Something to Read: "Silent Hall" · 3:20am Sep 6th, 2016
I recently picked out this little gem while perusing a Barnes & Noble in Yonkers. I had some spare cash and I haven't had anything to read for a few months (except of course what I could find here on this site), and I needed a dose of some classic fiction to pull my thoughts away from weird fiction. That doesn't mean, however, that I didn't buy a four-inch thick collection of lesser-known writings by H.P. Lovecraft that I happened across. Now, on to a short review of the fantasy novel "Silent Hall" by N.S. Dolkart.
Spoilers inbound, so brace your ass. I'll do my best to dodge them, however some things can't be avoided.
N.S. Dolkart is a new name in fantasy, and is already making that name known through his first novel: "Silent Hall". The novel is short but filled with excellent world-building and superb character development, all supported by a well-constructed mythos and pantheon. The fourteen to fifteen-year-old main characters, of which there are five, are radically different but share the same homeland: the island of Tarphae. Among this ragtag group are a coward's son, a wild girl, a boy obsessed with war, a budding academic, and a Dragon-Touched boy hidden from the world. The reasons for their leaving are varied, though as soon as they are clear of the island, a mysterious plague consumes its entire population, save for the king of the island.
The five youths are left with nothing but the tools, coin, and equipment they have either brought, been given, or stolen from the island. Along the first legs of their shared journey, they happen across a wizard named Psander and take shelter within his invisible fortress. This fortress is wholly invisible to the Gods and to mankind. Psander gives the group various tasks to complete in return for rewards of knowledge and a free stay within the fortress known as Silent Hall.
The group's journey leads them across the continental landmass where other Gods champion cities, much as the island of Tarphae was championed by the sea Goddess Karassa. The Gods themselves are many and their influence is felt within the story. They are all very real threats or allies depending on the heroes' actions within the world. As the story continues on, the characters bond and overcome the fallout from losing their home and everyone and everything they cared about.
It is quite impressive how the author manages to realistically blend the human, emotional facet and the adventurous, supernatural facet together to craft a story that you become emotionally invested in and deeply intrigued by. The novel includes tough moral issues as well, all tied together nicely by the different points of view and opinions held by the five youths. Depression, anger, anxiety, and relationship troubles are all included in the other, more fantastic problems that the group encounters.
The five heroes must locate a dragon prisoner, free him, and birth a primordial being into the human world to get the attention of a powerful God. The plot is engaging and the setting very well-developed, the characters interesting and the adventures multifaceted, posing their own problems and moral dilemmas.
I recommend this book, which is the first of a series. However, I also recommend waiting for the second book to be published, since I personally am a very fast reader, and it is FUCKING TORTURE waiting for it. Seriously, though, read this book. If you are a fan of fantasy, adventure, or the infinitely more broad genre of fiction, then this book is for you. Give it a read, you fucking douche, you don't have anything better to do. After all, you're reading this.
Have some neurofunk.