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A review by katienunnery
Demon in the Whitelands by Nikki Z. Richard
4.0
While introducing a new world without info dump is always a struggle for first fantasy novels, Richards builds an intriguing world, slowly and subtly. Although the first chapter does feel a little clunky in this way, the rest of the novel is very smooth about giving the reader information at the right moment and in an engaging way.
The Whitelands is one of three political States formed after a religious and political crisis. The Whitelands, the Greenlands, and the Redlands are largely defined by their respective climates—the Whitelands is snowy for about 10 months out of 12, the Greenlands is the agricultural breadbasket of three states, and the Redlands is the scorching hot military stronghold. We get the sense that the previous organization of the world was much like our current one but, following some sort of political catastrophe, the advanced technologies have been strictly banned. The novel takes place in a world that feels almost steampunk with its mixture of candles, steam trains, and occasional electricity. The (mandated) religion of the States involves worshiping the ubiquitous roots of the tree of life and we explore this religion most thoroughly through the protagonist’s relationship with his father.
Samuel is the illegitimate (and illegal) son of a cleric who is being forced to follow in his father’s religious footsteps to atone for his father’s sin of conceiving him in the first place. Sam’s story really gets interesting when he is unexpectedly offered a new job and a way out of his father’s shadow. He is assigned to care for a strange and dangerous girl who may or may not be a demon. While his father wants to exorcise her and the mayor wants to harness her violence as a weapon, Sam sees humanity in her, despite the many ways in which she seems not quite human, and tries to build a bond with her.
Meanwhile, Sam quietly explores his romantic and sexual possibilities. As a cleric he would have been forbidden to touch or be touched by anyone for the rest of his life. With his new career path, he suddenly begins to consider what being touched might look like. He begins courting the butcher’s daughter and finds some joy there. But he also begins to develop a bond with the mayor’s son who seems to be courting him. As this is the first book in the series, of course, we get no resolution here. But I look forward to see how this queer potential might unfold!
Sam is a character who is full of surprises. He goes from emphasizing his smallness, weakness, and fear through his narration to enacting sudden bouts of boldness, strength, and prowess. His relationship with his father is a believably complex one and the glimpses we get into his father’s past are rewarding. Claudette, the butcher’s daughter, is a little flat but Charles, the mayor’s son, is an interesting bundle of nerves and mixed motivations. The drunk sheriff of the town, also becomes a notable pseudo-father figure in Sam’s life as the story progresses. He reminds me of a mixture between Hopper from Stranger Things and Haymitch from The Hunger Games. The “demon” of the title is extremely closed off and does not speak so we learn very little about her and we learn it very slowly. Nonetheless, I think Richard builds enough interest in who she is and what she is to keep the reader interested to read more.
I was impressed with this debut. I felt like I was never quite sure what would happen next. Richard has a talent for building suspense and throwing enough surprises at you to make anything seem possible. Although, I do feel the need to warn readers that this book gets pretty violent and gory at times. Especially for YA. If you’re not great with blood, this might not be for you! For me, I’m left with so many questions about this world and the future of these characters that I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
[I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.]
The Whitelands is one of three political States formed after a religious and political crisis. The Whitelands, the Greenlands, and the Redlands are largely defined by their respective climates—the Whitelands is snowy for about 10 months out of 12, the Greenlands is the agricultural breadbasket of three states, and the Redlands is the scorching hot military stronghold. We get the sense that the previous organization of the world was much like our current one but, following some sort of political catastrophe, the advanced technologies have been strictly banned. The novel takes place in a world that feels almost steampunk with its mixture of candles, steam trains, and occasional electricity. The (mandated) religion of the States involves worshiping the ubiquitous roots of the tree of life and we explore this religion most thoroughly through the protagonist’s relationship with his father.
Samuel is the illegitimate (and illegal) son of a cleric who is being forced to follow in his father’s religious footsteps to atone for his father’s sin of conceiving him in the first place. Sam’s story really gets interesting when he is unexpectedly offered a new job and a way out of his father’s shadow. He is assigned to care for a strange and dangerous girl who may or may not be a demon. While his father wants to exorcise her and the mayor wants to harness her violence as a weapon, Sam sees humanity in her, despite the many ways in which she seems not quite human, and tries to build a bond with her.
Meanwhile, Sam quietly explores his romantic and sexual possibilities. As a cleric he would have been forbidden to touch or be touched by anyone for the rest of his life. With his new career path, he suddenly begins to consider what being touched might look like. He begins courting the butcher’s daughter and finds some joy there. But he also begins to develop a bond with the mayor’s son who seems to be courting him. As this is the first book in the series, of course, we get no resolution here. But I look forward to see how this queer potential might unfold!
Sam is a character who is full of surprises. He goes from emphasizing his smallness, weakness, and fear through his narration to enacting sudden bouts of boldness, strength, and prowess. His relationship with his father is a believably complex one and the glimpses we get into his father’s past are rewarding. Claudette, the butcher’s daughter, is a little flat but Charles, the mayor’s son, is an interesting bundle of nerves and mixed motivations. The drunk sheriff of the town, also becomes a notable pseudo-father figure in Sam’s life as the story progresses. He reminds me of a mixture between Hopper from Stranger Things and Haymitch from The Hunger Games. The “demon” of the title is extremely closed off and does not speak so we learn very little about her and we learn it very slowly. Nonetheless, I think Richard builds enough interest in who she is and what she is to keep the reader interested to read more.
I was impressed with this debut. I felt like I was never quite sure what would happen next. Richard has a talent for building suspense and throwing enough surprises at you to make anything seem possible. Although, I do feel the need to warn readers that this book gets pretty violent and gory at times. Especially for YA. If you’re not great with blood, this might not be for you! For me, I’m left with so many questions about this world and the future of these characters that I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
[I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.]