The main conflict of this book is political. Yet the author has no interest in exploring the political landscape. I know that Nafton is a town and Forlorn is a kingdom. But I don't know the political structure of Forlon. I mean...there's no mention of Nafton being the capital city of Forlorn and yet the only ruler we're ever shown is Queen Shaw. I'm also not sure if Ulrich's problems with Elizabeth are justified or not. It could be that she's a poor ruler but readers are never given a definite answer. The author does make sure that we know Ulrich is in the wrong by making him a rapist. But just because a character is a rapist doesn't mean Elizabeth is a good ruler.
A big point that's brought up is how Nafton is very human-centric. So any mystical creatures are treated with disrespect and not welcomed in the town. Yet Akela, a wolf, is able to live in Nafton. Not only is she able to live in the town but she seems to be respected by the humans that live there. I mean...these people that are supposedly afraid of non-humans allow her to take care of their children.
Del Wood is mentioned as a dangerous place where non-humans live. Yet various characters enter the woods so casually that all sense of danger is lost. Tyler is able to casually enter the woods to kill a dragon without making anyone that nervous. Bron, a supposedly dim-witted man, enters the woods without suffering serious harm. Ulrich is able to wander the woods for days without anyone sending out a search party or being worried. So Del Wood starts out as this cool, mysterious place and ends up wasted.
The relationship between Tyler and Orpheus is the strongest part of this book. If the author had decided to focus just on that, this would have been a decent read. Tyler initially goes to hunt Orpheus but the pair quickly find themselves falling in love. This forbidden romance has another layer to it as Tyler's father was a famed dragon slayer. So his son falling in love with a dragon is a big deal.
One problem I have with Orpheus' backstory is how it's revealed. Throughout the book readers are intrigued by his mysterious backstory. Yet it's revealed after the conflict between Queen Shaw and Ulrich is resolved. So instead of being relieved that my questions were being answered, I felt like the author was just wasting my time.
The lizards become an enemy and are supposed to be how Ulrich plans to enforce his rule. Yet they're sort of like the battle droids in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Somehow these lizards are supposed to be deadly but no notable character (a la Tyler, Orpheus, Akela, ect.) have problems killing them.
I would recommend Forlorn to those who like fantasy.
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