Title: Fezariu’s Epiphany
Author: David M. Brown
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: May 16th 2011
Rating: 5 stars
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12-year-old Fezariu thought his mother died when he was little, but when his beloved stepfather dies the boy discovers she is alive and well – and working at the most famous brothel in all of Elenchera. When she cruelly rejects him it’s more than he can bear, and he runs away to join a band of ruthless soldiers for hire. The Merelax Mercenaries will fight for anyone who can pay them, no matter the justice of the cause.
Fezariu grows up among the soldiers and becomes one of them. He thinks his time with the mercenaries has hardened him. But a campaign in his old home town pushes him too far, and he discovers what really happened to his mother. Maybe there are some things money shouldn’t buy… and maybe it’s time Fezariu took his revenge.
Fezariu’s Epiphany is one of the most intriguing and entertaining epic fantasy books I’ve read during the last two years. While most fantasy stories rely heavily on action, plot and setting, this book draws most from its characters. Fezariu, the main character, is as complex and multi-dimensional as they come. While he was still a young kid, he went through a devastating tragedy which made me instantly relate to him. To be honest, so far Fezariu doesn’t seem to be very lucky in life, and the way he deals with the tragedy that follows him makes him more appealing as a character. The main focus point of the story is are human decisions, how they can go wrong and what the consequences are when they do. That’s the strength of the entire book: it relies on humans, on people, rather than on events to tell us what happens.
David Brown’s writing style, for a fantasy novel, is pretty direct. Whereas in Tolkien (don’t kill me for saying this) can spend twenty pages to describe one single feature, Brown leaves a lot to the reader’s imagination – just the way I like it.
We follow young Fezariu from his childhood into adulthood. Fezariu thinks he’s cursed and joins a group of mercaneries because he’s convinced he can’t ever let anyone get close to him again. He’ll eventually have to learn that the only way to break his supposed curse is by letting people in again. It’s a hard and complicated lesson to learn, and of course the journey from childhood to becoming an adult is a rocky path, filled with twists and turns, important decisions, wrong decisions and a lot more. Fezariu’s growth as a character is impressive, and because it takes place gradually, the reader almost gets to see him change in front of their eyes.
The world of Elenchera is truly wonderful as well. It has a very thorough and in-depth history, and is just filled with diversity and really shows the author’s creativity. I’m looking forward to reading more novels set in the world of Elenchera. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy, you really can’t miss out on Fezariu’s Epiphany. It’s that kind of rare jewel of a book that only comes by once in a while.
Thank you for the amazing review and for the interview as well. It’s been a pleasure stopping by and it would be great to come back with A World Apart 🙂