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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
In R. J. F.'s Darphopia: The Godless Land, Prince Riki Yamamoto belongs to the royal family of Bladelheim, a kingdom whose economy depends on enslaved birdlike toli. When his older brother Akuni becomes king, a decree outlawing slavery divides the royal household as businesses face the expense of replacing their workers. Riki's attempt to remove Akuni through Royal Combat ends in exile, leaving his father imprisoned and Bladelheim's future unsettled. Determined to return, Riki travels across Darphopia, where the Power Omnipotent, once taken from God, is used differently by each nation. His search for a means of defeating Akuni leads him through Fistleheim and into Aimheim, whose rulers remain wary of visitors from Bladelheim. To reclaim his place, Riki must learn from the people his upbringing taught him to distrust.
R. J. F.’s The Godless Land is an incredible epic fantasy, and Darphopia is as ambitious as it is imaginative. Riki is loyal and remarkably compassionate, teaching a Futsuu village’s defenders to charge their weapons when raiders threaten the settlement. I love Prince Tristan, the Fistleheim heir, whose patience enables Riki to learn unarmed combat before going on a rescue mission into the Yarou's hideout. The world-building is massive, much of it revealed through the customs of rival kingdoms. For example, Fistleheim’s warriors channel the Power Omnipotent through their fists while Aimheim’s guards train in simulated worlds. Still, it’s the near-cinematic descriptions of settings that steal the scenes, from Aimheim’s snowy forest to the House of Damashi’s stained-glass windows illuminating its towering bookshelves. Beautifully written and bold, readers who enjoy royal rivalries will adore this.
