LitPick Review
This is the first book in the Sands of Achten Tan series. This volume primarily focuses on Mila, a young gnome who is struggling to unlock both her magic and her voice. After failing to ascend to misra for the fourth time, Mila agrees to journey to Achten Tan to train under Gerwyn, an eccentric old gnome with questionable methods. Mila is desperate to ascend to the second level of her training so that she can finally regain her voice and unlock the full potential of her powers, so she agrees to what could be her final attempt to begin reaching her full potential. However, this may turn out to be far more than Mila ever bargained for within this strange city of bones. Not long after arriving and having an unexpected reunion with a dear friend, Mila discovers that the leader of Achten Tan possesses the very thing that could be the key to unlocking her magic and voice at long last. But he intends to not let Mila, or anyone else, touch the staff because doing so could grant her more knowledge and power than she had previously thought possible. Determined to get her hands on it, Mila begins to come up with a plan to take it and claim it for herself. To do so, she will need the help of some friends and an unlikely ally. But as the time for the heist draws closer, things become more complicated and more dangerous than she expected. Will unlocking her magic truly give her everything she wants? Or will it have far reaching consequences that none of them will see coming?
Opinion:
After reading this book, it will be interesting to see how everything progresses in the story and how the key group of characters will develop as the story continues. While they all overcame some personal struggles during the course of story, it's clear that there are still challenges ahead that could prove more difficult than what they have already faced together. I really appreciate the work that the author has put into her main characters, but I especially like how she puts just as much work into her two supporting characters as well. Sometimes when you read a story, the supporting characters may not have as much depth or personality put into them, so they tend not to stick out in the reader’s mind. The two supporting characters in this book, however, maintain their own presence throughout the course of the story thanks to the author's attentive work.
I also enjoyed reading about the locations in the book. I was able to get a pretty clear picture of Mila’s home and Achten Tan in this first book. Unfortunately, we may not learn much about the elves since their homeland was allegedly destroyed. Unlike most portrayals of elves, these elves are a bit extreme to say the least. They not only believe that their race is superior, but they also believe that anyone that is a half elf should be killed without a second thought. (Safe to say they deserved to have their home destroyed in my opinion). So we may not get much detail about their home, except for descriptions provided through the characters in the sequels.
I just wish the author had gone into more detail about how gnome magic works and what other stages are involved in a gnome's training with their magic. It might have helped to give us an idea about why Mila’s powers react to certain things at times and has trouble controlling it when these things happen. As of right now, readers can only speculate on why her powers are like this until more details come to light in the sequels.
So, if you like fantasy books with a diverse set of characters and interesting environments, with a potential pre-disaster feel to it, you should definitely look into this series.
