Exile has that classic fantasy descriptive style and character depth but at a modern pace, brimming with excitement and world-building, making you turn pages and demand more.
Blurb: After killing a paladin in revenge for her family, Squire Bryn is cast out by order of the god Avgorath himself. Now she seeks atonement with the father of the dead paladin. But machinations far greater than a disgraced squire are at play. Unicorn riders—believed to be only legend—ride through the land. A young sorcerer needs help in finding his father, and a mystery brews that could hold the fate of two worlds.
Will hatred prove stronger than the need to preserve a crumbling world?
I write honest reviews and when I truly love a book, I start with the cons. Every book has them but sometimes it's the reader's fault too. My ADHD and carpal tunnel were bad, and I have the paperback. I had a problem staying in the book after loving the beginning. This happened with other books, so it was likely me. Then summer came and by the poolside, I picked it up again. Chapter, dip, chapter, dip, and I was sucked in. I was urging my kid in the pool to read more, trying to use the book as a treat each afternoon until I gave up and devoured the rest in one sitting. In short, I think it's me, but if anyone is not used to descriptive, well-developed novels, it might take a minute to adjust. Give it time because of what follows.
The description takes the poetry of old, the development of Tolkien but makes it work for modern readers. More than work. The imagery is beyond what many authors can paint for us readers. Poetical, yet snappy, Traverse paints a picture and then throws the action immediately into it. Beyond that, Traverse crafts seriously flawed humans as her characters who must atone for their crimes toward each other and that is a recipe for amazing characters arcs, particularly when pitted against a pretty wholesome character who sees good in everyone. The characters were real and the human connection, our various relationships with others, was a massive theme that kept me rooting for them. All this builds unique worlds and systems which were comfortable--undead, werewolves, sorcerers, unicorns, and much more--but also unique and freshly done.
Exile, by Traverse, is a must-read for fantasy fans who love the classic descriptive prose but the quick-moving action of modern stories. In short, it was a perfect blend of old and new fantasy.