The Hunger and the Dusk, Vol. 1

by G. Willow Wilson

[Quirky Cat]

Summary:

The world is dying. There are only two races left. Three, depending on how you look at it. The humans and the orcs have always been enemies, but they might just have to work together to eke out an existence.

Certain groups are willing to work together if that means winning against the Vangol – a deadly and ancient race. Will this be enough? Worse, what happens should these groups fail? Will the rest ever consider trying again?

Review:

Okay, so there was a lot that drew me to this series. First, the dystopian vibes intertwined with a fantasy setting. Second, the author! I love G. Willow Wilson (famous for Ms. Marvel), so I had pretty high hopes for her new fantasy series.

The Hunger and the Dusk Vol. 1 is and isn't a strong start to the series. I know that sounds strange, but hear me out. On the one hand, a lot of it feels too rushed. The stakes are set, the characters introduced, and then we're off to the races. This sounds good in theory, but we didn't have time to connect with the characters, so the stakes felt shallow.

On the other hand, there is something really compelling about this world. After I finished reading it, I found my mind wandering back to it again and again. This likely means I was invested by the end, so I take that as a good sign. And to be clear, this story has some solid elements so far. We have a classic-looking D&D party (archer, bard, leader/rogue, a cleric, etc.), a forbidden love subplot, a dangerous enemy, and so on. I'm curious how these elements adapt and grow as the series continues.

Highlights:
New Fantasy Series
Dystopian Fantasy
Dn&D Vibes

Thanks to IDW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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