* I received a free audio copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Dawn of Adakia is a sequel to R.K. Lander’s Silvan series—takes place in the Elven world of Naz'aran following Fel'annar. This is an epic fantasy centered around elves on the brink of war, steeped in political tension and age-old rivalries. The story unfolds with a slow, deliberate build, immersing you in the world and its stakes before launching into gripping, full-scale battle scenes that are absolutely worth the wait.

And the narration? Daniel Thomas May brings the entire world to life. His voice is melodic and expressive, capturing the emotional nuance of each scene. With distinct inflections for every character, it's always clear who's speaking, which makes for an incredibly immersive listening experience. His performance elevates the story in all the right ways.

If you’re into rich fantasy with strong character work and layered worldbuilding, this audiobook is a fantastic ride from start to finish.

I would like to start with an apology because I almost. never DNF books. However, I tried a few times to listen to this, and each time found myself very confused and lost. This is book one in the series, but I did not realize it is set to take place in the same world of another series. I feel as though I am missing too much of the world building for this without reading the first series. From what I did read, it’s a beautiful writing style and a very intricate world building/history. I think, if I were able to go read the other series first (which is longer), I would enjoy this bookz I am therefore giving it 4 stars based on the part I read and the potential I see in it.

The Dawn of Adakia completely sucked me into an incredible new world—I didn’t realize it was the start of a sequel series, but that just means I get to explore The Silvan Saga while I wait for the audiobook for Sons of Adakia to drop in June! If you have not read the first series yet, I do recommend starting there. I was able to follow along really well, but I probably spoiled some major plot points for myself by starting with the Silvan Outlands series first.

Told in third-person with multiple POVs, this is a story about family, destiny, and the cost of power. The world of Boscandia is high fantasy, dangerous, magical, and emotionally layered. If you like stories that blend tribal unrest, prophecy, and elven warlords with heart, this one's for you.

This was my first book by R.K. Lander, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work. Her imagination and world-building were truly amazing.

I received an ALC from NetGalley and LOVED the audiobook for this story. Danial Thomas May’s voice was made for high fantasy—his storytelling pulled me in completely, and the way he gave each character a distinct voice brought the world to life. Thank you to Tantor Audio for approving my ALC request for this book.

Thank you Tantor and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook.

I didn’t realize this was a continuation series, so this was my introduction. While you can read this without reading the previous series, I’d recommend starting with the previous series if this book sounds interesting. While I understood everything happening, I still felt like I was missing some backstory that would have improved my experience.

What really drew me to the book was the blurb said it was for fans of Sanderson, Tolkien, and Hobb, which are three of my favorite authors. I definitely agree with that. It has the straightforward and understandable prose of Sanderson, the world-building and lore-dump style of Tolkien, and then the slow but impactful character work of Hobb. I found the details of all the cultures to be interesting and made me want to know more and then had fun watching how the different characters’ motivations play out. The writing itself was easy to follow and had plenty of moments where I was like “that was such a cool way to describe that”.

The narrator did such a great job with all of the different voices. I always knew who was talking based on their voice which really helped me get a grasp on all the different characters. I think I would have had an easier time with the names if I had read the first series or done a visual format, but once you get past the beginning, it is easy to follow along.

This is not a book for anyone who doesn’t like complex names or lore dumps. But it is definitely a book for those who love epic fantasy with fleshed out worlds and a cast of characters that each stand on their own.

Thank you so much to Tantor and NetGalley for this audiobook ARC.

This concept of this book was really good and I enjoyed the epic nature of it. It’s definitely a true epic fantasy. I have since discovered that there was a series before this one, which may have been helpful to have read before going into this one. There is simply so much to learn and figure out. I felt awful confused at the beginning and kept getting lost with all of the super fast name and location dropping. I personally like my world building to be more gradual. Maybe a bit more plot or information before there is a ton of new words thrown at you. Once you settle in it does get better though. That is just a very big barrier right at the start.

I was truly excited to start listening to this book, especially after seeing the intriguing description. However, I found it challenging to connect with the reader’s performance, as it didn’t quite match my personal preferences. Unfortunately, this affected my overall experience, and I wasn't able to complete the book. Because of this, I feel I can’t provide a comprehensive review. I appreciate the effort that went into creating it and hope others may have a different experience.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing this as an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 ⭐️

I had such a great time with this book!! First thing to address before getting into this review: can you read this book if you haven’t read the first series? Yes, you can, but I don’t know that I specifically recommend it. There is a vast quantity of lore and history and characters that were established in the original series that maybe weren’t fully explained this time around and so there were quite a few points where I was confused af. That being said, the characters, plot, system of magic, lore, and generally the writing, were all of such a high quality that I was willing to just roll with it. (*More said at the end).

This was a total impulse request on Net Galley – the cover design was sick and the description gave my that classic Old Man Fantasy kinda vibe which instantly grabbed my attention. And that was exactly what was delivered: a rich, nuanced story that had a great balance of character and narrative driven plot. I really cannot stress enough how perfectly this balanced between the plot/lore and the characters – I’m not sure the last time I read a story that managed to blend the two so seamlessly and it made for such an excellent reading experience.

I want to offer more in-depth commentary on the characters etc but having listened to the audiobook I haven’t got a single clue how to spell even a single characters name haha! Suffice to say that I was a huge fan of them all. The only real criticism I have is for Queen B – I am going to trust the process and assume she will get more development in future stories but from book 1 she felt like a slightly hollow caricature of Evil Hottie Queen Hates Everyone for Reasons (trademark). This was especially noticeable thanks to the contrast between Queenie and all the good guys (rich, deep histories, motives, personalities etc).

So, to summarise, the only reason this lost some points from me was that I like a complex villain, and that I was so freaking lost (the short and long road thing needed at least some/more explanation, even if it was explained in the first series). Otherwise, this was a huge, slightly unexpected, win and I deeply enjoyed my time with it. Shout out to the narrator who did a pretty great job (loved how each character had a unique voice, hated that one female character where he just sqwarked the whole time). I plan to read Lander’s first series soon because this book tantalised me so damn much!

(*The best comparison I can offer here will only make sense to those who have seen Firefly/Serenity. Many many moons ago, I begged my dad to get Serenity as an overnight DVD rental bc “it was made be the same guy as Buffy” – Buffy being a newly discovered and beloved show (and Joss Whedon’s shittiness an as yet unknown factor). I had no clue for about 60% of the story and there were a lot of scenes which were emotional but also kinda meaningless. Until I discovered that it was the sequel to a TV series which I then binge watched and now have a whole new appreciate (devastation) for the movie.)

Thank you R.K Lander, The Publisher, and Net Galley for a copy of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Final verdict 4.0/5.0

I’ll keep this review short and sweet. This book kept me company during my commute to work, haha! If you like intense world-building, you will like listening to this. It’s a bit hard to get into at first, as you are bombarded with a bunch of complicated names, lore, and conflict. However, if you stick with it, I think you’ll be along for an entertaining ride.

Thank you again for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very complex but an enjoyable read! The world building, the action, the character growth, the storyline all wonderfully done. A true Epic Fantasy!

There's a lot of great classic fantasy elements going on in this book. We've got the journey trope, the schemeing/political element, and the chosen one/hero , plus a very clear good vs evil vibe going on. Set against the backdrop of a medieval style elven fantasy world and you've got an epic fantasy to make any epic fantasy fan happy. What makes this one worth reading though are the characters. Don't get me wrong the world building has some cool mysterious elements, which have me wanting to pick up book one in this world to learn more, but I was here for the heart sick family and friends just trying to get home. I enjoyed reading an epic fantasy book where instead of an orphan we've got multiple generations of family fighting to be together, I found that quite refreshing. My main critique is that this book felt very foundational. There's nothing wrong with a book, especially book one in an epic fantasy series, setting things up for the rest of the series, but it does need to have enough of an individual identity for readers to be interested in the book for its own sake and not just as a stepping stone to book two.

Dawn of Adakia is a gripping and atmospheric introduction to what promises to be a sweeping saga. The world-building is rich and imaginative, blending magic, political intrigue, and deep lore in a way that keeps you turning the pages. The protagonist’s journey is compelling, and the side characters—though sometimes underdeveloped—add layers of complexity to the story.

The pacing in the middle can drag a bit, and a few plot threads feel like they’re being saved for future installments rather than being fully explored here. However, the vivid descriptions and high-stakes tension more than make up for it.

Overall, Dawn of Adakia is a strong opening chapter in what could become a standout fantasy series. Highly recommended for fans of immersive, character-driven adventures.

So… I jumped into this w/o reading the previous series, although I think it will heighten your experience to read it, I still thoroughly enjoyed this without having read it!! Such an expansive world, built so beautifully as well as a storyline so captivating to match. Now I really need to start R.K Lander’s other series!! Daniel Thomas May also did an amazing job narrating this- I loved all the voices.

I am terribly sorry, but I will not be reading past the first chapter of this book. The prologue and the first chapter are a big info dump, with a ton of complicated names. I listened to them twice and was able to understand or follow almost nothing.

Thank you net galley for the advance reading copy of this book. I rated it a four-star as it's a great little fantasy book that does have a lot of connections with elves and the fantasy world but it would be best for somebody who likes deeper fantasy. As the book States it's for Brandon Sanderson Tolkien type fans and I would agree with that. Now I'm going to discuss the narrator he was fantastic and this is the reason why I gave it a four star and I can't wait for the second book to be narrated in June