Dawn of Wonder is a chunky read. Details abound for the setting, characters, and cultures in this invented medieval world. And the book is written with a corresponding depth in its prose. By the time you reach the final page you certainly feel as if you’ve almost read a biography rather than a work of fiction as everything is fleshed out with such exhaustive care. This makes the pacing rather slow throughout, but it rewards readers who like a little more meat to their literary diet.
The novel follows the story of Aeden, a young boy from humble beginnings. He suffers a terrible loss early on which sets the course of the rest of his life and the rest of the book. As part of the fallout from this event, his family is forced to relocate to a city where they can hopefully start over, but in many ways, things only get worse for Aeden from there.
Dawn of wandering
Chief among Aeden’s troubles is his abusive father. The book explores this sad relationship at length, especially the psychological impact it has on Aeden. All of Aeden’s growth into a young man with friends and a burgeoning tactical genius (the tactical descriptions in this book are some of the best I’ve ever seen in any book), as well as the extensive martial training he receives, crumble to dust whenever he’s confronted by his father or even by people who act like him.
Beyond Aeden’s inner struggles, there is a great deal of political turmoil and intrigue in the book. As a young marshall in training, Aeden is privy to some hidden secrets and we get to see the rotten underbelly of some of the people in power.
The third main emphasis in the story is the strange forces at work in the wilderness area surrounding a long-abandoned kingdom. It’s never made clear exactly what is happening in these places, even though a good chunk of the story has Aeden and his friends visiting them. But one scene in particular hints that at least some of the mystical forces connected with the odd occurrences may originate from someone called the Ancient. Though it’s not explicit, this part of the story certainly lends itself to the Ancient embodying the sort of love and healing that would come from the God.
A wonderful read
Though the mystical elements make this a fantasy book, the overall tone is more modern. Much of the dialogue, the cultural and political attitudes, and even the inner struggles of the characters make it seem often that this is a book about a 21st-century child who happens to live in a medieval world. That does not ruin the book, but it does detract from the immersion for readers looking to delve into a more otherworldly setting.
In sum, this is a mammoth work with amazing writing which is hyper-focused on the inner struggles of its characters—to the point that it’s far and away a story about the characters and the plot is secondary. If you’re looking for a well-written story with lots of character development, psychological exploration, a thin veneer of fantasy, and hints of the divine, give Dawn of Wonder a try.
