From Legend is the intriguing first book in The Reeve series. The book primarily follows Logan Hale, The Reeve - a sherriff-type character - of the city of Beldenridge. The world is an alternate version of our own. In the distant past of this world, alchemists went too far in their experiments, something went horribly wrong, and a variety of mutated plants, animals, and humans have led to a dark and gothic current day, lacking technological advancement and stunting the growth of civilization. The story takes place in the year 2017 somewhere in North America, but is utterly foreign. The writing is atmospheric and compelling and the characters are very interesting. Being the first in the series to come, this book does a lot of set up, starting with a mysterious death that leads Logan on a wild chase for answers. Sprinkled throughout the current-day narrative are flashbacks to some years prior, which offer bits of context for both the world and the characters experiencing the flashbacks. Although the flashbacks feel very frequent and somewhat disruptive early in the book, they become less-so as the story progresses, and I found myself missing them as they did.

If you’re a fan of gothic settings and stories I’d recommend checking this one out. Fans of Batman will find Logan a familiar sort of character, though certainly unique as well.

5/5, From Legend was fascinating and compelling, always making me want to read more to see what would happen next. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.