Title:  Sagaman Kessler: The Boy Will Fight   

Author: Maggie Kirton

Genre: Fantasy

 

The first book in Kirton’s fantasy series introduces the reader to Kessler, a half-mortal, half-fae bonded to Ilona, a Dragon-Queen. When Ilona sacrifices herself for Kessler in battle, she severs their bond, meaning Kessler will die of his grief within the passing of two moons.

However, Ilona manages to transfer the burden of grief to Shai, an orphaned war child, giving Kessler time to travel to Dreki Isle to witness Ilona’s son hatch. Kessler will live if he can create a fresh bond with the newborn dragon.  But what will become of Shai?…

The Boy Will Fight instantly impresses as a thoroughly considered and cerebral novel. Kirton takes the reader deep into an immersive world of folklore and legend that evolves and redefines itself in response to its characters’ shifting struggles and emotional chaos.

It is clear that Kirton inhabits this vivid, beguiling world and goes to great lengths to ensure the reader does too. She provides a comprehensive glossary of the characters, settings, and lore consolidated by some illustrative reminders.

The narrative hits the ground running and quickly becomes engrossing. The novel’s main thrust is Kessler’s dangerous quest to Dreki Island in the company of Shai and a fantastical creature, a “Vergrandi” named E’diot.

It’s a nicely familiar framework for genre fans. However, Kirton dispenses with complacency by taking this reassuringly epic-fantasy structure and, embroidering within it a deeply human story of profound loss and paralyzing grief.

There are fantasy tropes but they are cleverly deployed, and Kirton’s prose is writerly with a broad vein of intellectual sophistication. In parts, it has a softly archaic register that perfectly suits the mystical, antediluvian nature of the realm Kirton has created.

The first-person perspective of twenty-two-year-old Kessler drives the narrative.  He is a troubled soul, full of introspective angst and feelings of existential lack, resulting in an ungovernable rage that periodically overwhelms him. This flawed complexity and Kirton’s brilliantly wrought trajectory make him compelling.

A branching narrative or different perspective may have diluted an occasionally weighty read, but The Boy Will Fight is Kessler’s story and Kirton’s ambitious authorial decision pays dividends.

However, she carefully maintains interest and designs short chapters ending on a cliffhanger with Kessler’s dreams and visions that serve as foreshadowing or backstory functions. Ilona the Dragon-Queen contrasts with a strong, omniscient presence, her Oracle-like voice providing guidance and reassurance from the spirit world.

As Kessler, Shai, and E’diot journey to Dreki Island through beautifully realized, mythical terrain, they meet a wonderfully imagined, varied collection of characters. Although only briefly present, Ficus the Raftman was a sinister standout.

E’diot, the Vergrandi, could have been a stock addition but Kirton writes him with amusing individuality and usefulness together with a hefty pinch of poignancy. The monstrous creatures are darkly malevolent and viscerally nasty beings, and the huge preternatural Slangas snake is depicted with particular skin-crawling realism.

The only portrayal who sometimes frustrates is Brynja, Kessler’s bonded mate. There is a slight lack of chemistry between them and, although the timing of her appearance in the novel is quite crucial, she possibly should have entered the fray a little earlier to develop her personality and relationship with Kessler.

Nonetheless, Kirton’s shrewdness and plotting efficiency shine through with a sharp twist toward the end, changing the narrative direction and laying intriguing threads for the next stories while ensuring this book has a contained conclusion.

The Boy Will Fight is a multi-layered, involving, and intelligent epic fantasy that provides entertaining and thought-provoking escapism steeped in legend, myth, and magic. Beautifully written and highly accomplished, it promises much for the further Sagaman installments.

 

 

This Editorial Review was written by the Book Review Directory staff. To receive a similarly honest, professional review for one of your own books, click here.