Betsy Dornbusch

I’ve been wanting to read Exile by Betsy Dornbusch for a while, so I’m glad I was able to finally tick this off my list. Something tells me I might have enjoyed this more if I had read this a few years ago though, before I’ve had more experience reading fantasy fiction under my belt, because then some of its shortcomings might not have been as noticeable for me. It is a good book, but like many reviewers have pointed out, it is not without its flaws.

Exile introduces us to its protagonist Draken Vae Khellian, the bastard cousin of the king and a former guard commander, fallen far from grace and now chained up on a prisoner ship’s hold. Draken’s wife was found brutally murdered and he has been falsely accused for the crime, even though the circumstances around her death stinks of dark sorcery. Draken is summarily banished to Akrasia, a land of magic and wildness, a far cry from his homeland of Monoea. Grieving and alone, all he can think about is clearing his name and getting revenge on his wife’s true killer.

In a stroke of extraordinary luck, very early into his exile Draken encounters a sorcerer of death magic named Osias along with his half-Moonling servant girl Setia, who save him from possession by a malicious spirit called a Bane. He accompanies them both to the palace where he learns of the Akrasian queen’s plight – her land is in turmoil and on the brink of revolution, and no doubt even now her detractors are planning conspiracies and assassination attempts against her…

In fact, one was going down right that instant, putting Draken in the perfect position to rescue her and gain her trust. She subsequently grants him the prestigious post to guard her safety, and Draken swears to track down the assassin who attempted to kill her.

Has the issue become apparent yet? Draken seems to have the extraordinary ability to be in the right place at exactly the right time, despite starting out his exile with nothing but the clothes on his back – no food, no money, no friends, no nothing. Within what feels like mere moments of his landing on the shores of Akrasia, he’s found himself in the personal service of its monarch.

In spite of this, I found the beginning of the book very interesting. The world building is strong, with its myriad peoples, cultures and religions. The “arse-end of the world” that is Akrasia really isn’t so bad, and the strange land was actually a wonder for me to explore with its Moonlings and spirits. I was a big fan of the magic and its mysteries, and necromancers like Osias captured my curiosity with the dark nature of his powers. My first impression is that the world of Seven Eyes, named for its seven moons, sounds like a very beautiful and magical place for a fantasy setting. There’s also a lot of depth to its history and political landscape.

The story and characters admittedly pale a bit compared to the world building, but I was nonetheless satisfied. The sequence of events in this book aren’t so much predictable as they are much too convenient to be believable, but even though that skepticism kept me from engaging with the story fully, it was still an enjoyable read. I liked Draken’s characterization, though I found his healthy sexual appetite to be quite a turnoff, considering the all-consuming grief he’s supposedly feeling for his wife. For all his sadness, it was a short mourning period, apparently.

All told, Exile is a decent book, and with its in-depth world building but simplistic plot, I’d say it’s probably more suited for new-ish readers to the fantasy genre. There are a lot of punches you have to roll with, but nothing major that would be a deal breaker. A light, entertaining fantasy novel that has all the right stuff, just in imperfect amounts. Not an excellent read, but still quite good.… (mer)