What a wonderful, unique main character this book has!

The Unspoken Name is a refreshing change from typical fantasy/YA books these days. It has an unusual main character - a young orc - who grows so much along her journey with a powerful orc wizard. It has storytelling and worldbuilding like it should be in a fantasy book: rich with fascinating characters, strange worlds, fights and magic, an epic journey across worlds and dark gods and godesses with many secrets.
Also, unusal for this type of book, it has queer characters and it is beautiful.

On their journey to find a long lost artifact, the unusual heroes take the reader with them and lets them experience great adventures. It really was time for another brand of heroine.
I hope book 2 will be just as fresh and exciting!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this amazing eARC.

This book is incredible.

Csowre always knew she was the chosen bride of the Unspoken One and on her fourteenth year she would go to it, never to be seen again. But everything changed for her when Wizard Sethennai showed up to ask a prophecy of the Unspoken. What follows is adventure, betrayal, and grappling with the power of gods.

In many ways, The Unspoken Name is a story of breaking out fo abusive relationships. So many of the characters have complicated and toxic relationships, and I really appreciated the ways different types of toxicity are shown, as well as seeing them learn how to say “no” and break out of the situation that is only causing harm.

Larkwood’s writing is absolutely gorgeous and worked so well for Csowre’s story. It’s deeply evocative and immersive without feeling heavy or like a drag to read. The way certain scenes are set up adds to the fantasy by giving them an almost dreamy quality. The writing just has such a wonderful rhythm to it that flows beautiful and makes for an engaging, melodic story.

I don’t know who my favorite character is between Csowre, Talasseres, and Shuthmili but I want to protect and love all three of them. I love and appreciate the distinctly different strengths and personalities they have, as well as seeing the ways they learn to break out of manipulative cycles.

This truly was such an incredible story, and I cannot wait to see what happens next for these characters. Tal’s final scene has such an intriguing vibe to it, and I made such a happy noise seeing Csowre and Shuthmili get to ride off into the sunset. But things with Oranna aren’t fully resolved, and the world is changing in so many ways that I cannot wait to see the ripples and consequences!

The Unspoken Name came highly recommended to me, and I greatly enjoyed it. What a great debut! The Unspoken Name was a story of choices and the consequences of them.

The worldbuilding was very impressive; it was on a grand scale but not so much that I couldn’t understand it. There were various countries, each dedicated to different gods/patrons/divinities, who give people magic in return for their worship.

Csorwe was dedicated to her god, the Unspoken One, and was to be sacrificed on her fourteenth birthday. However, a foreign wizard comes to her and offers her a way out. She chooses him to go with him, of course, and so the story begins.

She trains with Sethennai as he alternately seeks his rightful position as the ruller of his county and the Reliquary of Pentravesse, a mythical source of great wisdom. Along the way, we meet more main characters: Oranna, the librarian who also seeks the reliquary and cannot be trusted; Tal, the usurper’s nephew who sides with Sethennai and is basically Csorwe’s frenemy; and Shuthmili, an Adept (similar to a priestess who can summon magic from her god) who becomes roped into this whole plot.

There were so many interesting dynamics between all these characters. Csorwe and Tal both worship Sethennai for giving them second chances and because they feel as if they owe him. For this reason, Csorwe and Tal also despise each other. Sethennai and Oranna are both seeking the Reliquary but have different approaches to it. Csorwe and Shuthmili are foils in a way, both dedicated to gods but have made different choices.

Csorwe and Shuthmili’s relationship was slow to start, but I really loved their relationship growth! Csorwe knows the position Shuthmili is in; they’ve both been told their entire lives that they must blindly follow their gods. She helps her realize that she doesn’t need to continue as an Adept, just because that’s what everyone told her to be. There’s more to life than being destined to die. Their relationship was very soft honestly.

Sexuality in this world is not something brought up or questioned. Nobody really cares who is into who and whatnot. Csorwe and Shuthmili are (presumably) lesbians, and Tal is gay. Sethennai has had relationships with both men and women.

I’m interested to see how this story continues. This is a series, and while there were some loose ends, this book wrapped up pretty neatly. The Unspoken Name was a wonderful read, with a great cast of characters and impressive worldbuilding.

The Unspoken Name is the first book in a new series about a 14-year old orc princess named Csorwe. She is betrothed to the Unspoken One, a god, and she is destined to be sacrificed to him on behalf of her people. Csorwe; however, is offered an opportunity to abandon the thing she was raised and trained to do, and starts working for a wizard named Belthandros Sethennai, who is searching for a holy relic.
This book is rich, and I mean, rich in world-building and descriptions. Everything, including the history, traditions, and political/social aspects are lush, and I loved how immersive everything was in this story. Csorwe is ruthless, devoted, and such a well-rounded character. I loved her interactions with Tal (her rival), and I also loved learning about the characters from other character’s perspectives. The story is told from the perspectives of Sethennai, Oranna, Csorwe, Shuthmili, and Tal. The characters feel reel. They have feelings, they struggle, and they are all trying to do the best that they can with what they’re given.
It’s such an amazing world, and I look forward to seeing more of Csorwe in the books to come.

I devoured this book so quickly, I just could not put it down. I adored it to pieces and I can already see it becoming one of my favorite series.

Our main character, Csorwe is loyal, damaged, and filled with a determination to gain approval from the man who paved a different path for her, one that didn't involve her death. You get to see her grow up, from the time she was in the cult of The Unspoken One, to the After parts of it when she escaped and learned a new kind of survival, with new kinds of missions. She travels to different parts of the world, to different worlds altogether. The world-building is incredible. We see many strange and interesting places, filled with all kinds of people and creatures - filled with Gates and ships, and all kinds of different castles and mazes. It was amazing to visualize, and I felt like I was experiencing it with Csorwe, who was experiencing it for the first time too,

Another thing I loved about this book were the string of characters Csorwe meets throughout her journey. Some she would give her life to, and some she couldn't stand. I loved these characters so much, and no matter how badly I felt like I shouldn't have....I loved them. I loved how unique they were, I loved how some had a petty rivalry, and how even though it seemed like some of them couldn't stand each other, how they still managed to save them one way or another. The all learned the way of life, finding out just how terrible it is, but managing to survive it together.

This is a 2020 release I would not miss. This was the high fantasy series of my dreams.

Two words: lesbian. orcs. Five words? Orc priestess turned wizard's assassin. That's it, that's the book. If those seven words can't draw you in, I don't know what else to say that can.

The Unspoken Name is about a female orc named Csorwe (score-way) that has spent her whole life as the bride of a god, knowing that one day she will be sacrificed to said god. And she is fine with it until the day of, when a wizard appears and offers her another path. This path turns out to be filled with danger, love, family, betrayal, fighting, and magic! (She gets a boy to hate and a girl to love, so it is filled with angst.)

The focus of The Unspoken Name is the wizard's quest. Belthandros Sethennai (all the names are like this, but luckily the author include's a pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book) is after a box, technically a reliquary, which you later learn has enormous power, which you later learn [spoilers]. At first, the Reliquary doesn't seem like much, just the wizard's passing obsession, one among many. But as the years go by, it quickly becomes the focus of the novel. And after [above spoiler] happens, at the very end of the book, most of the book starts to feel pointless. All of this struggle, only to learn [spoiler]. However, the character development because of this is very good. Csorwe comes a long way since almost being sacrificed as a child bride.

It is a journey from page one, and I cannot wait for the story to unfold more in the next book!

This was written in the style of a truly epic fantasy tale. The plot was thick with hidden agendas and violent action, all in a vast setting which encompassed Gates to multiple worlds.

The story was unique, with a few unforeseen twists and plenty of adventure. The take on the various gods, who are the source of magic, and how the mortals of each world worshipped them was interesting.

The story at times followed different characters, and was sometimes confusing. It seemed that new worlds and characters were introduced, and then explained and described more thoroughly as the story went along. This made me feel like I was playing catch-up, especially with all the strange spellings of places and people, and their relationships with each other.

This book took me a while to finish, mostly because, although it was interesting, it wasn't compelling until like the last quarter. The characters were okay, and their motivations were simplistic. Only the MC Csorwe showed any real growth.

Overall, I liked this unique story. I would have liked more depth to the characters to really get me emotionally invested, but there was plenty of action to keep them busy.

3.5 stars.

I was extremely lucky to get an advanced copy of this book from TOR to review. I was not disappointed with A. K. Larkwood’s debut novel.

The cover intrigued me from the start with this book. It spoke to me of a tale filled with mystery and trials yet to be revealed.

I haven’t read such a gripping and epic fantasy tale since Trudi Canavan’s The Black Magician Trilogy.

A. K. Larkwood takes you on a journey following a young female orc, Csorwe. Growing up all Csorwe knew was the House of Silence, her fellow priestesses and the one they worshipped, The Unspoken One.

Like all the other priestesses, her life was dedicated in service to their god, the Unspoken One. That is until the fateful day when the wizard came and changed the course of her life and her destiny.

Csorwe then begins the journey for a life she never imagined she could have, developing skills as a thief and honing them to become an accomplished spy an assassin for the wizard who saved her. Slowly working her way to become the wizard’s feared right hand.

Years have passed and Csorwe thought she was happy in her new life serving the wizard. That is until the past she left behind catches up with her. The Unspoken One has not forgotten Csorwe and her betrayal.

Csorwe will have to make some decisions that will test her physically and mentally. Time will tell if she can make if through and what she will leave behind.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, to escape into a world full of mysterious gods and the sacrifices one must make when trying to escape fate.

With such an amazing debut novel you can certainly expect great things to come from A. K Larkwood. I eagerly await this book hitting the shelves so I can immerse myself in Csorwe’s story all over again.

I honestly don
t know how I felt about this one. The story was enjoyable the further I read, but it was a little slow going and the world was confusing most of the times. its definitely worth the read, just be prepared to buckle down for the beginning of it.

This book was so confusing to me. I'm not sure what it was about the world-building and descriptions, but I didn't understand much about this book, even though the concept and plot description seemed very interesting. I liked the characters, but other than that, I didn't really enjoy my time reading this. However, I might give it another chance in the future with the finished copy.

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood. simply not for me. I struggled to get into this book kept struggling throughout, though I can see how others will enjoy it. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

The Unspoken Name is a fascinating dark fantasy that creates a naturally built world without any lectures on the systems. The world and its context evolve throughout the story without interrupting the development. Csorwe defies her destiny and makes her own, creating a coming of age story of which one of the most enjoyable things about it is the lack of labels. Through the description of Csorwe, we come to understand she is from a race of orc-like creatures, although they are never named as such. Similarly, none of the other races, characters or their preferences are pigeonholed. The development of the story is told primarily from the POV of Csorwe, however, there are enough perspectives developed from the other characters that give the reader emotional investment in multiple characters. A fascinating fantasy, Larkwood has created a set of characters and a world that could become a new epic.

This is an instant favorite. I had no idea beyond the general "dark, sacrificial, orc protagonist" what to expect from this, and it was Such A Ride from start to finish.
Just to give you a sense of everything this book has going for it, let's make a list.
We have:
A lesbian orc MC Csorwe who belongs to an order of followers who worship The Unspoken One. Her role? To die as a sacrifice, the "bride of the unspoken." As the synopsis tells us, she is offered a choice, and abandons that life begin her training as a hired sword.
An absolutely chaotic possibly villainous bisexual/pansexual mage who is single-mindedly driven towards one goal.
An (also incredibly) chaotic, charismatic gay nemesis and bane of Csorwe's existence (and with her also makes up possibly one of my favorite fictional chaos duos of all time).
An incredibly powerful mage love interest who has learned all her life to fear her own power.
A necromancer who has big ambitions and is out to get . . . most of the aforementioned list.
And as stunning as those characters are, they are equaled by the plot of this novel. It's stunning, with vivid, complex world building that feels vast but never stuffy, an incredible pace, and cutthroat, real characters.
Read it!!!

This differed in that it covered a longer expanse of time than you usually get in a book. Excellent characters, well built and not at all difficult to follow along. Good story development as well.

A gorgeously woven fantasy featuring a painstakingly tangible world, a heroine of complex agency, and a breathlessly-paced plot. I devoured it in one setting,

I can't even quantify how much I loved this book. The characters are fascinating and complex, and the world is detaield without getting so bogged down in lore and procedure. The story is exciting and heartfelt, and I can't wait for more.

A. K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name is among the most creative, exciting, and brilliantly-told epic fantasy novels I’ve read. It is an immersive experience that grabbed my attention early on, then grew at a staggering rate until I found myself being launched through fantastic worlds, meeting wonderful characters, and caught in a magnetic prose that left me spellbound. Larkwood has a tremendous talent for building upon the best parts of what makes fantasy great and elevates it all with her own dash of chaos and wonder. Simply put, it is an outstanding debut I won’t soon forget.

I won’t reveal much of the plot and take anything away from the author, but I’ll discuss what is shared in the book’s description. We open the story by meeting young Csorwe, a grey, tusked teenager who was born for the sole purpose of sacrifice to an underground god upon reaching a certain age. (Side note: the term ‘orc’ is never used in the book, and while Csorwe shares common traits with the classic interpretation of an orc, it may be reductive to call her one and limit your take on who she really is.) Moments before Csorwe’s sacrifice, a man named Belthandros Sethennai (just one of a myriad of great names in this book) offers to save her life and whisk her away to work in his service. Sethennai has goals of his own; he must reclaim his home from which he was exiled and seek knowledge of an impossible myth. These plot points alone sound substantial enough to fill the pages of the book, but in fact, its story has just begun…

“You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”

The Unspoken Name is many things; it is a tale of sacrifice and vengeance, abandonment and exile, loyalty and true love. It is an expansive universe that crosses over into different worlds via a dimension called the Echo Maze, navigable by air ships, which adds a science-fiction aspect to the story. The Echo Maze is a trans-dimensional plane where cosmic paths converge, and innumerable portals known as Gates are used for passenger ships to travel between these worlds. The use of these Gates has led to various cultures of magic, races, cities, and religions to intersect in interesting ways, and Larkwood smartly weaves its repercussions into the fabric of Csorwe’s story.

One of the many, many aspects of the story that stood out was how selective the author was in her descriptions of some of the bigger concepts, such as the ships, the details of the Gates, and the Echo Maze itself. The reader is given information on how things functioned, but the rest is often left to our imagination, which is a decision that I enjoyed immensely. There is so much story packed into this novel that I felt that adding extra details would take some fun away from the reader as well as slowing down the absolute blistering pace of the book.

Events happen at an astounding rate. Plot points that I thought would last the entirety of the book were resolved long before the halfway mark. The book felt like it had multiple finales and your heart will run the gamut of emotions. Csorwe remained the backbone of the story, but we spent a lot of time inside the heads of the supporting cast, sometimes for just a few pages, and other times for a bit longer. It was always for just enough time to understand other characters’ motivations, reactions, plans, and the emotional fallout of events before moving on to another POV. And when many of the characters were inevitably brought together, Larkwood shined in letting us view certain events through multiple pairs of eyes. In doing so, the characters felt richer and the scenes carried more emotional weight. The narratives were balanced well, and the emotional stakes never felt one-sided.

The Unspoken Name is the best kind of surprise. I had heard nothing about it but selected an advanced copy due to its interesting premise and wonderfully mysterious cover. This turned out to be one of the very best decisions I’ve made all year. It is an affecting story that hits all the right notes. This is a book that any fan of fantasy would do well to put at the top of their reading list. Do not miss it.

10 / 10

I devoured this fantasy. The worlds that Larkwood builds are intriguing. One of the downsides of netgalley is that I have to wait for the next installment! With touches of familiar mythology this book builds a heroine who I loved. The people and creatures are intriguing and this was a great read!