Review of Yildun
Posted: 07 Mar 2024, 11:01
[Following is a volunteer review of "Yildun" by Andri E Elia.]
"Yildun, Worldmaker of Yand" is the first book in Andri E. Elia's Worldmaker of Yand series. Yanara, the creator of the world, is a star in the cosmic ballet, her three centuries carved into the whispers of time, yet to Yand, she is still a young woman whose journey is only starting across the vastness of the sky. Unmatched in her ability as a sorceress, she controls the heavenly bodies with a grace that belies the tremendous power at her disposal.
However, despite the magnificence of her works, a shadow hangs, asking questions about her very nature. Because, despite its apparent limitlessness, Yanara's strength is a storm that rages wildly whenever she uses it. Devastation trails behind her, showing the precarious balance between chaos and creation.
The peace of Yanara's world breaks like glass on stone as the K'tul, a merciless force from far beyond space, comes into Yand with a fleet of star-forged ships. The enemy breaches her walls despite her heroic efforts; their progress is unstoppable, threatening to wipe out the hope in her people's hearts.
Yanara uses the age-old magic of her ancestors in a last-ditch attempt to stop the catastrophe from spreading. She launches Calypso, the fourth moon of Yand, off its heavenly path to act as a barrier against the approaching darkness. The moon, which was once a source of light, now throws a shadow across the landscape, its silvery radiance replaced by a sinister blackness that shrouds the entire area in permanent gloom.
However, Queen Stardust, Yanara's foster mother and the ruler of Yandar, advises against taking any more action, even as Yanara's acts provide a little reprieve from the attack. She begs Yanara to leave Calypso alone out of fear of inciting the anger of the K'tul and because her disobedience will bring even more destruction to their already frail world.
However, Yanara bears a great load because the rules of creation are unchangeable in the world of the world-shapers, just like the stars. Every birth requires the fading of the previous one, their essence becoming part of the cosmic tapestry until only memories are left. Though there is unrest simmering beneath the surface, Stardust, ever aware of the delicate balance, begs Yanara to have a successor to ensure the lineage's survival.
However, despite all of the upheaval and uncertainty, love's gentle embrace manages to blossom because Yanara's spouse, divided between duty and desire, finds comfort in the company of one another and longs for the promise of fresh starts. Yanara is also conflicted about her loyalty to her people and her desires as the K'tul's specter looms greater and larger over the horizon.
A beautiful book is the result of all of the above. I didn't find anything negative in this book. Thus, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Readers were caught and kept involved throughout the entire amazing reading experience by the story's premise, storyline, characters, and tempo.
Yanara is a ray of hope amid the rising gloom in this complex tapestry of fate, family, love, and sacrifice. She is aware that the real test of her might will not be found in magic-and-steel fights, but rather in the choices made in the calm moments in between the mayhem, where the actual test of a world-shaper's legacy is forged, even as the stars themselves tremble before the impending storm.
******
Yildun
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
"Yildun, Worldmaker of Yand" is the first book in Andri E. Elia's Worldmaker of Yand series. Yanara, the creator of the world, is a star in the cosmic ballet, her three centuries carved into the whispers of time, yet to Yand, she is still a young woman whose journey is only starting across the vastness of the sky. Unmatched in her ability as a sorceress, she controls the heavenly bodies with a grace that belies the tremendous power at her disposal.
However, despite the magnificence of her works, a shadow hangs, asking questions about her very nature. Because, despite its apparent limitlessness, Yanara's strength is a storm that rages wildly whenever she uses it. Devastation trails behind her, showing the precarious balance between chaos and creation.
The peace of Yanara's world breaks like glass on stone as the K'tul, a merciless force from far beyond space, comes into Yand with a fleet of star-forged ships. The enemy breaches her walls despite her heroic efforts; their progress is unstoppable, threatening to wipe out the hope in her people's hearts.
Yanara uses the age-old magic of her ancestors in a last-ditch attempt to stop the catastrophe from spreading. She launches Calypso, the fourth moon of Yand, off its heavenly path to act as a barrier against the approaching darkness. The moon, which was once a source of light, now throws a shadow across the landscape, its silvery radiance replaced by a sinister blackness that shrouds the entire area in permanent gloom.
However, Queen Stardust, Yanara's foster mother and the ruler of Yandar, advises against taking any more action, even as Yanara's acts provide a little reprieve from the attack. She begs Yanara to leave Calypso alone out of fear of inciting the anger of the K'tul and because her disobedience will bring even more destruction to their already frail world.
However, Yanara bears a great load because the rules of creation are unchangeable in the world of the world-shapers, just like the stars. Every birth requires the fading of the previous one, their essence becoming part of the cosmic tapestry until only memories are left. Though there is unrest simmering beneath the surface, Stardust, ever aware of the delicate balance, begs Yanara to have a successor to ensure the lineage's survival.
However, despite all of the upheaval and uncertainty, love's gentle embrace manages to blossom because Yanara's spouse, divided between duty and desire, finds comfort in the company of one another and longs for the promise of fresh starts. Yanara is also conflicted about her loyalty to her people and her desires as the K'tul's specter looms greater and larger over the horizon.
A beautiful book is the result of all of the above. I didn't find anything negative in this book. Thus, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. Readers were caught and kept involved throughout the entire amazing reading experience by the story's premise, storyline, characters, and tempo.
Yanara is a ray of hope amid the rising gloom in this complex tapestry of fate, family, love, and sacrifice. She is aware that the real test of her might will not be found in magic-and-steel fights, but rather in the choices made in the calm moments in between the mayhem, where the actual test of a world-shaper's legacy is forged, even as the stars themselves tremble before the impending storm.
******
Yildun
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon