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Master of Sorrows

(The Silent Gods #1)

Justin Travis Call (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 413 ratings · 136 reviews

You have heard the story before - of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?

What if the boy slowly came to realize he was ...more

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Kindle Edition, 448 pages

Published February 21st 2019 by Gollancz

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Feb 01, 2019 Sean Barrs the Bookdragon rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-most-anticipated-reads-of-2019, reviewed-for-fantasy-book-review, fantasy, review-copies, 4-star-reads

This is a very strong dark fantasy debut that will appeal directly to fans of The Poppy War and The Name of the Wind. It’s intense, mystical and brutal.

The novel is Asian inspired, depicting a fighting academy that has an eastern quality to it. The masters who rule their and teach their ways despise the use of magic and hoard it in their secret vault to protect the world from its effects. They hunt and kill magic users and will gladly slay an infant at birth if they bare the taint of magic. They are a This is a very strong dark fantasy debut that will appeal directly to fans of The Poppy War and The Name of the Wind. It’s intense, mystical and brutal.

The novel is Asian inspired, depicting a fighting academy that has an eastern quality to it. The masters who rule their and teach their ways despise the use of magic and hoard it in their secret vault to protect the world from its effects. They hunt and kill magic users and will gladly slay an infant at birth if they bare the taint of magic. They are an order that appear benevolent but have many dark secrets they hide from the boys they claim to train for the benefit of humanity.

Driving the plot is a strong undercurrent of destiny and dark magic. Our hero (Annev) is being hunted by dark forces. Dark gods want him; they want to use him for the power he can channel. He lives in secret at the academy training to become an avatar of the order. The masters have no idea that one of their enemies is in plain sight. And this made the novel quite tense in points, there were several close moments when Annev’s identity was almost revealed. Such a thing would mean his banishment from the place he calls home. The story took several unexpected directions, so I was certain this reveal could happen at any time.

Fans of The Poppy War will, undoubtably, really appreciate this one. Both novels begin in a training academy, but slowly burst out into the real world as death approaches quickly. I really do recommend trying this if you like R.F Kuang’s writing. Justin Travis Calls’ novel is much darker from the outset, though he uses the school trope just as effectively. And I really liked how quickly the book moved forward, it didn’t mess around as the story constantly developed as more elements were added in. It also contains a very dark and dramatic prologue, which I couldn’t wait to find more about. And when the reveals came, I wasn’t disappointed.

As a protagonist, Annev is the archetypal reluctant hero. He is unaware of his potential. His greatest strength is his ability to question and to think independently aside from the brainwashing that occurs at the academy (similar to Kvothe’s ingenuity.) This allows him to succeed time and time again where he would potentially fail because he has not yet fully come to trust his own physical abilities. It also makes the action quite interesting as the characters begin to work together as a unit rather than as independent warriors. And I think as friendships and trust grows across books, this could become much stronger. He is quite a compelling character, genuine and honest, so it becomes hard not to root for him. It will be intriguing to see what the dark magic he possesses does to his personality as it begins to manifest itself more strongly.

For now though this is the beginnings of a new and exciting fantasy series that kept throwing surprises my way – a solid 8.5/10.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

FBR | Twitter | Facebook | Insta | Academia ...more

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Feb 25, 2019 James Tivendale rated it it was amazing

Shelves: freecopy, fantasy

I received an uncorrected proof copy of Master of Sorrows in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Justin Call and Gollancz.

The narrative begins as we are introduced to the 17-year-old acolyte Annev. He is aiming to progress to the desired status of an Avatar of Judgement in this educational environment. The atmosphere he lives within, the classes he frequents and seminars he attends are to help him achieve this, whilst also being aided by the influence of his guardian Sodar and a varied I received an uncorrected proof copy of Master of Sorrows in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Justin Call and Gollancz.

The narrative begins as we are introduced to the 17-year-old acolyte Annev. He is aiming to progress to the desired status of an Avatar of Judgement in this educational environment. The atmosphere he lives within, the classes he frequents and seminars he attends are to help him achieve this, whilst also being aided by the influence of his guardian Sodar and a varied group of teachers. The issue is that to achieve the status of an Avatar of Judgement, a trainee needs to pass a test simply known as a judgment (or testing day). Annev is yet to pass, although his skills, knowledge and intellect outweigh his peers'. Tomorrow is his last chance. Annev and his two best friends, Titus and Therin normally work together but this hasn't aided any of our trio so far. This is the last chance to become an Avatar. One position remains plus many individuals who already own that status do not wish for Annev or his pals to achieve that sort of recognition. Still... the one final position remains. If unsuccessful these characters will become stewards (little more than servants) to the masters and the avatars and their rights as members of the academy are reduced sevenfold. The fact that Annev will not be allowed to marry his sweetheart is just one example.

In similar fashion to The Name of the Wind, The Magician's Guild and The Poppy War, we have a sort of hero of destiny, an educational establishment, bullies, colourful tutors, and character-defining hardship environmental experiences. Unlike the magic schools of the aforementioned, this is an anti-magic college. The students are trained as warriors (a' la Blood Song) taught swordsmanship, stealth, lockpicking, and other arts of infiltration. Individuals, as an avatar or a master of Chaenbalu, well, their main goal is to find magical artefacts. Taking them from evil individuals who would use them for nefarious purposes or to recoup them from others who are bewildered and unaware of the effects of said rods or magical adornments.

The history of the Gods, in a series known as The Silent Gods, is interesting. It is predominantly presented in a prologue bible-esque fashion at the start of each 'part'. I am normally bored and honestly riled at the nonsense of these sections in fantasy but they worked exquisitely well here. We're introduced to three Gods who were a family. One of which was a hero in how he cared for his family but is criminalised to the world in a sense that is arguably not his fault. Who is the real villain? This ARC had the status "What if you were destined to be the villain" as Jen Lyons' debut similarly stated, "What if you weren't the hero." I dislike taglines like this in both books. So misleading and I guess trying to appeal to the grimdark era of fantasy.

Anyway, one of the finest aspects of this novel is the amazing characters however, my statements about all are not glowing as you will see. Annev is a brilliant protagonist. Sodar is amazing and confusingly mysteriously mentor that a hero of generations really needs. I can happily say that there are about 15-20 brilliantly constructed creations here. Two issues, however. I did not care about anything to do with Annev's love and I believe that is only a tool to see what happens in the next book... and Fyn, although a stunning character, who I liked a lot, and one I can't wait to follow next, his progression did not seem organic. It seemed a bit too neat and tidy to help the narrative's progression.

SPOILER UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE...

Annev reminded me about one of my favourite characters in fantasy over the last 3 years, Girton Club-Foot (Age of Assassins). Both are disabled. Both are probably by far the best at what they do but are looked down upon. Especially in this novel, anybody with a disability is known as a son a Keos - who in my mind, is a God who did everything right, but it criminalised. I guess we'll find out more about this in the next two novels.

END...

Master of Shadows - in our world where everyone is scared about where the next read is coming from and when, and hoping we don't have to wait a decade for the next book - works perfectly as a standalone. Yes, I do want to read the next entry and there are about three loose threads that I can't wait to grip onto in #2.

This novel features tragic and sad deaths, utter betrayals, twisty-turny-twisty-turns, phenomenal weapons, and well depicted disabled individuals. The world is gigantic but in this entry, we are mainly focused on Chaenelau and the neighbouring forest. There are many books that this is similar to but in my mind, this is so much better than The Name of The Wind. This is phenomenal. Exquisite. It shows other novels how tropes should be worked to appear new and better than what has come before. ...more

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Jan 15, 2019 TS Chan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc-review-copy, physical-owned

ARC received from the publisher, Gollancz, in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars.

Master of Sorrows was a remarkable debut which I simply cannot put down.

This book recalled so much about what I loved about classic epic fantasy and yet felt modern. The author has quoted David Eddings as his earliest favourite. Having read and loved Eddings' works myself, I can definitely see the influences from The Belgariad in this book; a prophecy, Gods and a coming-of-age tale of a young man destined for grea/>4.5 ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Nils | nilsreviewsit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call is the first book in the Silent Gods series, and I’m pleased to say it was an admirable start. This book was very reminiscent of the earlier classic fantasy books that I used to read from such authors as David Eddings. The Belgariad by Eddings was one of my favourite series and I can certainly see many influences from that in this book such as; a prophecy, warring gods and a young unlikely hero. However, Call managed to put a modern twist to the narrative, Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call is the first book in the Silent Gods series, and I’m pleased to say it was an admirable start. This book was very reminiscent of the earlier classic fantasy books that I used to read from such authors as David Eddings. The Belgariad by Eddings was one of my favourite series and I can certainly see many influences from that in this book such as; a prophecy, warring gods and a young unlikely hero. However, Call managed to put a modern twist to the narrative, which I was glad to see. I’d been craving to read something that was nostalgic and charming and this book did the trick.

In brief, this first book tells the story of our main protagonist, Annev; a young orphan at an Academy that trains its students to retrieve magical artefacts which have been outlawed by the religious institution. Under the surface though, Annev hides a secret deformity, he can use forbidden magic, and a prophecy states his coming will either break the world or save it. Which path will he choose?

Although the magical school trope has been used time and time again, I still found this setting and plot extremely fun and entertaining. As Annev faced trials to become an Avatar, which would lead him to be sent on artefact retrieval missions, he faced bullies, betrayal and the infatuation of young love along the way. He also faced a choice between following his trusted and fatherly-like tutor Sodar, or following his own path.

Annev was not your typical perfect at everything type of character; he was naive, angsty, flawed and often goddamn foolish. There were times when I wanted to slap him across the face to make him see sense; especially when he was pining after his beloved Myjun. I’m not a fan of romance in books, so this part of the narrative was not my favourite, but I could see that it reflected the experience of first love. However, there were other times when I was proud to see him think rationally and weigh up his options with some maturity. I felt he was a great rounded character and his coming of age portrayal was done realistically; I mean who hasn’t made mistakes or been naive in their youth?

My favourite parts of Master of Sorrows lied within the world building. Most of the story is told from the POV of Annev, but there was a prologue and other breaks throughout that told the history and religious lore of the Gods. Here I could see fantastic use of Norse Mythology had influenced many of the ideas in the book. There was the Staff of Odar which only the worthy could wield, and the Hammer of Keos which could create malicious creatures. I also enjoyed how the stigma of deformities was reflected in the narrative. Any deformity was seen as a sign of a follower of Keos, the corrupted fallen God, and therefore any person with the slightest impairment was either killed or shunned. I appreciated how all this was weaved into the story and there were no large sections of info dumping.

Overall this book exceeded my expectations time and time again, especially towards the end, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you to Gollancz for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 19, 2018 Mary S. R. marked it as to-read

Shelves: dark, fantasy, adult

You have heard the story before—of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world.

But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same?

Um, THANK YOU???? The hero that could be the villain and the villain that could be the hero is what I need in every. single. book.

Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the c/>Unlike/>But ...more

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Oct 02, 2019 Adam rated it it was amazing

A lot can happen in a few days. Just ask Ainnevog (just call him Annev), a deacon acolyte in the tiny, remote village of Chaenbalu. One minute, Annev is juggling duties at the Church with his mentor while training for his final shot at passing the grueling Avatar test. The next minute, he discovers he’s being hunted by a fallen evil god bent on destroying his entire bloodline. Annev learns that he is doomed to stay hidden in his village or he and everyone he knows will be annihilated. And if he A lot can happen in a few days. Just ask Ainnevog (just call him Annev), a deacon acolyte in the tiny, remote village of Chaenbalu. One minute, Annev is juggling duties at the Church with his mentor while training for his final shot at passing the grueling Avatar test. The next minute, he discovers he’s being hunted by a fallen evil god bent on destroying his entire bloodline. Annev learns that he is doomed to stay hidden in his village or he and everyone he knows will be annihilated. And if he somehow happens to survive for long enough, it is prophesized that he will eventually break the world. For some reason, this doesn’t have a positive effect on his love life. Poor kid. These predicaments are but a ripple in the tsunami of a story known as Master of Sorrows, Justin Call’s first book of his Silent Gods saga.

Annev is a struggling teenager with no family, raised by an old priest who has mentored him from birth. He excels at his physical challenges while training with the other boys in the town’s Academy, but his altruism is holding him back from advancement. Annev has both friends and enemies, both of which make his life difficult, but this week is his last chance to take a mysterious Avatar test before he graduates. One must be an Avatar to do anything with their life, including court and marry a woman, become gainfully employed, or even leave town. The boys who fail the test become stewards and remain that way for life.

Although there are only three or four days that pass during this book, there are an absurd number of events jam-packed in the story that allows for Annev to evolve and mature in ways that feel earned instead of rushed. Early on, Annev’s cleverness and physical prowess leads to cockiness and immaturity, but as major events are revealed, and he learns more about his place in the world, he starts to struggle with his own morality and loss of control. Some of the strongest scenes in the story are seeing how he teeters between acts of strong leadership and acts of pure malice.

One highlight to note is how Call resolves situations when many of his characters are at odds, and they formulate plans to outsmart each other. But all of Call’s characters are intelligent, so they usually guess their opponent’s intentions quickly, no matter how clever, and it’s gratifying to see that the author gives as much mental acumen to his antagonists as he does to his central characters. This also applies to all major and minor characters in the story; each are treated with care and respect, each are fully developed and fleshed out, and it’s another testament to Call’s meticulous dedication to breathing life and lore into this world where it feels like no area was neglected, and each component of its construction was thoroughly developed.

The lore that supports this story is nothing short of outstanding and echoes Sanderson’s Cosmere universe in terms of history and complexity. Not bad for a book that takes place almost entirely within a small village and its surrounding forest. Call has mentioned that he spends hours on the phone every other weekend with his map illustrator, talking about the layout of his world, discussing the environment, the history of the continent, and the geographic plans for future volumes of the next three to potentially eleven books. I get the sense that Call has written more background history and behind-the-scenes world-building material than the published book we hold in our hands. As this series gains more traction in the years ahead, I could easily see wiki pages, dedicated subreddits, glyph interpretations, and many other fan-created discussion boards attempting to theorize and disseminate all its mysteries.

Reading Master of Sorrows is instantly entertaining, but it also lays the groundwork for something massively rewarding in the years ahead. It is a balanced mix of palpable action, inventive revelations, and flawed characters. It is respectful of the reader’s intelligence and is impressive as it is ambitious. This is the start of a truly epic dark fantasy saga that is well worth jumping into on the ground floor.

9.3 / 10 ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Dannii Elle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantastic-fabrications

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

The synopsis begun thus:

"You have heard the story before - of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world."

But from the very first page I knew this was a book unlike any other I had encountered before.

Many elements remained that are a prerequisite for what I consider a stellar fantasy Actual rating 4.5/5 stars.

The synopsis begun thus:

"You have heard the story before - of a young boy, orphaned through tragic circumstances, raised by a wise old man, who comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil that threatens his world."

But from the very first page I knew this was a book unlike any other I had encountered before.

Many elements remained that are a prerequisite for what I consider a stellar fantasy novel - a complex magic system, a fantastical academy, religious and/or cultural politics, a scheming and self-serving hierarchy - but all this was interwoven with something entirely the author's own.

This is one of the few fantasy novels I have read where magic is a despised element. Usually it is deeply revered and harnessed. Here it is forbidden and neglected. Yet still ever-present. This creates an immediate bond between the reader and the central character, as we are invited to share a secret from the very prologue. This bond was only ever built upon and I felt, very quickly, how ardently I wished to protect Annev, our young, misguided, and foolhardy yet pure, brave, and relentlessly honest eyes into this world.

The town, that much of this novel is centred around, is an isolated one. It is largely self-sufficient and keeps its inhabitants blind to the wider world. Annev's entire life has been structured by the beliefs of the academy's master, who rules it, and much of his misguided notions, of what is right and wrong, stem from his direction. He is fortunate, however, to have another master schooling him. But this other individual is harbouring dark secrets that make Annev question the soundness of his instruction and just what mysteries are lurking in the past of all those around him.

As Annev navigates his way through his final trials at the academy, the political weathers outside of the town are continuing to darken and I am excited to see where they will take him in the coming series instalments.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Justin Travis Call , and the publisher, Gollancz, for this opportunity. ...more

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Jun 24, 2019 Fares rated it liked it

I need to gather my thoughts to review this.

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Jan 18, 2019 Hiu Gregg rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-releases

I’ve had my eye on Master of Sorrows for quite a while. The whole concept of a hero destined to become the villain, and the struggle of fighting against that “destiny”… that’s the sort of thing that speaks to me.

But y’know, for a book about a boy destined to become The Great Evil, this is a remarkably relaxing read. There’s a lot of stuff in here that feels familiar, as though it’s pulling from or influenced by classic epic fantasies. And yet it feels fresh. It’s just familiar enough I’ve had my eye on Master of Sorrows for quite a while. The whole concept of a hero destined to become the villain, and the struggle of fighting against that “destiny”… that’s the sort of thing that speaks to me.

But y’know, for a book about a boy destined to become The Great Evil, this is a remarkably relaxing read. There’s a lot of stuff in here that feels familiar, as though it’s pulling from or influenced by classic epic fantasies. And yet it feels fresh. It’s just familiar enough to get you comfortable and just original enough to be enjoyable.

The world is fascinating, and though the book is a little info-dumpy in places, I can imagine a lot of readers will enjoy losing themselves in discussion and speculation about the lore. To simplify things a bit (a lot), there were two gods who cast down a third god named Keos. Through various faux-biblical interludes, we learn that in this world (or at least in the secluded village of Chaenbalu) those who are disfigured or disabled are considered “cursed”, and therefore agents of Keos.

This prejudice runs to the extent that in the prologue, a baby born with no arm past his elbow is sentenced to death. Along with his parents. The baby survives and becomes our protagonist — Annev.

Annev is a very idealistic character. Adopted and brought up by the local priest, Sodar, he divides his time between serving as Sodar’s deacon and training to become a warrior thief — an “avatar” — at Chaenbalu’s academy. He is forced to keep his arm a secret through the use of a magical prosthetic, and in turn forced to keep that a secret because, well… magic is evil. Actually, that seems to be the purpose of the Academy: to hunt down and bring back magical artifacts to be locked up.

But where the Academy encourages individual achievement and almost vilifies friendship (along with everything else, it seems), Annev believes otherwise. Throughout the book, Annev’s sense of right and wrong is challenged, and he has to do some real soul-searching to decide whether to follow his own moral compass or that of his society. The looming threat of his supposedly evil destiny lends a certain gravity to these scenes, and adds an interesting twist to an otherwise familiar coming-of-age tale.

This story is a slow burner. While it is laden with promises of an epic scale, it takes its time getting to that point. We spend a lot of time exploring just what kind of person Annev is, and that pays off with a more satisfying character-arc. The characters as a whole are a bit more Sanderson than Hobb, leaning more to the simple-yet-relatable side rather than more complex and flawed.

In terms of writing, Call’s style is quite relaxed and digestible. It’s very easy to fly through the pages, and honestly I devoured this book in far fewer sittings than I was expecting.

I do have one pretty major criticism, though. While there is a good core of supporting characters, there’s really only one important, recurring character in this book that’s a woman, and she’s Annev’s love interest. Now, there is some in-world justification for this: Annev spends his days either training under Sodar or at the all-boys Academy, so he isn’t really going to run into many women all that often… But that explanation only stretches so far, and does nothing for the readers who expect to see women in their fiction. There is some indication that this won’t be the case in future books, so hopefully this will improve in the sequels.

But looking beyond that, I really did enjoy this book as a whole. I found it to be a wonderful mix of the old and the new, and the ending had me begging for just one… more… chapter. I’m very impressed with Justin Call’s debut, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

If you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories, magic schools, and the idea of what’s right and what’s wrong, then Master of Sorrows is the book for you. ...more

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Feb 11, 2019 Mike Everest Evans rated it it was amazing

Shelves: debut, epic-fantasy, heroic-fantasy

Full review originally posted on http://fantasy-hive.co.uk/

The Good: Destiny and dark magic, a fresh take on time-honoured tropes, a world brimming with history, belief and ideals, action sequences that dare to be different, and a plot filled with secrets and surprises.

The Bad: Bit of a slow burner at the start, and some of the early dialogues felt a bit like exposition (albeit necessary when covering this much world-building), but both are worth the pay off.

The Ugly Truth: A modern take on the classic coming of/>The/>The/>The ...more

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Oct 10, 2019 Maja Ingrid rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya

4-4,5 stars

“But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same? What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?” was what caught my interest when this book came. I’ve found I like that kind of stuff. While the book wasn't exactly what I expected, it was certainly a blast to read. And Annev was a gem to follow. I first thought he was around 15-ish, and not 17, because at time 4-4,5 stars

“But what if the boy hero and the malevolent, threatening taint were one and the same? What if the boy slowly came to realize he was the reincarnation of an evil god? Would he save the world . . . or destroy it?” was what caught my interest when this book came. I’ve found I like that kind of stuff. While the book wasn't exactly what I expected, it was certainly a blast to read. And Annev was a gem to follow. I first thought he was around 15-ish, and not 17, because at times he does act a bit younger than his age. Still a precious bean though.

The other characters I also liked a lot. Titus was a too precious little cinnamon roll to deserve to live in a such a harsh place. I love the sweet, innocent and naive characters that you just want to wrap in bubblewrap and protect against all evil. I also liked that Fyn and Annev grew to, maybe not be friends, but accept each other. While I love me some mortal enemies á la Kvothe and Ambrose (I live for those kind of relationship) I also love when that bad enemies grow to be friends. Sodar was your typical old af and secretive mentor. You always love them. I never really cared for Myjun after it showed how brainwashed she was by her father/the academy's belief about people with lost limbs or having scars were children of Keos. I prayed Annev would ditch her ass but knew he wouldn't and it would all end up in heartbreak.

World-building and setting was really cool. A school hidden in the middle of a dark, dangerous forest. Kids stolen as infants to be trained to steal magical artifacts. While it have those common fantasy tropes: magic school and all that comes with that, coming of age story, prophecies about destiny, it's a real fun read. It also made me very happy seeing Eddings was one of Call's influences. While I haven't read Eddings in like 13 years, he's one of my roots when it comes to fantasy.

Also some super random thing, I think the gilded details on the cover is slightly out of sync with the pattern underneath on my edition. Not sure if it was intentional, I doubt it. It gives it a blurry effect, but it also looks kind of cool.

Super excited for book two! ...more

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May 03, 2019 Jeremy Jackson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Man, I needed that. The breath of air you get from MoS is both fresh and nostalgic at once; fast-paced and compelling, it reads like a classic fantasy without feeling derivative. It harkens to Earthsea and Name of the Wind, but its world is wholly original. We glimpse intimations of its grander scope, and the promised twist--that the Chosen One is prophesied to be an instrument of darkness instead of good--is tantalizingly alluded to, but never realized. I assume this development will be expound ...more

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Mar 09, 2019 Izzie rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, arcs, epic-fantasy

I enjoyed Master of Sorrows, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series has in store - however something just felt a little flat, so for now I'm giving it 3.5 which I might up to four stars when I write a full review.

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Feb 19, 2019 Vanessa B. ☽♡ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-reads, netgalley

Master of Sorrows was a great debut by Justin Travis Calls. It is a dark fantasy that reminded of some other classic fantasy books, such as The Name of the Wind.

The book tells the story of Annev, an orphan who studies at the Academy in order to become an Avatar. Avatars are tasked with finding magical objects and hiding them from the world, in order to protect it from their corruption He is also hiding his identity and power. When he was born he was missing a hand, which was a sign t ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Liv | Books to Liv by rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mythology, young-adult, thought-provoking, remarkable-hero

Rating: 4.5 stars
HEA: (view spoiler)[ Not yet (hide spoiler)]

“I feared that knowing we might leave one day would stop you pursuing your dreams. Boys need dream. When you become an old man like me, you exchange them for hope, and then spend your hopes on others’ dreams.”

Reading this book was a delightful experience. I knew it was about a young boy, Annev, born with a missing arm, that lived in a secret village where its citizens believed that deformities we Rating: 4.5 stars
HEA: (view spoiler)[ Not yet (hide spoiler)]

“I feared that knowing we might leave one day would stop you pursuing your dreams. Boys need dream. When you become an old man like me, you exchange them for hope, and then spend your hopes on others’ dreams.”

Reading this book was a delightful experience. I knew it was about a young boy, Annev, born with a missing arm, that lived in a secret village where its citizens believed that deformities were the unmistakable mark of an evil god. I knew it was about an Academy, where Annev trained to become an Avatar, a title that would give him permission to go searching for magical artefacts and lock them away. I knew it was about ancient gods and prejudice… But the dark undertones that Call delivered with his stunning prose... were unexpected and utterly fascinating.

I loved, loved, Annev: I found him realistic, believable and tridimensional in his genuiness. I loved Sodar, his mentor, who dedicated part of his life to protect the boy and train him.
I loved the world building, how everything was depicted: I loved the many entries that referred to ancient books and different translations of them. I loved how much thought the author put into creating a magical system that was indeed refreshing and unique.

But above all, what really pulled me in was Call’s ability to write the most powerful dialogues. Where faith, obsession, manipulation and freedom were all used and discussed thoroughly.

“It’s in your nature, Ainnevog. Like the ring-snake, you change your surroundings to suit your needs. You may act as if you belong, but your actions prove you are not part of this tree. Instead you are a divisive element that seeks to cripple what I worked very hard to cultivate.”

The only thing I would like to see in the next instalment is a proper appendix, with all the lists of gods and magical roles 😍.
The ending? Pure perfection. The rise of a villain? Count me in.
4.5 stars.

P.s. I’m very well aware of the absence of important female characters in this book, besides Annev’s love interest, Miyun. But I found myself not caring about this aspect, because I think the author’s choice was due to the academic environment of the first instalment, nothing else.

Thank you Gollancz for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts and opinions are my own. ...more

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Oct 24, 2019 Kal ★ Reader Voracious marked it as to-read

Shelves: debut-author, 2020-anticipated

Bummed I have to wait until February 2020 for it to come out in the US, but super excited for this one!

...wait. Is this what it's like to not benefit from my privilege?

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Mar 15, 2019 Atlas rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, adult-fiction, audiobook

Every master has an apprenticeship

* *
2 / 5

The premise of Master of Sorrows was intriguing: a boy missing an arm in a world where those with physical scars and “deformities” are presumed to be worshipers of the dark god, with forbidden magic and a secret quest. But mostly I picked it up because I read a review that compared it to The Poppy War. The Poppy War was a dark, compelling, haunting and disturbing masterpiece. It literally haunts me sometimes. Master of Sorrows w ...more

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Jan 27, 2019 Alison♊⚜️✨(semi-hiatus) rated it really liked it

Shelves: between-3-and-4-stars, arc, male-pov, read-2019, single-pov, duo-pov

~~I received an ARC from Netgalley/ Gollancz (Orion Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.~~

3.5/4 stars

(I’m not going to do my usual organizational structure for reviews for this one (characters, then plot etc.) as for the characters, most of the main ones changed per different event in the book, so it would be a bit confusing since some were important, then not and so on.)

What I liked:
- The main aspect I liked about this book was that the story moved at a rea/>/> ...more

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Jun 18, 2019 Bridget rated it it was ok

Okay quick disclaimer: I am actually only half way through this book, but I am bored and felt like writing yet another book review.
Look, this book has been alright so far. However, whilst there are many "world-building" (wow fancy term) elements that I really like in this book (all that good master/apprentice shit, magical artefacts WHICH I AM ABSOLUTE SUCKER FOR), I fucking hate the protagonist.
Story time:
After watching the season finale of the Bachelor, and Richie chose Alex Okay quick disclaimer: I am actually only half way through this book, but I am bored and felt like writing yet another book review.
Look, this book has been alright so far. However, whilst there are many "world-building" (wow fancy term) elements that I really like in this book (all that good master/apprentice shit, magical artefacts WHICH I AM ABSOLUTE SUCKER FOR), I fucking hate the protagonist.
Story time:
After watching the season finale of the Bachelor, and Richie chose Alex instead of Nikki (who was obviously the better/more genuine person), my mum wisely said to me 'men think with their dicks'.
I think this perfectly encapsulates Annev, who is obsessed with this chick for no reason. They have nothing in common, no chemistry, they hardly see each other... yet they are iN LoVe? Furthermore, the chick that he likes is a complete two-dimensional dumbass who repeats anything she hears from her father (who is a bit of a dickhead). I am really pissed about her characterisation, because it seems to be another case of male authors portraying female characters in a way that fits the 'dumb-blonde' stereotype.

Anyway, enough of that for now.
The other main problem that I have with Annev, is how... how... how nice he is??? That was a really bad way to write that haha.
Okay, so the thing is, the blurb of the book is all like 'This is Annev, a guy who wants to become an AVATAR more that ANYTHING else in the story, and he will let NOTHING get in his way from reaching his dreams.' But in reality, Annev keeps passing off the opportunity to become a avatar, because he is all like:
friendship
teamwork
wow I'm so nice
If Annev really wanted to become an avatar, he could have done so long ago, instead of wasting the opportunities that he has to be an avatar, by helping his friends rather than himself. Look, I get the 'life lesson' of teamwork that the author is trying to teach his readers, but real talk: it is SOOOOO CRINGEY OMG IT NEEDS TO STAWP.

But the worst thing of all is that I paid TWENTY FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS FOR THIS BOOK. TWENTY FIVE! WTF! Why did I buy a book that exceeded my $20 per book budget? Why did I waste so much money on a shitty novel? Why didn't I just buy the next Nevernight book instead?

Guys, if you learnt anything in this review, please stay in school... and don't read this book.
Peace out. ...more

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Mar 27, 2019 Kirsti rated it it was ok

Shelves: owned

This SOUNDED on paper like something I'd really enjoy, but in reality it was far from the case. I felt like this was too long, too drawn out and by the end I couldn't wait to finish. The funny thing is, there was plenty of action in the mean time; probably too much. Annev is always competing, fighting, discovering and the whole thing felt exhausting. At first, I was waiting for him to FINALLY achieve his life goal of becoming an avatar. (view spoiler) ...more

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Jan 25, 2019 Andy Angel rated it it was amazing

Some great ideas here and more than a few WTF did i just read moments too. Reminded me a lot of David Eddings, Robert Jordan etc but also, so much more than that. There is a rich history of Gods, Younger Gods, prophecy which makes for a quite delicious read and the idea that our hero is 'destined to be a villain' (from the ARC copy cover) makes for a different spin on things.

I'll post a more detailed review nearer to release date in February but until then i have one question...
...more

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Apr 07, 2018 Justin Call rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

MASTER OF SORROWS REVIEW

This is my debut fantasy novel. It's already been released for most of the world, but it will launch in the USA and Canada this coming February ... and I'm going to tell you my seven reasons why I think it deserves 5 stars.

(1) Because I'm the author and I want to keep writing more books!

(I mean, let's be frank, right?) Good ratings encourages people to buy books, and people buying my books means my publishers pay me to write more books. It's simple math. I wa/>(1) ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Raquel Flockhart marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2019-releases, arc, adult, fantasy

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Apr 02, 2019 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, netgalley, magic, coming-of-age

Well, damn. This felt like a book and a half. Yes, at 400+ pages, once I finished it felt like I had read a 800+ page book. Why? Because so much happened Yeeees, I have to admit, for me it sliiiiightly felt infodumpey in a few parts whilst reading but all in all, by the end I felt sated by this first book in The Silent Gods series.

It has been a while since I last read a fantasy title where magic is a big, bloody NO!-NO!. Basically, there is an ‘order’ of Masters who make sure that all of the ma Well, damn. This felt like a book and a half. Yes, at 400+ pages, once I finished it felt like I had read a 800+ page book. Why? Because so much happened Yeeees, I have to admit, for me it sliiiiightly felt infodumpey in a few parts whilst reading but all in all, by the end I felt sated by this first book in The Silent Gods series.

It has been a while since I last read a fantasy title where magic is a big, bloody NO!-NO!. Basically, there is an ‘order’ of Masters who make sure that all of the magical artefacts are collected and hidden away from any kind of use and that anyone who has the marks of being any bit magical (like our protagonist’s missing below elbow arm) would be eliminated pretty much at sight. These are the kind of Masters that kill first and asks questions later. These are the kind of Masters that run the Academy who train young boys (there is also the female equivalent) to protect the world. Quite a black and white world. So- magic=bad, missing limbs=bad. What a tw*t of an unfair world!

Annev, our young protagonist that I mentioned above, is doubly doomed because not only does he have a missing arm, he has another secret- which shall not be mentioned here. What does this mean for Annev? Well, he doesn’t have a lot of choice but he tries. Tutored by a priestly Master, Annev gets by and his future at the Academy is looking OK. He has one more chance left to pass the test to advance from his Acolyte status to a Master status. He has a chance at a girl – OOoOOOOOOh! But, I mean, you can imagine the dilemmas already with the secrets he has to hide, the secrets even HE doesn’t yet know (but will come to daylight). Plus, if you have a bunch of young men, there will be an abundance of egos and there’s always this one arse who enjoys showing force and power over others.

And thus happens, as scripted, doobies will hit the fan and everything starts to unravel. dun-dun-duuuunnnn…

Master of Sorrows is a solid, strong story that spares no detail. The whole book just made me think: now, this is a book that I feel the author really enjoyed writing. It is a fruit of love and labour!One can tell. It’s methodical and interesting and everything is thought through. A full picture. No confusion. The pace is steady- it stops on certain scenes longer than is really necessary BUT… but, but, but… it is an adventure. And boy, I can only imagine how full on things are going to get in the next instalment! Can’t wait!

The setting was interesting and the conflicts kept rolling the story forward. I was constantly trying to think ahead at the possible scenarios and outcomes following certain scenes and I think I was quite often missing the mark.

Basically, the good fantasy readers over at Goodreads have provided some really good reviews to entice you more expertly on the undertones and inner-workings of Master of Sorrows so do head on over and get the validation you need to give this book a try. I sure am happy and grateful I was approved for this eARC. ...more

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Mar 09, 2019 Unseen Library rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I received a copy of Master of Sorrows from Hachette Australia to review.

Rating of 4.5.

I have been looking forward to reading and reviewing Master of Sorrows for a while now. I previously mentioned this book in one of my Waiting on Wednesday articles, which got a fair amount of attention, which I took as a sign of some interest from the general fantasy fandom. The intriguing-sounding plot also made me extremely eager to check this book out, so I was very happy when I rece I received a copy of Master of Sorrows from Hachette Australia to review.

Rating of 4.5.

I have been looking forward to reading and reviewing Master of Sorrows for a while now. I previously mentioned this book in one of my Waiting on Wednesday articles, which got a fair amount of attention, which I took as a sign of some interest from the general fantasy fandom. The intriguing-sounding plot also made me extremely eager to check this book out, so I was very happy when I received a copy of it from Hachette Australia. In the end I found Master of Sorrows to be a terrific piece of fantasy fiction and an outstanding debut from first-time author Justin Call.

The world of Luquatra has known much chaos and turmoil throughout its long history as three elder gods and their followers have battled for supremacy. But now with the dark god Keos banished from the land, the greatest concern for many is the presence of magic. The ancient and hidden Academy of Chaenbalu has long been a bastion against all things magic and will go to extreme lengths to achieve its primary objective of finding and containing the vast number of magical artefacts scattered throughout Luquatra. No artefact, no matter its strength or intended purpose, can be allowed to remain outside the control of the Academy, as even those artefacts created for good can be used for great evil.

In order to fulfil this sacred work, the Academy trains all the children of Chaenbula in the arts of combat and magical detection. Only the best students will become Avatars, warrior thieves capable of infiltrating any location and making away with the hidden artefacts. Most importantly, an Avatar is trained to resist the lure of magic and the corruption of Keos.

Annev de Breth has always dreamed of becoming an Avatar and is determined to pass the Academy’s tests. However, Annev is different from every other student at the Academy; trained by the town’s mysterious priest, Annev has an affinity for magic and hides a secret disfigurement that would see him immediately put to death. Caught between the warring ideologies of the man who raised him and the head of the Academy, Annev needs to decide what kind of man he wants to be while navigating the complex politics of Chaenbalu. But ancient powers are rising from the past, and it soon becomes apparent that Annev might not be the hero of this story; instead, he may be the man destined to unleash Keos once more upon Luquatra.

To see the full review check out the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/03/09/...

An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 7 March 2019:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/03/09/...

Or visit my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/ ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 gelowmichael rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, 4-stars, fantasy, 2019-reads

4/5 stars
In stores February 21, 2019

And I am deciding to dive into fantasy and thanks to the publisher that I got accepted with this ARC and to the Novel Notions group who got me hype with this whole new series!

The way that a fantasy submerged you with a vast and wide range of imagination will make you focus more on every detail that the book wants you to invest in. While reading this book, I got this LOTR vibe setting mixed with An Ember in the Ashes. And this makes me more excited about/>In ...more

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Feb 17, 2019 Jenniely rated it it was amazing

Hi friends! I am so excited to be opening up this blog tour and sharing my review of Justin Call’s debut, Master of Sorrows!

❝What if you were destined to be a villain?❞

I honestly LOVED this book so much. A dark fantasy to rival Name of the Wind, Annev faces adversity and his own destiny. I was hooked in straight away and could not put this book down. The world building was on FIRE and I can’t wait to read more from this series.

As always this review will be spo ...more

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Feb 18, 2019 BookSteff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm not going to do my normal synopsis summery before delving into this, because quite frankly the less you know the better!

Do you know those books, that make you want to forgo sleep? The ones that have you in that state of indecision to devour it in a day or savour it slowly? Master of Sorrows by Justin Call is one of those books! Hands down a beautifully written, and well constructed fantasy that is not to be missed.

This book was without a doubt epic! It had all the amazing feels ...more

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Jan 10, 2019 Lucy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher, Orion, for providing me a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book was great, it had magic, great world building and it was action packed!

I will say this book does sort of throw you in and you figure things out as you read. Even after reading it I had so many questions which should be cleared up in the next books. The book has its own history which links in to what is happening. The book also has a couple of parts or extracts abo Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher, Orion, for providing me a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book was great, it had magic, great world building and it was action packed!

I will say this book does sort of throw you in and you figure things out as you read. Even after reading it I had so many questions which should be cleared up in the next books. The book has its own history which links in to what is happening. The book also has a couple of parts or extracts about the gods of the world. There are three gods and Keos is the 'bad' one. There is also Oder and his sister who are the 'good' gods. The world is based around these gods. It has a religion that follows them and prophesies which is woven throughout the book.

It begins with a birth, this child is missing an arm and so they believe he is the son of Keos. They try to kill the baby and they do kill his parents because they believe Keos is the devil like figure. The action begins in the prologue and I have to say this book does start as it means to go on. It times jumps and now the boy from the prologue is training at the academy to become a avatar. The academy believe magic is evil and annev questions this. The trials were fun to read and I loved that Annev wanted to work with people rather than trying to do it on his own. Annev wants to become an avatar and he wants to get the girl but he doesn't want to disappoint Sodor who raised him. He has to go through so much; trials, a test set by Tason, fighting a witch, learning the truth about himself and prophecy from Sodor, his duties at the academy, rivals and things just keep going wrong. The academy is attacked and he has to fight with one arm which reveals him as a 'son of Keos'. Even at the end I feel Annev is going to go through a lot more as the epilogue sets it up.

The writing flows really well and I found the action sequences to be exciting. I really loved how it was written. I loved the mentor-son relationship between Sodor and Annev. If you like high fantasy with good characters and great world building then you will like this book.

The Characters! There are so many amazing characters in this book, it would take too long to list them all.

Sodor - He is a magic priest, has the gift of Odor and he is Annev's guardian. He follows the true religion of Odor and he believes in Annev. He is there for Annev and wants him to be happy. Sodor was probably my favourite character.

Annev - Annev is the main character. He goes through so much, realises a lot and has to figure out a lot for himself. I loved that he always tried to follow his heart and didn't compromise his morals.

Myjun - she is the girl Annev loves, she is the daughter of Tosan and believes her father that if anyone is scared or missing a limb they are a son of Keos and are evil. I didn't really like her because of that.

Sraon - is the village blacksmith. He is a friend to Annev and Sodor. The rest of the village don't trust him because he is scared. He always helps Annev when he needs it and I hope to see more of him in the next book. ...more

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Feb 13, 2019 BookSteff rated it it was amazing

Review to come, I can't wait to talk about this 🤗 stay tuned 😉!

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About Justin Travis Call

Justin Travis Call

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Justin Call graduated from Harvard University in 2012 with a Master's in Literature and Creative Writing. He has studied fantasy literature for almost two decades and is the author of Master of Sorrows, Book 1 of The Silent Gods tetralogy. Justin is also the CEO of Broomstick Monkey Games and co-designer of the games Imperial Harvest, Royal Strawberries, Royal Scum, and 8 Kingdoms. He currently li ...more