Cyriax

This is, without a doubt, my favorite series of the year. The only story that comes close for me, though it is very different, is the Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio if you would like an example of my reading tastes. Both of these series have compelled me to keep reading more than any others over the last couple years. The Riverfall Chronicles is compelling from the first line of The Wickwire Watch. As the story has progressed the depth of the characters and the world has grown. These characters now feel like family to me. The world feels like a home of sorts. Jacquelyn Hagen's story has made me feel the full range of emotions. The pacing is just right. There is action but there is also time to sit with the characters and grow to understand their motivations and connections to one another. I feel, at its heart, this is primarily a tale driven by the revelations of its mysteries, both in the world and its characters. If you are looking for a new world to get lost in, you will find none better than this one. If you are an audiobook listener, the narrator is excellent. The audiobook is my preferred way to engage with this story. I will be patiently waiting for the next installment so I can return to this home away from home again.

I also recently finished Witchy Eye by DJ Butler. I’ve seen this described as Americana flintlock. Not sure about the flintlock part because the magic does not revolve around gunpowder (which has been my experience with flintlock fantasy having only read Powder Mage). This book was a well written, interesting read and I plan to continue with the series. The world is an alternate America with some fantasy creatures and magic. Several people from American History are mentioned throughout the book with unique twists on their stories. The religion is strongly Christian based. Many of the conflicts stem from the time of the Protestant Reformation if that had been an even more divisive and bloody affair.

The narrator of the Witchy Eye audiobook wields several different accents masterfully to my ears. Her male voices are also very well done. Some things like saying “bang” nearly everytime a shot is fired (also written this way so can’t fault the narrator) was a bit annoying but easy to overlook with the excellent overall performance.

This book drew me in. The world building is excellent. The main character is not likable for me but I did not hate him either. The decisions made throughout the book seem consistent for the characters. I scored this just below a 3.75/5 due not feeling any deep emotions with this one, but I think the possibility is there for future installments so I will be continuing with this series.

This story was captivating. The number of challenges the author had to endure was remarkable. This story includes her victories and her failures while revealing the manipulation of truth and social aspects of North Korean culture. There are also some insights into how the Chinese and other cultures treated North Koreans. It feels like you are more of an observer than a participant in this story. This is probably partially due to the author growing up in a place where you are scared of everyone. She could not let her secrets be known so she had to remain distanced for others. This is a very thought provoking journey.

Great story about learning to be an adult with some well done relationships and more depth than expected wrapped in 80’s culture.