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A review by alphabetseeds
The Warden by Daniel M. Ford
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
5.0
I knew this book was right up my alley when I read the synopsis, but this has jumped right up to my favorite new read of the year so far. Aelis jumps off the wagon from the long road from her cushy magic university life to the absolute edge of the country to start her career as a warden, where no one greets her and most everyone is afraid of her and her home for the next two years is a crumbling tower at the edge of town.
What unfolds is a story with gradually increasing stakes and small mysteries that grow in size. Aelis is perfectly realized, and I loved getting glimpses of her schooling and how those lessons can be applied - practically or not - to the situations in which she finds herself in Lone Pine, and how seriously she takes her duty, even if all she wants is a nap, a good book, and a bottle of wine.
The humor, dialogue, and character interactions and relationships are all immaculate. Aelis bonding with Tun in the wilderness was my favorite section, and I can't wait to see more of their friendship in the next book. And, of course, Maurenia, the red-headed half-elf who loves building things and wants to smooch Aelis. After being a Locked Tomb fan, it's nice to see the redhead and the goth girl FINALLY smooch.
To that end, this one absolutely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I don't find it that egregious because the final line did make me laugh out loud in surprise, and the sequel comes out in 3 weeks so I blessedly don't need to wait that long. Which is good, because I have SO MANY QUESTIONS, and I plan on pining over them.
What unfolds is a story with gradually increasing stakes and small mysteries that grow in size. Aelis is perfectly realized, and I loved getting glimpses of her schooling and how those lessons can be applied - practically or not - to the situations in which she finds herself in Lone Pine, and how seriously she takes her duty, even if all she wants is a nap, a good book, and a bottle of wine.
The humor, dialogue, and character interactions and relationships are all immaculate. Aelis bonding with Tun in the wilderness was my favorite section, and I can't wait to see more of their friendship in the next book. And, of course, Maurenia, the red-headed half-elf who loves building things and wants to smooch Aelis. After being a Locked Tomb fan, it's nice to see the redhead and the goth girl FINALLY smooch.
To that end, this one absolutely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I don't find it that egregious because the final line did make me laugh out loud in surprise, and the sequel comes out in 3 weeks so I blessedly don't need to wait that long. Which is good, because I have SO MANY QUESTIONS, and I plan on pining over them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence