ELEVENTH CYCLE
AUTHOR: Kian N. Ardalan
PUBLISHED ON: 1 February 2023
GENRE: Fantasy (Grimdark)
Readers Copy provided by the Kian N. Ardalan and The Escapist Tours
REVIEW:
Eleventh Cycle started with Blaise and David screaming about this book on Twitter and it ended with me requesting the title with The Escapist Tours because of course, I could not stay away from my decision to read the books I own and the pending ARCs before requesting the new ones, especially with busy schedule. But here we are. I still think bingeing series is the way to go. But there are some books, books that you just know you can’t wait to get to and Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan was one such book. (I am also going to apologize for the lack of detailed review. It’s been a rough few days and how I managed to sneak every minute to read this book, only I know. Be it between commute or teaching or even correcting papers.)
Let’s start our journey with the welcome to Mistlands. I love dark books and being a grimdark, Eleventh Cycle was a perfect book. It starts with little things like introduction to the new world, the darker shades and in simple language how the shit just keeps on getting crazing. I love how the contrasting POV mixes with each other. How simple dream to just live a happy life changes and suddenly you are trapped in the life you never imagine. I think that was why I loved this book. The fact that with every page, there was something new, something extra ordinary, something that made me gasp and if I had a physical copy, something that would make me shut the book in horror. I adore when things like this happen.
I think what I won me was, I felt, Ardalan honestly built the world and let the characters just roam around. I have this habit of saying, “GO NUTS” I felt the author did that. He created amazing characters and told them to go nuts. The best part? The characters did that. And when they did, author gave them the shots of pain time and again. Ahh… the pain to see them suffer and the small satisfaction of seeing them suffer. From characters to world, from pain to uniqueness, everything wrapped in a 800 page tome, which is enough to make my heart sing, dance and murmur appreciation towards the literature.
I have a lot to add and I would in good faith. But my lectures start in a minute and I have to rush. Needless to say, please pick up Eleventh Cycle and have a hell of ride. You may scream, you may be in pain, you may ask questions but I don’t think you’ll not enjoy the book. Because come on, this is book that will be talked about for years. Mistlands are calling you, are you going to answer it?
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Read my review for Wrath from the Mountains by D.A.Smith here.
Read my review for A Shade of Madness by Thiago Abdalla here.
