Series: The Serpent Gates #1
Release Date: February 11th 2020
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 464
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

What if you knew how and when you will die?

Csorwe does — she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.

But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

But Csorwe will soon learn – gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

Review

Epic fantasy on the grandest scale, The Unspoken Name is a bloody brilliant read and I didn’t want it to end.

The story follows Csorwe, Chosen Bride of the Unspoken. She knows how her life will end. On the allotted day, she will enter the mountain and sacrifice herself to the god known only as the Unspoken One. When that day comes and Csorwe is given the opportunity to live she takes it. Her new destiny? To help mysterious wizard Sethennai overthrow an empire and reclaim his title.

One of the things I loved most about this book is how richly detailed it is. There’s so much research about the many worlds Csorwe visits, the people, places and religions. Every aspect of this story was so well fleshed out and it was so easy to dive into this vivid and richly imaginative world. The world building is excellent and the story is well plotted and cleverly executed. Despite the many worlds and many gods the story never got confusing and it was so easy to understand the systems Larkwood has built within the story.

The characters were really fascinating and I loved Csorwe so much. She’s a really interesting protagonist and I enjoyed seeing her grow from appointed sacrifice to something so much more. There is so much character depth in each of the characters in this story. There’s also some diverse representation within the novel too. The romance was so sweet and I really enjoyed watching the relationship evolve (I won’t say which characters because I don’t want to spoil this wonderful book for anyone).

The Unspoken Name is a brilliantly addictive tale of vengeance, magic, relationships and so much more. If you’re looking for a new binge worthy fantasy read, this is definitely a must buy. Your only trouble will be counting down the days until the next book is released.