Branimir is a slave to the mighty Highborn. Unwittingly, his masters forge a copper dagger capable of destroying the Ash Tree. Drawn along on the quest to remedy the mistake of his masters, Branimir becomes the most unlikely of heroes in an inimical world of magic and mayhem.
I am loving this series so far! I cannot wait to read the next book. Branimir is the cutest darn character and I kind of adore him! Dorofej is this interesting blending of Yoda, Merlin, and your creepy senile grandfather! Two of the least likely heroes to ever cross your path, yet despite their seemingly incapacity, their moral compass guides the group to stopping an evil created by the seemingly good intentions of the Spearhead of Melkorka and his faithful sidekick Falmagon.
The Svet are such a unique re-imagining of centaurs. The Vulcari are a creative take on shifters. The Bukavak are deliciously evil. And the Dyndaar Wood… Oh, I can’t give the story away!
The author weaves a unique world that, while similar in style and fantastical elements to much you will find in fantasy, is delightfully original in terminology and implementation! I have fallen in love with the world he has so intricately woven. The world of Aenar seamlessly envelopes the reader in a fantastical clashing of good and evil, where even the most righteous can be led astray, the most powerful can crumble, and the most humble can save the day! Eager to read the next three books in this series!
Until next time,
Keep Reading!
Epic page turner, once you step into this series, it’s hard to come back to the real world. excellent read
Melkorka: The Kaelandur Series, Volume 1, my third read/listen from author Joshua Robertson. Well-written & enjoyable fantasy. Fred Wolinsky’s quirky voices & narration made the 9-hour 39-minute tale pass quickly, although the book seemed longer due to the detail written into it. I look forward to Dyndaer The Kaelandur Series, Book 2). I was given an Audible copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I have to admit; I am so late doing this review it’s ridiculous. I’ve had my copy of Melkorka by Joshua Robertson for a long time. It took me longer than it should have to read. So of course, life conspired to keep me from getting this review written for quite a while. Oh well, here it is. Finally.
Summary
Melkorka, by Joshua Robertson, is a fantasy novel about Branimir, a Kras. Think little demon like imps for an image. They’re slaves to the Highborn, magic users who rule on Melkorka. Yet, the Highborn are making a mess of things when they trigger a demonic invasion that destroys most of the Highborn in Melkorka. Branimir ends up being the only Kras to survive and is forced on a journey hoping to find a way to win the war.
Positives
I absolutely loved Robertson’s world building skills. He created a rich, detailed world I found easy to get lost in. I thought the magic system was beautiful in its functioning. Whenever a Highborn wields magic, they pay for it in years of their lives. Anyone watching a Highborn use their magic can see the user age before their eyes. And the way Robertson built the different islands, with their own populations, creatures, and histories showed just how much work Robertson put into creating this world.
Along with the world building, Robertson did an excellent job of character creation and development. Each character felt complete and real. Branimir started as a cowering creature, to be expected of a slave, but grew to have more of a backbone than even he realized he could have. And I loved Dorofej. His calculated, old-man attitude throughout the book kept me entertained the whole while. And the rest of the Highborn had just as clear personalities, though not nearly as likable, which I appreciated.
The last thing I have to comment on is that I found the underlying moral questions in the story a beautiful addition to the story itself. Not only does Branimir get challenged in what he has always believed to be moral, the questions make the reader think about their own morals and beliefs.
Critiques
There were a few times, for example in the opening chapters, where it felt like there could have been more help for the reader to understand what was going on. It opens with the Highborn about to execute one of their own for alleged heinous crimes. We are thrust so fast into the action, though, it was at times overwhelming and challenging to figure out the world and the politics of the story.
The other thing I found to be odd about this story is that even as fast as we are thrown into the action, the pacing at times felt like it dragged. I’m not quite sure how to explain this. The best I can say is that there were spots where I struggled to stay engaged in the story despite all the things I appreciated about it.
Summary
For those who love a sword and sorcery fantasy that errs on the darker side of things, Melkorka is the book for you. While I found a couple challenges reading the book, the positives outweighed them. It is worth the read, that’s for certain. You won’t be disappointed.
Melkorko by Joshua Robertson and narrated by Fred Wolinsky is an audible book that was given to me and the review is voluntary. This is an adventure in a strange and intriguing world where there are Highborn (magic users) and creatures like look little read demons called grias. I hope I spelt that right. The story is from one of them, his point of view. All grias are slaves. Plenty of fantasy adventure here but I really didn’t LIKE anyone. I sort of liked the main character but not a whole lot.
The narration was fairly good but when he did the grias voice it was a bit annoying.