Summary
The Halls of Venn are the seat of both knowledge and power in the great continent of Luna Ruinam. Renia, a scribe with a tragic past, spends her days expertly copying books that do little to satiate her desire for knowledge.
When a fateful commission lands on her desk, she finds herself tasked with transcribing a book coveted by assassins from the southern continent. Its theft throws the scribing halls into chaos and threatens to destroy the fragile peace that exists between their nations.
Haunted by dreams of her past, Renia must learn to master her impulses and awaken her long dormant magical abilities if she is to prevent war.
Fate, it would seem, is eager to grant her wishes. Yet she must risk everything to pursue it, and pay the bloody price it demands.
Review
Renia is an ambitious debut novel that is sure to engage readers with its unique blend of genres, compelling characters, and gripping plot.
The backdrop to this novel is quite interesting, it appears that in ages past a moon fell into the planet, irradiating the area around the crater but also carrying certain stones that are the source of most magic. As such, these lightstones are a coveted resource and desperate people have flocked to harvest the precious resource. It is in these wastes that our titular character Renia was born and raised, though we follow her mostly as an adult where she works as a scribe, a very important but somewhat boring role in the land of Luna Ruinam. The story really kicks off when she is given several restricted texts to copy. One of which describes the workings of lightstone in detail, something that finally stimulates Renia’s curious nature and keen intellect, and one that is wanted by enemies of Luna Ruinam, putting her and many others in danger.
I don’t want to talk too much about the plot, I will just say it relates heavily to the aforementioned book. But trust me when I say it is a hell of a ride, and there are plenty of twists that I can guarantee you will not see coming. The author expertly weaves a multitude of character arcs while combining elements of fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, and dystopia into a compelling narrative. I wouldn’t say the pace is particularly fast, but neither is it a slow burn. We frequently jump between perspectives, and this along with moments of intense action or tension, kept me reading at a brisk pace and never left a dull moment.
The world itself is fascinating, and the lore expansive. There are several races of sentient species (including a humanoid cephalopod species), warring kingdoms that are currently in a time of peace, and beings with godlike abilities. One part I found intriguing was Luna Ruinam has some sort of treaty a country referred to only as the South, that allows deadly assassins known as Reapers to enter and kill their targets, as long as they are approved by the King. We don’t know much more than this was a compromise at the end of their last war. Luna Ruinam also has a vast store of lightstone but appear to be hoarding it at the expense of the average citizen. They can heal virtually any ailment, including regrowing limbs, but don’t do so unless the individual is considered vital to the country. Supposedly because it would cause unrest among the citizenry. They also seem to be repressing the advancement of technology, specifically mentioned is the printing press, which reminds me of some very real-world events. These issues aren’t looked at too closely in Renia, but I hope that future novels in the series do delve into them in more detail.
There is much, much more to the world and the magic than what I have mentioned here. Which normally I absolutely love, but I must admit was a bit of an issue for me in this case. Though it is a personal issue that I think many readers will not have. I love to know all the details and intricacies of magic systems and the world in general. In Renia the worldbuilding felt something like a mile wide and an inch deep. I don’t doubt that the author knows these details and has plans for the series, that much is very clear, but it did frustrate me somewhat they we were presented with so much information, but relatively little understanding. Like I said though, I think most readers will not face this same issue and will be engaged by the wonder of this world and magic.
In addition to the complexity of the world, we follow a sizeable cast of characters. The author does an excellent job in distinguishing each of them, making them feel unique and distinct. I had a particularly good time following Jeff, a crippled soldier turned reluctant chief of security, and Sundance, an older scribe with an adventurous heart that wants her life to be like one of the many novels she has devoured over the years. Both of these were highly entertaining to read, though I think each of the many storylines is engaging in its own way and helped keep the pace flowing nicely. The author also excels at helping us to relate and empathize with the feelings of each character. Renia in particular has a tragic background, and goes through many more over the course of the book, and Forshaw truly makes you experience those emotions alongside her.
Though I did overall enjoy Renia’s storyline, it is also the one I had an issue with. By the end it started to get somewhat repetitive for me. She is dealing with trauma, someone steps in an provides a solution, often magical, she improves, then more trauma. I want to be clear that her problems aren’t solved for her, she does have agency and uses the solutions to work on herself and gain personal insight that was often moving and very well written. But I did see a sort of formula that did dampen the character growth for me somewhat. I wouldn’t skip this book because of this though, each part taken by itself is fantastic and I loved Renia as a character, and the journey she goes on in this book.
I loved my time with this book, I was constantly absorbed by the fascinating world and the compelling characters. I think the author has created something truly special, and though I had some minor issues I expect all of them will be resolved by the proceeding entries in the series. It has placed itself firmly on my list of most anticipated sequels and I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next.