Ashley
Written on Mar 31, 2020
From an exciting new voice in epic fantasy, reminiscent of Robert Jordan, comes this majestic tale of courage and survival.
Annev was born without an arm, a mark of Keos, a sign of the fallen God. Sodar, a priest, takes pity on Annev and hides his disability with the use of a magical prosthetic limb, highly magical but also highly illegal. Annev is taken in by Sodar and attends the Academy - a school for training acolytes of the faith who are sent out to find magical objects and confiscate them. But before he can become an acolyte Annev must pass a series of trials where not only his strength and intelligence will be tested, but his bravery and loyalty will be questioned. When embarking on a task for the head of the Academy, Annev learns of a prophecy about the Seventh Son. A man born of a royal line destined to save the world or destroy it. Could Annev be that son?
- ISBN10 1982591781
- ISBN13 9781982591786
- Publish Date 25 February 2020 (first published 18 September 2017)
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Blackstone Publishing
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 576
- Language English
Reviews
annieb123
Written on Mar 18, 2020
Master of Sorrows is the first volume of a new series by Justin T. Call. Released 25th Feb 2020 by Blackstone, it's 646 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written coming of age quest fantasy based around the premise that our destiny may or may not be inevitable. The author is a gifted storyteller and despite the length of the book, it doesn't drag and never felt plodding to me. The dialogue is occasionally somewhat stilted (fantasy-speak) but the characters are distinct and well rendered. I did have some troubles keeping the secondary characters (minor teachers and students) straight in my head and had to use the search function on my kindle several times.
There is a fair bit of brutal action, some graphic fight scenes, lots of death and betrayal and magic and fighting. There isn't any graphic sexual content or objectionable language. The world building and character development are exceptionally detailed and well realized. This one has a solid denouement with a lead up to the next book in the series, but not any sort of abrupt cliffhanger ending.
Readers who enjoy solid quest based epic fantasy will likely enjoy this one. Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Inkslinger
Written on Nov 19, 2019
It has been a long time since I have been moved by a somewhat dense fantasy novel.. but Justin Call managed exactly that. In fact, its density slowed my reading pace, but I was never bored. I was engrossed in every word.. every description.. every tale shared.. new and old.
I find, it's very easy in novels similar to this one, for the author's to lose my interest. They allow themselves to get so caught up in focusing on the world they're creating.. how and why it's different.. that they bog down the pages with excessive details. Don't get me wrong.. I love details. But there's such a thing as packing too much into a page too.
Call doesn't do that. Oh.. he gives you plenty of information. He offers enough to--"
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub
Written on Nov 4, 2019
I can sum up this book in one word: incredible. I am in awe of Justin T. Call’s writing. I opened the book and was immediately drawn into the story. I got major Name of the Wind vibes, which is high praise indeed.
Where should I start? Well, first off, the storytelling is masterful. There wasn’t a single misstep through the whole book. This book follows Annev as he learns who he is, both in a magical sense, and a moral one. Much like Name of the Wind, the book takes its time setting the tone for all that follows. And what follows is fantasy at its finest.
The solid foundation is what took this book a step above many other fantasies I’ve read. Each little tidbit mentioned fits like a puzzle piece, making a full picture. The trials at the beginning of the book were so interesting to read. I loved seeing Annev make decisions regarding his treatment of others. Would he betray them to get ahead? I’ll leave it to you, Reader, to find out.
I loved Sodar. He tried so hard to raise and protect Annev. He made mistakes and chose to be reticent when openness might have served him better, but that’s part of what made him so fascinating. He’s such a realistic character. Although, really, all the characters were utterly believable.
The world building was excellent, the characters fantastic, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes as it continues in the sequel. Basically-wow.
Grab this book the second you’re able to.