Lines of Power - The Works of Angela D'Onofrio
  • Home
  • Novels & Short Stories
  • Blog
  • The Author
  • Visit Hazel

Darkness Falling: Soldiers & Slaves

6/7/2016

Comments

 
Or: An Unsolicited, Bias-Free Review

Over the next few weeks, I will be helping to review and promote my fellow authors ... two of which have something interesting in common: they each use their initials in place of their first name.  Maybe there's something to it, because both their books are fantastic!
​

Picture
This week's review is for R. R. Willica's debut novel, Darkness Falling: Soldiers and Slaves.  It is the first of a trilogy, following the political intrigue and tensions of Sa'Toret-Ekar,  an Empire in a world which knits together elements of traditional fantasy and  dystopian science fiction.   Sa'Toret Ekar was ravaged by a plague in recent years, and in order to survive, its Emperor set forth a very strict rule system which puts the royal family in a high, heavily-guarded tower to look down upon its struggling subjects below.  
The main character, Impyra, makes a startling entrance when she falls from the tower at the feet of Imperial guard Brosen.   Startled to find her still alive, Brosen brings Impyra to a hospital, and from there, their journeys become intertwined in more ways than even they know.   Soon enough, they are on a wild, breakneck chase out of Sa'Toret-Ekar, in search of the fabled Resistance which will help them right the Empire's corruption... and maybe help explain the unique abilities which made Impyra the prince's slave.
R.R. Willica does several things right with this first novel.  First, she grabs our attention right away and holds on tight.  I didn't know too much about Brosen and Impyra when they were introduced, but their circumstances made me want to follow them anyway.  Along theway, more is revealed, and the allies and enemies they meet are just as well-developed, with quirks and flaws that make them compelling to read about.  Spoiled, angry prince Xander, spunky and impulsive Sheyra, and the enigmatic Garinsith are just a few of the people I grew invested in ... even the supporting cast are memorable, and the plot weaves the threads of their lives together in ways that surprised me, even as the plot and its themes felt as familiar as a favorite old story.   It is hard to make a story equal parts new and familiar, but R.R. Willica has done a fine job of it.  
My only concern with Soldiers and Slaves is that it had a large number of typographical errors and missing words... but the story and the characters were its saving grace.  Those who know me are well aware that I am a stickler for grammar and spelling ... so it is really a compliment to the novel that I not only continued reading it to the end regardless, but still absolutely loved it.   The second installment, Darkness Falling: Shadow of the Seeker, is due out on June 18th, and I'll be waiting in line for it to see how the cliffhanger ending of Soldiers and Slaves resolves itself!  

Please join me next Wednesday, when I'll have news from my friends at Writers Helping Writers!
Until then, have a fantastic week!

Picture
Comments
comments powered by Disqus
    Picture
     I'd be grateful if you'd help support me by clicking below:
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Adjustments
    Adventures In Marketing
    Artwork
    A Sense Of Place
    Awards
    Books For Writers
    Camp NaNoWriMo
    Caveat Self Publishor
    Cover Reveal
    Creative DNA
    Crowdfunding
    Editing
    Events
    Excerpts
    Facebook
    From The Desk Of Buster Heywood
    Giveaways
    Guest Post
    Hopepunk
    Indie Authors
    Interviews
    In The Cards
    NaNoWriMo
    Patreon
    Personal
    Playlists
    Poll
    Questionnaires
    Rafflecopter
    Rainbow Method
    Reflection
    Reviews
    Sale
    Schedules
    Self Publishing
    Sites For Writers
    Site Update
    Smashwords
    The Author's Oracle
    The Proper Bearing
    What A Character
    Writing
    Writing Tips

    Archives

    January 2021
    November 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.