by Nick Fetsch

YA Fantasy, Independently Published in 2025, 644 Pages

What I Didn’t Like:

First impression: this is a high page count for a young adult book. It’s fantasy, so we can give it some leeway, but high page count can deter some young adults so it’ll be interesting to see if I think this is worth the heft. This doesn’t affect my rating, by the way, as first impressions help draw you in but don’t affect the story.
The bulk of the story is very similar to a lot of other books in this genre. It was difficult to find something unique to latch onto, making the story feel a bit forgettable.
The story is very long and covers a lot of events and changes in goals. For this reason, especially given that it was intended for young adults, it seems like it could have been two books. Plus, that would’ve given a bit more time for emotions to have page time.

First impression: the cover art is BEAUTIFUL. This cover alone may draw in readers. I’ll be interested to see if this matches the vibe of the story. This doesn’t affect my rating, by the way, as first impressions help draw you in but don’t affect the story.
The opening chapter is well done. It’s immediately apparent we’re dealing with a main character who has amnesia but it’s done in a more unique way than you’d expect.
The book is written and edited well. I found no errors or places where the descriptions were unclear.

Fans of high fantasy stories of adventure will like this one, particularly if you also like when they’re learning the new world at the same time as a new character.