SUMMARY: It was industry and innovation that finally defeated the orcs, not magic, as everyone had expected. Now it has been nearly a hundred years since the end of the great war and orcs and elves have been pushed into the corners of society. But in those dark corners old hatreds are starting to simmer!
The BookViral Review: Genre – Magical Realism & Contemporary Fantasy
As a new Orc order rises uneasy alliances are formed that challenge human rule. But whilst the age-old conflict between Humans, Orcs and Elves might not be new there is nothing trite or clichéd about Emrey’s Inferno Dawn. Immediately enthralling, laden with superbly imagined characters and a multi-layered plot that’s dripping with intrigue Emrey has certainly set out to make his mark on what remains a highly competitive and ever-popular genre.
Quick to establish a realistic social system he does so without relying on traditional exposition and on this level we find ourselves taking a headlong leap into a bracingly different new world. Certain real-world social biases still apply in his human-dominated social order but through Dryden, Astanava and Fane he is careful to reveal how this hierarchy operates. With all three of them bringing the requisite degree of emotive resonance that ensures his readers will become fully invested in the trials and tribulations they each face. But don’t be quick to take things at face value because there are lots of plot twists and surprises to come as an adrenaline fueled ride brings us hurtling towards what proves to be a cracking cliff hanger ending!
A highly enjoyable and ambitious start to a series with much potential Inferno Dawn should prove a genuine boon for fans of fantasy fiction and is highly recommended!