R.J. Barker’s Tide Child trilogy earned praise for its unique setting, and this was also the first thing that stood out to me about Gods of the Wyrdwood, the first installment in his new Forsaken trilogy. I loved the sheer eeriness of the Wyrdwood and the way the animals of the setting weren’t just copies of standard fantasy creatures.
I also appreciated the convincing character arc Barker laid out for his main character, Cahan. Cahan begins the story as a misanthropic, distrustful recluse. These aren’t endearing qualities, but Barker shows us that he has good reason to feel that way. And over time, he slowly (and reluctantly!) builds up relationships with a few other characters. The way he’s gradually drawn into a greater investment in his community helps the reader to become invested too.
Early on in the story, we learn that the Cowl-Rai has the power to tilt the world on its axis. Every time they do so, either the southern or northern hemisphere must endure a cold climate that makes everyone’s lives harder. Naturally, this leads to them trying to raise their own Cowl-Rai to to tilt the world back. This leads to a never-ending cycle of conflict that creates a lot of misery in the world. But it seemed to me like this should have an obvious solution: tilt the world halfway so that both hemispheres get large regions of temperate climate. None of the characters ever discusses or proposes this solution or gives a reason why it wouldn’t work. Since this ongoing conflict is a big part of the world, that damaged immersion for me a little bit. But overall, I was really impressed by how creative this book was and how invested I became in the characters. The second book in the trilogy comes out later this year, and I’ve already pre-ordered it.
Outside of a Dog 