Sword of Dalkor: All is Well for the Throne is Empty
- Elvira Dimitrova
- Sep 18, 2018
- 3 min read
"All is well, for the throne is empty."
Every now and then, there comes a book that I just cannot resist. The kind of novel which is awesome from book cover to the slightest detail in content, all the way through. For me, it usually happens with Neil Gaiman's books, but it has happened again. Sword of Dalkor is written by the self-published author, Veronica Di Dato, and is the sort of fantasy that is suitable for various ages. It is the kind of adventure that modern fantasy needs, but somehow nowadays rarely gets. Instead of being all about the love story and the sexual intercourses that seem to be so popular in the genre today, it focuses on character development and world exploration; on mysteries and adventures; on putting each piece of the puzzle together. Seems like your kind of a story already? Well, wait until you hear more about it, or even better, read it yourself!
Alexa is an apprentice in the Forest Library and she comes from a long line of librarians. However, she is not the kind of person who deals well with unnecessary and frequent episodes of boredom. Her enthusiasm for adventures is going to become in a sense the very reason for all the trouble to follow. Even her loyal fairy companion, Spy, will not be able to keep her out of trouble. Once Alexa's actions appear to have greater consequences than she possibly had expected, she and Spy head on their quest to fix the situation they have created - before Thykall as they know it is beyond repair. If you think their task is easy, then you're a long way from being correct. Whether they're going to succed though and what awaits them on their journey, are questions whose answers you can find out only by yourselves.
What I loved most about Sword of Dalkor is its magical quality to capture you in the magic of its pages and to keep you enchanted until the very last one. To me, characters are the main ingredients that drive a story forward and that shape the outcomes and surprises, engaging the reader. I enjoyed getting to know each character of this novel as they are all unique in their own ways. They are so realistic in the sense that they might be similar to some extent, but in the end of the day, they all've got different agendas and ideals. They all chase after different things and most importantly, they all have their own views that guide them down the road.
"Shouldn't all wars be over by now? Surely an enlightened world such as ours should be spared from the indulgence of fools. Yet somehow that unoriginal story finds its way to be retold once more."
My personal favourite is definitely Anish. He is the kind of mysterious personage who will ignite your interest and who will be a sort of a question mark until the very end. In addition, the relationship between Alexa and Spy is hilarious to follow and again very realistic. You know how best friends would tease each other on occasions, or how they would disagree with each other, sometimes even fight, but every time they would have the other's back? Well, the librarian and the fairy have the sort of unique chemistry that is certainly a lot of people's friendship goal.
Eh, surely I can ramble on about characters all day. If you know me, then you're aware that this is what I cannot resist, especially in a well-written book. Even though it might seem a bit short to you at first glance, it is because it doesn't have all the unnecessary information that you run into in so many fantasy novels. It's not about being wordy. It's about quality. Sword of Dalkor demonstrates exactly that.
To conclude, Veronica Di Dato's debute novel is the beginning of a series that I would love to have on my bookshelf. It is compelling, intriguing and captivating. It's the kind of read destined for those readers who are always on the look out for new adventures and who are willing to join the quest and follow the protagonist's mission. Sounds like you? Then you know what you have to do next.
P.S: If you want to know more about Veronica, you can also read my interview with her in which she discusses her writing experience and some additional information about Sword of Dalkor.
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