Book Reviews

The Anmorian Legends: Wrath of the Exiled by D N Pillay

Overview: The Anmorian Legends: Wrath of the Exiled

Rezaaran Valhara is the last War-Mage of the Vokarii and the only thing standing between Lord Silvermire and his dream—the subjugation of Anmor and its four realms. But Valhara is battling demons of his own. Does he have what it takes to defeat Silvermire and save Anmor? Or will he succumb to the forces of darkness?

Rezaaran Valhara; Ashana Eldeerim; Kashari; Lord Silvermire; Cosmonox

Review: The Anmorian Legends: Wrath of the Exiled

Wrath of the Exiled, the first book in the fantasy adventure series The Anmorian Legends, is a mixed bag. The writing is strong, the overall story is interesting, but the book suffers from a drawn-out plot.

Buy or Pass Recommendation: Still worth a read. Recommend reading on KU.

The Good

The writing is powerful and descriptive without being flowery. Barring the prologue (I’ll get to that later), the book gets off to a strong start—Rezaaran Valhara’s liberation from enslavement and his induction into IRIS setting the stage for the showdown between him and Silvermire.

The battle sequences are well done. Fight scenes are some of the hardest to write, but the author delivers on that score. 

The book has a whole host of characters, and the author does a good job of delineating them. Cosomonox, the cyborg, is the most interesting and complex character in the book.

Most importantly, the book shines a light on the evils of slavery, colonialism, racial supremacy, and unrestrained economic exploitation, all within the confines of the story and without falling into the trap of didacticism. A subtle reminder that fantasy originates in reality.

 

The Bad

The prologue is information dense and confusing. The book can do without it. Further, for a series of this scope, a cast of characters and glossary would be welcome additions.

The weakest point of the book is the middle. Battle after battle with similar opponents and with predictable results. While well-written, it does get tedious. The story picks up only after Yudhara enters the picture.

Coming to Yudhara, I did find the ease with which he was able to influence Rezaaran unconvincing. Had there been hints of Rezaaran struggling to control his dark side and his lust for power after each victorious battle, I would have found it more believable.

 

The Nit-picks

None.

The Anmorian Legends: Wrath of the Exiled is the author’s debut novel, and a decent start to the series.  

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *