"My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur."
The first book in the upcoming Pact and Pattern trilogy throws us right into the heart of an empire constantly on the path to expansion while subduing rebel forces in every corner, all through the eyes of Wen Alder, a young man torn between two political and magical legacies with his path always chosen for him. But before he gets to do so, he has a lot to learn while the empire that protects him could also be the thing that destroys him.
Wen Alder is an interesting character as at the beginning he doesn't let his two legacies distract him from a thirst to learn about all kinds of magic, no matter where it came from and who provided it. His father is descended from an old Hand of the Emperor who practice the kind of magic that has been deemed legal in the empire and his mother comes from a line of witches part of a rebellion that refuses to bow to the Sienese powers. It's interesting that despite all Alder has been taught by either side, he doesn't favour one or the other, he sees them both as a means to quench his thirst for knowledge about the magic in the world. This doesn't mean that there aren't moments where his thoughts about either school of magical teaching aren't conflicted, where it is meaningful, he does question it but it is not at the centre of his magical teaching. The most important thing to Alder is being able to choose a third path rather than the two that are being set out before him and chosen for him.
The rules of magic in this world are intricate yet quite simple. Greathouse has crafted this magical system that radiates a sense of both power and strict limitations on its use. Through Alder's training in the use of magic from both sides of his family's legacy, we get to learn about every type of magic that flows through this world, who can use them, how they would do that, and the purpose they serve. This book isn't a book of action, it is a book of learning, not just for the reader but for the protagonist as well. The blurb itself mentions that Wen Alder gets caught in a war amongst the gods but first he must learn about what knowledge they left behind and how it fits into the grand scheme of the empire before he can truly play a part. The reader follows Alder from his childhood home into early adulthood, learning what he learns, experiencing what he experiences but it never drags on. Every chapter of his life is as important as the last and is constantly building to something more. The fight between the empire and whichever rebellion is their enemy still rages in the background and has some effect on Alder's life, whether in his father's home or on the estate of a Voice of the Emperor. At times, it still directs the path of his life and the decisions he makes. But the choices always feel like they're his.
Reasons to Recommend:
- An intricate yet simple system of magical laws
- A protagonist ready to follow the paths laid out for him in order to choose his own, even a different one
- The schooling part of it draws you in more than the battle itself
- A fantasy novel infused with subtle elements of medieval Chinese and Middle Eastern culture as well as others
I'm rating this book an 8/10. This wasn't a book where through the teaching and learning I felt was just an extensive introduction to the world. The story of the fight that is present and still to come developed in tandem with the schooling element as well as showing us how the character grows into the person he needs to become throughout his life in a very balanced and nuanced way. This is one of the best ARCs I've read this year and I look forward to seeing where the rest of the trilogy goes.
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