved it! I found it quite easy to fall into, even when I didn't know what was going on! The world is just so immersive that being thrown in just works.
Speaking of immersion, Barker's prose is gorgeous. This book is dark and creepy and violent, but there is also a beauty and richness hidden beneath the cruelty and I adored it. The prose was rich and detailed, creating the perfect contrast between the cruelty and vitality of the woods, the humanity of the people, and the nature of the magic. Despite the complexity and depth of the prose, the book was an easy read because of the immersion created, that combined with the shorter chapter lengths worked well to maintain pace and intrigue. The story does start of slow before throwing us into the main crux of it but I liked how this was done. It gave us time to learn about the characters and the world in a more natural way and kept us curious as to where the story was going.
The story is told from multiple POV's, which worked well given the different characters,, their positions and the plot pacing. Cahan is the primary narrative, which I loved. There are two other main POV's, and a third recurring yet mysterious POV. Each POV worked well to compliment the others, to give us insight into different parts of this world, and to build tension - I enjoyed them all!
The actual story was fascinating, I don't want to spoil it so I'll keep this brief but Cahan seems to end up in many a difficult situations but at the core of the story is him and his past. Cahan is running from who and what he was suppose to be, but now his past is catching up to him.
The magic systems is deeply intwined within the story. The people once believe in many Gods, until the Cowl-Rai came and now one God is the only legitimate one, to worship others is to be seen as a criminal. However, this legitimate God and the Cowl-Rai and cruel and violent, their magic feared and brutal. But the Gods of the forest are not necessarily gone, the forest lives and breathes and writhes - and Cahan knows how to respect the forest. But the people do not. The people have forgotten the forest Gods, but they have not forgotten to fear the forest and woods. It is much better to go into this book with fresh eyes, but the magic is so interesting and unique, from the Cowl-Rai to the forest and I loved it. The viciousness of the Cowl-Rai was brutal and terrifying. The vitality and cruelty of the forest was captivating and intriguing building a sense of unease and wonder all at once. I loved watching the magic develop as the story went on, learning about new aspects of it and just how deep it all goes! I cannot wait to see how the series progresses.
Now as a CW, in order to become a Cowl-Rai there is a test, we specifically see this with the Trion. They are killed en masse and the chances of survival are slim to none. Trions are gender neutral characters in this world - and so I wanted to include this as a CW.
Characters do not shy away from commenting on the cruelty of this world, the God, the Magic, but they are also very human and there is a spectrum of ways people deal with this - it made the world very real and raw.
As for the characters- I loved Cahan but this poor man wrecked my anxiety! His harsh exterior and solitary lifestyle makes him seem cold and detached but he is more of a softy than he admits and his good nature causes him to end up in many difficult situations. Cahan makes mistakes, he is flawed, imperfect and human but I loved his character. I felt for him.
There are a LOT of other characters that I could tell you about but I think it's best to meet them in the story!! From the thieving priestess, to the Trion who refuses to kill, to the cruelly determined Cowl-Rai, this cast of characters is full of depth and makes it hard to trust anyone!
Overall, Gods Of The Wyrdwood is another triumph from the author. Dark, compelling, and captivating - this rich fantasy is perfect for those who love high, heavy fantasy with darkness in its roots.
*I received an eARC via Netgalley from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review - Thank you!!*
Synopsis: Cahan du Nahare was the 'Chosen One', or so he was told. Cahan lives on the outskirts of Harn, clanless, isolated, alone. But when the Cowl-Rai come for him, Cahan must make a choice - does he keep running or does he fight?
CW/TW: Death/Murder/Violence/War/Body Horror/Mass Killings/Mass Killings of Trions/Mass Killings of those with magic/Imprisonment/Others may be present...
Rep: Queer Characters | Trions - Non-binary characters
https://kbbookreviews867789450.wordpress.com/2023/06/29/book-review-gods-of-the-wyrdwood-the-forsaken-trilogy-1-by-rj-barker/
RJ Barker's books never cease to amaze me! I absolutely fell in love with The Tide Child Trilogy and could not wait for this series to drop - and the wait was worth it!
In classic Barker style, we get thrown right into this world, no hand-holding, no heavy info-dumps, just straight into this brutal and creepy world and I loved it! I found it quite easy to fall into, even when I didn't know what was going on! The world is just so immersive that being thrown in just works.
Speaking of immersion, Barker's prose is gorgeous. This book is dark and creepy and violent, but there is also a beauty and richness hidden beneath the cruelty and I adored it. The prose was rich and detailed, creating the perfect contrast between the cruelty and vitality of the woods, the humanity of the people, and the nature of the magic. Despite the complexity and depth of the prose, the book was an easy read because of the immersion created, that combined with the shorter chapter lengths worked well to maintain pace and intrigue. The story does start of slow before throwing us into the main crux of it but I liked how this was done. It gave us time to learn about the characters and the world in a more natural way and kept us curious as to where the story was going.
The story is told from multiple POV's, which worked well given the different characters,, their positions and the plot pacing. Cahan is the primary narrative, which I loved. There are two other main POV's, and a third recurring yet mysterious POV. Each POV worked well to compliment the others, to give us insight into different parts of this world, and to build tension - I enjoyed them all!
The actual story was fascinating, I don't want to spoil it so I'll keep this brief but Cahan seems to end up in many a difficult situations but at the core of the story is him and his past. Cahan is running from who and what he was suppose to be, but now his past is catching up to him.
The magic systems is deeply intwined within the story. The people once believe in many Gods, until the Cowl-Rai came and now one God is the only legitimate one, to worship others is to be seen as a criminal. However, this legitimate God and the Cowl-Rai and cruel and violent, their magic feared and brutal. But the Gods of the forest are not necessarily gone, the forest lives and breathes and writhes - and Cahan knows how to respect the forest. But the people do not. The people have forgotten the forest Gods, but they have not forgotten to fear the forest and woods. It is much better to go into this book with fresh eyes, but the magic is so interesting and unique, from the Cowl-Rai to the forest and I loved it. The viciousness of the Cowl-Rai was brutal and terrifying. The vitality and cruelty of the forest was captivating and intriguing building a sense of unease and wonder all at once. I loved watching the magic develop as the story went on, learning about new aspects of it and just how deep it all goes! I cannot wait to see how the series progresses.
Now as a CW, in order to become a Cowl-Rai there is a test, we specifically see this with the Trion. They are killed en masse and the chances of survival are slim to none. Trions are gender neutral characters in this world - and so I wanted to include this as a CW.
Characters do not shy away from commenting on the cruelty of this world, the God, the Magic, but they are also very human and there is a spectrum of ways people deal with this - it made the world very real and raw.
As for the characters- I loved Cahan but this poor man wrecked my anxiety! His harsh exterior and solitary lifestyle makes him seem cold and detached but he is more of a softy than he admits and his good nature causes him to end up in many difficult situations. Cahan makes mistakes, he is flawed, imperfect and human but I loved his character. I felt for him.
There are a LOT of other characters that I could tell you about but I think it's best to meet them in the story!! From the thieving priestess, to the Trion who refuses to kill, to the cruelly determined Cowl-Rai, this cast of characters is full of depth and makes it hard to trust anyone!
Overall, Gods Of The Wyrdwood is another triumph from the author. Dark, compelling, and captivating - this rich fantasy is perfect for those who love high, heavy fantasy with darkness in its roots.
*I received an eARC via Netgalley from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review - Thank you!!*
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 ⭐️ There is nobody else who creates worlds and stories quite like R.J. Barker. This was so unique and mesmerizing in it's atmosphere and world, I wouldn't even know how to begin to describe it. It does require a lot of trust on the readers part that the author will lead you to where you need to go and the beginning is quite slow, however by the end, I was sold and am needing a sequel after that ending! I probably would have just preferred less meandering trips into the forest