ASIN: B08RWT8WK4
Publisher: Marley Bear Publishing (1 Jan. 2021)
Language: English
Print length: 1682 pages
Genre: Sword and Sorcery
The BookViral Review:
A beautiful exploration of the Sword & Sorcery genre, Jinn is the second release in Smitley’s Soothsayer Series and by any stretch of the imagination, he’s delivered another awesome story. A genuine epic which to read it is to reach the final page and feel as though you have returned battle-weary from another place and time.
With a style of writing that’s both engaging and stimulating he delivers an edgy suspense-filled narrative with unfolding events that feel wholly unique to the fantasy world he has built. He’s not afraid to embrace big ideas and as with Veilfall his prose creates visually impressive backdrops that feel engagingly authentic.
There’s lashings of action and meticulously crafted intrigue which combine to deliver an addictive edge of your seat pleasure that keeps the pages turning, but as with Veilfall the undeniable allure of Smitley’s novel is to be found in his characters.
Through the devices of tension and smart dialogue he repeatedly succeeds in hijacking readers expectations as he further develops the relationship between Soothsayer Banzu Greenlief and Spellbinder Melora Callisticus with readers assured of another dramatic twist. But a great read in any genre must go beyond its lead protagonists and this is where Smitley once again comes into his own with a host of powerful auxiliary characters creating a rich tapestry of players that are hard to forget. And he does this without losing sight of the grander adventure at hand!
At 584,000 words long Jinn isn’t a cursory read. He doesn’t rely on quintessential tropes, but by playing true to the genre he taps into grandiose emotions like loyalty, treachery and love whilst ably managing to avoid the prescriptive travelogue style that far too many sword and sorcery novels fall back on.
Beautifully written and enviably imaginative, Jinn proves an exemplary example of Fantasy Fiction and is recommended without reservation!