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A review by cursedepub
The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I picked this book up due to seeing it recommended multiple times on the r/Fantasy subreddit, and knowing it was Islignton's debut novel (Redditors noted the plot twists and shouted out a few great characters). While this is a solid fantasy novel with all the genre's favorite tropes, it also was clear that this is not a seasoned author's work.
The plot twists WERE genuinely surprising without feeling like cop-outs, and the book often took darker turns than I expected. The characters, however, were all rather bland and generally not very distinct. The novel does a great job of having the characters progress in terms of their roles in the story; they all end up in very different places from where they began in quite natural ways. However there is a lack of real personality across the board. This is definitely a work where events drive the story forward much more than character choices and motivations. The story does keep you curious enough that you are not really reading for the characters anyway.
Ultimately this was an enjoyable enough read, but it did not leave much of a mark.
The plot twists WERE genuinely surprising without feeling like cop-outs, and the book often took darker turns than I expected. The characters, however, were all rather bland and generally not very distinct. The novel does a great job of having the characters progress in terms of their roles in the story; they all end up in very different places from where they began in quite natural ways. However there is a lack of real personality across the board. This is definitely a work where events drive the story forward much more than character choices and motivations. The story does keep you curious enough that you are not really reading for the characters anyway.
Ultimately this was an enjoyable enough read, but it did not leave much of a mark.