Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth by Christopher Russell
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Considering my love for both fantasy and steampunk, I picked this bad boy up with the hopes of having my need for those genres satisfied, and in no way was I disappointed!
Christopher Russell has created an incredibly ambitious and well-written debut with his Divinity’s Twilight: Rebirth. He tells a story packed with intricate and immensely detailed world-building, technology, magic systems, religion – you name it – and, as a reader, you are left in absolute awe! You just ache to explore this expansive universe (I’d take a ride on one of those airships, thank you)! And extra props for the German references with the Sarconians = LOVE!
Yes, the prologue is long, but it offers a solid foundation on which the rest of the story is built. And this continues with segments told from the antagonist’s POV, giving an insightful yet disturbingly ominous feeling just before you are introduced to a whole cast of young, inexperienced protagonists. Boy, have they got a mountain to climb!
Being very different from each other – Matteo, Vallen, Velle, Leon, Lilith, Sylette, Unter, and Renar – they all compliment each other beautifully, albeit not always in the most loving way. I expect this will play a large part in their individual character arcs as they go forward, where – admittedly – some of those named will need a tad more redemption than the rest. However, they all face their own struggles, and I look forward to following their progress as the story continues.
This book paves the way for a magnificent story, and I cannot stress enough how impressed I am by Russell’s efforts. He has truly set the bar high, and if this is how the series begins, then I can only imagine how marvellous it will be by the end!
