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A review by sarahdm
The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Based on my previous readings of Aryan's work (The Coward & The Warrior) I will say that his writing style is an acquired taste. His simple plots sometimes move at a break neck speed and his characters/settings are well thought out but we rarely have enough time with them to really enjoy them. With Judas Blossom, all those complaints are gone and we are left with a real master piece. Judas Blossom takes its time as it draws you into the rich landscape of the story, the history, and well thought out characters.
The History
I'll be very honest, I'm not really familiar with the historical setting outside of a handful of Crash Course YouTube videos. I had read another historical fantasy series with "She Who Became the Sun" & "He Who Drowned the World" by Shelley Parker-Chan which also features the Mongol Empire but in China. Thankfully, I don't think you need a lot of historical context to enjoy this novel. Aryan paints a great picture of all the historical events happening during the book and everything makes sense in the context of the novel. (Spoilers ahead for history? I guess) With that being said, the book focuses around the events of Genghis Khan's grandsons and successors (Kublai, Mongke, Hulagu, and Ariq) and the relationships between the four regions of the empire at the time: Yuan Dynasty (China), Ill-khanate (Persia), Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia), and the Golden Horde (Russia). It focuses mostly on Hulagu as he is one of the main POV characters in the book and the Ill-khanate. We brush up against historical events like Mongke's death (this is not a spoiler it happens basically immediately), the destruction of the Nizari Ismaili state, the Siege of Baghdad, Hulagu's conquest of Syria, the battle of Ain Jalut, and the Toluid Civil War. I highly suggest NOT going on a wiki rabbit hole until after you have read the book because being overly familiar with this history might be a little bit spoiler-ish. There are some details changed, like who is fighting who, when is what, who is marrying who, and stuff like that. But there are lots of actual historical figures here and its all dancing around the events of things that actually happened. And honestly, I'm just excited to not be in Fantasy Europe.
The Plot and Characters
So basically, this book is about the beginning of the fall of the Mongol Empire and the figures (both historical and fictional) that plotted to see that happen. Our main characters consist of Hulagu (trying to kick ass and rule the world), Temujin (Hulagu's son who is a disappointment), Kaivon (ex-Persian soldier who is trying to destroy the empire from the inside), and Kokochin (concubine to Hulagu that's just trying to figure out what to do with herself). Aryan really takes his time with each of these characters and gets you endeared to them pretty quickly. Despite the Mongols usually being cast as villains (which I mean they still are here) I really like Hulagu and Temujin. I almost (big almost) find myself rooting for Hulagu, I want to see him succeed. He is a great character and not just some cartoon devil. Temujin is super sympathetic and gets one of the best sub-plot in the whole book (I am SO excited to see where it goes in the next book). Kaivon is honestly a fucking bad-ass (he reminds me a lot of Kell Kressia in one of Aryan's other books). Kokochin's training, relationships, and hard ships are some of the best parts of the book. I love all four of these characters by themselves so seeing their plots slowly intertwine was really awesome and satisfying to read.
Some End Notes
The magic system is being discovered by one of the characters, so the magic in this is really minimum. But also: Mongolian fire bender. And it seems like the magic is gonna be more involved in the next book.
One of the things that really draws me to Aryan's writing is that we actually have a male epic high fantasy author that actually respects women and LGBT characters. That being said, this book has lesbian assassins in it and if THAT is not selling you on this book I have no idea what is.
This book is really setting up the rest of the series it seems like. Lots of stuff is building and being established in this one. But its the one fantasy series that I am reading that I am REALLY excited for. Definitely pick this up. 5/5 I am never shutting up about this book.
The History
I'll be very honest, I'm not really familiar with the historical setting outside of a handful of Crash Course YouTube videos. I had read another historical fantasy series with "She Who Became the Sun" & "He Who Drowned the World" by Shelley Parker-Chan which also features the Mongol Empire but in China. Thankfully, I don't think you need a lot of historical context to enjoy this novel. Aryan paints a great picture of all the historical events happening during the book and everything makes sense in the context of the novel. (Spoilers ahead for history? I guess) With that being said, the book focuses around the events of Genghis Khan's grandsons and successors (Kublai, Mongke, Hulagu, and Ariq) and the relationships between the four regions of the empire at the time: Yuan Dynasty (China), Ill-khanate (Persia), Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia), and the Golden Horde (Russia). It focuses mostly on Hulagu as he is one of the main POV characters in the book and the Ill-khanate. We brush up against historical events like Mongke's death (this is not a spoiler it happens basically immediately), the destruction of the Nizari Ismaili state, the Siege of Baghdad, Hulagu's conquest of Syria, the battle of Ain Jalut, and the Toluid Civil War. I highly suggest NOT going on a wiki rabbit hole until after you have read the book because being overly familiar with this history might be a little bit spoiler-ish. There are some details changed, like who is fighting who, when is what, who is marrying who, and stuff like that. But there are lots of actual historical figures here and its all dancing around the events of things that actually happened. And honestly, I'm just excited to not be in Fantasy Europe.
The Plot and Characters
So basically, this book is about the beginning of the fall of the Mongol Empire and the figures (both historical and fictional) that plotted to see that happen. Our main characters consist of Hulagu (trying to kick ass and rule the world), Temujin (Hulagu's son who is a disappointment), Kaivon (ex-Persian soldier who is trying to destroy the empire from the inside), and Kokochin (concubine to Hulagu that's just trying to figure out what to do with herself). Aryan really takes his time with each of these characters and gets you endeared to them pretty quickly. Despite the Mongols usually being cast as villains (which I mean they still are here) I really like Hulagu and Temujin. I almost (big almost) find myself rooting for Hulagu, I want to see him succeed. He is a great character and not just some cartoon devil. Temujin is super sympathetic and gets one of the best sub-plot in the whole book (I am SO excited to see where it goes in the next book). Kaivon is honestly a fucking bad-ass (he reminds me a lot of Kell Kressia in one of Aryan's other books). Kokochin's training, relationships, and hard ships are some of the best parts of the book. I love all four of these characters by themselves so seeing their plots slowly intertwine was really awesome and satisfying to read.
Some End Notes
The magic system is being discovered by one of the characters, so the magic in this is really minimum. But also: Mongolian fire bender. And it seems like the magic is gonna be more involved in the next book.
One of the things that really draws me to Aryan's writing is that we actually have a male epic high fantasy author that actually respects women and LGBT characters. That being said, this book has lesbian assassins in it and if THAT is not selling you on this book I have no idea what is.
This book is really setting up the rest of the series it seems like. Lots of stuff is building and being established in this one. But its the one fantasy series that I am reading that I am REALLY excited for. Definitely pick this up. 5/5 I am never shutting up about this book.