Those people who know me would probably realise that Teenage Fantasy is my genre of choice. The problem is there is so much of it around it is sometimes hard to know where to start, or move on to next when browsing the shelves of your local bookshop or library.
Well, I hardly expect anyone to think of me as a voice of authority, but I can tell you that at age 27 I have never stopped reading teenage, young adult and junior fiction, and seriously doubt that I ever will. There is simply too much out there that is great.
That preface was offered in an attempt to add weighting to my upcoming recommendation, to show how strongly I feel about this book.
It has been quite a while since I have felt so thoroughly impressed by a fantasy novel as I was with Toby Forward’s Dragonborn. And I mean that as a novel, not necessarily one for younger/teenage readers. While Dragonborn is suitable for readers aged 10 (or so) and up, as an adult I very much enjoyed it and now I am very excited for the three books yet to come.
Atmospheric, allusive and compelling, the world crafted in The Flaxfield Quartet is complete and tangible, without being overstated. Toby Forward knows that readers have an imagination, that is partially (if not wholly) why they read: to fuel that imagination. So, he does not speak down to his reader, he does not undermine their own ideas. I felt I was being shown around a world I was already expected to know all about, and that was liberating and mystifying at the same time. I had to guess at the meaning of things that characters fully understood which made me desperate to read on. And, typical of a good series, I did not know all the answers by the end of book one.
The lore of magic making in this world is original and fascinating, each of the mages crafting spells in a way that suits them and reflects their personality, but in the scope of a fantasy novel, was entirely believable.
Some of the creatures were only vaguely described, leaving it up to me, as the reader, to build an image of what they looked like (and were capable of) from the snippets of description scattered throughout the book. This was one of the key elements that made me appreciate the book as an adult reader. It was so refreshing to not be spoon-fed creature descriptions and character traits which made me personally invested in the story so I felt that I had helped build it. Naturally the credit goes entirely to the author. And I know this sounds silly, but I want to thank Toby Forward for involving me, or rather, letting me be involved.
So, no matter what age you are, if you have even the slightest inclination towards fantasy stories, go out and find Dragonborn and get involved.
Like this? Make sure you read Fireborn!
Like this? Make sure you read Fireborn!
Hello, Elfman. I thought I'd just stop by and say how tremendously flattered I am by this review, and to say thank you. I really hope that the next boks in the series don't disappoint you.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Toby.