Realm of Beasts

Fantasy novel about a dying utopia

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publicist.

“Realm of Beasts” by Angela J. Ford is the first novel in the fantasy series “Legend of the Nameless One”. The book starts with the mysterious Tor Lir, who has abandoned his homeland to pursue his true destiny, finding the corroding edges of Paradise. Also inhabiting this land is an enchantress called Citrine who has the ability to connect with incredible mythical beasts. When they meet each other at the home of Novor Tur-Woodbury, the benevolent giant who overseas Paradise, it is hardly an auspicious meeting. However united by a common enemy, they must put their differences aside to beat the evil that threatens not only Paradise but the whole world.

Ford has a visceral style of writing and focuses a lot on the senses and sensations of the body. Throughout the story, Ford juxtaposes the beautiful against the ugly and sets the stage for a contest between good and evil. Ford tantalises the reader with hints of Tor Lir’s past and a complex world outside the borders of Paradise.

I think the key thing that I really struggled with about this book was structure. I felt like the book didn’t really kick off until halfway through, when Citrine and Tor Lir are introduced to each other. I felt like everything that had happened up until that point probably could have been summarised as background, and the story could have just jumped right into a fast-paced plot.

Although the structure demands a lot of commitment from the reader for the first half of the book, the story really kicks off after the second half and builds into something that fantasy fans could enjoy.