Eleventh Cycle (1) (Mistland)

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It’s a tale about relatable characters struggling to find a place in a downright Lovecraftian world, and clashing with institutions that were built by the elder gods themselves. So no, there are no light and fluffy themes and this ain't no orcs sipping lattes cozy fantasy by any means. The characters are very different from each other but this made me feel like they indeed belong to the same story. In comparison the part after the Seed joined the world properly, felt like the accelerator had been pressed flat to the ground and everything happened almost too quickly, perhaps just in comparison to that first part.

The story itself begins as fragments told from these multiple perspectives, allowing us to build emotional connections to each of the individual characters before their plot lines eventually intersect. Despite the dark tone of much of the book, I found the narration to be soothing yet enthusiastic, and it just worked really well for me and definitely elevated my enjoyment of the book.But, for the weight of what the Seed needed to learn, it didn’t feel like it was matched by what was given on the page. The author does a good job of giving you all the information you need to enjoy the scenes as you get to them and learn naturally about the places, people and lore as the novel progresses. They aren’t typical grimdark protagonists, and instead serve as lights in a bleak and horrifying world. I also love its soft magic system, which is the perfect accompaniment to the novel’s mysterious aesthetic. And despite all that is expected, the Seed is just a child, incapable of understanding human emotions and making sense of this chaotic violent world.

There were beings, Seeds, and races birthed from each cycle such as Xelxidon of the light, Muriya the Protector as the great giant with a hammer that conjured earthquakes, and Kaelu the Silent that brought forth the age of Dragons. We focus on five very different characters, and it’s always pleasing to see a book like this where the characters are not all human. It’s a long book and yet I devoured it, so keen was I to find out what happened next to my favourite characters.With its epic worldbuilding, hauntingly beautiful aesthetic, and well-realized protagonists, Eleventh Cycle is a tour de force of grimdark fantasy and a bold statement from emerging indie author Kian N. That said, there are some aspects like the Witnesses that I would like to have seen more of, as it felt like we only caught glimpses of their beliefs, and some of it was lost to the personal interactions of the characters. While I have passing familiarity with both of those, I have never played/read either of them, and so I don’t have those to color or inform my opinion of the book. I was like you once… I believed myself unstoppable, for if someone doesn’t fear death, then nothing can stop them.