On reading the description of this book, I clicked with it immediately - having read Wranglestone by Darren Charlton and also played Firewatch last year, the vibes of national parks, wide spaces, and adventure with a side dish of threat appealed.

The first part of the book gave off cosy tones. I looked forward to reading it, it was warm and inviting, drawing me back. It was the high fantasy novel I didn’t realize I was hungering for. There were strong relationships, camaraderie, exploration…

Then stuff went down and there was bloodshed.

We follow Leiyn, the last ranger, as she strives to find and bring justice for all she has known as they seemingly suffer horrific deaths at the hands of the Gast, indigenous tribes that have been displaced by the colonization of the Veiled Lands. She travels with a mismatched group, all with similar objectives, seeking the truth and allies. Consumed by a prejudice towards the Gast, she finds herself questioning her perception of reality - can the Gast be trusted, and are they truly to blame for the loss of everything she holds dear?

I can’t recall experiencing a protagonist who is so strongly antagonistic. I really felt for the supporting characters, dealing with the brunt of Leiyn’s immediate loathing of the Gast. This just made her character development arc so much more clear and a relief to experience, showcasing how damaging the spread of misinformation can be in spreading hate and fear.

There are eight parts - each part typically starts with a flashback chapter of Leiyn as a child, bereft initially from the loss of her mother and then her father, dealing with surviving as an orphan and the circumstances that lead her to becoming a ranger. Each part is heralded by a stunning illustration, an extra delight that I wasn’t expecting, helping to solidify the characters and creatures in the reader's mind.

The only criticism I have about the book, not even about the narrative so I’m not impacting the overall star rating for it, is the clarity of the map at the front of the book. I love a good map, especially for fantasy stories where we have whole new worlds to explore - these really help understand the terrain, distances and geography. I struggled to read some of the names on the map and I think the illustrated font style means it hasn’t printed particularly clearly. All illustrations are however on the author’s website so you can check the map there and zoom in.

Signing up to the author’s newsletter gives you four taster stories for free so you can experience each of his worlds before committing. I’ve got that downloaded and I’ll definitely be diving in to another story while I wait for the release of Leiyn’s sequel - which I've now backed on Kickstarter!

Thanks so much to the author for considering the impact international shipping has in his campaign and providing additional options so those in other countries can get the book!