The Bookwyrm's Review of The Temple of Arrival by M.S. Olney
Length: 250 Pages
Publisher: Star Forge Books
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
After reading The First Fear, the first book in this series, I was anxious to see where the story would go. Comparing it favorably to Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, I was hoping to see more development of the characters and world he created. Here are the results, which don't suffer from the dreaded second book slump.
PLOT SUMMARY
The Liberator's success in provoking an uprising in the city of Asta, which included killing the Supreme's head enforcer, the First Fear, has emboldened them, even though they were forced to retreat from the city. The powerful Empowered Elian, who can use all the powers of the Gifted, and combine them, which is supposed to be impossible, is now one of the leaders of raiding parties trying to damage the power base of the Supreme, starting with freeing the mines of Hestra. While they initially succeed, they are again forced to retreat from a much larger force of the Supreme's troops.
They are forced to separate, with one group moving on to the capital to try and gain intelligence about the Supreme's plans, while Elian, who is now struggling to use certain powers, goes looking for Vavius, who betrayed the movement to try and gain power on his own, replacing the Supreme. Along the way he meets an Empowered woman named Cassia, who says shes there to help protect him as he continues his mission, as well as teach him to better utilize his power. Elian remains suspicious of her, as her turning up seems a bit to coincidental.
Proceeding forward, both groups face the Supreme's attempts to stop both groups, and Elian knows he must beat Vavius to The Temple of Arrivals, because if he gets there and seizes the power held there, he can become even more powerful than the Supreme, and make her rule look kind and benevolent in comparison.
This all leads to a final confrontation where all the opposing parties meet at the Temple of Arrivals. Unfortunately, the power is not what it seems, and even the history of the world is shown to be a lie. The Supreme is not what they thought, but forces out of their control force a confrontation with results that have world shaking consequences for both the Supreme's forces and the Liberators, which could end with death for them all.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
There are an intriguing mix of characters in this book, with Elian getting the lion's share of attention, as he is the main protagonist. He is such an interesting character, having so much power, but struggling in his use of it. He's definitely a flawed character, trying to do the best, but often rushing off without thinking, making things worse. He comes across as a real person of his age, being forced to mature by circumstances. The secondary characters are given attention as well, to round out their personalities and story arcs, and it helps enrich the story. The villains are excellent, with Vavius really standing out, as his motivations are explored more, and we get to see just what brought him from an ardent freedom fighter to traitor to the cause.
The world building is excellent. The magic system is fully fleshed out, with a consistent set of rules, and an interesting premise with how it's powered. The ability to gain another tier of magic with sufficient mastery is also intriguing, and really adds to the story.
The world itself is creative, with the various locations drawn out nicely on the page. The descriptions are very well done, without being overblown or excessive. You get a real feel for these places, and have no problem imagining the various locales. You really get a feel for the oppression the populace feels under the Supreme's rule, the general dystopian feel of the place, and what pushes the Liberators into their actions. Its definitely one of my favorite fantasy settings.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I was impressed with the world the author has created. Its magic system seems a bit complicated to start, but the included key to the various magics at the front of the book really helped keep track of what the various powers can accomplish. I also really appreciated the map, it helped really bring the world into focus. I am excited to see where the series goes from here, and think this series will appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans.
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