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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Marvin North’s A Trail of Darkness follows Zeferti Camden, a newly recognized mage in Witen who can cast spells in silence. During her graduation ceremony at the sacred Dreamen Tree, Zeferti discovers signs of Corruption inside the water used to bless every mage’s staff. Soon, she is forced beyond Witen and crosses paths with Rah’keem, a veteran Corruption Hunter whose group tracks dangerous manifestations across Antorris. Rah’keem believes a mysterious man named Paul Sabil left a trail of Darkness across the world decades earlier, with Corrupted masses appearing in places connected to his journey. As Zeferti joins the Hunters, their search carries them toward settlements already touched by the spreading threat. Each discovery brings the group closer to understanding what Paul left behind and why Corruption continues appearing across Antorris.
Marvin North’s A Trail of Darkness is an incredible dark fantasy, with a world of enormous ambition that brims with imagination. Fantasy lives through the characters, which comes through in Zeferti’s compassion as she reassures Inos before the Hunters enter the Mudlands. Inos has real pull as a character, with her fascination for Zennial cold-metalworking rooted in childhood beside her father’s forge. The world-building feels massive through the way magic shapes life across Antorris. Zennials forge iron beneath water through Zen magic. Phanton rises above the ocean on magical bridges. The near-cinematic descriptions of landscapes bring another impressive quality, with Zeema’s streets sitting beneath palms amid smoke. At Teeme, snow blows through a ruined church beneath a toppled obelisk. Readers drawn to dark fantasy built around magic should pick this one up. Very highly recommended.
