All he wanted was the safety of his princess. What he received was eternal torment.Bereft of a soul, a wraith who should have no ties to humanity, Bene wants nothing more than release from his twisted existence. Trapped between life and nothingness, he hopes to reclaim his soul and find the death he so desperately desires.Bene finds rare solace in the company of Feorin, a satyr war hero who chose … Feorin, a satyr war hero who chose exile over continuing the centuries long war with the Fae. He doesn’t look at Bene with fear or contempt, but rather hope. If a wraith can find a path to redemption, perhaps he could as well…
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The Dark Archer is where Bene’s story starts. Loyal to his princess at all costs, he is tortured, and his soul is ripped from his being. As a wraith, Bene searches for death to avoid hurting others to survive. His quest brings him an unlikely group of followers who become his friends despite his efforts to avoid those connections. After all, they are all seeking redemption.
Pros:
There are a lot of things I loved about this book. First is the world building. Cano spent a lot time developing his world. The complexity of creatures, social rules, and history are stunning. And the way he doles it out just fast enough to be interesting but not overwhelming is masterful. Every detail seemed well thought out.
I also loved the character development. These are characters who have a tremendous amount of thought and planning in them. They are multi-faceted and grow with the story. Their choices and behavior throughout the story come across as consistent and realistic. Cano had to have spent time studying people to add the things he does to these characters.
I appreciated the psychology behind the story. As someone who works in behavioral health, the trauma and pain in this story were palpable. The arc of each of the characters as they worked to come to terms with their own trauma, or avoid it, felt authentic. I also loved how each sought a kind of redemption in their own way, and yet the redemption was different for each of them.
Cons:
I have little here people. It’s a wonderful book. The best I can give you for a downside to this book is a warning about the prose. Cano writes in an older, more formal style than many authors today. Personally, once I made that shift in my head from what I am more used to, I found the prose to be beautiful. However, I know people may struggle a little with this style of writing. So, just keep in mind this is a book you’re not likely to whip through in a couple hours. The writing style will probably slow you down some and push you a little.
Conclusion
I’d give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars. Since I can’t do that on most review sites for ratings, I’ll round it up to a 5 out of 5. Excellent dark fantasy book. Be careful with the trauma, it may hook you more than you expect. And the prose is challenging, but well worth the work to read. Check it out!
Like so many other modern fantasy works, The Dark Archer isn’t a book that I could sit down and fly through. I read the first series of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series in a weekend. This book does not allow for that, and there are so many creatures: wraiths, fae, dragons, banshees, gods, satyrs etc. that it takes focus. However, this story is well-worth the perseverance.
The Goods about the book
The Dark Archer trips my taste for solid worldbuilding.
There is a fantastic map tucked in the back of the book that helped me along the way.
It’s pure epic fantasy, the hero’s journey to be exact. It has a tragic romantic thread, but the focus is more on the main character Bene.
Dark Archer Map
Some of the stuff I adored
The concept embedded in the title really intrigued me. It came clear to me around page 50, and I thought to myself. “Wow, that’s cool!”
The way the wraith magic works and is fleshed out throughout the novel was fun. It wasn’t a magic system per se, but it fit more with the nature of being a wraith. Maybe it’s because I haven’t delved deeply into these creatures, but I found it super unique.
Also, I truly enjoyed the contrast between younger and older dragons. This does hit a trope with the dragons, but it was fun to read in The Dark Archer.
This quote from Bene (spoiler omitted):
“If it were as easy as me dying, I would welcome it. But you attacked my friends. I never wanted you dead, dragon. I never wanted your…For your loss, I am sorry. For your death, well…you brought this upon yourself.”
page 282
And this quote, also from Bene:
“I am incapable of releasing my humanity for the sake of my own peace. There is nothing more selfish than to seek peace when others suffer, especially at my hands. What I could be is not what I want to be.”
page 338
The “eh, maybe could be better”s
I will admit that I’m learning to be both a reader and an author, and sometimes the author part handicaps me during my reads. In this case, there weren’t that many things that tripped my author trigger. However, there were a few grammatical issues and instances when I believed the information could have been delivered through more character interaction as opposed to inner monologue. The latter could be stylistic choices, so take that opinion with a grain of salt.
Then, there is one thing about the worldbuilding that bothered me. Two moons, okay. I can get behind that. But the thing about multiple suns pulled me out. Again, I think this is just me, because discussing with my son, he mentioned he’d have absolutely no problem with it.
Anyway, that’s really all, folks.
The Bottom Line
I debated between 4 and 5 stars and in the end, I think the story, emotion, and voice of this book deserve all 5. If you’re a fan of fantasy, and especially if you’ve enjoyed activities like table-top role-playing games or online fantasy games, read this! It hits the fantasy tropes but has an unusual main character. That the main character is a wraith makes it an interesting read in itself.