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Jake is a fantasy author from northern England. He works in a warehouse, plays World of Warcraft, and drinks tea — all while daydreaming of a fantasy world too large in scope for his tiny work ethic.
Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Jake Rab's stone age fantasy The Warden of Lies follows Elaina, a cavern-raised girl, thrust into a collapsing world after the Fourth Arch, an immense structure tied to guardianship, fails. A curse on her parents leaves them incapacitated. After a Warden dies fighting a monstrous entity released from the Arch, Elaina inherits a Shard of Nelieth and a mission to warn others. She emerges from the caverns into treacherous and hostile landscapes, eventually reuniting with her long-lost twin brother, Kaze. Together, they find that the village is already afflicted by the same curse that doomed their family, and under threats that include Wardens, a black humanoid creature, and villagers under mind control, while learning to use new abilities. Gathering allies for a ritual to harness power and to confront the Arch, the story sets up a broader effort to safeguard the world and understand the forces behind the curse.
I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into The Warden of Lies, but Jake Rab surprised me not just in the sheer ambitiousness of such a massive storyline, but also in the way he subverts readers' expectations and effectively turns a hero's journey on its head. I love the set-up, but for me, the adventure kicks into high gear when Elaina and Kaze actually arrive in a village overtaken by the curse. The villagers are described with the misted eyes Elaina recognizes from the affliction of her parents, and the village itself offers a fully realized and near cinematic setting. The action scenes are bang-on and skillfully fluid, and the arcs of even the ancillary characters are well defined, especially among the villagers. Shale is the character I found most fascinating, and the symbolism between movement in shadowform and Elaina’s skin glow is one of many thoughtfully crafted elements Rab builds in. Overall, this is a solid first entry into The Girl Who Promised series. Very highly recommended.
