The Fall of Selvandrea Review
Author: T.J. McKay
Rating: 8.0 GREAT
What’s it About? Remember the wolf. Remember what's out there in the dark. Valdaris was a middling artillery captain before his people fell to a conquering rival. Then he fell further still, snatched from the battlefield by a ruthless cult and cast into the depths of ultimate evil. Transformed by powers he can’t begin to understand, Valdaris seeks revenge on those who tried to destroy him. Instead, he’ll face monsters beyond his most terrifying nightmares. He joins with allies caught in the chaos of his war with evil, oblivious to his true nature and the darkness closing in on their world. Full of dragons, monsters, found family, magical weapons, intense duels, and epic battles, The Fall of Selvandrea follows a vigilante’s quest against malice, greed, and the shadow within. Heroes and villains join against the rising dark, and against a tyrant whose schemes may destroy them all.
The Review
The Fall of Selvandrea By T.J. McKay is now the Swiss Army knife of my bookshelf and a sterling example of why I love indie books. For better and for worse, The Fall of Selvandrea throws everything but the kitchen sink into a fantasy adventure that I will not soon forget. Just when you think you have The Fall of Selvandrea figured out…here comes the kitchen sink.
“He’d been played the fool, cast down to die, consumed, pursued, and now trapped with only the dying wails of his pursuer for company.”
The Fall of Selvandrea isn’t like anything I’ve ever read. There’s an eclectic mix of genres that kept me engaged throughout. The different branching narratives keeps things interesting by consistently introducing new mechanics into the world making every chapter feel fresh. I’ve also never been more engrossed and confused at the same time while reading a book. The sheer amount of lore within these pages is astounding. I admittedly had a tough time parsing through it all. Although, my initial struggles were alleviated as I progressed. After the first couple of chapters it was evident how well-written the book is. McKay’s writing oozes confidence. He trusts the reader to put things together themselves and have the patience to learn this deep, intricate, and fascinating world. You’re thrown head first into the lore, with names, cities, factions, and terminology with little or no explanation. Luckily, the author graciously provides a list of name pronunciations which was appreciated. I do think the book would have greatly benefited from a map as I found myself without the context to understand where I was within the world. I could see these things turning some readers off as the author’s challenge is steeper than the usual fantasy fare. As for me, I love a good challenge and found it rewarding when it all eventually clicked for me.
The author not only relishes the chaos, but thrives in it. It’s amazing to me that with so many plot threads and action within each page the author still successfully pulled me into the world and painted such a vivid picture. His scene setting and world building are phenomenal and I think others will be drawn in as well. It has to be so hard to effectively blend fantasy and science fiction but this book does it perfectly. These elements are woven into the narrative in a way that makes sense and gives a greater context to the world. When these two genres do clash together on the page, it’s quite a site to behold.
The Fall of Selvandrea’s character’s were hit and miss for me. Sevora was my clear favorite and really brought an emotionally conflicted depth that carried the book for me. Since this is an action heavy book with new plot points continually being introduced, I felt like some character development fell by the wayside. I was hoping for a little more downtime to get to know some of these characters better. However, the author develops these individuals over time by dragging them through the shit. Due to the writer’s tremendous skill, he absolutely nails the feeling like you’ve been through the shit along with them. The introduction of new characters lead to some really intriguing plot twists that completely changed the game, pulling me farther into the world. The pacing felt a little off at the beginning of the book. Perhaps this was due to the time not being utilized enough for character development but instead used for world building. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but for me I needed something to attach to. Although, once the action and plot ramped up, it had me flipping the pages that all lead to a very satisfying conclusion. If your looking for a book that doesn’t hold your hand and continually pushes you forward into uncharted territory, then this is the book for you.
The Fall of Selvandrea by T.J. McKay left me with a big smile on my face. It’s unlike any book I’ve ever read. It takes fantasy and blends it perfectly with a dash of science fiction to create something wholly unique. This is why indie books are so great and why I consider them to be the lifeblood of the book industry. It reminded me of why The Tome Tavern exists. With artificial intelligence churning out soul-less garbage, The Fall of Selvandrea slaps all that in the face and provides an experience that can only be found from a passionate and talented writer. I recommend The Fall of Selvandrea by T.J. McKay.