Review by tvandernaald -- Korian by Giorgio Garofalo
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Review by tvandernaald -- Korian by Giorgio Garofalo
The Manian’s Spear is the first book in the fantasy series Korian, by Giorgio Garofalo. Set on the planet Endura, the novel follows the tribulations of three young men, known as huntsmen, who seek an object to unite all of the people of Endura, especially firstlings and humans, who had once co-existed peaceably.
Endura’s history is divided into three main eras. Ruids, known for their righteousness and peaceful nature, were the first people to rule over Endura during the period of the Late Antiquity, earning them the moniker firstlings. The second era, the Dark Age, was sparked by a cataclysmic event characterized by a sickness over the land that lasted tens-of-thousands of years. It was at the end of this era when human presence was first recorded. Firstlings and humans closely resemble each other, except for one physical difference: firstling hands are larger and only have four fingers. The current era, the New Age, which began nearly two thousand years before the story takes place, is regarded as a time of considerable achievement and technological advancement in Endura. It was during this time in the third century that the planet’s history was collected and recorded. The task, orchestrated by a human, Adam Hades, an advisor to Endura’s first King Zoren Ro, resulted in the Cerulean Book of Scribes. Hades’ wisdom made him popular among the people of Nahire, Endura’s capital city, and soon he began to covet power for himself. Although Hades was defeated by Zoren Ro, his body was pulled into the underworld by dark spirits and his darkness has been seeping into Endura for nearly two thousand years. This is the point where the story The Manian’s Spear begins. It follows huntsmen Doric, Will, and Korian as they struggle to find a way to restore the balance between the people of Endura and to permanently defeat Aaron, the embodiment of Hades’ evil, as he attempts to return Hades from the shadows to the realm of the living.
Garofalo is a talented world builder and his writing is beautifully detailed. His prose painted a clear image of his vision in my mind, which easily enabled me to immerse myself in the world of Endura. One example of his excellent wordsmithing: “Near the opening of the cave, hot blasts of air incessantly assault the path. Once inside, narrow streams of lava flow steadily through numerous rivers snaking through the floor of the cave. A steady hiss from the molten rivers echo off the cold walls and mix with the clang of blacksmith’s hammers. Cries of anguish and torture from hundreds of enslaved craftsmen continuously reverberate through the stale air. There is no place for compassion here.” This book was captivating from the start and I could not put it down. The characters were easy to connect with and I was invested in their fate. I found myself both cheering and cursing the book, especially as the author deftly navigated multiple storylines and slowly revealed how they were interwoven.
On a more critical note, the author used vocabulary somewhat repetitively at times. Examples include: “Flashes of lightning continued to light up the sky,” and, “The memory of his father’s murder was burned into his memory.” These minor issues were more apparent because it was in contrast to his normally poetic phrasing. Although reviews posted earlier in 2019 cite a lack of editing, the author has since remedied this issue and there were few errors. In reality, what I disliked the most about this book is that I have to wait for the next book in the series and I don’t want to wait!
Fans of fantasy novels should clear their schedule to give this book a read. This well-paced story had me wishing I had no other responsibilities and could simply read all day and night. It should be noted that people sensitive to violence should avoid this book as there is a lot of descriptive gore and violence.
I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. As an avid fantasy reader constantly on the lookout for my next fix, this book hit all of the right chords for me.
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Korian
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