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A review by julietreadsbooks_
Fall of the Horizon by Jessica J. Ayala
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to the author Jessica Ayala for providing me with an ARC copy of this book!
This is a chonky read, but I loved it. Multiple POVs, extensive world building, and a war between the gods!
FALL OF THE HORIZON follows three main characters:
- Zara Santos, the adopted daughter of the King of Ikarria and an elven assassin who begins to question the morals of the High King and the tasks he sets for her.
- Ronan Menodora, an archangel who wrestles with his mysterious past and his involvement in the continents deadly underworld.
- Daria Calderón, an elven Princess of the Kingdom of Ikarria who struggles to balance her duties as a future queen with her desire to explore the continent.
I loved how the characters were so fully developed, it really helped to center me in their journeys throughout the book. Daria was just so well written, I felt all the feels. But Zara? She had a redemption arc worthy of a SJM book.
My most favorite favorite thing was the world building though. Just the politics, the religions, and the hints about the Deities and Primordials? Yes!! I cannot wait to learn more about this in book 2. I haven't read anything comparable when it comes to having a truly unique god/religion/magic system that's so intertwined. Like there are 3 full countries we know next to nothing about and I cannot wait to learn! I alsl love how Ayala incorporated bits and pieces from other mythologies and folklore into the story, like with the Chaneque's.
Also can we take a sec to talk about how well executed the tropes were? The slow-burn romances, morally grey MCs, elemental magic, and the possibility that we could have dragons??? Yes!
Overall my only criticism would be that I wish the fight sequences were a little more descriptive, but other than that I loved this!
This is a chonky read, but I loved it. Multiple POVs, extensive world building, and a war between the gods!
FALL OF THE HORIZON follows three main characters:
- Zara Santos, the adopted daughter of the King of Ikarria and an elven assassin who begins to question the morals of the High King and the tasks he sets for her.
- Ronan Menodora, an archangel who wrestles with his mysterious past and his involvement in the continents deadly underworld.
- Daria Calderón, an elven Princess of the Kingdom of Ikarria who struggles to balance her duties as a future queen with her desire to explore the continent.
I loved how the characters were so fully developed, it really helped to center me in their journeys throughout the book. Daria was just so well written, I felt all the feels. But Zara? She had a redemption arc worthy of a SJM book.
My most favorite favorite thing was the world building though. Just the politics, the religions, and the hints about the Deities and Primordials? Yes!! I cannot wait to learn more about this in book 2. I haven't read anything comparable when it comes to having a truly unique god/religion/magic system that's so intertwined. Like there are 3 full countries we know next to nothing about and I cannot wait to learn! I alsl love how Ayala incorporated bits and pieces from other mythologies and folklore into the story, like with the Chaneque's.
Also can we take a sec to talk about how well executed the tropes were? The slow-burn romances, morally grey MCs, elemental magic, and the possibility that we could have dragons??? Yes!
Overall my only criticism would be that I wish the fight sequences were a little more descriptive, but other than that I loved this!