Crossroads of Canopy (Titan's Forest, #1)

1.5 out of 5 stars – see this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I maintain that if a book has tree-centric cover art, designed by Marc Simonetti (see Age of Myth), I will drop everything to read it. Unfortunately, I was much less enamored by the pages beneath the beautiful cover.

Conceptually, the novel intrigued me — there is a societal hierarchy that is based on where you live within the trees that make up the world. It feels like a fairytale, following the exploits of a girl who lives amongst the trees and the gods that rule them. Execution-wise, it just did not work for me. I found the protagonist, Unar, to be frustrating, unlikable, and whiny for most of the book. My issues with the main character created a feeling of detachment from the overall proceedings and I had a hard time caring about what was happening.

The setting made me think that there would be some sense of whimsy or joy present in such a fantastical world, but instead there is a gloomy energy that I never quite connected with. What should have been a 336-page jaunt feels like a 750-page slog.

Thirteen kingdoms form the vast city of Canopy. They are each ruled by a god or goddess, depending on whether the reincarnation was male or female. Canopy is also high in the treetops of a giant forest. After overhearing her parents say they were selling her as a slave, Una decides she is destined for greater things and runs away. She just knows she will serve the next Audblayin. So, her journey begins. I was very excited to read this book, but it wasn't all that I was hoping for. I liked the world building, but was not a fan of the characters. I had a hard time finishing it. I received a copy of this book from Net Galley.