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David Mealing is a fairly new author on the fantasy scene. Despite that, I had been hearing a significant amount of buzz regarding the first book of his Ascension Cycle, Soul of the World. People who I respect a lot in the review community have been giving the book stellar reviews, so I was excited to check it out for myself. Another added bonus for me is that this is quite a hefty book, which I am a big fan of. The more pages the better in my opinion, as I really enjoy getting immersed in a lengthy story that has many layers. So with all of that going for it, I happily settled down and prepared myself for the journey into this wondrous new world.
The setting of Soul of the World is very reminiscent of 18th century France and England but with magic heavily ingrained in daily life. Shades of the French Revolution are also present in tone and theme. In this alternate fantasy telling, Sarresant represents the would-be France and Gand represents England. Just as in the 18th century real world historical scenario, these two nations are at war and engaging in a bitter conflict. The story begins as the invaders from Gand in the south are attempting to gain a foothold and conquer territory along the Sarresant border.
Couple that with the fact that in the northern part of the continent, there lives a primitive people very similar to the Native Americans of the early American colonies. These primitive tribes are held in confinement by a magical barrier that does not allow them to interact with the colonized lands to the south. So in essence, Sarresant is sandwiched by two threats that they must face from both the north and south. then there's the magic system which is somewhat unique. The magic of the colonists are tied to ley linesthat can allow someone who is gifted in the art to channel power and manifest it in a number of different ways. Those who possess the power to control the ley lines can often see across great distances, make themselves invisible, and read people's minds.
The beasts that inhabit the region where the story takes place are also magical in nature. Take for instance, the creature who accompanies one of the main characters in the story Sarine. This creature, named Zi, is akin to a daemon who acts as a spirit guide of sorts that serves to enhance Sarine's ability to manipulate the ley lines in any way she chooses. Sarine is an orphan who has been thrown in the middle of the war and is observing the growing tensions arising as Sarresant prepares for the inevitable conflict. There are pother POV characters who also bring you the view of the story from the military side of things like the ambitious Erris D'Arrent. Erris is also trained in ley line magic and this will come in handy as the situation on the front lines worsen.
The chapters alternate between life on the streets, told through the eyes of Sarine, and the military campaign and action, communicated through Erris. Erris also has her own inner conflict to contend with of being a devoted military tactician who can't help but question whether she has been put in a no-win situation where defeat may be almost a certainty. However, she realizes that those who she leads look up to her and so she must put on a brave face for both they and New Sarresant, her home. The alternating viewpoints give an effective description of how things are perceived in two very different aspects of life.
Soul of the World was a very enjoyable fantasy read. There were some similarities to both Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series as well as Greg Keyes' Age of Unreason series, which only increased my enjoyment of this book seeing as both of those are favorites of mine. The thing that really stood out to me while reading this book was how ell-crafted the world was and how David Mealing took a specific point in world history and successfully adapted it to a very original story of his own.
Although many of the parties are easily identifiable from our own history, there are subtle differences as well that throw everything a bit off kilter and make this story very fresh. It's interesting to feel that way because there were times where I thought things were going to go down a certain road of predictability, but was pleased when something I didn't see coming happened instead. I can't emphasize enough how good a book this is by a new author. I was extremely impressed by the level of the writing and had to remind myself at times that yes, this is a debut novel. I loved so many things about this book, including the varying viewpoint chapters, which I thought really brought a wonderful balance of interpretation.
I'm not exactly sure why this series isn't as raved about as I believe it should be. Perhaps with the next installment Blood of the Gods coming out this summer, it will finally garner the notoriety it deserves. If you haven't read this book, you need to grab a copy now. I highly recommend it for anyone who is waiting for the next Martin and Rothfuss book to be released. It is just the deliciously filling snack that you need to make you feel satisfied should you find yourself in the aforementioned position. Truly a wonderful read and I look forward to the next one with great anticipation.
(My Rating: 9/10)
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