Rating: 5/5 stars
Pages: 414
Genre: Science Fantasy, Space Opera
Publisher: Space Wizard Science Fantasy
Series: Dissolution Cycle
Pub. Date: December 19, 2017
When everything that Sam van Oen is frozen to nothing, he barely escapes into the Nether—the nexus between ten alien cultures. The Nether translates for all these cultures, allowing them to live (mostly) in harmony. Origon rescues Sam, and tells him that he’s a majus—able to hear and change the Symphony. It’s through this training that Sam might have a chance to return home and find some answers.
But this is only the start of the trouble. More voids like the one that took Sam’s home are opening up, but no one seems to be taking them seriously. They’re more concerned with the possible return of the a shape-changing species of assassins. Add in general distrust of maji and instability in the Assembly of Species, it’s the perfect recipe for disaster.
As everything comes to a head, Sam must learn to face his fears and control the symphony, or risk losing everything.
This book is exactly how science fantasy should be written. The world-building is absolutely stunning, with rich varied species, a unique magic system, and fantastic characters. The layers of the world are expertly drawn and the level of nuance with which the characters interact with and relate to the world is impressive.
I love, love, love Sam. I might be biased, but I’ve rarely seen anxiety/agoraphobia rep written so well, and I just loved him. Every time he was down and then picked himself back up I was cheering. And that’s the other thing I have to say about this book, as far as writing diverse characters, it hits the nail on the head. Non-binary characters everywhere, a gender fluid character, bisexual main character, and a polyamorous relationship. And it all just exists beautifully together. So, please world, give me more SFF like this.
The best part of this book is how many moving pieces there are. Everything is happening at once, and you can feel it coming to a head, but there’s nothing you can do. The tension is fantastic, and that ending, wowie. I am so excited for the second book (seriously, can I have it now? No? Well, fine, I’ll go read some of the other books in the universe, while I wait patiently).
Anyway, I could probably rave about this book all night, but seriously, just go read it. If you love epic fantasy, want some more space opera and are looking to get lost in a unique magic system. Just buy this book.
To buy it click here.
It's also available on Kindle Unlimited!
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Amazon Page: https://www.amazon.com/William-C-Tracy/e/B01D1Z2MD8
Webpage: http://williamctracy.com/