Hello everyone!
It looks like that's a bit of a trend when it comes to recent releases, or upcoming releases I suppose, and I can't say I'm upset about it.
There's always things to find more and more interesting the more you read books like this!
And tonight's choice is no exception.
After meeting an empire that rose after the world was left in shambles, we venture into a totally different fantasy situation today in a world that has nothing to do with our own.
It's just sort of ... worse? If that's even possible.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is, there's always more after rock bottom, even if you think there isn't.
S. Kaeth's book, Beneath the Gods' Tree, is well worth the read.
I currently don't have anything else reviewed from this author, but I AM planning on diving into the Children of the Nexus series, because this book is loosely connected to it through one of its characters, and I'm intrigued enough after reading this one to want to continue.
Not to mention, I LOVE the writing style!
But anyway, let's get back to the show.
Amanah is a guard in her desert city - she came to said city to learn the secrets of healing which she could then hopefully use to help others, but she's mostly been treated like a pariah because she came in from the nomadic tribes that live outside the settled cities, and she has to abide by a very serious, strict caste system.
While her brother mostly thrives in it, she's the wary one who sees that each favour comes with strings attached and people - especially rich people - are more than happy to use and discard the lower classes.
And also, they get insulted easily. That, too.
Which is what happens completely by accident during a rigged trial as she's trying to reclaim her own stolen property, pisses off a magistrate because she knows how to braid her hair better than the guy's wife braids her own, and so has to be taken out of the city for a while.
Her commanding officer assigns her to escort two nobles out of her home city to another one across the desert, accompanying the group leader Taunos, who happens to be her brother's best friend, as well as her brother and his lover/partner.
This poses a problem because, while SHE'S trying to remain as invisible as possible, Taunos can't be even if it means saving his own skin, because he's just always THERE.
And he happens to like Amanah. A lot.
He also doesn't like the way the nobles they're escorting keep treating the guards, not that he can do much about it, especially after one of them gets bitten by a snake, accuses the lot of them of not securing the ground before that happened, and then they nearly get washed away during a landslide after a whole lot of rain that can't soak into the desert terrain fast enough.
We also get to see how city folk really have no manners and have no clue how to survive out in the actual desert, when the group takes refuge with another nomadic tribe, but that's beside the point now.
The reason they're trying to get the nobles over to their destination is the fact these same nobles have proof that people high up in the system are traitors, dealing with the enemy territories across the borders, and it's kind of imperative they reach their goal.
If only it were that simple though - because of course they also get kidnapped, leaving Amanah to find help and rescue them all by her lonesome.
She manages, however, and beautifully so, but the important part during all these ups and downs is the fact that she accepts Taunos wants to be with her for her own self and not because he wants something she'll be indebted to him about. They also have a bit of up and down themselves, learning what it means to be equals in this partnership, and thankfully they both trust each other without hesitation by the time they reach their end goal.
Because a hit squad attacks the city slums as they're moving through, so naturally Amanah and Taunos stay behind to try and help. An explosive sadly still goes off, and the aftermath is ridiculous because it shows just how little the city nobles care for anyone that isn't in their own clique, but that aside, Amanah is now making some serious waves.
She has sponsors at this point, people who saw her in the aftermath of the attack, people who WANT to help her and shake the system ... which of course puts a target on her back.
Although I will say, when the second hit squad attacks during the celebration when nobody sleeps for a few days? Yeah, it's a good thing Amanah and her buddies are there.
They manage to survive, though of the two nobles they were escorting, the annoying one got himself an arrow and his Pikachu face is his last expression, but the second one is thankful to be alive, at least. And by the time they get him back home, Amanah's been accepted to the healers which she thought she'd never achieve, considering her low status, and that provides some sense of security against those calling for her death because she "failed" in her mission.
Listen, I'm telling you, the nobles are idiots.
But this is where the story ends, on a mild cliff-hanger and with the sweet lovers still together with nod anger of splitting up.
And to sum up in one word: WOW.
This is the second book that took my breath away. Amanah - and with her, Taunos - make it difficult to put the story down and do other things!
The MCs: brilliant, and the writing is so powerful that if you aren't convinced a second shoe is about to drop, like Amanah constantly expects it to, then we aren't reading the same book. I also love how the characters make a clear progression and development from start to finish.
The SCs: Guneh and Emin complete the quartet and are sublime. The nobles veer into caricatures of idiocy sometimes but, I think that's the point.
The world building: is marvelous and you can just SEE how much work went into it. You feel as if you're in the desert with our heroes. And all the cultural inserts make sense for the story the author wants to tell.
The romance: a slow burn, friends to lovers, and I adore how they settle their difficulties like adults through TALKING. Amanah and Taunos are true partners, and it's *chefs kiss*
Overall, this is exceptional, beautiful, tragic and sincere in its raw emotion. I hope we get a direct sequel of this book, but more importantly I am ABSOLUTELY picking up some other works by this author, particularly her Children of the Nexus series. Because, I could see Taunos was somehow special from a mile away.
1000/10 recommend!
This is the second book that took my breath away. Amanah - and with her, Taunos - make it difficult to put the story down and do other things!
The MCs: brilliant, and the writing is so powerful that if you aren't convinced a second shoe is about to drop, like Amanah constantly expects it to, then we aren't reading the same book. I also love how the characters make a clear progression and development from start to finish.
The SCs: Guneh and Emin complete the quartet and are sublime. The nobles veer into caricatures of idiocy sometimes but, I think that's the point.
The world building: is marvelous and you can just SEE how much work went into it. You feel as if you're in the desert with our heroes. And all the cultural inserts make sense for the story the author wants to tell.
The romance: a slow burn, friends to lovers, and I adore how they settle their difficulties like adults through TALKING. Amanah and Taunos are true partners, and it's *chefs kiss*
Overall, this is exceptional, beautiful, tragic and sincere in its raw emotion. I hope we get a direct sequel of this book, but more importantly I am ABSOLUTELY picking up some other works by this author, particularly her Children of the Nexus series. Because, I could see Taunos was somehow special from a mile away.
1000/10 recommend!
xx
*image not mine
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