Book Review: Rebirth

My rating: 4 impressive stars

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.


'A story needn't be complex for its message to be profound.'

And yet, Rebirth is both. This SFF debut is both incredibly ambitious and complex, intricate and profound. The tale in itself is predictable - standard war story and recruits thrust smack down in the middle of a conflict that will either make or break them. But this is where predictability pretty much ends and complexity begins.



The novel opens with an impressive battle scene- the Illyriite War on the plains of Har'muth where the forces of order led by two brothers - Darmatus and Rabban Aurelian - fight against those of their elder brother, Sarcon. Darmatus and Rabban end up sacrificing themselves to banish a cataclysmic vortex opened with Sarcon's dying breath, thus thwarting the first advent of the Oblivion Well.
Or so the story goes.

700 years later, war is still waging on Lozaria and at its very center are the three Terran states of Darmatia, Rabban, and Sarconia. On a ceaseless campaign to best each other, each of these empires follow into the footsteps set by the three brothers. The state of Rabban develops the best technology since their ancestor had been convinced it would lead to progress and peace; the state of Darmatus tries to achieve the same prosperity and peace through trust and understanding; while the empire of Sarcon seeks to conquer and dominate - of course for the noble purpose of forcing peace onto the world.

'The road to Oblivion is paved with good intentions.'

And just when you were given a solid insight into this complex conflict and downright impressive world, you are introduced to a whole new cast of young protagonists. Matteo, Vallen, Velle, Leon, Lilith, Sylette, Unter, and Renar. Each of them different from the other and representing the different races of Lozaria, they need to not only accept each other but also work together to foil the plans of a returned Sarcon. Each and every one of these new characters comes with a beautifully fleshed out backstory that complements and enhances both context and setting as a whole. Their individual threads are wonderfully interwoven and slowly built upon, changing before the reader's eyes.

Rebirth starts with a pretty big bang in the form of perhaps the lengthiest prologue I've ever encountered. And yet, despite being lengthy, it is beautifully executed and provides a solid base for the rest of the tale. From there on the story picks up and is wonderfully paced making the pages fly by. History and flashback sequences seamlessly combine with action, magic and sci-fi battle scenes, all of it very cinematic and wonderfully done. And don't even get me started on that mix of magic and technology, fantasy and sci-fi - absolutely brilliant!

Intricate word-building and fascinating cultures serve as background for a tale with all the makings of an amazingly detailed and fabulous sprawling series. Food for thought included.

'...why do men fight?
'Because we're all protecting different dreams.
'Exactly. We fight because you are you and I am me. What I cherish is not what you cherish, and what I cherish may require what you cherish to fall by the wayside. For my dream to be realized, it may be necessary for your dream to be crushed. And when one individual refuses to let another destroy the dream that means more to him than his very life, conflict is born.'

There are many praise-worthy things in this daring debut. Depth and motivations, races and setting, the magi-tech system and political intrigue, each and every single one of them wonderfully represented.
Then why the 4 stars you will ask?
Because as much as I love all of the above, I found the characters lacking. Partly because they were introduced pretty late and their development delayed till the last third of the book. And partly because they seem a little bit driven to the extreme. Both pitch black and blinding white, but drawn in such a way that the extremes didn't really connect. Which, in turn, made it impossible for me, as a reader, to connect. There is room left for improvement and each and every one of them grew and changed by the end of the book. And yet, that wasn't quite enough for me.

That being said, Rebirth lays the foundation for a superb story. Daring, ambitious and very well executed, it sets a pretty high bar for future volumes and I am looking forward to the sequel.

If you love complex epic fantasy with a brilliant mix of magic and technology, superb word-building peppered with great food-for-thought, Rebirth would be the perfect choice.
Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Happy reading Bookdragons
and always remember...

'…kindness breaks this cycle of despair. By aiding others—regardless of what they’ve done, or the acts they’ve committed, and without expecting anything in return—we show them that there’s still good in this world. That there’s still hope for a better tomorrow. And, though it may sound hollow since it’s just me saying this, if enough of these tiny acts of kindness pile up, we really can change the world.'

Check out this book and more of Christopher Russell over at https://www.christopherrussellauthor.com/