And once you get to Rhaif’s find (which I’m purposely keeping vague as not to spoil the surprise), things get even more interesting! When it comes to his magic systems and world-building ideas, it’s clear Rollins is having fun throwing himself right back into the game.Īt the same time, there’s no doubt his focus is on the characters and in the now. This story had the feel of an old-school fantasy, and indeed, once the set up and introductions were out of the way, the plot almost takes on the form of a classic quest narrative, which sees our group traveling through exotic environments peppered with deadly creatures and other lethal threats. He’s sworn never to return home or to wield his sword again, but when he receives word that the child of his slain lover might be still alive, he may be forced to break his vows once more. And finally, there’s Graylin sy Moor, a former knight now living in exile for breaking his oaths to his king. Then there’s Rhaif, a thief who escapes the mines in which he’d been imprisoned only to stumble upon the find of a lifetime. Kanthe had been given a mission which he’d initially thought was a convenient excuse to get him out of the city, but soon discovers it to be a larger plot to assassinate him and get him out of the picture for good. One of them is Prince Kanthe ry Massif, the second born son of King Toranth who has been swept aside his whole life in favor of his brighter, bolder, and more promising older twin brother. Instead of heeding the warning, however, the king decides the bearer of such a dangerous prophecy must be put to death.Īlong with a loyal school companion, Nyx goes on the run, and the two are soon joined by allies who believe in her visions and who also wish to help. Then one day, her gift reveals a portent of the apocalypse. Left visually impaired, she can nonetheless glean glimpses into the future through the sporadic visions and dreams that come to her. Our story follows a handful of key POV characters, starting with Nyx, a student at the Cloistery who was found as an infant in the wilderness. But it didn’t always used to be this way. In this opening volume of the Moon Fall saga, we are whisked away to the world of Urth, a tidal locked planet with one hemisphere always in the scorching sun and the other forever shadowed in frosty darkness. But in fact, the author began his writing career with fantasy, as he reminds readers in the foreword of The Starless Crown, so this was more like a return to his roots! Regardless, I was very excited to get to reading. Up until now, my experience with James Rollins has primarily been limited to his mystery and thriller books, so epic fantasy seemed like a major departure. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own. I received a review copy from the publisher. Book Review: The Starless Crown by James Rollins

The starless crown review