The Unspoken Name is a lesson in why beautiful prose just isn’t enough. This is a gorgeous story. It’s written in a vivid (albeit sometimes confusing language) with lots of world building and depth. A. K. Larkwood takes us on an elaborate, lengthy journey where years pass by allowing our characters to grow and change. There is a tension held just below the surface of the story that keeps you flipping pages and wanting to scream at characters to just do things (like kiss, even though the romance is subtle in this)! And yet I didn’t care about a single one of the people in the story; and thus the proof that beautiful prose and an elaborate fantasy story just aren’t enough.

Subpar Characters
I want to say I cared about our leading gal Csorwe, or the mage that saves her, or any of the numerous people they encounter over the years in this book; but I just didn’t. The opening (Part I and Part II) are interesting enough as we are learning the world (or if you’re me being confused by how the Maze works), encountering new religions, trying to decipher how to say things (there is a pronunciation guide at the start), and keep everything straight (there is also a cast of characters at the start). However as the book progress past those first 100 or so pages and Csorwe ages, develops her skills at being a thief, a spy and an assassin, I came to realize that she could live or die and I kind of didn’t care. The only reason to keep her around was that she was our main character and the story revolved around her.

Remote Location
A second critical error that Larkwood makes here is taking us from a vibrant, exciting small town with thieves, assassins, magic, competing religions and more; into a remote, boring planet with only 2 other people on it besides our leading lady and her perpetual (it seems) shadow of a partner (that she loves to hate). It was like going from Coruscant or Cloud City to Tatooine or Hoth; instead of the other way around. It just doesn’t have enough depth and excitement (no matter what monsters or magic are thrown at our characters) to compete with the cute little town we encounter early on in the story.

Debut Novel
It is worth noting that this is a debut fantasy novel. And so for a first publication in fantasy it is actually quite good. But to stand-up next to the many amazing novels written in fantasy over the last 20 years (or even just 10) there is more substance and emotional tie needed to the characters. The world, the magic, the fighting, the religion, and the constructs of society are all good enough to create a series from that is robust. I’m not opposed to reading the next of Larkwood’s books in this land as it is a very intriguing place (especially the Maze!); but I’d like to see Larkwood move into more of the grim dark genre that she teases with. A little more depth in the writing and substance are needed; and perhaps a bit more thought into some of the odd metaphors, similes, etc. are needed. This one in particular made me actually laugh out loud.
“He was white as a ghost, one-eyed, and handsome in the style of a shark.”
Not only did I laugh because I have no idea what it means; but because I couldn’t stop thinking of Chandler on Friends and his shark fetish!

Overall
I did appreciate that The Unspoken Name didn't have a huge cliffhanger ending, and so if you wanted to try it out and not continue you’ll feel like you read a complete story. This is an interesting choice in a genre where large series are common. Many desire for stand-alone books (including myself) and yet when you put so much heart and time into the world developing it seems a shame to only use it once; and so I’m glad there will be more books and hope that Larkwood improves on what is a decent start.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

An interesting debut fantasy that will also please science fiction/space opera fans. Looking forward to the next in the series.

I liked the premise, not so much the execution.
I didn't finish it because I didn't get invested enough. The excitement just wasn't there.
Maybe it's not my cup of tea as some say.
Hope others enjoy it though.


Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

**Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley

I don't think I've ever read strong female characters like the one in A.K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name

The story screams BDE coming from Csorwe (pronounced ksor-way, rhymes with doorway) and Shuthmili. I loved the relationship between them, the diversity of characters, and the originality of their backstories and the whole world-building.

Normally, when being introduced to a new world and setting, I find myself longing to a map or a general setting illustrated to quite understand where things were happening, but when reading this book, I didn't feel the need to; Lookwood had done a great job describing the setting, the change of location, the atmosphere, that it felt so real whenever I closed my eyes.

One thing I wished it was improved was the pace in some chapters. I felt myself losing focus because some parts of the book were stretched, but overall, I really enjoyed the fighting bits and the description of emotions.

Final note to say is how much I hated Balthandros Sethannai and how emotionally manipulative he was of Csorwe. It was painful to read it.

A new favorite. Particularly loves how seamlessly the worldbuilding meshed with the plot and the fully fleshed out secondary characters. The Unspoken Name reminds me of a rgp campaign in all the good ways.

Unfortunately for me this fell a little flat. I think the writing confused me kn more than one occasion and I wasnt a fan of the writing style. Saying that I am new to high fantasy and I think maybe if you are more into this genre then you would be able to get to grips with the plot, characters and world building more.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

What an epic story!!!!!! What can I say about this story? The characters are amazing! Dynamic. Realistic. And relatable. The plot was absolutely amazing! My attention was held the entire time. Twists. Turns. Suspense. I love the entire story!!!! I was sad when I finished.

Soy capaz de perdonarle bastantes cosas a un libro si las compensa con otras, pero me costará mucho aburrirme con otro libro tanto como me ha aburrido The Unspoken Name.

El ritmo de la novela empieza bastante parsimonioso y lento, lo que yo pensaba que podía ser una introducción cautelosa en exceso resultó ser el tono de toda la narración. Vemos como Csorwe es la elegida para un sacrificio ritual al Unspoken One y lleva una tranquila vida novicia hasta que llegue su hora. Es algo tan aceptado que no le supone ningún problema, es su destino manifiesto. Sin embargo, cuando un poderoso mago llega la monasterio y la «rescata» de la muerte, tampoco es que abrace la vida con la que se ha encontrado con fruición, se dedica a ser la chica de los recados del mago.
Hete aquí que el mago, llamado Belthandros Sethennai, lleva buscando un objeto mágico durante mucho tiempo. Y Csorwe es la encargada de ir por distintos mundos en busca del relicario, porque claro, ¿para qué se va a entretener el mago súperpoderoso en buscar un instrumento de increíble antigüedad pudiendo mandar a una adolescente a la que has acogido? ¿Y si le ponemos como compañero a otro adoptado al que desprecia? Un plan sin fisuras.
A todo esto, no sé si os he dicho que Csorwe es una orca. Porque tampoco es que la autora haya hecho mucho hincapié en eso, es algo que he deducido por que la protagonista tiene colmillos inferiores que le sobresalen de la boca, pero aparte de eso, es irrelevante. A otros reseñadores les ha pasado que se han enterado «después» de leer el libro, así que imaginad lo importante que puede resultar para la trama.
No podía faltar la presencia de otra maga poderosa con otro destino manifiesto bastante chungo a la que Csorwe acaba rescatando, completando el circulo de salvada a salvadora. La presencia de algunos muertos vivientes que se enfrentan a ellas para darle «vidilla» al libro no deja de ser anecdótica y bastante rocambolesca.
Podría haber habido alguna reflexión sobre la posibilidad de huir del destino al que nos vemos abocados por las presiones familiares, por la tradición o simplemente por estar ahí en el momento adecuado, pero no es el caso, la autora pasa un poco de puntillas por este tema y decide centrarse más en una trama amorosa que se ve venir desde Sebastopol, aunque ninguna de las afectadas es capaz de percatarse hasta que el tema les da directamente en la frente. Esto puede tener algo de excusa por la inexperiencia de las involucradas, pero tampoco es que Larkwood lo maneje con demasiada soltura.
En definitiva, un libro con el que os recomiendo que mantengáis la distancia de seguridad, sobre todo si le tenéis aprecio a vuestro tiempo y vuestras neuronas.

The Unspoken Name is the debut fantasy book by the author A.K. Larkwood. In this book, Csorwe is a 13 years old orc who lives in a place called The House of Silence. She is chosen to be sacrificed to the Unspoken God. On the day of the sacrifice, a magician named Belthandros Sethennai convinces Csorwe to abandon everything and go with him to be his apprentice.
Sethennai trains her to be a spy and assassin and help him seize power in the city of Tlaanthothe. To do that Sethennai needs to find a reliquary that is supposed to possess the power of Pentravesse, who is the first person to learn how to drain the power of a divinity into the physical realm.

Honestly, I don't know how I feel about this book. I feel like I deserve a medal after finishing it.
I usually read books pretty quickly, but this particular book took me a week to read. It was extremely difficult to understand, the names and the number of characters was in my opinion too much.
The world that the author created was interesting but she wanted to put everything in this book and all the time I was confused with the strange names and the twenty thousand things that happened at the same time, it is like having many good ideas but not knowing how to execute them well. There was so much going on, that the book could easily have been divided into 2 parts.
3 stars for me
Thansk to netgalley

I kept thinking of the worlds of Tolkien as I read this long, rich book. It seemed to be a series of related novels, each arc coming to a not-quite-resting place. The many worlds, linked by portals, were are much the focus as the characters themselves…until all the story threads were gathered together and then entire tapestry pattern emerged. I didn’t love every character or every world, but I was right with Csorwe, every step of the way.

“The Unspoken Name” refers to one of the many gods that inhabit the disparate worlds, in this case one whose name must never be uttered. Girls are brought to this god’s temple to study and serve in the hopes that one of them will become the Bride of the God, gifted with prophecy, living a pampered if drug-soaked life until she’s sacrificed in her fourteenth year. Csorwe is one such, fully prepared to die . . . until Belthandros Sethennai, a wizard who has petitioned her for answers, interrupts her journey to death with a question of his own: Do you want to die? Or do you want to come with me and create your own destiny?

Instead of complying with expectations, she runs away with him, accepts his training in martial arts, among other things, and ultimately becomes his bodyguard and hired assassin as he seeks to wrest control of his city from his usurper rival. That’s the initial movement in this many-act drama.

I loved that many of the characters aren’t human, Csorwe for example. She’s more orc-like, with “grey skin, grey freckles, yolk-yellow eyes, an overgrown mop of black hair,” … and tusks. Nobody from other races cares particularly. They just shrug and say, “She’s from Oshaar,” one of the many realms linked through the Serpent Gates. How great is that?

This one was an okayish read for me. I was all for the plot and the story line because it is different and unique but this one was just such a slow read for me. At one point I was thinking of DNF-ing it but I pulled through.

This title was almost immediately moved from my list to a Not Active title, which made me sad because then I couldn't download the copy they provided. Thankfully, I'm forgetful and ended up buying the hardcover copy anyways.

This review will be updated, but since this title was stashed away, I am going to do a pre-thought review. I've read about 100 pages and I love it! From the start we have action and adventure on the horizon filled with a lot at stake. A girl who has betrayed her god, a man on the hunt, and a mysterious object being hunted? I was sucked in. I have a feeling I'm going to love this story, but I'll probably have to update my review later on.

So far, so good.

Necromancy seems to be a popular topic in fantasy books nowadays – what with the popularity of GIDEON THE NINTH and its promise of necromancing lesbians in space, you can understand why. And I, for one, am completely thankful for this upward trend of queer necromancers.

Which brings us to today’s review of THE UNSPOKEN NAME by A.K. Larkwood.

-

What if you knew how and when you will die?

Csorwe does — she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.

But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.

But Csorwe will soon learn – gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.

–

Csorwe, an orc-analogue in a fantasy world that offers some very nice, deep fantasy that almost lies along with sci-fi (I mean, alternate dimensions? sign me the fuck up), leaves her life as a sacrifice behind to become her mentor’s shadowy right hand. She picks up some fighting skills, some street smarts, and a really cool sword with [dude]’s mission in mind, all gung-ho and ready to go until she meets someone in her same exact position: a lamb to the slaughter, raised to lay her head delicately upon the chopping block and not blink as the axe comes down.

Pretty crazy, right? That’s the vibe of this story, it’s a rich experience that leaves you hungry for more but god help you if you try to binge too much at once.


The prose is as old as graveyard dirt and as delicate as a single strand of spider silk all at once, and drives you along to keep reading. It doesn’t shy away from the events that transpire, and it doesn’t let you pull away either. What can we say? It’s good. It’s clear and lyrical in a way that sings to your very bones, and it’s a song I want to share with everyone.

The worldbuilding builds up steadily, carefully drawing you in with familiar concepts before it lays down the law with its inter-dimensional travel and fantasy flying ships. Gotta say, I absolutely love it and wish more fantasies would take this route. Like, really, if you have magic what’s stopping you from creating flying ships? Larkwood said, “I’m going to give the fantasy gays everything they want,” and absolutely fucking delivered.

Speaking of gays, we’ve yet to address the queer nature of this story – which is very much my favorite part. Larkwood really nailed the aesthetic of gay yearning(c) and if it weren’t for the weird purity culture that graces some of my social media channels, I’d be spreading this representation like the gospel that it is. The romance between Csorwe and Shuthmili builds in layers like the rest of the story, but its roots are so heartfelt and GOD it makes me feel so soft.

Also, shout out for the inclusion of multiple gods/goddesses that influence the multiple magic systems, I’m absolutely in love with it.

So yeah. THE UNSPOKEN NAME is 1000000/10, A-quadruple-fucking-plus, will reread and sigh wistfully at how I can’t decide if I want to be Csorwe or romance Csorwe more.

–

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3.5/5 stars

I enjoyed The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood and will definitely be reading more from Larkwood in the future! The characters were well developed and the story kept my attention so much that I've already read it twice! The first was an electronic review copy I received from NetGalley, and the second time was the audiobook I got through audible. If possible, I enjoyed the audiobook more.

While I obviously enjoyed the book, it was only a 3.5 star read for me not so much from lack of enjoyment, but because there were a few times where it seemed to drag needlessly and took me out of the story. Overall though, definitely worth the read!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Queer epic fantasy about a priestess turned assassin

I came across this book on Netgalley and was immediately taken by the blurb.



“The Unspoken Name” by A. K. Larkwood is an epic fantasy novel about Csorwe, a teenage priestess who, after a time of giving prophesies to pilgrims, is bound to sacrifice herself to a god known as the Unspoken. Believing this to be her only path, Csorwe accepts her fate to follow in the footsteps of the priestesses before her. However, when a pilgrim comes seeking an unusual prophecy, Csorwe suddenly finds herself with another choice.

This is an ambitious novel that draws upon classic fantasy elements to create a plethora of dysfunctional and dying worlds. Csorwe is an intriguing character who quickly shucks her role as demure priestess to become a warrior who is a part-time bodyguard, part-time assassin. The book blends fantasy with science fiction, with an intriguing system of travelling between worlds through gates with a real space station vibe. I enjoyed Larkwood’s exploration of Csorwe’s physicality, and how she strengthens her body until her muscles are their own kind of armour and the practical difficulties of moving through the world as a being with a pair of tusks. I also really enjoyed the character of Atharaisse, giant intellectual serpent, apparently the last of her species. However, I think my favourite character in the book was Tal, and the rivalry and insults between him and Csorwe (as well as his frequent romantic disasters) were the highlight of the book for me.

However, there were a lot of things that frustrated me about this book. I felt that while Larkwood spent a lot of time on exposition about the gods in these worlds, there was actually a lot less world-building than I would have liked. Each world has its own race, with different languages and cultures, but these were not really expanded upon very much. Interracial romance appears to be pretty common, but there do not appear to be very many interracial individuals. A lot of things were left unexplained, which I won’t go into because of spoilers. I imagine that there are questions that will be answered later on in the series, because there were some questions that I had that were suddenly answered towards the end of the book. Sethennai, the mysterious pilgrim who offers Csorwe another life, was extremely unlikeable and every scene with him in it annoyed me. Ultimately, I felt that while a lot of the elements of a strong fantasy novel where there, there were fundamentally some structure choices which felt a little jarring.

A debut novel with plenty of potential that ultimately left me sitting on the fence.

As quarantine continues to go on and on, I’ve found it more and more difficult to focus in and simply read. In The Before Times™, reading was a part of my routine. I read on the subway to work in the morning. I read in the coffee shop I used to take my lunch at. I read on the subway coming home. I went to bed every night between 10-10:30 PM, and I’d always read a half hour or so cozied up in the covers.

Reading was the glue that filled in the gaps in my life. It was a resin I poured over an uneven surface, creating a sleek, smooth finish. Now, however, the surface of my life is already flattened… but rather than being polished to a gloss, it’s a stagnant, acrid stillness. There are no gaps for reading to fill in. My life no longer has any rhythm or change to it at all. It’s hard.

Fortunately, The Unspoken Name was fundamentally an incredibly comforting book. Although it was consistently difficult to sit down and focus due to the current situation, when I was able to do so, I really, really enjoyed it. Larkwood hearkens back to the early eras of epic fantasy, bringing the best of what I loved as a child forward into a modern, fresh new book.

The first portion of the book had me fooled into thinking this would be a standard epic fantasy adventure. It stands on its own and sets the stage for the main plot; in fact, it easily could have been a full book its own had Larkwood chosen to expand it out. Instead, we’re treated to what amounts to a prequel novella. If you find yourself wandering away from the novel in the first quarter due to the pacing, I highly encourage you to continue forward if you find Csorwe even slightly compelling as a protagonist.

Csorwe has a standard fantasy origin. She is the Chosen Bride of the Unspoken One, a nameless god of prophecy and death. She is the conduit through which it speaks, at great cost to herself. On her 14th birthday, she is meant to go to the Unspoken One’s lair and meet whatever fate he has in store for her. Enter Sethennai – a scholar who is seeking a prophecy about where he might find a powerful relic. When he learns of her fate, he spirits her away as his protegee.

Much like a baby duckling, Csorwe imprints on her new mentor. In her eyes, he can do no wrong. He saved her life – she knows that the fate The Unspoken One had for her was nothing she would have liked. His approval is everything to her, and she feels that her debt can never be repaid. From the reader’s perspective, however, Sethennai is not nearly so good and golden. It quickly becomes apparent that he is selfish, manipulative, and possibly a little psychopathic. To him, others are merely tools to be used to prop up his own power. Csorwe is not a person to him. She is a pawn. Larkwood has flipped the “wise old mentor” figure trope on its head, despite the main character herself viewing him as the classical version.

“They’ll know we’re coming,” said Csorwe. She gave the blade of her sword one last wipe with the oiled cloth. “Since I—since Akaro won’t have come back. The soldiers will be looking out for you.”

“Quite,” said Sethennai.

“I could do it,” said Csorwe. She hadn’t realised until that moment what Sethennai was getting at. She replaced her sword in its scabbard, trying not to let the sparks of apprehension and excitement show in her face. “Even if they know you have an assistant,” she said, giving up on disguising her eagerness. “I could be anyone. People don’t notice me. I could do it.” She worried at times that Sethennai might think she’d forgotten what she owed him. He never mentioned it, but she owed him her life, and the obligation gnawed on her like a worm in an apple. This was something she could do for him on her own.

Sethennai smiled. “Yes. You could.”

As we get into the main meat of the book, a key piece of growth for Csorwe lies in learning that she does exist as an independent person outside of Sethennai’s plans. When she meets a young necromancer named Shuthmili and finds herself on a new quest to save her life (mirroring Sethennai’s actions at the start of the book), Csorwe discovers that she has her own wants and desires. Although they’re still looking for Sethennai’s artifact together in a bid to regain his favor, his approval slowly becomes secondary to Shuthmili’s.

To explain how much I adored the f/f aspects of this book, a few screenshots of me screaming about it to friends on Discord:







Relevant passage where said screaming is concerned:

And then Shuthmili took Csorwe’s hand in hers. Csorwe could feel the warmth of her skin even through the gloves. She squeezed Shuthmili’s hand lightly and released it. They went on in a curious silence. Without looking, Csorwe was very aware of Shuthmili’s presence beside her: each footstep, the fluttering of her skirts in the wind, the way she chewed her lip when she was thinking . . . she wondered, for the first time, whether Shuthmili was thinking the same thing about her. It made her self-conscious, but not uncomfortably so, just very aware of all her limbs and the startling possibility that there was something to admire about them.

Which, really, is all you need to know. There is so much wonderful slow burn gay pining, y’all. And I’m here for it. I desperately need more f/f epic fantasy like this. Please, I beg you. Give it to me. Immediately.

All in all, highly, highly recommended as a fun, action-packed f/f quarantine read. It will bring back all the feelings you had a young teen encountering your very first epic fantasy along with a wonderful fresh burst of love for the new voices and ideas present in the genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Unspoken Name is a high fantasy novel about Csorwe, a teenager who is to be the sacrifice to the Unspoken One. Instead of being offed to a god, she accepts an offer from a mage and gets out of dodge! The world that Larkwood builds is truly amazing. Csorwe's journey is filled with magic, mages and assassins. The novel also features lgbtq+ characters and the sequel needs to arrive soon to cure this book hangover!

I love these characters so much. And the world building is really interesting too. I'd love to see more of it in future books, all the worlds and the maze and the gods. And of course more of the characters. All of them. Basically just give me the sequel now please.