A world consumed by war . . . An ancient evil resurrected . . . A millennia old bargain comes due . . . When two blades clash, the third will fall, and the fate of all will be jeopardized. To save Lozaria, the failures of the past must be atoned for by a new generation of heroes. The time has come for mortals to cast off sight and, in doing so, truly come to see . . . Victory is never absolute … .
Victory is never absolute
Seven centuries ago, the forces of order won the Illyriite War on the plains of Har’muth. Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian slew their elder brother, Sarcon, the despotic architect of the conflict, then sacrificed themselves to banish the cataclysmic vortex opened with his dying breath. The first advent of the Oblivion Well was thwarted. Even without their vanished gods, the seven races of Lozaria proved themselves capable of safeguarding their world.
Or so the story goes.
The year is now 697 A.B.H. (After the Battle of Har’muth). Though war itself remains much the same, the weapons with which it is waged have evolved. Airships bearing powerful cannons ply the skies, reducing the influence of mages and their spells. Long range communication has brought far flung regions of Lozaria closer than ever before. At the center of this technological revolution are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia, who have fought a near ceaseless campaign of 700 years in an attempt to best each other. The roots of their enmity lie buried beneath the wasteland of Har’muth, a place all three nations consider best forgotten.
However, an ancient power sealed within Har’muth has not forgotten them, and the descendants of those who fought on that field must now take a stand to rectify the mistakes of the past.
Christopher Russell presents the first book in his gripping fantasy series: Divinity’s Twilight.
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Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth is steampunk on steroids, but that makes sense because Christopher Russell is a mechanical and aerospace engineer.
It’s not for the fainthearted. This Military Fantasy has a whopping prologue with a bunch of worldbuilding during an epic battle. It’s grim and brutal.
There’s lots of magic, technology, races, and complex characters you’ll come to care about only to see some of them die. It also has compelling bad guys and a mother’s song that made me want to cry. Despite all the carnage, the story has some good themes, and friendships are forged.
The final chapter (Chapter 22: Purpose) ends on a hopeful note, while the epilogue’s title (Creeping Rot) hints at something darker. It was a sad way to end the book. It’s obviously not the end as this is the first book in the Divinity’s Twilight series. Who will win the war?
Three brothers and three separate visions of peace collide on a battlefield. Two brothers sacrifice everything, including themselves to eliminate their oldest brother, and they die believing it was enough to stop his monstrous vision of remaking the world. The world that emerges ages after from that bloodbath is one that convinces itself that a peace of sorts has been achieved. Each of the three realms becomes a reflection, a living testament, of each brothers’ vision of how peace should be created. The illusion is shattered though when the eldest brother’s monstrous vision burst forth again, unable to be buried for any longer. Now their people are at a crossroads, and each person must decide if the vision is worth the fight. Is the vision achieved only through knowledge, or the engineering marvels man can build, or by gaining boundless, all-consuming power? Even more disturbing is peace only achieved by crushing the other dreams in rivers of blood, as one voice so mercilessly proclaims? We watch in horror as the answer seemingly becomes yes as this hunger for power is used to justify mass murder in the name of the vision, one’s own conscience is shut down in the name of loyalty to such wicked leadership, and human life becomes mere fuel to feed a leader’s own sick rise to power. Can anyone possibly stand against such unleashed evil? Yes, there is still found a remnant. Sure, some of their motives aren’t the purest either. Their painful past has left them broken and jaded, but few would emerge otherwise once we hear their stories. So, they fight back the only way they know, out of revenge, vowing never to be hurt again and make their enemy suffer in the same way they have. Not all roads are such, thankfully. We watch others see beyond the falsehoods planted inside their hearts and realize their truth worth when it matters most. One person shines brightest in that moment and gives everything so others could continue to carry on the fight, a testament of another battle long past. For others it empowers them to move past their doubts and fears to places of strength to finally understand their vision is worth fighting for. Because the vision isn’t an image in the clouds. It’s made of flesh and blood, heart and spirit, and friends and family. One of Christopher’s own characters says it best, “This is what the Creator intended for us: to save ourselves from destruction by proving we’re capable of more than violence and killing. He had faith that we would rise above our faults and find the kindness in our hearts to support one another in the face of every adversary. Doesn’t that message fill you with hope and awe?” I believe it does. Certainly, a vision that inspires us to true greatness, a vision worth fighting for, even if it cost our last breath on the battlefield of life.
I am a honest to goodness epic fantasy reader, very seldom does an author lure me into something that is not high fantasy…magic,dragons,elves,dwarves ect. But, this Author does an excellent job of developing an in depth world and characters to the point in which you can see where everyone is coming from, there are a lot of characters who go through good character development that ranges from predictable to somewhat surprising. When an ancient evil from the time of the three brothers reappears and takes a side, it greatly affects the entire world. I was overwhelmed by how descriptive and magical it was, but there was an element of science weaved into it.
This is an epic tale
Considering my love for both fantasy and steampunk, I picked this bad boy up with the hopes of having my need for those genres satisfied, and in no way was I disappointed!
Christopher Russell has created an incredibly ambitious and well-written debut with his Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth. He tells a story packed with intricate and immensely detailed world-building, technology, magic systems, religion – you name it – and, as a reader, you are left in absolute awe! You just ache to explore this expansive universe (I’d take a ride on one of those airships, thank you)! And extra props for the German references with the Sarconians = LOVE!
Yes, the prologue is long, but it offers a solid foundation on which the rest of the story is built. And this continues with segments told from the antagonist’s POV, giving an insightful yet disturbingly ominous feeling just before you are introduced to a whole cast of young, inexperienced protagonists. Boy, have they got a mountain to climb!
Being very different from each other – Matteo, Vallen, Velle, Leon, Lilith, Sylette, Unter, and Renar – they all compliment each other beautifully, albeit not always in the most loving way. I expect this will play a large part in their individual character arcs as they go forward, where – admittedly – some of those named will need a tad more redemption than the rest. However, they all face their own struggles, and I look forward to following their progress as the story continues.
This book paves the way for a magnificent story, and I cannot stress enough how impressed I am by Russell’s efforts. He has truly set the bar high, and if this is how the series begins, then I can only imagine how marvellous it will be by the end!