A very interesting book. A lesser woman would have split it into three books, as there are quite a few high intensity climaxes which could have been their own individual stories, but I'm glad they weren't. I like it as a whole saga of self-discovery, friendship, love and hate. Changing alliances and misdirected affection, and of course, power. The world is incredibly well researched and created, the author should be extremely proud of herself. Csorwe is a wonderful character, and it is through her that we experience this world. She's memorable, conflicted, sharp and vulnerable all at the same time. I love three dimensional characters!!! My only gripe is that I wanted more of the history between Oranna and Belathandros. And maybe more of Tal.

4 stars.

Csorwe never doubts her duty as a sacrificial lamb, until a mysterious stranger offers the chance at life. Csorwe will become a loyal warrior and spy, until an encounter with an unusual woman makes her question what she really wants.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Csorwe (pronounced like 'doorway') is a young orc priestess, and she has been chosen to serve as the Unspoken One's vessel and will be sacrificed when she turns fourteen. She is content with her life, and it committed to the sacrifice, until Sethennai comes along and puts the idea into her head that she has a choice.
On the day of her sacrifice, Csorwe decides that she wants to live and see more of the world than her humble temple.
It is never discussed, why Sethennai decided to take pity on this girl, and stole away a god's chosen bride; but Csorwe is trained to fight, she is trained to see what others miss, and how to blend in and become unnoticeable.
Feeling that she owes him, Csorwe becomes loyal to Sethennai, she is duty-bound to help him in all of his ventures, starting with reclaiming his seat of power from a usurper.

The narrative is also split between Sethennai, his rival/lover Oranna, Csorwe's rival/rival Tal, and magic-user Shuthmili.
The characters are all well-rounded, they all have their own hopes and secrets.
I really liked the hate/mildly-less-hate relationship between Csorwe and Tal. It provided a lot of humour and definitely added to the character. They're like squabbling siblings who never get along, but defend each other because no one else is allowed to hurt them.

And then there was the relationship between Csorwe and Shuthmili...
I think Larkwood did a great job in all the diverse characters, and I loved how their sexuality was so matter-of-fact. The world(s) that have been created are all very accepting.
The developing friendship-to-romance between and Shuthmili was perfect. It was hinted and and made the storyline so much stronger.

The not-so-good...
I thought the story was quite slow to get going. In hindsight, it all helped to establish Csorwe's story, but it was hard to get into at first. Later on, it all picked up and I was hooked for the most part.
In the latter half of the book, I thought the plot jumped around a little, seeming to come to a natural conclusion several times throughout the book, before continuing. Again, hindsight is a wonderful thing, I can say that actually, yes, the route the plot took did make the story stronger in the end; but at the time I was rolling my eyes at certain points. Instead of taking the logical step, character X would decide to throw it all away, because Y.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

The Unspoken Name is a fantastic and surprising debut fantasy novel. This coming-of-age story is full to bursting with old gods, morally questionable mages and epic world building. Csorwe’s death has been foretold. Given the opportunity though, who wouldn’t rather be a thief, spy and assassin instead of a sacrifice? This is how the story opens and a wonderful adventure begins.


Characters
There are some really great, flavourful characters in The Unspoken Name. I love how fleshed out Larkwood’s characters are even when they don’t play a huge role in the book. Honestly, I was very surprised that certain characters (no spoilers) were only in the book for a short period as I thought they would be an inevitable part of the main action. What I didn’t realise is how much wider the main story is to what I thought it would be. It is lovely how some of the characters are referenced or pop up later on in the book. It makes the world feel complete. I will only talk about two of the main characters as I think you should discover the others and their level of importance yourself.

Csorwe is a well written, impulsive but thoughtful protagonist. She is a young, grey skinned Orcish girl who struggles to pick between listening to her heart or her head. This makes her a likeable character who isn’t overly predictable. Although I didn’t initially warm to her, it didn’t take long to win me over with her dry wit, intelligence and determination.

Belthandros Sethennai is a mysterious wizard who offers Csorwe a different path. He is a very cool character and I love that we don’t immediately know if he is a good guy or if Csorwe is running off with a villain. Sethennai is a likeable guy who you feel you can trust very quickly. He feels a little bit like Dumbledore in the way that he clearly knows SO much about magic and the wider world. Also, everyone secretly wants his approval. Belthandros is intelligent, talented, cocky and is not shy of political games or making power plays. As I say, a cool character and extremely interesting throughout the book.


World Building
Wow! There is so much to the world Larkwood has created that I am not sure where to begin…. We start the book in a small, well defined world where a young girl has a monastery to explore. Where we end up is, well, all over the universe! I love how the book spends time introducing us to specific places so that we can really get to grips with where we are whilst simultaneously learning more about the main characters.

Despite this being a fantasy novel there are plenty of sci-fi settings due to the characters travelling between worlds. Every world is imaginative and carefully crafted. I loved picturing the different landscapes. The history of each world and the influences behind each are really interesting. Very few of the worlds feel safe and that automatically adds a level of tension during exploration. The Echo Maze, which connects worlds together via gates, is a cool concept even if I struggled to picture it at times. There are endless possibilities of places to visit and it is a great setup for the start of a new series.

The magic system in The Unspoken Name is elegant and consistent. Magic has a physical cost on the caster. Powers come from the old gods and there is a lot of dark magic, including necromancy in the story.


Plot, Pace & Voice
To be completely honest when I first started the book I did not think I was going to like it. Something didn’t quite click straight away. However, it did not take me long to settle into the story and then I was completely hooked. There is a lot of action and the pace keeps picking up as the novel continues. Larkwood has a great instinct for knowing when you are settling into the story and throws in curve-balls just at the right moment. There are plenty of plot twists and you never know quite what the end-game will be until you are there.

I felt like I had read multiple books by the time I had finished The Unspoken Name because there is so much to the story! It is a very enjoyable read and just keeps getting better the further you get through the book.


My Thoughts
The Unspoken Name is a very enjoyable and action packed fantasy novel. I love the sci-fi elements as well as the epic fantasy setup. Larkwood is clearly a very talented author, who has created a world that I can’t wait to delve back into. I am so glad that it is part of a trilogy! The world building is vast and has the perfect amount of detail. I loved the grim, dark and scary scenes just as much as the light-hearted moments and bits of romance. I especially love all of the LGBT+ representation in the novel. If you are a fantasy reader, particularly of epic fantasy, then I highly recommend you check out The Unspoken Name when it releases in 2020.

This book stole my soul. Even while writing this I'm still immersed in the world of The Unspoken Name.

This book has everything; sacrifice, vengeance, loyalty, magic, gods and more. I had heard nothing about it until I got it and requesting was one of my best decisions.

At the beginning of the book there is a map, a list of the persons involved and a pronunciation guide which came in very handy.

The Charcaters
There are many Charcaters in this book and you will need the pronunciation guide as the names are amazing. Overall I found the Charcaters to be well developed and interesting. Even the side Charcaters are built well and I felt I got to know them. I enjoyed the characters in the book, even the bad ones.

The main character is Csorwe (pronounced ksor-way, rhymes with doorway) and she is a grey skinned girl with tusks who begins the story as a sacrifice at the House of Silence who worship the unspoken one. She is the backbone of this book and I really enjoyed her character. She is strong and I connected to her.
The main influences on Csorwe are Balthandros Sethannai who is a wizard who Csorwe looks up to and is loyal to and Oranna who is a librarian for the House of Silence.
Another key character is Talasseres Charossa who is a friend of Csorwe. I liked the competitive, insulting and bantering friendship they had.
Another key character is Qanwa Shuthmili who is an adept which means she has magic given to her by a god. She is strong and I really liked her character.

I really enjoyed the diversity and the relationships in this book. What I loved was that the romantic relationships were never at the front of the story. There is a range of relationships in this book and the relationships are diverse. I believe Sethennai is bisexual, Tal is gay and Csorwe is lesbian. I enjoyed the relationship between Csorwe and Shuthmili and I liked how they connected to each other.

The writing and Worldbuilding
The writing in this book flows really well and it helps immerse you into the story. Larkwood manages to balance action and blood with inner thoughts really well. I also enjoyed that the writing let us see events from different characters perspective which helped when getting to know the characters. I also liked tone of the writing and it made me laugh in places which I wasn't expecting.
The Worldbuilding is vast as there are several gods, religions, places and people yet it didn't feel confusing at any point. The worldbuilding was detailed in places but it also left things for the readers imagination. This is a world with a history and I cannot wait to read more about this world.

The ending felt right to me and there was still a few things that needed to be cleared up but I know this is going to be a series so the things that were left open were probably left like that for the next book which I will be reading!

Overall this is a fun, exciting and creative epic fantasy and has been one of my favourite reads. I will be reading it again and buying a copy when it's released.

I was very excited to read this title, especially after hearing it features a lesbian romance, but sadly it wasn't for me. I noticed early on that the writing just couldn't capture me and even 25% into the book, I still felt absolutely no connection to the characters. Picking the book back up after taking a break wasn't as fun as it should be, so I decided to not finish the book.

ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

The Unspoken Name is a terrifically-written debut that merged science fiction, space-opera, and high fantasy into one inventive book that’s incredibly suitable for SFF enthusiast.

One look into the striking cover art by Billelis, and I already wanted to speak about this book. My urge to read this book increased when both Nicholas Eames—the author behind The Band series— and Dyrk Ashton—the author behind Paternus trilogy—recommended the book to me. Then I found out that Lindsey Hall, the editor behind two books—Kings of the Wyld and the upcoming The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson—I truly loved edited this book too, suffice to say that The Unspoken Name has attained all the package that made it a necessity for me to read; I’m glad I did.

“Csorwe had spent a lifetime readying herself to die, not to talk to strangers.”

The Unspoken Name, the first book in The Serpent’s Gate series by A. K. Larkwood, follows Csorwe—an orc priestess destined to become a sacrifice to her god on her fourteenth birthday. On the day of her prophesied death, Belthandros Sethennai—a powerful wizard—offers her a new fate that compels her to escape death by leaving her home, destiny, god, and become Sethennai’s personal assassin instead. The main plot of The Unspoken Name centers around Csorwe as she’s tasked by Sethennai to retrieve the Reliquary of Pentravesse; anyone who claims the Reliquary will gain the legacy and knowledge of Pentravesse—someone who changed all worlds forever. Jumping through multiple worlds with a strong echo of chaos and destruction accompanied by landscapes that are also beautiful, Csorwe has to go through tons of dangers to achieve this task; many events happened in less than 500 pages book. However, what I found to be very praise-worthy about the story was that in the midst of all the mayhem, The Unspoken Name is at its core a book about choices and its importance.

“People were like locks. All resistance, until you discovered the precise information of teeth that would open them up.”

“You always have a choice,” have you ever heard this often-repeated phrases/advice straight to your face? You probably have, and you’ll most likely know just how simple it sounds and yet how insanely difficult it can be to execute. What if for a period of time, short or long, you’re caught in a toxic situation/environment that you didn’t recognize at first? By the time you do, the actual task of breaking the invisible chains can be harder than it sounds. Freedom and choices—among many other themes such as faith, loyalty, and love—were the most relatable themes throughout the book for me; Csorwe’s journey and character development ignited and gave an impactful meaning to the themes in this book. I wouldn’t say that I clicked with Csorwe immediately, but once the story reached a quarter mark and eventually she meets Shuthmili, I became captivated thoroughly by Larkwood’s storytelling. The Unspoken Name doesn’t have a large cast of characters relatively, but the dynamic between the five dominating characters—Csorwe, Sethennai, Oranna, Tal, and Shuthmili—was very compelling. Also, I loved reading Csorwe and Shuthmili’s endearing and gradual relationship development; their relationship progression was believable and easy to root for.

“Csorwe, before I met you, my idea of happiness was, I don’t know, going to bed early.”

From my reading experience, the most impressive thing about Larkwood’s prose is her capability to constantly shift her writing style between elegant utterance and bloody scenery; it didn’t feel like reading a debut effort. Also, The Unspoken Name is an imaginative book with a very fascinating world-building. Seriously, it has multiple worlds to travel, ancient tombs, terrifying giant serpents, spaceships, magic, giants, and intimidating presence of dead gods. Gorgeous landscapes described beautifully and efficiently; Larkwood never went overboard with her scenery visualizations. In a way, this book reminded me a bit of the world-building done in Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir; telling a high fantasy story in a sci-fi/space-opera setting. Heck, comparison-wise, it even featured a swordswoman and queer duo as the main characters.

“The secret to greatness is to know when you should risk the wrath of god.”

I believe that The Unspoken Name is, ironically, the title of an incredible genre-blending debut that should and will be spoken by its readers in the future. I highly recommend it to both sci-fi and fantasy readers, even more so if you’re a fan of both genres. It’s creative, greatly imaginative, not afraid to be different, filled with intense rescue sequences, and it gave a breathtaking lotus-scented fresh air to the genre. Larkwood tells a compelling tale about choices and braving the first step to pave your own way, and you should choose to read this book as soon as it’s available to read.

Official release date: 20th February 2020 (UK) and 11th February 2020 (US)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

It took me longer than usual to finish this book because real life has intruded on my spare time but it is a tribute to the talent of this writer that I was able to slot back into the thick of things every time I picked up this book. The Unspoken Name disposes with so many outdated fantasy tropes and instead makes heroes and villains out of dark skinned people queer people. Though this isn't the only reason to read it, having that representation and validation is brilliant, made better only by the vivid descriptions of these characters. I already feel as if I would know Tal or Csorwe and get their whole dynamic if I saw them onscreen. Not just each person but also the environments throughout the maze. One could easily see some of these landscapes writ large on the silver screen, there are truly epic moments that lend themselves to translation in cinema.

I have no idea if these adventures will continue but I would certainly dive back into this web of worlds and waking gods.

The Unspoken Name, by A.K. Larkwood is a dark, page-turning, diverse fantasy full of twists and turns!

Csorwe is raised by a cult who follows the magic of a dark and old God, and who are preparing her for death. She will be the sacrifice their God requires but as she awaits her inescapable fate she is offered the chance of a lifetime, the chance of life.

The wizard wants to train her, keep her as an assistant, as a weapon. To escape her death she accepts, and ends up on a missions that will change everything.

The hunt for a mysterious artefact is on, but is Cworse ready to face her past as they also try to find the object she is seeking?

With a death cult as her rivals and danger around every corner, Cworse finds herself constantly evading danger and death. Brutal, headstrong and a force to be reckoned with, everything Cworse knows is thrown into questioning after she meets Shuthmili, a war mage with a past and future as complex as her own.

With danger, death and magic at every turn, Cworse must evade her enemies, claim the artefact, and stop the cult- but is she up to the challenge?

The Unspoken Name, by A.K. Larkwood is a fantastic fantasy that certainly does not play out how you will expect.

The narration and writing style. The narration of this book is wonderful and mostly from the perspective of Csorwe, but will occasionally flit to another character (I will not name the character as I don’t want to spoil anything.) The narrative works very well as you get to see Cworse’s thoughts and feelings throughout the novel making it easier to connect with her and understand her motives and behaviour. Furthermore, the narrative style is very supportive of the plot. It allows you to know a lot and so little at the same time, maintaining the mystery of the novel and makes it impossible to work out the plot twists and developments.

Furthermore, Larkwood’s writing style is beautiful and well crafted. It is easy to breeze through the novel and the descriptions are amazing. Larkwood manages to create beautiful and captivating metaphors and descriptions, while also knowing when to be direct and gritty. This really allows a connection with the book and keeps your attention fixed at all times. The gritty elements are really interesting and make the fight scenes and general violence stand out and work really well. Alternatively, the comical aspects of the novel are well placed and natural, it allowed the perfect amount of comic release without being over the top or too much. Furthermore, the descriptions of the battles between magic wielders were the most intriguing, because they were very different from the usual portrayal. Some characters like to put on a show when fighting with magic, but others simply use their magic to fight and win and the battles are not extraordinarily active in terms of combat, rather it is more simplistic visually as mentally and magically it is much more complex. I loved this as it is very different from the usual portrayal of such scenes! The writing had a wonderful balance to it that ticked all the right boxes.

The plot, world building and magic system. The plot of The Unspoken Name is incredibly unique and individual. It is also extraordinarily unpredictable- which I loved! While reading this book I was constantly surprised by the developments, though they all made sense, it was still a surprise and most of the theories or predictions I had were completely wrong and made the book even more interesting. The plot itself is very intricate and cleverly weaved together as seemingly unexpected elements become tied together to create wonderful revelations. The blurring of good and evil mixed with the anti-hero vibe of Csorwe is extraordinarily well done, and the elements of the different races, religions and beliefs mixed in with this creates an incredibly dynamic story and atmosphere. Though I could go on about all the amazing plot points and links, I won’t because it will spoil the wonderful surprises and twists!

The world building and magic system is also in-depth and cleverly crafted. Larkwood has created a one of a kind world with a complex and multi-dimensional magic system based around a distinctive set of religious beliefs. Firstly, the world is realistic, different races/geographical regions have different religions and different Gods or Goddesses each of which have different powers or magical properties. The realism lies in the numerous amount of religions, which we have in our own modern societies and helps you to connect with the different systems and understand them.

Moreover, each religion has its own unique set of followers with their own unique set of views, they all also have specific views and stereotypes of the other religious groups or of the other races. However, despite the stereotyping, which a few characters overcome or realise are simplistic and basic and therefore unnecessary, the world itself is extremely accepting of most forms of diversity. For example, sexuality seems to be of little concern, many characters are openly gay, or portrayed as bisexual, and it is never mentioned- never! It is seen as ordinary and it was so refreshing to see, each relationship is unique and individual and well written, and superbly done.

Furthermore, sex appears to also be of little issue, whether you are male or female there is no difference. Both can be in power, neither oppress the other, they just co-exist, since there are both Gods and Goddesses, and each set of followers acknowledges the power of the other divinities, there is no basis for sexism- again this was wonderful to see, and is a thread I am hoping will continue in fantasy. Finally, while disability is not as prominent in this world as most people can be healed etc… there are small elements that are reminiscent of it. For example, a character loses a tusk- a painful and heartbreaking thing (almost like losing a limb), and is fitted with a prosthetic one, and happily so. Moreover, characters willingly keep scars in prominent places or are at risk of physical problems should they use too much magic, or are constantly having to deal with past trauma that has had an impact on their life now. While it appears like these elements are insignificant in terms of diversity, I disagree and see it as more of an acceptance of who you are, regardless of what problems you may have. Though it would be nice to have a character more prominently so, whether it is a physical or invisible disability but there is so much diversity in this novel anyway.

Secondly, the world is incredibly vast with multiple different regions, ‘dead worlds’, and unique forms of travel. Each world/region appear to only be governed by their God/Goddesses rules, without normal mundane law enforcement, though the Dragon Goddesses domain appear to have their own system of control where they can utilise mages, labelling them adepts. This was particularly interesting and raises the question of autonomy, to what extent is the control necessary, while showing you both sides of the argument allowing you to form an opinion.

Thirdly, not everyone is magic. There are people who can use the magic of their patron, their God or Goddess, and they are refereed to as wizards or mages. But, there are also people whose only connection with their divinity is through prayer. Thus, they have not got unique magical abilities, and instead these characters are able to shine in their chosen proficiency, such as combat. This adds more limitation within the wider story as it is not just a magical war, and magic cannot be used to fix everything, making less loopholes. Moreover the magic often has limitations, such as being strongest when in your own region with your own patron etc…

Finally, I like how each divinity has its own unique name or label and are diverse in both magic and portrayal (from personality to visually). The mythology of each divinity is entwined organically into the story and it doesn’t feel like information is just being dumped onto you. Instead you learn about the mythology through the rituals, characters dialogue, and their own beliefs – which makes it more interesting and fun to read about. The mythology is incredibly rich and in-depth, and yet you learn so much about it without realising!

The Characters. So, as I previously said, the characters are incredible diverse, with there being multiple races (each with their own unique physical portrayals creating an in world spread of ethnic/racial diversity), characters are diverse in sexuality and gender, and in personality. They are all incredibly well crafted and in-depth, each going through their own developments that are fun to watch.

The main character is Cworse. She is a grey skin, golden eyed, tusked Oshaaru, initially a follower of The Unspoken One. Starting off as a meek, quiet and obedient servant to her God, as a child, Cworse’s fate seems pretty clear. Yet that all changes when a wizard shows up. From that moment Cworse’s character starts to develop and become more complex. She is headstrong, silent, clever and skilled, quite observant (unless it comes to people and their relationships – a product of past isolation), she is a strong main character. not only that but she is incredibly loyal to those who she thinks deserves it. I absolutely adored Cworse, and loved her as a main character! She is incredibly capable and stubborn, which we see a lot, but she is imperfect. She has flaws and it makes it easier to relate to and connect with her. She has a knack for finding herself in precarious situations, and she is incredibly witty. Her relationships are fun, interesting and diverse.I loved her scenes with Shuthmili, Tal, and Belthandros, each scene and relationship is dynamic. With Shuthmili you have the romantic aspect, yes this is a f/f led fantasy! And it is awesome, but the scenes range from sweet to funny. With Tal the scenes are witty, sarcastic and comical, since the two hate each other. And, with Belthandros there is a sense of loyalty, knowledge and mystery. Cworse’s character development is some of the best throughout the book, and is interesting to watch play out.

Shuthmili is the other female lead that joins the story a little later than I expected, but early enough that you learn a lot about her and grow to love her. Shuthmili is from Qarsazh. She has an Olive-brown complexion and dark hair. Shuthmili is, from the start, a strong character in both presentation and actual power. She is determined, studious, clever and yet rather delicate and feminine. She is kind but almost aloof but has great depth to her. Her characters is also interesting to watch grow and she parallels/contrasts with Cworse in many ways while maintaining her individuality. She too is loyal but is unafraid to get things done and will act if necessary. Her development mirrors Cworse’s and is equally as interesting to watch! ( I won’t say too much more on her though as it will be too spoilery).

Belthandros is from Tlaanthothe. He is an enigma of sorts. He loves to impart wisdom, thus he talks often but he rarely speaks about himself aside from his hometown. His character, initially, reminded me of a younger Gandalf or Dumbledore, but as the book goes on it becomes clear he is a unique character. He is strong, clever, and appreciates loyalty above all else, and yet can be quite selfish or oblivious to other people. His character is very interesting to read about and has a lot more to him than I can say, but his arch is also fun to watch play out as you flit from appreciating him but also recognising his carelessness.

Tal is also from Tlaanthothe, he is the flirty, careless, act first think later character. He often gets distracted by the men he is meant to be spying on but has the natural charm and knack to get out of problematic situations. He is funny, witty, and, at times, selfish. His character is great to read about and adds a whole new dimension to the story. His development is clever and intriguing but, again, I won’t say too much!

Oranna is also an Oshaaru. This character is incredibly complex. She is extraordinarily clever, resourceful and devoted to her God. Her character is strong and determined, but also very flawed, she has no boundaries and is prepared to to what she believes needs to be done. Her character arc in complex and interesting and I loved watching it develop.

The Unspoken Name, by A.K Larkwood is incredible complex, clever and unique with an amazing amount of diversity, world building and magic. Larkwood is clearly talented and a master at story telling- I cannot wait for the next book!

Overall, I thought the book was well paced, filled with action and each element is cleverly entwined. The unpredictability of the plot was a bonus and I was constantly surprised and pleased. I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers who want diverse characters and a unique world!

*I received a free eARC of #TheUnspokenName by A.K. Larkwood from #Netgalley/Pan Macmillan in exchange for an honest review*

I adored this book! I can definitely see the parallels to The Tombs Of Atuan, but honestly, the Tombs of Atuan is only where this book begins- what follows is so much more original, touching and compelling than that simple comparison suggests.

At its heart, The Unspoken Name is about personhood, destiny, and allowing yourself to define who you are. So many people in fantasy raised for some kind of purpose, or with a destiny, or meet someone who changes their conception of who they are utterly- what does it mean to define that for yourself? What does it mean to entrust your sense of self to someone you just met? And what if that person isn't worthy of your trust?

Everyone in this book is forging some kind of identity for themselves- from former cult sacrifice Csorwe, to extremely powerful but very controlled mage Sethmili, to perpetually second fiddle henchman Tal. Some of them take longer to reach the revelation that they have to decide who themselves than others (I would die for Csorwe, but my girl cannot take a hint), but that just adds to the realism of their journeys. It seems odd to say it about a book that also has terrifying snake gods and dark cultic magic, but The Unspoken Name is gently hopeful in a way that had me dragging out the end way past when I should have finished it, just because I didn't want my time with the book to be done.

And the worldbuilding! The worldbuilding is so good! Every place we visit feels distinct and fresh, and certain scenes (especially those dealing with the Unspoken Name of the title) were so perfectly, wonderfully spooky.

Please do yourself a favour and read this, if only so you can yell with me about the next one in the series. I absolutely cannot wait.

A. K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name is among the most creative, exciting, and brilliantly-told epic fantasy novels I’ve read. It is an immersive experience that grabbed my attention early on, then grew at a staggering rate until I found myself being launched through fantastic worlds, meeting wonderful characters, and caught in a magnetic prose that left me spellbound. Larkwood has a tremendous talent for building upon the best parts of what makes fantasy great and elevates it all with her own dash of chaos and wonder. Simply put, it is an outstanding debut I won’t soon forget.

I won’t reveal much of the plot and take anything away from the author, but I’ll discuss what is shared in the book’s description. We open the story by meeting young Csorwe, a grey, tusked teenager who was born for the sole purpose of sacrifice to an underground god upon reaching a certain age. (Side note: the term ‘orc’ is never used in the book, and while Csorwe shares common traits with the classic interpretation of an orc, it may be reductive to call her one and limit your take on who she really is.) Moments before Csorwe’s sacrifice, a man named Belthandros Sethennai (justt one of a myriad of great names in this book) offers to save her life and whisk her away to work in his service. Sethennai has goals of his own; he must reclaim his home from which he was exiled and seek knowledge of an impossible myth. These plot points alone sound substantial enough to fill the pages of the book, but in fact, its story has just begun…

“You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”

The Unspoken Name is many things; it is a tale of sacrifice and vengeance, abandonment and exile, loyalty and true love. It is an expansive universe that crosses over into different worlds via a dimension called the Echo Maze, navigable by air ships, which adds a science-fiction aspect to the story. The Echo Maze is a trans-dimensional plane where cosmic paths converge, and innumerable portals known as Gates are used for passenger ships to travel between these worlds. The use of these Gates has led to various cultures of magic, races, cities, and religions to intersect in interesting ways, and Larkwood smartly weaves its repercussions into the fabric of Csorwe’s story.

One of the many, many aspects of the story that stood out was how selective the author was in her descriptions of some of the bigger concepts, such as the ships, the details of the Gates, and the Echo Maze itself. The reader is given information on how things functioned, but the rest is often left to our imagination, which is a decision that I enjoyed immensely. There is so much story packed into this novel that I felt that adding extra details would take some fun away from the reader as well as slowing down the absolute blistering pace of the book.

Events happen at an astounding rate. Plot points that I thought would last the entirety of the book were resolved long before the halfway mark. The book felt like it had multiple finales and your heart will run the gamut of emotions. Csorwe remained the backbone of the story, but we spent a lot of time inside the heads of the supporting cast, sometimes for just a few pages, and other times for a bit longer. It was always for just enough time to understand other characters’ motivations, reactions, plans, and the emotional fallout of events before moving on to another POV. And when many of the characters were inevitably brought together, Lockwood shined in letting us view certain events through multiple pairs of eyes. In doing so, the characters felt richer and the scenes carried more emotional weight. The narratives were balanced well, and the emotional stakes never felt one-sided.

The Unspoken Name is the best kind of surprise. I had heard nothing about it but selected an advanced copy due to its interesting premise and wonderfully mysterious cover. This turned out to be one of the very best decisions I’ve made all year. It is an affecting story that hits all the right notes. This is a book that any fan of fantasy would do well to put at the top of their reading list. Do not miss it.