Holes between worlds are tearing through Rengas. Firestorms are raging as multiple realities battle for control of the elements. Even the Way, the turbulent channel that separates Nord, Határ and Kemen, the lifeblood of the city of Tyr, has turned.
Kyira’s search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr where games are played & battles fought. As reality tears Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the worlds catch up with her.
Okay so this is it. No, really, this is the one. This is my semifinalist for my batch of SPFBO 7 reads. Overall, this was a tough decision. In my batch, I read three very different, yet great books. I would still encourage you to check out Finnian’s Fiddle and Bloodlines—[Note: links are to the respective GoodReads pages]. Now, onto the one I chose as my semi. This will probably be relatively short, but we’ll see!
Ringlander: The Path and the Way by Michael S. Jackson hooked me from the start. It was such an immersive read, and I absolutely love that in a book. What made it work for me was that it felt as though we entered into the story just a little bit after it started. In media res if you’re fancy, I guess. This style of starting will probably be hit or miss for readers. We follow a wide cast of characters, so there’s always something going on.
The book is told in a very fast-paced, blink-and-you-miss-it style. By this I mean that many things aren’t dwelt upon; instead, they’re given a quick line or two, and then the reader is expected to remember that throughout the novel. There is a glossary at the end, which helps for some stuff. However, some of the more minor aspects of the plot, characters, setting, etc. aren’t given lengthy passages either, so there can be a sense of, “Wait what?” This never bothered me, but it’s definitely something I could see other readers not liking.
The blurb mentions the holes between worlds, but really the second paragraph of the blurb is the most prominent throughout the book. What I really liked was how the plot with the holes crept in throughout the novel—starting off pretty minor but then slowly becoming the major focus. Before that, we’re following Kyira as she searches for her brother and see her relationship with her father, the major mistakes she makes, and how she handles it. We follow her brother who has ended up in the enemy’s army. We follow a spy as she navigates the perils of this war and her relationships.
I don’t have many specifics to talk about because this is a book that I think just needs to be read. It’s fast-paced enough that many things feel like spoilers. I will say that I think this book will be hit or miss for some. I loved it, but other readers might find it frustrating. There’s a section where the holes are just…explained…and it feels off base because everything else is gathered mainly through context clues. I wasn’t too bothered by this, but it is something to be aware of.
Overall, I was a big fan of this book. I thought it had great characters and an interesting plot and world; and I was a fan of the structure of the novel as a whole.
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