Robbie MacNiven’s first novel for Aconyte Books, The Doom of Fallowhearth is the first in a new series of novels set in Terrinoth, the world of Descent: Journeys in the Dark. When Lady Kathryn, the Baroness of Forthyn’s daughter, disappears under strange circumstances, three of the legendary Borderlands Four reunite to search for the missing noblewoman. While their best years might be behind them, these most famous of adventurers bravely (or rather reluctantly, in the case of ageing rogue Logan Lashley) head north to the town of Fallowhearth to search for signs of what caused Lady Kathryn’s disappearance. Little do they appreciate the danger they’re stepping into, however, as their search brings them into conflict with suspicious locals, lurking monsters and a powerful darkness hiding in the sinister Blind Muir forest.
It’s essentially a ‘dungeon crawl’ story, albeit largely set above ground in the gloomy, sinister atmosphere of Upper Forthyn’s towns and forests rather than the usual catacombs. As orc pathfinder Durik, dwarf alchemist Ulma and human rogue Logan search for clues to Kathryn’s whereabouts, they put their various skills to good use and battle all manner enemies – sometimes monstrous (including the undead, and some worryingly large spiders) but just as often human, and no less dangerous for it. Given that this is a party of adventurers somewhat past their prime, those battles aren’t always the foregone conclusions you might expect, and they’re set to an entertaining backdrop of comfortable bickering and long-suffering grumbling from the three protagonists. As the plot develops, a couple of secondary characters come to the fore alongside the trio of adventurers, adding to the interesting dynamics between these characters who are trying to settle back into old rhythms after having drifted apart long ago.
This is very much a high fantasy setting, but a story which leans into the cold, gritty and muddy nature of adventuring. It’s a natural fit, and MacNiven’s choice of older characters gives the familiar tropes a nicely dark and modern feel. Not only is there an interesting sense of shared history, but the archetypes are cleverly switched up, with a human rogue cosseted and spoiled by retirement, a dwarf obsessed with dangerous alchemy, and a pragmatic and level-headed orc. These older, wiser, wearier characters prove to be remarkably relatable; there’s a tangible depth to their backstory, with old squabbles and easy familiarity helping to bring them to life and lending proceedings an unexpected weight of emotion that this sort of story doesn’t always possess. In what is otherwise a fairly dark tale, Logan perhaps provides the most entertaining and relatable perspective, but MacNiven rotates between all three viewpoints to show events through different eyes and build up a clear picture of the relationships between the key characters.
The plot itself is relatively straightforward but page-turningly addictive; it’s not hard to spot what’s coming, but then that’s quite comforting in some respects, and allows for the focus to be as much on the characters as anything else. Anyone hoping for a rip-roaring adventure story should find plenty to enjoy, but really it’s a character-focused novel above all else. It’s an atmospheric introduction to Terrinoth for anyone [like me] new to the Descent setting, but it’s full of interesting themes as well, making use of this particular cast of characters to explore ideas ranging from the mistrust of outsiders and anything ‘different’ to the powerful effect that old bonds of friendship can have. As much as anything this is a story about a shared history coming back to both haunt and reward these characters, and the lengths that people will go to in the name of love. It’s quite dark and surprisingly powerful, and a far more emotional story (no spoilers) than you might expect. Very much worth checking out.
The Doom of Fallowhearth is due out in October in the US and November in the UK. Many thanks to Aconyte Books for an advance copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.
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