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A review by waywardskyril
First Creation by Mars Adler
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a dark, little tale full of visceral longing, hatred, fear, and a dozen other encompassing emotions, fully felt by me as I read. This is one of those unputdownable stories you hear about with vivid scenes and loaded silences that carry such significant weight for its characters that you find yourself holding your breath anticipating - or dreading - what will happen next.
I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into with this story when I picked it up for Indie Ink Awards, and whatever I might have expected was certainly wrong. It's full of big scenes, big histories, big worlds, the weight of war and bloodshed, the guilt of war crimes, and the craving for things that aren't meant to be craved - needed.
Most of me was enraptured with Amitiel and Stolas' story, but part of me is not at all sure how to feel. Mostly, though, I'm just glad I read it. The only reasons this gets 4* stars instead of 5* are a few minor consistency questions, a glazing over of how shirts get taken off and put on over wings, and personal preference over some of the themes.
On the whole, however, First Creation was fascinating, well-written, and an experience I won't soon forget. Heed the warnings, for it IS a blend of horror with dark, heavy themes threaded throughout, but if you're okay with that then this is definitely worth picking up.
I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into with this story when I picked it up for Indie Ink Awards, and whatever I might have expected was certainly wrong. It's full of big scenes, big histories, big worlds, the weight of war and bloodshed, the guilt of war crimes, and the craving for things that aren't meant to be craved - needed.
Most of me was enraptured with Amitiel and Stolas' story, but part of me is not at all sure how to feel. Mostly, though, I'm just glad I read it. The only reasons this gets 4* stars instead of 5* are a few minor consistency questions, a glazing over of how shirts get taken off and put on over wings, and personal preference over some of the themes.
On the whole, however, First Creation was fascinating, well-written, and an experience I won't soon forget. Heed the warnings, for it IS a blend of horror with dark, heavy themes threaded throughout, but if you're okay with that then this is definitely worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder