Illthdar - Guardians of Las Review!
@illthdar generously sent me a copy of her book, Illthdar, Guardians of Las earlier this semester and I finished it the other day! It took me a while to finish, not out of lack of interest, just because I’ve been busy. Here are my thoughts!
“Illthdar: the land that logic and reason forgot. A place where every fairytale exists, and not in harmony. Pulled there by a mysterious force, Zercey Stamos learns that she is part faery must join the Order of Mana. The religious protectors of the sacred crystal are fighting to save everyone from mana waste. None of the displaced humans or aliens can leave. The Order does not want them to leave.”
This book has excellent world building and characters. A lot of thought clearly went into the development of Illthdar and the diverse cast; there’s a lot to the planet of Illthdar and I expect even more will be revealed in coming books. The magic system is well-constructed with clearly defined limitations, which I always appreciate, and is fun! The different types of magic and physical appearances depicted in the book create what I can best describe as visual interest (not sure what the right word is for a book). Each character had a distinct personality, motivation, and voice, which is especially important with a relatively large cast. Garcia used classic tropes while adding unique twists and traits that helped them come to life rather than feeling canned. The writing is skillful in terms of sentence structure, active voice, etc, and uses artful prose appropriately.
As for critiques, the pacing in the beginning felt a little fast to me and I would have liked to get a better sense of Zercey as a character before going to Illthdar. A few of the descriptions confused me or didn’t give me a clear picture, though overall they were clear. The shifts in POV felt too fast for me at points. A range of emotions is represented throughout the book, but I think at times it could have been pushed further, especially considering some of the situations the characters are in (though I am sensitive and dramatic so my taste may not reflect most people’s thoughts). I also would have liked to see more of an arch in the plot; I expect the purpose of this book is setting the world and characters for the rest of a series, which it did well, but I felt there could have been a clearer rising action and climax. Still, the book maintained my interest.
This book was fun, well developed, and had refreshing representation. While I have critiques, I would absolutely recommend it for fans of fantasy or anyone looking for an interesting, semi-lighthearted read. I look forward to the rest of the series!
($12.95? That’s damn near free, can’t afford not to buy it!)
