No star dies without a burst of final light. No constellation forms without a future meaning. Sahrumm steps into the tomorrows of the faithful and protects those that hold to infinite wisdom.

The Jealousy of Jalice is a gritty and imaginative Dark Fantasy debut from author Jesse Nolan Bailey. At its heart, it's a cautionary tale of the ugliness and indecency jealousy brings upon the world, and how acting on such feelings must be avoided at all costs. The narrative focuses on the concept that no matter how deep one tucks away the pains of the past, there's truly no escape, but instead that crippling trauma should be utilized to learn and grow. Part fantasy, part surrealism, part horror, this story is an artistic, yet terrifying journey to exhume the truth, brimming with revelations every step of the way.

The opulent worldbuilding is where The Jealousy of Jalice genuinely shines. The world Bailey has crafted is really quite unconventional in the best of ways; an almost primitive, tribal setting infused with enigmatic, advanced technology from the cosmos. Lush forests lay claim to forgotten secrets, diverse humanoid species populate the lands, wisps of magic binding different planes of existence travel on the winds, everything is eerie and enchanting in equal measure. Readers are introduced to a nation being choked by a savage tyrant and haunted by demon-like beings lying in wait in the darkness, its citizens left to fend for themselves as they wade through the horrors of reality. Richly detailed, new discoveries await with turn of the page. I did, however, find some of the story-specific terminology to be distracting at times, injuring the flow of the narrative.

There exists a link between the world and its people, a breathtaking and otherworldly element I wasn't expecting when I first began making my way through this book. Aether exists as a bridge between various realms, and translating between them is akin to shifting through stages of consciousness. The dreamlike details, such as the body reflecting a star-speckled night sky and corporeal chains were simply gorgeous, and surely propose profound philosophical meaning. I only wish we could've spent more time drifting through this unknown.

The story is led by a small cast, each very distinct, each with conflicting goals, each so tragically flawed. Jalice, chieftess of the people, is a woman who is blind to the atrocities committed by her husband. Initially appearing naive, her venture to discover the devastating secrets locked away is transformative in more ways than one. Annilasia is a trained assassin in service to a despot she abhors, and her campaign to rid the world of corruption forces her to contend with the evil within herself. I personally found it difficult to connect with these characters, their behavior both erratic and inconsistent, but it's clear their environment plays a large role in deciding their actions. Alluring secondary characters serve to flesh out this yarn, and they do so perfectly.

The story itself is told with straightforward prose, and while it begins rather slow, it picks up as new truths come to light. Readers are submerged in a world already in motion without so much as a preamble, leaving them to unearth much on their own, which could be beneficial or detrimental depending on the audience's tastes. Bailey's creativity and ability to vividly portray concepts that fall outside the norm is incredible, painting the wondrous in a chilling manner. He crafts a crusade ripe with tension and urgency, a race to the finish line as lives hang in the balance. My one critique would be the need for more fluid transitions between points of views. Though there are few, I found them to be jarring.

The Jealousy of Jalice is a solid, atmospheric debut and initial installment of A Disaster of Dokojin, a series that has a bright future ahead of itself. So very different from the stories that seem to saturate the genre, it's overflowing with fresh ideas and concepts that I have yet to come across in my literary adventures. Readers are delivered back to ground level after a crushing climax, but this tale is far from finished. There are so many veiled truths, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what happens next.

My Rating: 3.5, but let's round up!

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See this review and others at Whispers & Wonder
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