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A review by rebelbelle13
The Runelords by David Farland
5.0
The Runelords is one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time. The characters are real and likable, the magic system is nuanced and thoroughly defined, and the descriptions are plentiful without being over-the-top ridiculous. There was zero slog in here, as sometimes happens 1/3 of the way through these 600 page fantasy novels. The pace never slowed and I was constantly interested of what was going to happen next.
There are two types of magic in Farland's novel- Earth magic and rune magic (there's also flame magic, but only the flame weavers and agents of the underworld can use those). The rune magic is quite interesting- a person can 'gift' (read: payed for, bequeathed, coerced) another person their living attributes, such as glamour, wit, grace, stamina, or metabolism. In doing so, the 'dedicate' (person giving the attribute) loses all of that attribute and gives it to another person, in the form of a rune branded on their body. As long as the dedicate lives, the Rune Lord will use that person's attribute and become stronger/more beautiful/smarter. I've honestly never come across this concept before, and I found it fascinating. The villain here, Raj Ahten, is attempting to become The Sum of All Men by taking thousands of attributes from those he has conquered. Conversely, the Earth magic is given by the Earth, and can only be earned by treating the Earth well and respecting its power. Not a whole lot is known about this power yet, as our main character, Gaborn, is still learning of his capabilities himself.
There are so many characters I liked in this book, including Myhrrima, Iome, King Sylvarresta, King Orden, Binnesman, Borrenson, and of course, Gaborn. They are all fully fleshed out, endearing, and, above all, good people. It's refreshing to read a fantasy with so many morally good characters. Even the villain of the piece, Raj Ahten, in his own twisted way, is attempting to save the people of the kingdom by conquering it.
There's a lot of death and suffering here- I won't sugar coat it. There's war and endowments forcibly taken from others. If you're someone who can handle that, then I promise you, the rest of the story will be worth it.
I'm very eager to dive into the next book in the series and learn more about Runelords, earth magic and see what becomes of Gaborn and Iome.
There are two types of magic in Farland's novel- Earth magic and rune magic (there's also flame magic, but only the flame weavers and agents of the underworld can use those). The rune magic is quite interesting- a person can 'gift' (read: payed for, bequeathed, coerced) another person their living attributes, such as glamour, wit, grace, stamina, or metabolism. In doing so, the 'dedicate' (person giving the attribute) loses all of that attribute and gives it to another person, in the form of a rune branded on their body. As long as the dedicate lives, the Rune Lord will use that person's attribute and become stronger/more beautiful/smarter. I've honestly never come across this concept before, and I found it fascinating. The villain here, Raj Ahten, is attempting to become The Sum of All Men by taking thousands of attributes from those he has conquered. Conversely, the Earth magic is given by the Earth, and can only be earned by treating the Earth well and respecting its power. Not a whole lot is known about this power yet, as our main character, Gaborn, is still learning of his capabilities himself.
There are so many characters I liked in this book, including Myhrrima, Iome, King Sylvarresta, King Orden, Binnesman, Borrenson, and of course, Gaborn. They are all fully fleshed out, endearing, and, above all, good people. It's refreshing to read a fantasy with so many morally good characters. Even the villain of the piece, Raj Ahten, in his own twisted way, is attempting to save the people of the kingdom by conquering it.
There's a lot of death and suffering here- I won't sugar coat it. There's war and endowments forcibly taken from others. If you're someone who can handle that, then I promise you, the rest of the story will be worth it.
I'm very eager to dive into the next book in the series and learn more about Runelords, earth magic and see what becomes of Gaborn and Iome.