Review of The Lost Forest Trilogy
- Kutloano Makhuvhela
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Review of The Lost Forest Trilogy
The Lost Forest Trilogy by Lainey Miles is a fantasy novel that follows a couple of characters as they fight a dangerous enemy to try to preserve something precious for themselves. These characters are all from different backgrounds, but they have come together for a common good. Their journey is not an easy one, but they are willing to put their lives at risk to protect what is dear to them. The novel is the first in the trilogy, and it is good.
The book opens up with a prologue, where we are informed that long ago, the House of Darkwick ruled the kingdom in brutality. This was long before the Royal Family of Pishtar came to be. But when the Royal Family of Pishtar finally ruled, they were opposite the House of Darkwick. Theirs was motivated by justice and peace. As can be expected, the two sides became against each other. The first chapter is the present, and it introduces us to Princess Salair and Sasha, the head of the Royal Guard. Both of them are looking for a place that seems to be hard to find. But they finally find it. They are here to meet Sir Charles on urgent business. While going to meet him, they encounter a bird like no other they haven’t seen before, and this baffles them.
Princess Salair and Sasha tell Sir Charles, after meeting him, that the Queen and King have disappeared in a manner that is not understood. Right after briefing Sir Charles and excusing the princess to rest, Sir Charles’s people tell him they have caught some intruder. He goes to meet him, and Sir Charles is familiar with the man called Shift. Sir Charles doesn’t trust Shift because of their past encounters, but what Shift tells him is compelling. What is it that Shift needs Sir Charles for? Will the Princess find her parents with the help of Charles? How does Shift tie in with the Princess? What about the bird? Does it have a role to play?
These are many questions, and to find out more, waste no time and hurry to get a copy of this book. This was a good fantasy. It was not epic, as most fantasy novels tend to be. This one was grounded in characters and the storyline. Also unlike many fantasy novels, this one had a limited number of characters. Yes, some people who are not familiar with the genre might find the characters to be many after reading this book, but the veterans of the genre will know they aren’t. The characters were created with their background stories developed to fit their ambitions and dreams which motivated their actions. This made them make sense and made them realistic and believable.
The plot was simple. Or It seemed. What was a simple search and rescue turned out to be more due to many subplots that supported the main plot. These subplots made sure that the story moved forward in an authentic tone. The princess learnt more about herself, her parents, and her kingdom after this journey. She learnt to trust blindingly, to put her hopes in strangers’ hands, and, most importantly, to have hope. The Queen learnt that sometimes the past can come to haunt you in the present. The character of Shift was hilarious to me. The things he did, his motivations, they were all so scheming and sinister. It was hard to trust him. The book leant more on the dialogue than it did on the narration. This made the book upbeat and flowing. The narration was few and far between. But I could say that is another thing I disliked about the book. Because of this, the book had a world-building that was not captivating. The world the book was set in wasn’t enchanting. I didn’t see myself in it, adhering to its laws and magic. Same thing with the characters. Yes, some were scary because of the descriptions that were given to them, but most of them weren’t well described. My imagination worked more to paint the picture in my mind.
Another thing I disliked was the ending of the book. I felt like it ended with a huge cliffhanger that betrayed this book’s promises. Yes, it’s the first of the trilogy, but some things should have been succinctly answered before jumping to the second book. Otherwise, this will burden the second book, as it will have to answer its own questions alongside this one’s. I also saw multiple errors, proving that the book wasn’t exceptionally edited.
With all I’ve said, I rate this book three out of five stars. It would appeal to people who love light fantasy with minimum magic. The themes of love, family, sacrifice, and patriotism were prevalent.
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The Lost Forest Trilogy
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~Hogoromo.
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