Dawn of Wonder

I give this book a solid 3.5 / 5.

Renshaw manages to tell a classic coming of age story in a way that makes it feel fresh and new. There's a quest for revenge against slavers, training in an elite military academy, nations on the brink of war, and a mysterious ruined city that few have ever visited and lived to tell the tale.

The Good: Aedan, the main character, doesn't start out as an expert or mastermind in pretty much anything. He has a head for tactics, but has plenty of flaws to round out his character. The prose keeps you glued to the page. There are some informative parts, too, like the basics of how to make a bow from scratch or the merits of different weapons. Once the book starts to hint at the titular “wakening” aspects of the world, you get to see some really, really cool ideas take shape.

The Bad: I strongly dislike rushed stories, though some readers may find this book drags in the middle. You get many pages of scenes that feel like they have no further purpose than showing us how Aedan learns a particular skill, like how to swing a sword or how to talk to girls. Also, the character development for Aedan is a little inconsistent. When the story requires it, he is a brilliant tactician, but when it doesn't, he often can't see very simple solutions to his problems. The side characters are quirky and fun but not very deep.

Overall, this book was very enjoyable and a strong debut.