Official Review: Cryptal's Champion by Miriam Verbeek

[Cristina Chifane]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cryptal's Champion" by Miriam Verbeek.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Cryptal’s Champion is book 2 in Miriam Verbeek’s Songs of Si’Empra series. I have tried reading it as a standalone novel, but it was impossible. After 20 pages of constantly wondering about either the characters’ roles or the storyline, I have ended up downloading the first book in the series, Skyseeker’s Princess. It was definitely the best decision I could have taken. Miriam Verbeek has a wild imagination that roams freely in this fantasy series. If book 1 sets the scene and introduces the characters, book 2 is full of revelations and much more action-driven. Considering the complexity of the world-building and the diversity of the characters, readers can only benefit from the gradual crescendo.

Si’Empra is a small island in the Antarctic Ocean. Inhabited by Skyseekers, Crystalmakers, and Cryptals, Si’Empran society slowly disintegrates with the rise to power of the new Ülrügh, Redel. Its only hope is Lian Ellen, daughter of the half-caste Constance and Ülrügh Briani of the ruling house of Skyseekers. Whereas Redel and members of the Lianthem enjoy a lavish lifestyle, the ordinary citizens find it more and more difficult to cope with day-to-day survival. Abused by Redel, who is her half-brother, Ellen flees the Serai helped by Rosa, a giant bird called a glasaur. As time passes by, the young girl’s kind heart and special abilities turn her into a binding force of the different inhabitants of the island.

Part One of Cryptal’s Champion focuses on Ellen’s struggle to save her little sister, Crystal, from Redel’s hands. It also deals with striking a deal with Norm Tucker, a foreigner who might bring to Si’Empra the supplies the Skyseeker villagers and the Crystalmakers need to pass the harsh winter months. Part Two is much more alert. Ellen is in danger of losing her life, and Si’Empra is on the verge of collapse. Caught in the middle of a degenerating conflict between Skyseekers and Crystalmakers, she needs to make a great sacrifice.

Ellen is by far the most interesting character in the novel. Trained by her father to be the next Ülrügh, she is actually passionate about storytelling and dreams of becoming a wandering minstrel. Ordinary folk in Si’Empra idolize Ellen for her beauty, grace, and kindness. Called Si’Empra Theolel (the Jewel of Si’Empra), she brings light in the lives of those around her. However, what I loved most about Ellen was her often contradictory nature. She is a strange combination of frailty and strength. Her ordeal is an intrinsic part of her journey of self-discovery. From this perspective, the book could be read as a truly enlightening coming-of-age novel.

Apart from Ellen, there are also other strong female characters such as Elthán, Müther, or Lian Chithra. Ellen’s grandmother, Elthán, is one of the Webcleaners, a separate class of Crystalmakers who clean the spider webs in the underground tunnels and carry out the most menial tasks. Elthán stands out from the crowd because she questions the Webcleaners’ low status and fights for their freedom and emancipation. Although blind and having lost both hands, Müther is an admirable woman, who never ceases to amaze Si’Emprans with her gift for music. Despite being on Redel’s side, Lian Chithra, the Chancellor of Si’Empra, is equally commendable for her determination to stop Si’Empra from falling apart.

The exceptional world-building is the thing I found most appealing about Miriam Verbeek’s series. There are exquisite descriptions of the island’s wild landscape, the beautiful murals on the walls of Si’Em City, or the spectacular underground tunnels. With talent and originality, the author imagines a world where ancient myths meet modern technology. Cryptals are Si’Empra’s oldest inhabitants. Creatures larger than grizzly bears, they live mostly underground and keep the balance of the island’s ecosystem. Living in long tunnels below ground, Crystalmakers are organized in Guilds and follow the tenets of the Order. The only ones living aboveground, Skyseekers, have access to modern electronic equipment and sometimes get in touch with envoys and tradesmen from the outside world. Distinct narrative threads skillfully follow characters belonging to all three types of inhabitants.

Fans of fantasy fiction will be thrilled about the Songs of Si’Empra series. Cryptal’s Champion has the perfect dose of action and emotion. Unfortunately, it exceeds the limit of 10 editing errors, but they are no more than 20 and consist of mainly punctuation mistakes and some missing words. For this reason alone, I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars. Even if the story reaches a climax by the end of the novel, there are still some unanswered questions and further paths to be explored in the sequel, Virigin’s Lure. I can’t wait to add it to my reading list.

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Cryptal's Champion
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[Prisallen]

The worldbuilding in the story sounds amazing. I haven't read either one of the books yet, and I tend to shy away from books that are not standalones. However, this series does tempt me. Thank you for the wonderful review!

[kdstrack]

Your advice to read the first book of the series is helpful. This does sound like an exciting series with well-developed characters and careful world building. Thanks for recommending this author!