Provisional Review 4*. To re-read before Book2.
Started before Covid. Attempted to read with Covid and finished after covid with half a brain.
A solid, well-rounded novel, with a nifty backstory to unleash a brutal series of events and the odd genocide. The three races are interesting and I'm curious to to see how they interact as the series progresses and political factions clash.
Zanna and Celene have a conflicted relationship and their conflict is cleverly handled to keep them at a distance, as events drop into place and the secondary characters come into play. I see hints of Feist and Gemmell as the last third kicks into play. Armies on the march to annihilate the other races, a citadel of magicians to hold back a horde as the threat is dismissed and an unlikely mix of individuals piecing events and motives together.
The real twist is at the end after things go boom, but the manner in which the races intertwine is the real hook to see how it contends against the corruption of the empire and mankind. When it comes it is over all too soon, which is no bad thing.
Zanna stole it for me, but I felt there was possibly one POV too many in the story synergy which covid brain struggled with in the second half. One to look forward to re-reading in the near future, and where the follow up leads to. Well worth anyone's dosh (for the cover) and a definite buy eet!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57607474-in-solitude-s-shadow