Pariah’s Lament blurb
When an attempt is made on the life of Ashara, Keeper of Yurr, his young, hapless advisor Edvar must uncover and stop those behind it. With enemies in the capital city and the belligerent Tesh, Keeper of neighbouring kingdom Karrabar stirring trouble in the Borderlands, can Edvar hold together Ashara’s brittle reign?
The troubles ripple throughout Yurr, affecting an ancient race of people known as the Amast, who in their time of utmost need, turn to pariah Isy for salvation. Rejected by society, kith and kin, can Isy guide the Amast to safety during the greatest turmoil Yurr has known since the War of the Damned?
My thoughts on Pariah’s Lament
Pariah’s Lament is a high fantasy novel by Richie Billing (who I also interviewed this week!). Set in the land of Soria, it follows two main characters as they work to find their place in the world. All amidst a conflict that threatens the fragile peace of Yurr.
I was gifted with a copy of Pariah’s Lament for review purposes.
The character journeys are incredibly well-constructed
The book is told from different perspectives, but we spend most of our time with Edvar and Isy. Both of these characters went on quite a journey over the course of the book, literally and figuratively! And I think one clear strength of Pariah’s Lament is the fleshing out and development of these main characters.
I particularly loved Isy’s character arc and the way she developed. She starts the story quite beaten-down, an outcast in her hometown. Over the course of the book, she truly comes into her own. Gaining in confidence and learning how to stand up not just for herself, but for others less able to speak for themselves.
The side characters were also largely well fleshed-out and felt compelling. There were some chapters told from the perspectives of more supporting characters, which made for an interesting change of pace.
For me, the weakest character was probably Tesh. Which was a shame, as I love a good villain! This might be a matter of personal preference, but I had a hard time connecting with him or his motivations. Arguably this is fine, since he was the antagonist anyway! But if I’m reading from the opponent’s point of view I’m looking to find ways to identify with them and understand where the conflict is coming from. I just didn’t really feel that with Tesh.
The world-building was great, although there were some backstory elements I’d have liked to dive into more
The world felt alive and well-imagined. The reader isn’t bombarded with unnecessary detail, but at the same time it feels like the world exists beyond just the parts that you’re reading about. Interestingly, Pariah’s Lament forms part of a shared universe – a concept that I hadn’t encountered before this book! I asked the author what this means, and he told me:
“The shared universe is an interesting one. It generally starts with one person who creates the origin stories and foundations. Then you grow a team of writers who builds up a history and timeline spanning from the origin. Ideally, each author’s stories weave together, though there’s no requirement for them to do so. We currently work over something like a 20,000-year span so there’s a lot of scope to play around with.”
That’s a fascinating premise to me! And it definitely makes me want to see how other writers work with the world and history.
Some elements of character backstory felt like they were hinted at but not developed as much as I’d have liked. The main example of this for me was Edvar’s father. Edvar himself, and the characters around him, reference him frequently. We find out some bits and pieces about him. But given how much and the way in which he was mentioned I was desperate to really dive into Edvar’s relationship with his dad. Maybe that’s just because I’m nosy? I will say, although I felt like I didn’t get as much insight into that history as I’d have liked, Edvar’s arc within the story did compensate for that.
I enjoyed the writing in Pariah’s Lament
The descriptions had a sense of whimsy about them which I enjoyed. It reminded me a little of The Gentleman Thief, another fantasy that I enjoyed a lot.
The pacing could be iffy, at points. I thought the movement within scenes was fine, but overall plot progression felt inconsistent. I noticed this more in the beginning of the book, and less as the storyline seemed to hit its stride.
The only other aspect of the writing that I didn’t always love was the dialogue. I loved some of the conversations, most in fact, but found some uncomfortable and stilted. This is possibly a side effect of the heightened fantasy language style, which I’ve noted as a drawback in other fantasy books as well. I’m well aware that this is a point of personal preference, and it certainly didn’t hinder my overall enjoyment of the story!
I can’t wrap up this review without mentioning the book’s battle scenes. I’m a notorious skimmer of battle scenes. I honestly tend to find them tedious and confusing, but not so in Pariah’s Lament. While they’ll never be my favourite part of a book, I was definitely impressed by how the author managed to convey what was going on clearly, without losing momentum.
I’d definitely recommend Pariah’s Lament if you’re looking for a new fantasy read
And, what’s more, you have a chance to win a free digital copy! Head over to my Twitter page and check out the giveaway tweet. To enter, simply retweet the giveaway tweet and make sure you’re following me!
The winner will be chosen on Wednesday 17th March, 7pm GMT, and will be randomly drawn from the pool of entrants. I’ll get in touch via DM to let you know, and to sort out sending over the copy of the book.
You can also buy a copy here if you’re interested! And don’t forget to check out what else Richie Billing is up to at his website.
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