Review: Askari: Child of Muralia by Mikko Azul

Askari: Child of Muralia Book I by Mikko Azul

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


An epic fantasy with a conflicted hero.

Askari follows Cedron on his quest to retrieve powerful stones and a staff that will allow him to save the world from demonic hoardes, forever defeat Laylur the demon sealed away in the earth, and heal Muralia the earth mother. But Cedron is an unlikely hero for his world. As a half-breed (or technically as a quadrupal-breed), his people and those of the other races fear and loathe him. His own father, Regent of Askari, sent him into exile with his Uncle Roven when he was only a kid to protect him from his own people when they learn that his Shaeli blood has manifested into magical powers. Not even the Shaeli accept him. They consider him an abomination from the moment they learn of his existence and, hoping to prevent the unleashing of a powerful monster on the world, plan to destroy him if he should ever become too powerful.

In tandem with Cedron's story is Raika's adventure. Raika is a Sumari, a Shaeli warrior, who discovers that her people's powerful leaders have been corrupted by demons, demons who should be securely contained. But Muralia is weakening and their prison is, too. So, she sets off to find the prophesied Child of Muralia, her cousin Cedron, who may be the only being strong enough to set things right. In the process of escaping her own people, she slays a Guardian and forfeits her life in their eyes. All she has left is her quest, and she refuses to fail it.

What I love about this story is the smooth, realistic interplay between the characters, the well-thought out and well-woven plot, and the beautiful images that the descriptions bring to mind. This is one of those books that stays with you for a long time and draws you deep into the story such that the end is bittersweet. I also love how the story is unpredictable, even with what I mention in this review and the description of the book provided by the author, you're in for surprises, twists and shocks throughout.

On the other hand, it takes a while for the book to ramp up to the hook and during that time it's lore overload. I had trouble keeping all the exotic creatures, plants and foods straight in my mind as they were introduced at lightening speed in the early chapters. Later on, some of the lore finally stuck and no longer distracted me from the story. I think the descriptions of Lord Shumar and his three moon daughters are excessive. Again, this is most distracting in the early chapters before the story takes off.

Overall, this is an outstanding, well-written and entertaining fantasy. The pace is quick and the plot engaging. And the characters are likeable and ring true: very well developed.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, magic and coming of age adventures.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating or my review.



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