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Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
The Beast of the Borderlands (Splintered Souls, Book 1) by Steve Justice is set in the crumbling kingdom of Maritz, where a reclusive and aged warrior named Alec shuns the company of people. Alec lives quietly day by day with his loyal companions, his horse, Isaac, and his wolf dog, Rex. When he crosses paths with two deadly assassins from the neighbouring country, his quiet life takes an unexpected turn.
The premise and the plot’s originality are impressive, and the sufficient attention to detail in the world building is solid. The prose is straightforward and vivid, giving shape and breathing some life into the characters and the surroundings. The eye-catching cover art is also one of the reasons that enticed me to read this book; it complements the story well. Overall, the pace is good, although there were some slow moments for me. On the other hand, they weren’t necessarily flaws of the narrative, but purely a personal assessment and didn’t prevent me from enjoying the story.
Alec is an interesting and complex lead character. His thoughts about his life and the depraved land ruled by greed and despair make him relatable. Personally, I find him somewhat valorised as a kind but tragic soul isolating himself from the immorality of the world – this makes him much easier to root for. Another strength of the characterization is its ambiguity; some of the characters are not really what they seem so you couldn’t tell right away who’s good and who’s bad. Simply put, this is an enjoyable read and a good debut for the series.
