Book Review - THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM by Luke Tarzian

 

(Title: The World Breaker Requiem / Author: Luke Tarzian / Publisher: Self-Published / Publication Date: December 21, 2021 / Total Pages: 320)

Book Blurb

Prince of Woe...

Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother's love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he's tasked with the recreation of The Raven's Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.

Daughter of the Mountain...

Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven's Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true - can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed.

Review

There are certain dark fantasy books that feel as if you've stepped into the author's nightmare and are along for every excruciating minute of the ride. Well with regard to Luke Tarzian, his nightmares are extremely vivid, utterly engrossing, and filled with stunning imagery and beautiful prose. This sequel to The World Maker Parable is no different. For those not familiar, the two books that make up the Adjacent Monsters series are in effect prequels to Tarzian's main Shadow Twins series (the next installment releases in 2022).

"To save what has been lost, one first must destroy what is yet to be lost."

The opening of THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM follows the two main characters Avaria and Erath as they both seek the legendary sword, The Raven's Rage. This is no ordinary sword mind you, for this is a weapon that when wielded in a certain way, has the ability to alter history and time itself. As they journey to the dead city of Banerowos in search of this all powerful artifact, it becomes clear that each has their own reason for wanting to erase their past deeds, but an even more nagging question is what really will be the ultimate consequences of daring to perform such a literally life-changing undertaking? And do either of them have the nerve to actually go through with it?

This was another crazy intense dark fantasy romp from Luke Tarzian. I always tell myself that I'm not going to be shocked by anything that Tarzian pulls from his deeply dark and creative mind, and yet it never fails that I am consistently wrong on that account. It shouldn't come as a surprise anymore really. Tarzian's trademarks at this point are his incredible world-building, and a fluid writing style that makes his imagery come to life in the most striking of ways. You can almost feel the pain and misery that these characters are put through against the gorgeously stark and desolate landscape that is Tarzian's cheerless funereal world.

And yet there's also an underlying thread, ever so slight maybe, but still very present. That thread is consistent throughout this book and many of the books that Tarzian writes. It's a desire that his characters have to see the hope in even the most direst of circumstances and the feeling that things can be changed no matter how unbalanced the odds. It's what makes these books worth reading. If it were all hopelessness and gloomy, what would be the point to it all? There has to be something worth saving or holding on to, otherwise I wouldn't care a whit about any of these characters and their individual stories. Tarzian makes you care about every single one and delivers it with breathtaking prose that demands your undivided attention. And when it all comes together, the results are both heartbreaking and uplifting.

THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM is just another in what is becoming a long line of captivating stories from Luke Tarzian. It was a pleasure to read and as a huge dark fantasy fan, it really moved me up to and including the final page. I've become such a devotee of both of these series and love how they are intertwined and structured in such a way that we get glimpses of what came before even as we are totally engaged in what is taking place currently. It's such a cool way to deliver a story and it is why every chapter needs the reader's complete and total focus to reap the overall reward.

I guess by now you can tell that I very much enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a great dark fantasy read, you really can't go wrong with Luke Tarzian's Adjacent Monsters and Shadow Twins series. Just a warning, once you pick one of his books up you are going to want to read everything by him. Because ultimately the stories in each book build off each other and create such a wonderful tapestry that is difficult to match.

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