Series: The Silent Gods #1
Release Date: February 21st 2019
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 448
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

You have heard the story before – of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?

What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?

Among the Academy’s warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents’ killers.

Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy’s masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfil.

Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . .

Review

Master of Sorrows if the first in an all new fantasy series from Travis Call. The book really caught my eye with the tagline of ‘what if you were destined to be villain?’ and I was so intrigued to know more. The story is action packed, dark and incredibly addictive – if you’re looking for a new fantasy series this is definitely one to pick up.

The story follows our main character Annev who is very much a reluctant hero and just a fascinating protagonist. The story features one of my favourite tropes – a magical academy and I loved seeing Annev navigate the trials and dangers of life as a student. Annev is different to many of the others at the academy and faces enemies at every turn. As the story progresses it gets darker and more brutal as the stakes are raised even higher. The ending is so intense and I’m so eager to find out what’s next in store for Annev.

The world building in this story was superb and I found it really easy to immerse myself in the magic system and the world that Call has created. The story is well paced and it really gives you the chance to get to know the characters and the world before diving into the action.

Master of Sorrows is an incredibly impressive debut, it’s excellently written and well executed. If you’re a fan of fantasy stories on an epic scale and especially if you love writers like Mark Lawrence and Patrick Rothfuss, this is an absolute must read.