BLURB: All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.
I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I’ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I’ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster. My name is Ari. And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.
REVIEW: This one has been compared to The Name of the Wind – which was a major reason why I requested it. And the comparison is spot on. This is Ari The Storyteller, who conjures fires and special effects to beguile audiences, using magical folding techniques to control the magic. In amongst his current adventures, he encounters a beautiful, mysterious woman – and this time around he’s the one who is beguiled. She is also clearly more than she seems and persuades him to open up and tell his story. So we have two narrative timelines running – that of Ari and his current adventures, and his recitation of his past, which is every bit as compelling as what is going on in the present.
By now, you’ll be aware that in order to pull readers into the story and keep them equally engrossed in both narratives, Virdi has to be a talented author with serious writing chops. I’m delighted to report that Virdi is triumphantly successful in producing a highly readable page-turner, despite the ambitious premise and intimidating length. Because by the time I got around to reading it, I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for such a long, epic fantasy about a mysterious magic-user. And I was expecting to read a couple of chapters, then put it to one side and keep going back to it in between other, less hefty and taxing reads. In the event, that didn’t happen, because I simply didn’t want to stop reading the story. And given that it’s 800+ pages, that in itself is an impressive testimony to the compulsive pull of this tale.
I loved it. To the extent that I wasn’t even particularly cross that Virdi has the nerve to leave a book of this length on something of a cliff-hanger. If you’re a confirmed epic fantasy fan, who thinks fondly of Rothfuss, Martin and Hobb et al with a nostalgic sigh, then track this one down. It’s a big, beguiling read full of wit, humour and sadness and marks Virdi as One To Watch. Highly recommended for fans of epic fantasy reads the size of house bricks. While I obtained an arc of The First Binding from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
Brainfluff 