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Reviewed by Katelyn Hensel for Readers' Favorite
Sapling: The Blade of Ahtol by Dan Gillis is a story of good and evil, and the coming of age of one scrappy pickpocket named Firah. She and an assortment of oddballs from monks to bartenders find themselves on an adventure unlike any other. It's more or less a survival story as our gang attempts to avoid the evil spreading across the land of Aeredia, and to figure out how to save the world from the darkness that seems to pervade every crevice of this land.
As far as characters go, Firah was by far my favorite although I also related to the monk Zyr and "rough and tumble" Tohm. Firah's attunement to the magic in this world was interesting. She acted as a kind of divining rod for magical powers, and because of that people of all different flavors of magic want to get their hands on her and use her to further their means. She, understandably, goes through a lot both physically and mentally, and I found her to be a strong, well thought out heroine that I could fully support!
Dan Gillis' writing style encompasses a variety of traits, from stark and exposed imagery to an interestingly detached kind of character development that lets the reader create their own idea of the characters rather than being told everything about them. The magic system in Aeredia is interesting and very conflicted. There are different factions struggling to control the land and each one employs a different tactic to do so. The magic here involves magical creatures like monsters and demons as well - one of my favorite aspects of fantasy literature!
