Book Review - ELEVENTH CYCLE by Kian N. Ardalan

(Title: Eleventh Cycle / Author: Kian N. Ardalan / Publisher: Self-Published / Publication Date: February 1, 2023 / Total Pages: 802)

Back Cover Blurb

It has been a thousand years since the last Seed abandoned their duty. The mists are closing in. Finally, the Morning Bell tolls. A new Seed is born, but is it too late?

The rot eats away at mortals. The Witnesses pray so that they may not turn into one of the forgotten. And the constricting mists infect the lands with fear.

But there is more to this tale than just the Elders and their Seeds. Four mortals will have a part to play in Minethria's fate. A farmer girl with only love in her eyes. A warrior born to the life of a refugee. A highborn stuck between the realm of gods and men. And a woman running into front lines and away from home. 

Will the cycle finally be completed? Or will the mist swallow all?

A seed is born and the evil is slain, so doth another cycle commence. Yet the last Seed born hath turned traitor, and the mists, which had been pushed back, returneth.

Review

I'm not sure how I'm going to write a review that fully does justice to this mammoth tome where so much occurs. It's going to be tough because there are multiple layers when it comes to the worldbuilding/history and the backgrounds of these characters and how they evolve (some quite literally) throughout this story. Nevertheless I will try my best to convey how Kian N. Ardalan's fantastic dark fantasy book ELEVENTH CYCLE took me through so many different emotions as intensely powerful scene after scene left me consistently spellbound and psychologically spent.

Let me begin by saying this book is about as grim as grimdark gets. I also feel the need to caution people that there are a substantial amount of potentially triggering scenes. The author mentions right from the very start of the book that none of this is done simply for the sake of it, to make light in any way, or for any type of shock value. Rather, the violence and brutality is portrayed as a way of reinforcing just how much these characters are put through while still persevering and clinging onto hope for a better outcome. There's definitely a purpose to it all that makes the story that much more impactful in my opinion. That being said I still suggest everyone read his Foreword before deciding on whether or not to embark on this story.

ELEVENTH CYCLE is a fantasy book that doesn't pull any punches whatsoever when it comes to dealing with how certain stereotypes/prejudices can cloud and affect the way people view and treat others who they deem inferior. One particular group of characters in the book had me pretty enraged more than once with how their entrenched archaic religious beliefs and also social views with regard to family "status" overrode any speck of compassion or basic humanity that they may have had in them at one point in their lives. So no, there are no light and fluffy themes and this ain't no orcs sipping lattes cozy fantasy by any means. 

"Hey Nick, why the heck should I read this book? You make it sound super gloomy and depressing!" Well I'll tell you why you should read it. You should read it because it is so much more than just the cruelty and despair. If it were only about that I probably wouldn't have loved it so much and thought about it constantly when I wasn't reading it. Because in addition to what I mentioned earlier there are also brilliant depictions of courage and determination that are deeply inspiring given the backdrop and circumstances. My favorite character in the book goes through about as much anguish and trauma as you can possibly imagine and nevertheless maintains a single-minded focus to push ahead undeterred. These viewpoint chapters were some of the most powerful in the entire book.

With respect to the worldbuilding, Kian Ardalan's world of Minethria is truly a place of mystery and wonder. It also seemingly has experienced a tumultuous and chaotic history that is gradually hinted at in brief snippets at the beginning of each chapter. I read those snippets with as much fascination as the actual story because they were a cool glimpse into the minds of those who came before and also helped me to understand how the different cycles worked as each Seed was born to protect the land from the encroaching evil of the mists. I really enjoyed how this was employed by the author and found that it helped answer some questions while also creating an air of mystery that made me want to keep on reading through the wee hours.

Another element in this book that kept me completely glued to the story was the growing conflict between those who claimed to be the rightful "civilized" inhabitants of the continent and the Akar, who are viewed as feral creatures continually in need of being brought to heel and tamed. But it becomes increasingly clear that the Akar are no longer the unorganized rabble that everyone has always assumed they were and as events begin to play out it becomes evident that they may not exactly be content to isolate themselves in the dark recesses of the forest any longer. Will they rise up? Only time will tell.

ELEVENTH CYCLE is a book that can horrify you one minute and then touch every heartstring in your being the next. That's an incredibly tricky thing to pull off but Ardalan does it like a skilled maestro. If you're tired of getting spoon-fed the same predictable tropes in your fantasy books, you really should make this book your next read. It will challenge you in a way that not too many fantasy books dare to. And along the way you will be treated to some outstanding worldbuilding, egotistical gods, magical creatures born of nightmares, and some of the very best writing out there. Author Kian N. Ardalan has undeniably done something very special here and the entire reading world should stand up and take notice. Book two can't come fast enough for me.

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