The Deathless

This was a slow to engage masterpiece.
The first few pages, I was confused. Who? What's going on? How are they doing this thing? - you are thrown into a jungle of things happening and there is no audience-character to be the guide you need to tell you what is going on.
But, I carried on reading. My confusion notwithstanding, the writing is easy to devour. Then, slowly, I got sucked into the world of the Deathless, and the Road-born. I started to see the grand arcs that are possible when a soul is 'revived' time and time again. I saw how the great houses would fester and nurture grudges, and the expanse of things that could happen. Then, I was hooked.
I still want more explanation (like more about the god roads, the crystals, the magic system, etc) but I know I have to be patient. I have a feeling this set of books is going to drag me happily in for the long haul.
I also loved following the selected characters. I liked them, I disliked them, and I still wanted more from everyone. I have to say Sa-at is my favourite though! So mysterious!

All in all, a sprawling fantasy epic that I inhaled in one sitting, awake til 3am to finish it, and I highly highly recommend this to any fantasy lover - fans of Roth, Greyfuss, Hobb and suchlike will love it.

Ten stars out of five!

I received an advanced reader copy of The Deathless in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Peter Newman and Harper Voyager for the opportunity.

Newman's first entry into a new fantasy series presents a world with floating castles which are connected by roads of crystal alongside which human settlements are erected. These Godsroads are safe passages between the floating fortresses of the great houses. Covering most of the created environment is The Wilds - a macabre and terrifying forested area full of unspeakable horrors, extreme darkness, shifting trees, and creatures such as the infamous Scurrying Corpseman and Whispercages. Certain segments of the narrative that were set in The Wilds were truly intense and felt like a nightmare right out of a Brother's Grimm fairy tale.

The elite of this world are known as The Deathless and upon dying they are reborn using a family member as a vessel, essentially being reborn in a younger body to rule again. The Deathless have access to crystal armour which incorporates wings and Paralympian runners-like leg blades which grants them the power of flight and presents extra strength, endurance, and stamina. These warriors frequently go on hunts into The Wilds to protect the settlements alongside the Godsroads from the grotesque horrors of the forests and they are the celebrities of this world. We join the action as a rebirthing ceremony is taking place. It turns out that all is not well in House Sapphire and perhaps certain people do not want noble Lord Rochant to be brought back into existence. The Deathless starts off in fantastic fashion featuring assassins, betrayals, complex characters, and a meticulously crafted plot.

There are four point of view perspectives in The Deathless. Two characters are Deathless (Vasin and Pari) and the third is a highborn mother (Chandni) whose child could be used as a vessel for another lifecycle in the future so is extremely important and ultimately sacred. I will not mention the fourth point of view perspective as that could be approaching spoiler territory but it was probably my favourite, was featured much less than the others and was a really unique way of storytelling. The characters are outstanding in this novel. To begin with, I occasionally got Chandni and Pari's scenes confused but that's probably my incompetence and after a quarter of the book I had no such quarrels as there individual traits and personalities shone. The side cast are pretty brilliant too, one of my favourites being a loyal giant dog-like beast with five legs.

This is my first time reading one of Newman's books but it definitely will not be the last. I will be following this series and reading each entry as soon as I possibly can. The Deathless is dark fantasy, adult in nature yet unlike a lot of recent books in this grimdark era, I found all the point of view characters likable and there is an underlining possibility of hope. It does feature moments of horror, terror, and unpredictability. I believe I am quite attuned to predicting the directions a narrative will take but I was unsuccessful with that venture here which makes the reading experience for me much fuller and more enjoyable. This story really pulled at my emotions and my heartstrings. Once I was a quarter of the way through and used to the writing style, which is excellent - Newman has a voice that is extremely addictive to read, I found this novel really difficult to put down. Newman has composed a stunning tale with The Deathless. Unpredictable drama tinged with moments of horror and featuring the sort of grotesque creatures you wouldn't want to meet late at night. Not forgetting The Deathless who are almost like superheroes with their armour, power, influence, and immortality. There was so much to enjoy here and it's a book I'll be thinking about for a long time. This is essentially a tale of two babies and I can't begin to predict what will happen next - but I can't wait.

This is the book I've been craving without knowing it.

It's seriously excellent.

I love the tight focus on a limited number of characters, it really helps you get inside their heads. Every character is so well defined it's easy to tell who is talking etc. The family dynamics are wonderful.

I also love that you are constantly kept guessing as to who are the "bad guys", I flip flopped between who I was supporting almost every chapter.

The world building is fantastic - one of the best I've seen in a long time. The opening chapters are a masterclass in how to deliver the pertinent details properly. (I fully plan on studying this for how to improve my own writing). The world itself is really interesting.

The pace suits the story - ripping along nicely.

The plot is exactly the kind I love - simple on the surface delivering a cracking, complete story but with a suitably complex nuanced undercurrent. The hooks for future books are there but I'm sure I've missed a couple :)

I'm itching to read book 2.

The Deathless are seven royal families who live in castles in the air, occasionally deigning to save some of the people below them who are forced to live next to the Wild, which is as dangerous as the name might suggest.

In each royal family there are a number of godpieces which allow a soul to be stored after death, so that same soul can be born into another body (a relation) when said body is ready.

But of course when eternal life is confined to a limited few, turbulence naturally arises. House Sapphire, with whom we spend most of the book in one way or another, is showing clear cracks in its armour.

Lord Rochant is between lives when there is a sudden attack on his descendants. If they're all killed off, he won't be able to be reborn again. Somebody wants him out the way, but who and why?

We end up following one side with lots of secrets, a small group on the run, and a smaller group trying to protect them - I ended up sympathising with them all. To say much more would be spoilery!

I really enjoyed this book. The world felt very different to most fantasies I read and I was especially intrigued by the creatures of the Wild. The characters felt real and distinct from one another and the story kept surprising me. In fact, now I'm really keen to read the next one as I can't guess what's going to happen next.