This book review was part of a podcast discussion.
Listen to the episode here.
Disclaimer: I am a friend of the author and a backer of his Kickstarter both for this book and the sequel.
I love to find books like the The Seeds of Dissolution. Of course, in this instance the author is the one that put it in my hands, but since we met on a cruise ship it still feels like a unique find. The rarity of it is simple to describe: care and complexity.
The Seeds of Dissolution follows Sam van Oen. He barely escapes freezing to death in his house and runs headlong into another world. He is pulled into the Nether—a nexus between ten alien cultures—where he meets Rilan and Origon, two maji who can control the musical foundation of the universe. While coping with anxiety attacks prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to hear and change the Symphony, and thus reality, in order to discover what happened to his home. But more freezing voids like the one that started his journey are appearing, and Sam’s chances of getting back are fading. The Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are being attacked by those they protect, while rumors grow of an ancient, shape-changing species of assassins returning to wage war.
It’s a lot, but in the best way. The ten races of the Nether, themselves diverse in both shapes and cultures, display the full spectrum of human experience. It’s a novel that takes representation very seriously and deftly weaves it into its worldbuilding, creating a fantastic backdrop for a very personal character journey. For while the political machinations and beautiful magic system are draws, it’s Sam’s story that kept me turning pages.
Sam represents a true look at a person working to live with their mental condition rather then seeking to change themselves to some idealized self. As he navigates the wonders of the Nether, he must control his own anxiety, an experience not so foreign to mine. It feels like a true story in a fictional world and that’s the best kind of experience you can hope for in a novel.
The Seeds of Dissolution gets five out of five stars.
Chicago, IL
A preacher's kid from the South who went North a long time ago. I'm an Engineer by day trying desperately to enjoy my day job. I love fantasy and sci-fi and I'm always looking for new worlds to explore.
DanielEavenson.com is my author site.
