avniavnipatel 's review for:

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R.J. Barker

3.5

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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When I heard “grimdark forest fantasy,” I didn’t even bother reading the synopsis before diving in. Yes..I went into a 640-page book blind, after just barely clawing my way out of a book slump…my smartest move? Maybe not. 

Gods of the Wyrdwood is the first book in the Foresaken trilogy by R.J. Barker. Off the bat, I was very confused, but pushed on in the name of “trusting the process”. The main character, Cahan Du-Nahere, is an outcast who lives alone on his family's old farm just outside the town of Harn. We see glimpses of his childhood throughout the book, learning bits and pieces about what he was originally trained for by followers of the God Zorir. 

Every generation, a new Cowl-Rai rises, following a different God. When the Cowl-Rai rises, they tilt the world, bringing warm weather to whichever side of the world they rise to power in. The Cowl-Rai of this generation has risen and is leading a war to destroy all followers and “false” Cowl-Rai and bring all the world under Tarl an-Gig, their own God. 

As I read the book, I couldn’t help feeling lost. It felt like there was no central plot. I didn’t know what the goal was until the end of the book, when things began to come together for a pivotal moment in the book. As a result, the book felt like a bit of a slog to get through. The magic system was confusing to me, as was the hierarchy in the world (though the magic system did work itself out in the end). 

While the book was a bit tough for me to get through, I did enjoy the forest setting and the role nature plays in the world. The cast of characters was interesting, Udinny the monk being my absolute favorite because she was the only one with a personality (in my opinion). 

Though this was a bit of a letdown, the ending of the book and the epilogue have enticed me to pick up book 2 to see where this story goes. I just hope there is more to the plot in book 2 and that it moves at a faster pace. 

Was this a sign for me not to jump into books completely blind? Probably. Will I stop doing it? Not at all LOL