TA LĘ : Book 1

I surprised myself with just how much I enjoyed reading this fast-paced fantasy adventure! It's not a genre I would usually choose and I only picked TA LĘ Book 1: Knowledge from NetGalley because of its being a WorldReads book. However, on the strength of this first TA LĘ novel, I am keen to read its sequel(s). I appreciated how Yessoh initially gives readers enough information to traverse his world of djinn and dark sorcerers, but didn't bog us down with too much detail. Instead we learn alongside our naive heroes, Kobenan and Joel, as they are each thrust in scenes they could previously never have imagined. I was intrigued by the overall story arc which did come to a satisfying conclusion at the end of this first book, but which obviously has a lot more to be revealed in further instalments. I hope the female characters take centre stage because the story so far is overwhelmingly male in focus. I did like how philosophy and folklore were woven into the narrative. While TA LĘ Book 1: Knowledge felt refreshingly original, there was also a sense of timelessness which really rooted this story for me. I could believe the allusions to ancient peoples and wisdom were absolutely true and this made the modern-day chaos feel plausible. I did occasionally lose track of who was who in the rapid fight scenes, but they were still exciting to read and the pace throughout this book kept me eagerly turning its pages. I was disappointed to reach the end!