The Anatalian Solider, by Rebecca Mikkelson, is an action-packed fantasy saga that magnificently laces two characters' plot threads throughout a tapestry of treason and war, fought on the battlefield and within parlors.
Book blurb: "Liam Fulton wants to see the world beyond the vineyard his parents live and work on. The only option he sees is the Anatalian army. Shortly after he joins, war breaks out, where he discovers a treasonous plot. Will he come away unscathed, or will his actions during the war irreparably change his life?
Margaret is just learning to fit in at court when her father falls gravely ill. The other courtiers start to pull away from her family, thinking they're cursed by God for reaching too high. Her mother, unable to handle the pressure of scrutiny, abandons them. Can Margaret figure out how to care for her father on her own?"
This was my first saga in a very long time. I'm used to "real-time" novels that don't time hop much. I found this book's timeline...relieving. This novel cuts to all the good bits, while the classic sagas I've read used lots of filler (to be fair, some of them were getting paid by the page back then--cough, Moby Dick). Now, I'm absolutely absorbed into this series not knowing where it will head next because sagas can span generations or stay within one.
One of the largest strengths of the novel was its phenomenal characterization. I loved Liam Fulton. He was a wholesome character, wanting to experience the world. Unfortunately, his ticket takes him into horrific situations, and the treason of others makes him suffer horrifically. Throughout, he maintains his innocence and goodness. I will admit, I kind of fell in love with him a little bit...okay, maybe a lot.
Margaret starts as your rebellious and naïve teen, being fourteen, but she has much more fiber to her, particularly noticeable at that age. I completely related to her--well, teen me would've. It was nice to actually see a teen portrayed as clever and bold, who is mature enough to reject the falsities of the world, wonderfully contrasting how many novels poorly portray teens. Even though she starts out young, events and time mature Margaret so much so you love her by the end of the novel, almost as much as Liam (Sorry, I'm biased).
The plot, despite being two separate storylines, is not difficult to follow. You also get insight from other angles and points-of-views which reveals the duplicity of other characters. They are human, with ambition and faults. With the treason plot, you want no one to win but Fulton. The side characters are all morally gray and dynamic, real. Throughout the novel, you want to remove Margaret and Liam from the world they are stuck in. The best parts of the novel are those fleeting moments where the two main characters' lives cross each other's in brief, seemingly inconsequential, moments. It feels like seeds of what could come in future books, a desperation on the reader's part for them to truly meet. As a warning for those who are sensitive to cliffhangers, there is a lowkey, soft one. It inspires you to want the next book without making you angry. I will definitely be reading more of this series.
Society's falseness, war, and two endearing characters whose paths you watch crisscross in hopes they'll eventually entwine, the Anatalian Soldier is the start of a saga to invest in. I know I will.