The Crimson Queen

It's easy to see how this fantasy epic earned its finalist spot in SPFBO 2017. Skillful world-building, and an intricate plot make the Crimson Queen an enthralling read.

I'll admit that early on I began to worry I was in for just a world-building info dump that would never reach the resolution -- it kept adding more and more detail, easy enough to follow, but it was hard to see how the elements of setting were more than just set dressing. At it proceeded, however, more and more of it wove together until assembling neatly at the climax, with only a few stray threads left to lead onward into the rest of the series.

The Crimson Queen is a classic fantasy adventure. A young boy has an inborn magical talent, various governments and magical orders get involved, they travel through ruins and are confronted by ancient secrets. In silhouette, it seems somewhat generic, and I'll admit I've lowered my score on past reads for hewing too closely to well-trodden paths, but The Crimson Queen managed to keep me hooked throughout, with compelling twists and elaborations that made it a real page-turner.

-Overall Thoughts-
The Crimson Queen is the first book in a traditional epic fantasy series. It feels familiar in all the best ways, without ever coming across as derivative. Despite all of the traditional elements being present, it maintains a uniqueness and originality that kept me interested and wanting to continue the story whenever I had a spare moment to read. The characters are well-written and varied, providing a variety of POVs for the story. This first installment felt well-paced - obviously a first book in a series, but satisfying in its own right as well.

-The World-
One thousand years ago, the world was dramatically changed by what is known as the Cataclysm. The great cities of those days were buried under oceans and ice, their knowledge wiped from the world. Much of the magic in the world seems to have died as well, a great deal of spellcraft and information lost with the cities.

The nation of Menekar, where followers of a religion of Ama believe that magic is corruptive and evil, has outlawed sorcery of any kind. An order of paladins of Ama called the Pure enforce the ban on sorcery by capturing and either killing or converting those who show sorcerous ability in their “Cleansing”. Those who survive the Cleansing become Pure.

In the nation of Dymoria, the new queen is a sorcerer herself, and has formed a school to begin training those with magical ability. This sets her and her nation in direct opposition of the emperor of Menekar and the church of Ama there. Their once-solid alliance is put in immediate peril when the queen sends a sorcerer hidden in the ranks of an ambassadorial party. While there isn’t yet a prominent storyline of political struggles, the potential is certainly set up and I look forward to seeing where these nations are led in future books.

-The Characters-
Keilan is a 15-year-old boy from a fishing village who has an uncanny ability to tell where schools of fish are located. When the church of Ama is alerted to Keilan’s suspected magical powers, Keilan is taken from his village and so begins the adventure. Keilan is our “main” POV character, getting the majority of the chapters through his eyes, but alongside him there is a diverse cast from whom we also get POVs:

Xin is a Fist warrior - one of a set of five half-brothers of an age raised together and bound together through some magic to be “of one soul”. They are highly trained warriors taught ancient sword techniques and are legendary in their abilities. Due to their binding, they can sense one another’s emotions.

Jan is a bard and an immortal who has lived the past 20 years (or more) ignorant of his true identity and immortality, living the life of a simple crofter and husband to a woman he loved. Shortly after her death, he is struck suddenly with the knowledge of his true identity and sets out to try to recover his memories of his true life.

Alyanna is another immortal, one with elaborate plans and ambitions. She’s placed herself well to create and influence political intrigue.

Demian is the last swordsinger - an ancient order of warriors long gone - and one of the immortals from the previous age.

Senacus is a paladin of the Pure. He is compassionate and, despite his ties to the rather brutal order of Ama, he values others’ lives and tries not to cause harm when it can be avoided.

-Suggested Audience-
Readers looking for a traditional epic fantasy that is well-executed need look no further, especially those who enjoy a variety of characters and POVs.

-Rating-
5/5, a well-crafted start to a traditional epic fantasy, with detailed worldbuilding, interesting characters, and compelling storytelling.