Book Review: THE HIDDEN FACE by S.C. Flynn

(Title: The Hidden Face / Author: S.C. Flynn / Publisher: The Hive / Publication Date: November 25, 2017)


About two years ago I read a book called Children of the Different by an Australian-born author, now living in Ireland named S.C. Flynn.  It knocked my socks off quite frankly and was one of the best Young Adult fantasy books that I had read in a long time.  So when I was able to procure a review copy of his latest novel The Hidden Face, I was very excited indeed.  Just at first glance I could already tell that this was a book that would be quite different from his previous one.  The Hidden Face definitely seemed to have more of an adult fantasy bent.  So on a late Friday night last week I finally got to open up the first page and begin my journey with The Hidden Face.

The premise behind S.C. Flynn's The Hidden Face is a very unique one.  Once every few hundred years, the god Akhen takes on human form to coexist with the inhabitants of Earth.  His arrival and unmasking always signifies that a great change will occur, usually in the form of one empire falling and another great empire taking shape.  The main character in this book is named Dayraven.  I remember thinking how cool a fantasy name this was when I first saw it and I immediately took a liking to the character based on his name alone.  

Then I became more familiar with him through Flynn's masterful way of revealing his temperament and sense of honor by way of his interactions with the other characters in the story.  Dayraven is the son of a great hero from the past and returns to his home city of Faustia after years of being a hostage in enemy lands.  He quickly becomes disillusioned with his old city when he realizes that the current emperor Calvo has lost touch with his people and has become nothing but an eccentric. He cares only about taking over lands for the riches that they can provide him and seems nonplussed about anything else that could potentially bring harm to the land he oversees.  

The truth is that Calvo is really nothing but a puppet controlled by Dayraven's old nemesis Astolf, who seeks his own designs for the throne and also the future of Faustia.  The book soon becomes a bit of a quest fantasy as Dayraven is paired together with a warrior named Sunniva and they embark on a journey to discover a scroll that may hold the secret to The Face and what secrets lie behind him.  Will the empire fall and be forcibly thrust into a new age, or can Dayraven and Sunniva stave off disaster and safe their homeland.  You can only get that answer by reading The Hidden Face and exploring its unique blend of mythology and adventure story.

I have to say that this book surprised me in a very good way. It was such a departure from Flynn's last book that I wasn't sure whether or not I would like it.  That hesitancy was quickly dispelled as I read the prologue and eventually was quickly sucked in by the mysteries revealed through Dayraven and Sunniva's quest.  There were also a lot of elements of adventure fiction melded into the fantasy aspect.  I thought this gave it a level of originality that I haven't encountered much of in the fantasy genre.  This is also a very adult novel in content, particularly the action scenes which at times were pretty violent.  

I never thought it was in excess though and it never became a distraction but rather a natural flow of the story. The conclusion of The Hidden Face was not only surprising but borderline shocking.  I love books that make you think you know how everything will turn out, only to broadside you with something you never expected.  S.C. Flynn has done it again and continues to impress me with his depth of writing and ability to step up to the plate and deliver in any subcategory of fantasy.  I can't wait to see what he has in store next!  Hopefully another installment in this amazing world.  

(My Rating: 9/10)