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Book: “The Dragons of Deepwood Fen” by Bradly P/ Beaulieu
Publishing Info: DAW, December 2023
Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: Lorelei Aurelius is the smartest inquisitor in the mountain city of Ancris. When a mysterious tip leads her to a clandestine meeting between the Church and the hated Red Knives, she uncovers a plot that threatens not only her home but the empire itself.
The trail leads her to Rylan Holbrooke, a notorious thief posing as a dragon singer. Rylan came to Ancris to solve the very same mystery she stumbled onto. Knowing his incarceration could lead to the Red Knives’ achieving their goals, Lorelei makes a fateful she frees him.
Now branded as traitors, the two flee the city on dragonback. In the massive forest known as the Holt, they discover something terrible. The Red Knives are planning to awaken a powerful demigod in the holiest shrine in Ancris, and for some reason the Church is willing to allow it. It forces their return to Ancris, where the unlikely allies must rally the very people who’ve vowed to capture them before it’s too late.
Explore the mountain city of Ancris, where fast-paced adventure and intrigue abound. in this new offering from the author of the acclaimed Song of the Shattered Sands series.
Review: I know many of you may be wondering by now why I haven’t reviewed “Fourth Wing” on the blog yet. On paper, it should be right up my alley! Well, it might surprise some of you, but I don’t love writing super negative reviews for books that others seem to love! That said, I do think there’s something very curious about the ridiculous surge in popularity that that book specifically seemed to inspire (at best, I think it was a fairly generic example of a whole bunch of fantasy/romantasy books that already existed and didn’t get nearly the same reception); it tickles my conspiratorial side, let’s say. But the one very positive thing I can say for sure is that hopefully “Fourth Wing’s” popularity will bring another resurgence of dragons in fantasy fiction. I’m sure this book was well on its way to production before “Fourth Wing” even dropped, but I hope it’s just the tip of the spear as far as a trend goes.
While I had a few quibbles about pacing and such, there was still a lot to like about this book and I do think there is a solid fan base out there who will really love this one. Namely, fans of sprawling, epic fantasy. The world-building is front and center in this one, a fact that is hinted at early on by the inclusion of a two-page spread map. I love maps in books, and this one was not only interesting, but necessary to understanding the geography of the world we were exploring. This also very much feels like classic fantasy fiction, in that the reader is simply plopped down into the story with very little explanation regarding how it all works. I love this style of writing, as I’m happy to go along with a book as it slowly reveals its secrets. However, it’s something be aware of for readers who enjoy more explanation up front.
I also enjoyed the dragons, especially the fact that they were given distinctive personalities, allowing them to function more fully as characters on their own. I also enjoy this sort of dragon rider story where there is a specific bond between the riders and the dragons. Again, like “Fourth Wing,” but, you know, with actually skilled writing. I also really enjoyed the magic system at the heart of this novel. This world has two suns, each emitting different rays of magic that are then soaked up by the dragons’ scales. I also enjoyed the fact that we got to follow a scientist of this world who was studying how these magical elements affected the landscape and the world. I always love it when fantasy books include scholarly pursuits into their world-building, and it worked very well with this book.
That said, this book was definitely a slower read for me. While the reader is plunked right down into the world and into the middle of the characters’ stories, the pacing was still on the slower side. It’s also well-established at this point that I personally struggle with large casts of POV, and this book serves as a good example of why I think this choice can often have a negative effect on the pacing of the story. There’s so much jumping around from one character to the next that the reader is never given a chance to really settle into any one storyline. Instead, as one character’s story seems to be building towards something, the book switches to another POV, cutting the legs out from under any build-up in the pace of the book, forcing the reader to start all over again.
However, overall, I did enjoy this book. The world-building especially felt intricate and well thought out. I enjoyed learning about how the magic system was built into the way this society developed, and, of course, I’m a sucker for fantasy novels that delve into the politics of the various peoples of a new world. For readers who enjoy dragons but who also want world-building that actually makes sense *side-eyes “Fourth Wing” real hard*, definitely check this one out! That said, this is definitely a slower book, so readers should go in with that expectation.
Rating 8: A creative magic system and dragons galore, this is a great choice for readers looking to re-capture that “classic fantasy” feeling.
Reader’s Advisory:
“The Dragons of Deepwood Fen” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it should be on Myths & Mythological Creature Books.
The Library Ladies 