Curse of the Fallen Review
Author: H.C. Newell
Rating 8.5 GREAT
What’s it about?: This Child is not the chosen one. She is a demon to be destroyed. Born of magic, Nerana is labeled a demon and forced into hiding by the Order of Saro. Living with a curse that binds her to their leader, Nerana seeks to free herself from their hold and soon learns that the path to redemption may prove more fatal than the Order itself. But for Nerana, this is more than a quest for survival... It’s a promise of revenge.
“The air was heavy, artificial. All feeling and life had been removed from her being. She was as empty as this plane was dark. Hollow. Void. Nonexistent.”
Curse of the Fallen by H.C. Newell is the first book in the Fallen Light series and has drawn comparisons to the timeless classic, The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. For the most part, those comparisons are warranted. Newell chose some of the best parts of Sapkowski’s works to pull inspiration from, and it absolutely worked for me. But this is no copy and paste job. Newell makes this story her own in every possible way. The dialogue stuck out to me as entirely unique and heartfelt. It's so nice to see an author draw inspiration while also blazing their own trail. If this is the storytelling path that HC Newell has chosen going forward with the series, then I'm on board for the rest of the journey.
“Nothing was real. Life held no meaning. Nor did death. She simply… was.”
The author wastes no time and thrusts you into the action. I found the story extremely compelling. What I thought was a very simple premise on the surface, turned out to be much a deeper and thought provoking tale. Curse of the Fallen tells a tighter and more personal story than I had anticipated. This let the characters take center stage, and ultimately led to more captivating encounters throughout the narrative. Although, the focus on one character and her partners throughout the entire journey did grow a little tiresome. I found myself wanting to travel the world with a few different perspectives. Newell hints at a much larger world but I felt as though we didn’t get to see enough of it. However, the story that’s told is brilliant and it's important to keep in mind that it's the first in a series. Themes of freedom, redemption, and honor are present throughout. These are literally spoken within Nerana’s mind. I found myself rooting so hard for her the entire time. These themes are interwoven within the overarching narrative that had me captivated from start to finish. Cultural understanding and racism are implemented throughout the story. These themes added a complex dynamic within every village and town. It’s also shown with every mutilated and disemboweled corpse on the ground. It was a powerful way to show the grim realization of human (and non-human) nature. The relationship of elves and men is a strained one. The ways in which Newell navigates her characters through this added layer of depth, is fascinating. It's not a simple, "elves bad, men good." There is a lot of gray, and room for interpretation that the author plays with. Additionally, this book asks a recurring question. How far would you go for vengeance? It's at the heart of Nerana’s voyage and it's implemented well. At times I did feel like it was a bit too on the nose, but for the most part, this theme was compelling and had me pushing forward searching for an answer. I read the ebook version of Curse of the Fallen. Newell has taken the time to insert extremely useful footnotes within the story giving the reader further context. This helped flesh-out the already well-built world. A world isn’t built on footnotes though. A prime example of excellent world-building is when Newell describes Nerana’s hometown. Everything has a name. These aren't just nameless taverns and thatch roofed homes. Newell fills them with personalities and life. It gives you this warm feeling of familiarity even though this is your first time visiting. This is just one example of how effective the author's world-building is. It’s yet another detail that leads to one of the most heartfelt stories I’ve read all year.
“Promise me that if I’m goin’ to die, you’ll be there with me at the end. I’ve been alone my entire life… I don’t want to be alone in death too.”
Well-written, complex, deep, and hilarious characters are at the heart of Curse of the Fallen. I believe this is where the book really shines. Everything within the book revolves around the few main protagonists, and Newell absolutely nails the essential part of getting you to care about them. The author had me wishing I could reach through the pages to assist through all of their fights, struggles, and trials. The relationship between Neer and Loyrk is executed flawlessly. You feel their love for one another with every shove, smirk, and joke. Each character has their own personality that plays off one another very well. I like how the fun-loving and playful camaraderie between the main cast contrasts with the harsh and often merciless setting. This works so well, as the moments of levity lift the weight of such heavy themes and savage violence. I really like Avelloch's character in particular. His haunted past brings forward a constant mistrust and resentment towards the human race. No matter how many good deeds we do, it's difficult to get over the sins of the past. His character arch was dynamic and engaging. The author takes occasional breaks in the dialogue and plot to give you some much needed backstory for the characters. Not only is it well-written, but since I cared so much about them, I was genuinely interested in their histories.
“I’d be right to ask the missus to join on your adventure before bringin’ this milk drinker and his quiverin’ nuggets along.”
H.C. Newell’s writing is phenomenal. It feels like a fresh and modern take on something old and familiar. The details in the descriptions of the environments set each scene perfectly. The author doesn't overdo it though. Instead, she struck a nice balance to paint the world in the reader's mind. Additionally, the action is swift and brutal. You never know what the author is going to throw at you next. The tone and the circumstances may change but the author never pulls any punches. Between mercenaries and fantastical creatures, Newell's commitment to brutal bloody violence stays true. The fact that you care about the characters being attacked makes each fight that much more tense and nail biting. When each new battle sequence arose, the best you can hope for is a quick death. Furthermore, I also really enjoyed the implementation of language. The different languages encountered throughout the journey aren't just used to flesh-out the world, but also play a significant role in the plot. Since the different races and species speak different languages, the main cast is forced to handle these barriers. Oftentimes they are successful, but sometimes it leads to a hilarious failure. This choice brought a sense of realism to the world and its inhabitants. Newell continued developing and put her own stamp on translating that I found extremely unique. There is a lot of dialogue in Curse of the Fallen. I feel like you will either love it or hate it. For me it absolutely worked, with each character brimming with personality. Newell had me laughing out loud, picturing Loryk making his smart-ass remarks at the most inopportune times. The dialogue isn't just snappy and fun, it can change to deep and profound at the drop of a hat. This is made all the more difficult, taking dialects and unknown languages into account. The decision to make this a very character-driven story was a wise one based on how proficient the author is at writing dialogue. In my opinion, she's up there with the best of them.
“It’s like being under water for a second too long and finding the surface is an inch out of reach,”
Finally, I had a great time reading Curse of the Fallen. The characters and dialogue steal the show and provide some of the most entertaining character dynamics I've read all year. While I did have a few issues with the scope of the story and the lack of alternative perspectives, these are minor personal quibbles and should not keep you from jumping into this great book. I will certainly be reading the sequel entitled, The Forbidden Realms. Like Loryk with a finely tuned lute, I feel we will be singing the praises of H.C. Newell’s writing for many books to come. I highly recommend Curse of the Fallen by H.C. Newell.
*All quotes were taken directly from Curse of the Fallen by: H.C. Newell