The Obsidian Tower, Rooks and Ruin: Book One by Melissa Caruso

[telophase]

One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic.

"Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war--nothing must unseal the door."

Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years.

As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unseal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands--and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness.

I received an ARC of The Obsidian Tower a few months ago from NetGalley. This is by the same author of, and set in the same world as, The Tethered Mage. It's not necessary to have read TTM for this book: I haven't, mostly because it came to my awareness at about the same time as Fran Wilde's The Jewel and Her Lapidary, and the jewel/lapidary naming scheme of the latter struck me as so twee that it turned me off the entire concept.*

That was the first strike against it. The second was the use of "epic" in the description, a keyword now used to attempt to capture readers who like Big Fat Fantasies[TM], and which usually means multiple points of view, kingdom- or world-spanning plots, lots of pitched battles, and in most cases, a narrative voice indistinguishable from any other.

Why did I grab this one? The cover pulled me in. I love it: this black monolithic shape floating in smudged white space, reminiscent of the silhouette of a human heart, surrounded by the title. It's a good thing it did, because it turned out to be exactly what I like: a high fantasy setting told from the point of view of a sympathetic character with a strong voice.

Ryxander is Warden of Gloamingard Castle, entrusted by her grandmother to guard a magically-sealed door as her family has done for generations and to broker agreements between neighboring kingdoms. Ryx's magic is broken, however--a touch from her means death--and many of her family think she was given the Wardenship out of pity, and not because she can do the job.

As with any locked door in a story, the inevitable happens and the rest of the plot involves political maneuvering, family squabbles and an engaging circle of characters frantically studying almost-forgotten magics while Ryx desperately tries to hold both herself and the kingdom together.

When I finished it, I was disappointed to remember I had an ARC and that I couldn't immediately pre-order the sequel. Highly recommended.

*Note: I am perhaps the only person with this opinion. Wilde's book was nominated for both a Nebula and a Hugo.

Comments

[yhlee]

That is an amazing cover! :)

[telophase]

Isn’t it?! I only realized it had that heart shape when I was looking at it prior to writing this up, but it fits with the place of the castle in the story and the world. XD

[oracne]

This sounds great!

[telophase]

I could have pointed out more things I liked, especially places when it seemed the narrative or characters were going to go one way, but the story subverted my expectations. But mentioning those would have been spoilery, and would have turned this into more of a book report than a review. (I usually tend to write book reports!)