They need each other, and they love each other, but even with Baaku – perhaps especially with Baaku, though he is Nazir’s one refuge from his visions – the torment of Nazir’s visions is with him. As a book the story is interesting, encourages you to read from cover to cover and the characters are well formed and relatable. One was that there were a few action scenes that I really struggled to picture as I was re

Now, as this is the first instalment in an epic fantasy series, I do have to say that there is a lot of slow set-up, and especially the first half of the book requires a lot of trust and patience from the reader. Obsidian Awakening is one of those books that feel easy to read, but when you look back you realize how much depth it had.And on top of that, there is also some casual and quiet representation of queer love that I was not expecting, but pleasantly surprised by.

All that said, this book also does not shy away from showing the darkest depths of human depravity, which includes a lot of vivid descriptions of brutal sexual violence against women. The depth and intensity of the emotional dynamics between the characters and their introspection is breathtaking.How leaders must push their people to the edge of what they believe are their limitations, and then push some more, if need be, for the greater good.

His life is overwhelmed with an anguish that compels sympathy, as he has seen so much of the future, far more than any man ought to have to see, robbing him of so much of life. It’s all so juicy, and the passion and frisson between some of the characters adds extra zest and spice to proceedings. Even for those with wealth, power and influence - in some ways, more so - survival is the most people can hope for. The character dynamics are so complicated and I was especially impressed with the nuanced depiction of familial and romantic bonds in this story.Also, I absolutely adored that even though this story is set in a deeply patriarchal world, we still follow some incredibly strong female characters who are true forces to be reckoned with. I picked this book up originally as a filler of time, and hoped for "good enough" - and instead found a well developed plot, believable and relatable characters and a story i couldn't wait to keep reading. In many ways, his monstrosities are the ways he survived and copes with the horrors he was made to endure. Every scene plays on the characters and their relationships (some of which honestly deserve my use of the word "smouldering").