Series: Tales of Tremaine #1
Release Date: August 16th 2022
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 832
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review

Synopsis

All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.

I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I’ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I’ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster.

My name is Ari. And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.

Review

The First Binding is the first in a new epic South Asian inspired fantasy series and it is without a doubt my favourite read of 2022. Reminiscent of The Name of the Wind, the story follows storyteller Ari as he recounts his life story. The First Binding was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it was an unforgettable, magical tale.

There are so many things about this book that I loved. For starters, I have been in a horrible reading slump for weeks and this was the book that pulled me out. Despite being over 800 pages, I read this book in just a few days because I could not look away. Virdi has an incredibly, beautiful writing style. Each sentence felt so well crafted and The First Binding is definitely the kind of book to be savoured. This is a slow burn, coming of age story, one that fantasy fans will completely fall in love with.

The First Binding is an incredibly well executed story. Given the scope, that’s no mean feat and I am so excited to see where the story goes next. Ari is a truly fascinating character and Virdi has done a brilliant job crafting our main protagonist. He is a fascinating, flawed character and I loved seeing him go on this incredible journey.The world building felt so detailed and well fleshed out and I enjoyed learning about the magic in this world.

The First Binding is a unique, compelling fantasy tale. A beautifully told story from start to finish, this is the kind of book that will stay with you long after you finish reading. It’s easy to see why this book has so much hype already and it’s so well deserved. If you’re looking for an epic fantasy story full of magic and lyrical writing, this one is absolutely not to be missed.