Where the Rain Cannot Reach

it was a little hard to get into the rhythm at the beginning and the changing pov's was sometimes confusing, but I loved the story it felt whimsical and chid-like in a sense but also very grounded in the characters and the world. I really enjoyed Tair's character she felt smart and clever and very self-aware of her situation and how much responsibility she has and took it on in a very realistic way. I wished we had more time with Bonn but hopefully, that's in the next installment. This was a very unique story that felt foreign and familiar at the same time and made me feel like I was in a true fantasy.

Where the Rain Cannot Reach jumps right in to a world of incredible world building and lots of lore and characters. This is very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit with links to dwarven and Elven culture, however this is obviously very unique in its own right.

I did enjoy the overall plot and characters and thought this sounded really unique, however I struggled with the writing style/prose and pacing somewhat and I wish it was slightly shorter. I do however this will be a big hit for a lot of fantasy fans and many people will love this new world full of interesting characters.

This is a great fantasy read, where the story itself is a whirlwind, but sticks to really strong themes like belonging and identity.
Tair was left in the darkwood when she was a child. She is raised in the elven valley of Mitre by an Elf, a Dwarf and a Fell, her protectors and her family. Each have their own roles in raising and protecting her, but unbeknown to the rest of the family, the dwarf Shianna had an extra role to play but in her bid to protect Tair, she has hidden some truths that will tear the family apart. Human kind have committed horrific atrocities against all non-humans, and Tair has a key role to play in righting those wrongs.
Did I love Tair? Nope! She came across as a little bit if a brat, and twice chastised herself for not making more of an effort to get to know the people around her. However, as the story progressed and her morals and beliefs became more apparent, she started to grow on me. I think that’s the sign of good writing, loving a book where the main character gets under your skin in whatever ways.
I loved the use of gender neutral pronouns throughout. I love the way that the various languages were actually written on the page and explained through characters responses, very skilfully done. Made a very refreshing change to simply saying which language is being spoken. It’s a short one which really packs a punch. I found myself laughing and even shed a tear or two! I couldn’t put it down.
The only downside of this book is that there doesn’t seem to be any plans for a sequel, I’ll keep my eyes peeled though!

Lots of feelings, lots of thoughts but not really a whole lot to words. I loved the world building and all of the information that was given while being weaved into the plot/story. I liked the twists towards the end too. If I could give 6 stars I would.

3.5 upped to 4
It starts quite slow and then it takes speed and I read it as fast as I could.
Good storytelling, world building and plot development.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Creating a new and interesting fantasy world in the shadow of Middle Earth—a contemporary mountain built on hundreds of years of folklore that has thousands of similar worlds dusting its stony base, often little more than hillocks in valley consumed by its yawning shadow—has to be daunting, to say the least. Yet this world of faeries, elves, dwarves, and more does feel unique, and it feels realized and in some ways unknowably large. The world-building here was done well, our ignorance mirroring our untraveled protagonist, and so even though I felt the world is large, and understood by the author, there is still a lot of mystery to me, which is fertile ground for future installments in the series. There are whole magic systems that are mentioned just barely in passing, all of which we only can a glimpse of, living with one character the way we do, but it never felt like the author didn’t have a firm command of this world and how much they wanted to reveal to us.

Where this debut really shines though, is the characters. Again, we see everyone through the eyes of our protagonist, and that colors how we experience and understand them, but even with through that lens there is a good variety of complicated, engaging characters that feel like they fit in this world and are more than just place holders or archetypes. There are rich personal lives that we only get glimpses of, our perspective being limited, but it is enough to establish an interest and curiosity. It is clear there has been a lot of care that went into creating these characters, and the world and bodies and cultural ideas they live in, and that really compels investment from the reader.

The story itself is exciting. There aren’t a lot of untrodden paths in the fantasy-genre space, but this story manages to meander across a few different trails, bringing together prophecy and war and magic and fate and family in interesting ways. What does hold the novel back a little, though, is some of the writing, which feels overly expository and hand-holdy at places. It wasn’t ever bad, but there were definitely sections that felt like they could use a little more editing, more emotion and action and less mere description. The other thing that did pull down the rating for me a bit was that there just seemed to be numerous places where it wouldn’t be clear as to why things were happening or why decisions were being made except that they felt like formalities for the plot. The way characters disappear and reappear, and the totally unconvincing way our protagonist makes decisions and keeps changing their mind and rationale, just felt baffling. Not like a confused character in the middle of an unprecedented, life-altering situation, but rather someone following what seemed convenient to allow the action of the last half of that chapter to play out, only for their decision or ideas or actions to change in the next chapter to meet the needs of the next bit of story. Ideally I wanted to feel like the character went on an internal journey, too, that’s always the goal, but it just felt clunky. It felt like there was an outline of things that had to happen and the lines between plot points were never really fleshed out in smooth and convincing ways. It really felt like boxes being checked off as the story moved forward, and the characters’ internal development didn’t feel like it had equal priority. This led to things feeling very constructed, or orchestrated, it didn’t always feel like a naturally flowing story.

The writing was enough to kind of bring me down a little on this book. If you get frustrated or impatient with somewhat clunky writing, then you may sour on this novel a few chapters in. The authorial devotion to the characters and the rich world-building, along with the overall intrigue of the story and where it may go, is enough to rehabilitate my score a little. This is a very soft four stars for me, but the story feels too earnest and full of delight to give it less. What really lets it sit at four instead of three is that I care enough about the story to want to know what happens in the next installment, even if I hope some of the writing feels less compulsory and more natural or instinctive moving forward.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Atmosphere Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Excellent read, interesting world-building, and a whirlwind of a time. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and its breakout use of gender-neutral language. As readers, we too often find ourselves focused on fabricating the identities of the characters without letting the story do it for us. Brown crafts Tair's story in Where the Rain Cannot Reach in a way that forces the readers focus to on the page itself - a refreshing writing style overall. I look forward to reading Brown's future works.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Where The Rain Cannot Reach is a slow-to-start tale of finding- yourself, where you belong, and family.
It's well written, with wonderful world building, but I think it could have stood to be longer and better developed. The characters that surround Tair all have complex motives and desires, something I would have liked to see better explored, though I understand that the limited third-person POV leaves less room for that.
Overall, while slightly lacking in places, Where The Rain Cannot Reach is a good debut novel, and I look forward to seeing more from the author.

Thank you to netgalley for the copy of this book!

I'm a bit late to the game, but absolutely astonished by this debut novel. It's a great fantasy read and is rooted in a universal longing to belong. I won't lie and say that this book didn't have its flaws, but to me... you get into a fantasy book without expecting some clunky pacing- it's the name of the game. I really enjoyed this and can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you, Atmosphere Press, Adesina Brown, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

This world is amazing. Adesina did a fantastic job world building. I love the relationships between the characters. This is a high fantasy that will keep you guessing what is happening. Tair is learning who she is and how she fits into this world.

The world-building was really good, even though it made for a slow start in the book. It took me about 20% into the book to start picking up. But once it does, it is hard to put down.

I recommend reading this book.

"Where the Rain Cannot Reach" by Adesina Brown is a refreshing Epic Fantasy debut.
It introduces a lot of diversity into the Classic Fantasy stories, but creating an original worldbuilding.
I think this new author has great promise for the future. With some pacing and tine improvements this could get better and better as the series progress.
As on it's own it is a relaxing slower paced read.

This book was a digital edition gifted to me for a review via Netgalley. These views are my own and unbiased. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.
A high fantasy story with Tair, a human raised by Elves, as our main character. Tair is searching for a sense of belonging when her found family are uprooted and travel to the dwarf realm of Doman. The site of humankind’s previous treachery against dwarf kind, Doman reveals to Tair a history of lies about her past. Her new responsibility to the humans of Sossoa, the human nation, forces her to decide where her loyalties lie and find who she wants to be.
This was a very high fantasy novel, and that means there are some quite long descriptions of the history and landscape of this richly designed world. I loved reading those descriptions they felt unique and vividly described but might be tedious for others.
Something I adored was the use of different pronouns, it was just amazing to read! Especially in a fantasy – different races had different pronouns and gender norms and so it was so rich. Unique and believable that different cultures view them differently.
The plot was great, I especially enjoyed the travel and drawven parts of the story. They really captured my imagination. The human realm of Sossoa was strange and the contrast between the two places was fantastic, especially the end part which was actually kind of creepy.
I would say if you enjoy high-fantasy novels that are very descriptive and have a lot of in-depth world-building, you’ll love this book especially if you’re into DND! I’m super intrigued to see what will happen in book 2, and I hope some of you pick this one up in the meantime & enjoy it as much as I did!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I loved the diversity between the races and gender fluidity. Non-binary being such a normal thing in this book is heartwarming to see.

Seeing Tair grow and go through challenges between her family and destiny kept me turning the page. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Where the Rain Cannot Reach, is an inspired debut novel! This story explores the themes of belonging, loneliness, and identity. I enjoyed the world-building, and I adored Brown's vision. Initially, I struggled with the writing style, but that isn't a bad thing, it just took some time to get used to. Overall, I think that the novel was great and I can't wait to see what Brown produces in the future.

I received this book for free for an honest unbiased review from Netgalley.

I wish more books were this well written. Characters were witty and the setting fantastic.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Creating a fresh and compelling fantasy world is a formidable task and yet, "Where the Rain Cannot Reach" rises to this challenge with an enchanting world of faeries, elves, dwarves, and more, crafted with a depth and breadth that feels both vast and intimately detailed.

The world-building here is a standout achievement, as our ignorance mirrors that of the untraveled protagonist, making the world feel expansive and full of unexplored potential. The author demonstrates a keen command of this realm, revealing just enough to pique interest without overwhelming the reader, ensuring there's fertile ground for future installments.

The characters, seen through the lens of our protagonist, are where this debut truly shines. Each character is multifaceted, fitting seamlessly into this rich world and feeling more than mere archetypes. Their personal lives, though glimpsed only briefly, are rich and engaging, sparking curiosity and investment. This careful crafting of characters and the cultures they inhabit is evident and deeply compelling.

The narrative is an exciting journey, blending prophecy, war, magic, fate, and family in intriguing ways. However, some aspects of the writing hold the novel back at times, the prose is overly expository and feels more like hand-holding than storytelling. Additionally, some plot points and character decisions seem driven more by the needs of the plot than by natural character development. This can make the story feel constructed, with characters sometimes acting inconsistently or conveniently to advance the plot rather than in ways that feel true to their established personalities.

Despite these flaws, the story's earnestness and the author's devotion to the characters and world-building shine through offering a rich and immersive experience. The promise of future installments, where these elements might be refined, adds to the anticipation and enjoyment.

A particularly delightful aspect is the use of gender-neutral pronouns and the incorporation of various languages, skillfully woven into the narrative through character interactions. This adds a refreshing layer of authenticity and inclusivity to the world.

Tair, the protagonist, may not immediately endear herself to every reader. Initially coming across as a bit bratty, her journey and evolving morals gradually reveal a more nuanced character, which is a testament to the author's skill. The story's themes of belonging and identity resonate deeply, and the inclusion of diverse races and gender fluidity is both heartwarming and timely.

In conclusion, "Where the Rain Cannot Reach" is a solid debut that combines strong world-building, engaging characters, and an intriguing plot. While the writing sometimes falters and the plot can feel overly orchestrated, the novel's heart and potential make it a worthwhile read. This is a soft four stars, with the hope that future installments will bring more natural storytelling and deeper character development.

For those who love fantasy, this book offers a delightful escape into a world that feels both foreign and familiar, whimsical yet grounded.