The Radical Child

Of Sand and Snow by Bryce O'Connor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The fifth installment of author Bryce O’Connor’s The Wings of War series, with fictitious quotes preceding each chapter similar to the Dune books, opens with Serys unloading his traveling companions from a wagon, talking about “the Monster” Raz I’Syul Arro and his military might. An area known as the Under Caves receives mention as well, and serves as an important origin point for a plot twist later on through the book. The anthropomorphic dragon-like atherian Raz surveys his troops, and wages regular battle against his enemies alongside the magician Syrah Brandt.

Gains and losses regularly occur on both sides of the war, with occasional trade among nations discussed by their leaders, political and military. Raz ultimately discovers the truth of his birth, and mountains known as the Crags prove pivotal in the movement of forces throughout the conflict. The Dragon further fears civil incursion among his own forces, and his enemies have a magician among them as well known as Lazura, whose past the author explores in the final chapters. She and her antagonist sorceress Syrah engage in a pivotal conflict towards the end of the novel, after which Lazura seeks the support of the Seven Cities.

All in all, despite the presence of anthropomorphic dragon characters, which I tend to appreciate alongside anthropomorphs of other species, races, and such, I didn’t enjoy the latest book in The Wings of War as much as a remembered having appreciated the series during my original readthrough, and I’ll admit I somewhat had trouble following the action and jargon native to the literary franchise such as šef, which I assume is an exotic form of “chief” and tried to make sense of searching the internet. Those who enjoyed the book’s predecessors will likely have a good experience with the fifth entry, although I probably won’t go through the books again once further installments release.

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Winter's King by Bryce O'Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third entry of author Bryce O’Connor’s The Wings of War series, like its predecessor, occurs entirely within the year 861 v.S. (ver Syul), opening with Egard Rost instructing Kareth Grahst, the youngest general of the Kayle’s army, about his faith. The main chapters commence with the atherian, dragon-like protagonist, Raz i’Syul Arro, simultaneously hot and cold, wanting a group of men to take him to Ystréd, although they subjugate him instead. Meanwhile, the Priest Talo Brahnt converses with fellow vicar Carro al’Dor, wondering about how Raz fares on his own.

The action quickly goes to the mercenaries that captured Raz, with a female surgeon named Evalyn, Eva for short, fascinated by the atherian. The young priestess Syrah Brahnt ultimately departs on her own, soon entering the lands of the Kayle, meeting Egard Rost, who follows the Stone Gods, along with Kareth, who considers her the White Witch, with her religion not recognized in his domain. For most of the novel, Syrah finds herself in the captivity of the Kayle warlord Gûlraht Baoill, who ultimately leads a march against the Laorin temple towards the end of the novel.

Raz, Carro, and Talo depart on a rescue mission for Syrah, encountering many obstacles in their way such as a bear-like creature known as an ursalus. The High Citadel is gradually breached throughout the story, terminating with a duel between the atherian and Gûlraht, the book concluding satisfactorily, although there is confusion about whether the Goatmen are anthropomorphic goats or humans that happen to sport the animalian term. Even so, those that enjoyed the book’s predecessors will likely enjoy the tertiary installment, which is very much for adults only, given gore and profanity.

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Child of the Daystar by Bryce O'Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The first entry of author Bryce O’Connor’s The Wings of War series opens with an infant of a reptilian race known as the atherians wailing for emancipation from his human slavers. The main action occurs in the desert Cienbal, where Agais Arro’s family has a good year of trade, their caravan headed to a great oasis known as the Garin. The caravan stops to pick up the atherian child nearly beaten to death by his former owners, with males among the race like the infant being rare, mostly keeping to mountainous terrain called the Crags.

Meanwhile, the atherian and antediluvian royal advisor Sassyl Gal talks with his Queen, Shas-hana Rhan, whose son has been taken in by traders, with the monarch of the Under-Caves annoyed her people are not created as equals. The atherian child for his early days is kept isolated with the Grandmother of the Arro clan, the infant ultimately named Raz i’Syul, meaning Child of the Sun. In the novel’s universe, the sun and the moon are considered to be Twins, with ultimate explanation given to the time system in years ver Syul, meaning Common Age or Age of Sands in the South.

The first chapters occur in 842 v.S., with the atherian infant sparking curiosity and fear among the Arro clan, with an ultimate aim to return him to his people, and Agais’ wife Grea expecting a child as well. Several chapters dedicate themselves to the parallel chronicles of Talo Brahnt in the Veitalis Range, with Cyurgi’ Di, the High Citadel, being the region’s northernmost temple, and Talo having a servant named Syrah, who is inducted into the storyline’s primary religion.

Thirteen years pass since the discovery of Raz, who grows and is able to handle a dune scorpion, getting the Arro name appended to his moniker as well, and Agais and Grea having raised their daughter Ahna. The caravan arrives in the city of Karth, where Talo and Syrah spread the word of Laor, with bandits talking about robbing the Laorins. The paths of the Laorins and Raz briefly cross, with tragedy striking the Arro clan as well as it had before, and Raz ultimately commissioning a twin-pronged weapon he names after Ahna.

Six years later, Raz works as a mercenary, being known as the Monster of Karth, although he leaves the city for another, Miropa, where Raz’s adopted cousin Mychal Arro has adopted the new name Adrion Blaeth. Raz finds himself working with the criminal citizens of Miropa, having many ups and downs in his tenure as a mercenary, with Syrah continuing her journey as well, the book ending bittersweetly with her memory of Raz. Overall, this is an enjoyable first book in the series that effectively weaves its own mythos and is recommended to fans of traditional fantasy.

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