Book Review: Age of the Dryad by Jacob Sannox
After something of a small break, I return to this blog to kick off the year (fashionably late, naturally) having started work on the sequel to my debut novel ‘We Men of Ash and Shadow’ (inserts deeply unsubtle plug).
Something I have pledged to do in 2021 is read more. You may remember my post last year in which I confessed my struggles with reading full length novels (see: confessions of a DNF’r) and my love of short stories and non-fiction. So, with this in mind I will now be posting the occasional review focusing on indie and small press publications.
Hopefully this will serve not only as motivation for me to dive into and splash around in the deep, warm waters of fantasy fiction, but also bring some much needed attention to some of the brilliant indie authors out there.
And it seemed there would be no better place to start than with the sequel to Jacob Sannox’s ‘Dark Oak’.
The continuing story of Morrick the Wood Cutter (aka Dark Oak) is in equal parts fascinating, frustrating and entertaining. With a relatively slow-burning start, ‘Age of the Dryad’ pulls you along at a leisurely pace until about a third of the way through the book, when Sannox immediately drops all pretences and goes for the jugular.
The immensely enjoyable Dark Oak served as an introduction to the Dryads, Naiads, Sylphs and other characters that populate Sannox’s detailed and intricately crafted world. ‘Age of the Dryad’ significantly ups the ante, with the author not only expanding the world already created, but giving it layer after layer of new depth, intrigue, and, in some cases, horror. Sannox presents his world with such a clear vision you could almost imagine seeing an advert for walking tours of the Butterly Isle and other points of interest included in the back pages of this novel.
The introduction of newcomers such as Tolucan work well, for the most part, giving a freshness to the story. However, I can’t help but wish that given the sheer volume of new characters and with so many threads woven throughout, Sannox had opted to split the story into two books rather than one. There is certainly enough compelling material there, so it is in no way a criticism. Merely, ‘Age of the Dryad’ offers a lot to unpack. BUT, much like peeling the skin from a fruit, the effort is well rewarded once you get to the juicy middle.
You may have noticed the use of the word ‘frustrating’ in my opening sentence. Again this is not a criticism, and in fact, Sannox shows his talent in the ability to surprise and shock the reader. If you think you know what’s coming, trust me, you don’t.
Just when you think you have a handle on things, Sannox pulls the rug from under your feet and leaves you wondering what could possibly be coming next. In short, be prepared to periodically yell ‘what? How? No, surely not!’ as you move through the book. Warning, doing this whilst reading with a cat on your lap can result in startled-pet-related scratching injuries. Trust me, I speak from experience.
Speaking of imminent danger, nowhere are the author’s strengths more evident than in the scenes within ‘Age of the Dryad’ where the reader is thrust into the more grimdark elements of the story.
Dark Oak had a few pivotal dark moments which were crafted well. Again, in its sequel, Sannox pushes further. When they come, the darker aspects of this book are swift, harsh, and brutal, often leaving you feeling as though the air just got sucked out of the room. Sannox delivers gut-punches seemingly from out of nowhere.
At the same time, however, there are delicate moments of emotional honesty and rawness that give some characters a chance to reveal their more vulnerable sides.
‘Age of the Dryad’ is a powerful follow up yet scoring this book has proven something of a challenge. The story is enjoyable and entertaining throughout, however, there are some issues (mostly a matter of personal taste) which meant the score often changed from chapter to chapter.
The first quarter of the book suffers from repetition, with a lot of emphasis being put onto recaps or reminders of events from the first story in the series. While this may work for some readers, I found that after a while the reminders of who was who and certain previous plot points unnecessary and a little disruptive.
The vast majority of the characters are rounded, interesting, and used well. Even characters with a small part to play often provided much needed differing perspectives. That being said, as within Dark Oak, the speed and severity with which some character’s moods or emotional reactions – Rowan, for example – change are at times a little overplayed with them going from joyful to rage-filled too quickly to be comfortable.
Other characters, such as Aldywn and Lachlan for example, remain steadfastly brilliant in their portrayal, with deftly woven arcs that make them stand out as personal favourites within the story.
‘Age of the Dryad’ is a clever book, in that it is one of those you walk away from unsure what to think. Indeed, it is the kind of story you’re going to want to talk about, analyze and go over in your head for days after finishing the last page.
This in itself should be seen as a credit to Jacob Sannox’s writing skills, as he has created something that not only entertains but provokes. For this reason, ‘Age of the Dryad’ warrants a 4/5 score from me and I await the next instalment in the series with eager anticipation.
Compelling, complex, and unpredictable, Age of the Dryad is – to coin an apt phrase – ‘well met’.
