Book Review for Sons of Trillion: Part One by David J. Khan
Sons of Trillion: Part One, by David J. Khan, is a fantasy about a father who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his son, and a boy who struggles with controlling his power and learning about the world around him.
Set in the magical world of Talos, magic is separated into three different trees of power: Spoken, Thought, and Gesture. When a child doesn’t fit into any of these trees, they were to be executed. The ones who oversee these executions were known as the Council of Light and Order. However, when a powerful councilman named Trillion has a son who doesn’t fit into these trees, he flees and raises his son in isolation. Years later, a girl named Valora meets Caliga, a boy who has led a sheltered life in the mountains. As she shows him the joys of the outside world, she unwittingly introduces him to the very people who want him dead, and their once simplistic friendship has taken a dark turn.
I enjoyed the dynamic between Trillion, Caliga, and Valora. Trillion is trying to look out for his son, and would do anything to protect him, even if it meant abandoning the world. Valora unwittingly invited Caliga to seek out answers he wasn’t getting anywhere else, all the while believing he was innocent from any wrongdoing. Finally, there’s Caliga, the boy who’s recklessness nearly costed him everything. Personally, these characters reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, who allowed their carelessness to get the better of them, which, of course, resulted in tragedy. I look forward to seeing how these three interact in the future.
It was also interesting to see how the council members were willing to kill an innocent child, and how Trillion had simply taken his son, despite the legitimate fears the members had; already Khan has brought up the age old debate of Nature vs Nurture. Out of fear, loyalty, or even their own ego, Khan manages to show a parallel between Trillion and the Council members; the two parties are determined to do whatever it takes to protect their loved ones and themselves. However, while Trillion was able to save his son, the Council members couldn’t save their own, and allowed their own paranoia to take hold and cloud their judgement.
Overall, I would give this book a rating of a 3.9 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, as well as the parallels between Trillion and the Council members. Although the wording was a bit awkward, it was an enjoyable book. Thus, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy The Hall of Heroes; A Fellowship of Fantasy anthology, and B. Morris Allen.
