Illborn Review
Author: Daniel T. Jackson
Rating: 9.5 AMAZING
What’s it about?: Long ago, The Lord Aiduel emerged from the deserts of the Holy Land, possessed with divine powers. He used these to forcibly unite the peoples of Angall, before His ascension to heaven. Over eight hundred years later, in a medieval world which is threatened by war and religious persecution, four young men and women begin to develop supernatural abilities. These forbidden and secret powers will shatter the lives that they have known, and will force each of them to confront the mystery of the ethereal Gate which haunts their dreams. What does the dream mean, and how is it connected to their burgeoning abilities? As they experience conflict, love, lust and betrayal, in lands which are being overtaken by war, they must try to stay ahead of and to survive the sinister forces which are now pursuing them. For they are being hunted…
“If and when you burn, I intend to be there, to watch. Standing in the front row. Smiling.”
Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson is a literary triumph by almost all accounts, and is the best novel I have read all year. I picked this book up with my expectations in check due to the fact that this was the author's debut novel. Unfairly, I expected a lot of tropes and a fair amount of unevenness throughout the story. What I got in return was one of the most rewarding stories that will stew in my mind for the foreseeable future. The story starts with one of the best, most intense and engrossing opening chapters I have ever read. I found myself holding my breath in anticipation on multiple occasions. The interconnecting stories have themes that range from faith all the way to lust and revenge. Plots based around religion tend to bore me. However, in Illborn I was captivated with every new revelation in its sub-plot.
Even though it is the first book in a series, you don’t get overwhelmed with exposition and lore. The world building is spot on as you come across different accents and cultures varied by the neighboring regions, but never get bogged down in minor details. The character arcs are expertly told as well. Any tropes that you may find within these pages are twisted and made into something unrecognizable. The author knows how to spin one hell of a story.
“A horrid fear lurked inside of her that if she extended her arms towards him, he would suddenly lurch up, grabbing her and pulling her back into his ghastly dead embrace.”
The author effortlessly weaves in new characters but never overloads the reader with too many, which so many fantasy novels are known to do. Each character is just as deep and compelling as the last. They all have something in common but the author creatively tells each character's story in a way that feels completely different from one another. My favorite characters were Allana and Corin. I felt as though their transformations throughout the novel were gut wrenching. As each chapter flew by, I continued with a white knuckled death grip on my chair. The author paints a picture so bleak and poignant that you feel every crushing emotion these characters go through. What makes these characters even more interesting is that they’re smart. They calculate each decision, trying to carefully weigh the pros and cons of each move they make. These decisions often feel like the correct ones at the moment. I really appreciate that the author was able to balance these decisions with outcomes that are unpredictable. At no point did I say to myself, “Ugh, I’ve heard this before” or “I know where this is going.” It makes the reader feel on edge and that anything can happen. These are not throwaway characters. They are definitely worth your time.
“She was plain-looking, with long red hair. And now she was dead. Did she have a family? A husband? Parents? Had she been dreaming happy thoughts, in the moments before the knife had slashed across her throat?”
Daniel T. Jackson's writing is stellar. You can tell he knows how to make you feel uncomfortable, and isn’t afraid to go there. Deaths have a weight to them in this book. When a character dies you feel it and the decisions that lead to it. Jackson always has his hand on the reader's pulse. He has a knack for laying on the gas, then knowing when to let up as if toying with the reader to keep them off balance. The writing is skillful and the dialogue deliberate. I loved it. I cannot wait to see where he'll take us next.
Not all is perfect though as some of the battle scenes felt a little stale and lackluster. I wanted to hear every bone crunching detail within the battles but I never felt like it lived up to the hype which the author so expertly provided. Additionally, every now and then the author reiterates what the reader already knows in order to paint the full picture. I felt like the author could place a little more trust in the reader to understand the scene he is setting. He doesn’t need to explain everything. However, these are extreme nitpicks but I felt as though I needed to mention it as a couple of times it pulled me out of the immersion. Specifically, the battle scenes. Overall, Daniel T. Jackson's debut novel is nothing short of extraordinary. It is the best novel I have read all year.
Please Note:
*All quotes were taken directly from Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson