Genre: Adult low fantasy
Pairings: f/f (lesbian and ace)
Length: novella
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
A brief but ultimately entertaining tale about following your own path, even if it wasn’t where you thought your life would go.
Generally, I enjoyed this book. Lai is a relatable protagonist, although her voice is fairly young for an adult story. The worldbuilding was appropriate for a novella, although I think this story could easily have been expanded into a full length novel, if not two. The general flow of the book, from word choice to the internal monologues of the protagonist, fit well with Lai’s very awkward persona, which helped me root for her even when her agency slider bar was low.
I’d be happy to read another in this series, or even a full length version of this book. I’d especially have liked a longer ending, as the final battle seemed very rushed and anticlimactic. The pacing of the novella was generally consistent to that point, but then the battle with the merchant was over in basically a page. I also would have enjoyed a more poignant homecoming for Lai, and few more reactions from family and friends.
But again, this was a novella, and often one has to give up worldbuilding for brevity. I’m please enough with the amount I was given.
And the cover is gorgeous. Just. Gorgeous.
You can order KEEPER OF THE DAWN here
