Official Review: Inferno Dawn by Jacob Emrey

Fazzier · Post by **Fazzier** » 31 Jan 2020, 06:37

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Inferno Dawn" by Jacob Emrey.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Inferno Dawn: The Final Name is a gripping adult fantasy novel written by Jacob Emrey. Almost a hundred years had passed since the end of the Great War, a battle that saw orcs, elves, goblins, and other mythical creatures surrender to human governance after the humans’ glorious victory. The result of the victory was the establishment of the Kingdom of Dartmoth, now ruled by King Broderick. Even though all the races had since lived tolerably with each other all that time, some commotions to overthrow the human civilization were now being witnessed in some parts of the kingdom. A horde of orcs, armed with all manner of weapons, had begun raiding the towns, attacking houses or shops, and killing humans. This raised a red flag to King Broderick who, consequently, met with his elite council and began strategizing on how to “wipe out” the violent insurgents to maintain human dominance.

Even as that was happening, the kingdom had not realized that there was yet another problem it had to deal with. Elves had also begun an insurrection following sexual harassment of their women, among other injustices the elven race was facing in the hands of the human nobles. What will the fate of the Kingdom of Dartmoth be in the hands of these angry races? The author wonderfully takes us through this, and I greatly enjoyed my adventure in this fantasy world.

I also liked how well the author wrote and executed this novel. He begins it on a high note by instantly creating conflict at the beginning of the book and then embarks on developing the plot and the characters. He also achieved an exquisite alternation of fast and slow moments, and this managed to keep me engrossed the entire time I was reading this story. As a result, there was no single lagging moment. The plot, too, was expertly organized with turns and twists that created pleasant surprises. Even the wrap-up was excellent, although the author left some unanswered questions that create a hunger for a second installment. The unsolved mysteries are enough to inspire a sequel and if the author has that mind, I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Furthermore, I liked how well the author fleshed out the characters. They are interesting, well-developed, and relatable. Apart from fully developing the main characters, the minor characters were also adequately developed with their roles and purpose clearly defined. Additionally, I liked how the characters’ inner monologues, thoughts, and backstories aptly revealed their various aspects, thereby enabling the readers to know, understand, and bond with them naturally. The characters were also diverse, ranging from humans to mythical characters such as elves, orcs, goblins, drakes, gnomes, fairies, and drakes, among others. Apart from the conventional mythical characters, the author also came up with some of their variations that were not only unique and original but also interesting.

My favorite aspect of this novel was the moral conviction that seemed to inspire its writing. I realized that what was causing the conflicts between humans and the other mythical races were just some of the common societal rots such as sexual harassment (especially against women), marginalization, and environmental degradation, among other forms of injustices usually faced by the minority and common citizens. Though a work of fiction, this story clearly depicts what happens in the real world and the things that usually cause conflicts among humans. Readers, therefore, have a lot to learn from Inferno Dawn. I also liked the wrap-up of the story and the moral lesson it left readers with.

All in all, I didn't find anything to dislike about this book, but just one improvement to recommend to the author. I would have really liked it if the author included a map of the kingdom to complement the use of direction language in describing the various locations. That said, I believe this novel was professionally edited since I found just some minor errors related to missing commas. The errors were not distracting but since they were more than the recommended ten, I'm deducting a star to award Inferno Dawn: The Final Name by Jacob Emrey 3 out of 4 stars. Had it not been for the editing issues, I would have wholeheartedly given it a perfect rating.

For all fans of adventure and fantasy stories, I highly recommend this. However, there were instances of profanity and erotic sexual harassment scenes, and that makes it unsuitable for children or any other reader who may be affected by such. Also, readers who fear stories revolving around blood and gore may consider giving this a pass.

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Inferno Dawn
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Post by **CherylTegan7** » 01 Feb 2020, 18:45

Great review. A few errors wouldn't deter me, though the trigger issue probably would. Besides that, the book sounds really interesting. I like that the author didn't just have the standard fantasy characters and had a plot that can parallel more modern problems as well. And yes, adding a map would definitely be a plus. And if there are several types of fantasy characters, maybe a glossary would help too.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 02 Feb 2020, 06:21

A novel that uses classic fantasy elements with some twists that seem an allegory of our society as you mention sexual harassment among various forms on injustice, marginalization, and environmental degradation. Thank you for your review, it seems intriguing depite the errors.

Wyland · Post by **Wyland** » 03 Feb 2020, 12:38

I like that the plot highlights societal problems like racism and environmental degradation. Nice review.

Roger Glasgow · Post by **Julius_** » 04 Feb 2020, 04:39

This sounds like an action-packed fantasy novel. I'm curious to know their fate. I'll definitely put this book to my TBR section. Thanks for the review.

Maria Esposito · Post by **Maria Esposito** » 04 Feb 2020, 07:22

Although I'm not a fan of adventure and fantasy, your review is very thorough and insightful. It's great to hear that the characters are relatable and well-developed, in spite of the fact that the book is a work of fantasy. Well-done!