By: Mark Timmony
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ravenhawk Publishing
“But it is not my story you come seeking, oh no. It is hers…Not mine. No, never mine.
Come then stranger and hear the advent of the Queen of Stars.” Mark Timmony, Starbinder
Starbinder, Mark Timmony’s prequel novella to Blood of the Spear packs quite a bit into a novella. Having read Blood of the Spear, Starbinder was very enjoyable. The action starts right from the start and never lets up until the end. Mr. Timmony makes the most of this prequel in terms of fantasy, magic, and well-developed characters. Starbinder centers around the main protagonist, Reiana, who lives with her grandmother, other family members, and other families in a nomadic clan. Unbeknownst to her, she is destined to become the Queen of Stars, and has been, albeit cruelly by her grandmother, groomed her whole life to take on this role. Now is her time to go to the Starwell and assume what she has been trained for. While her grandmother is certainly not likeable, it is this trait that makes her a character that leaps off the pages.
Reiana, though only 15, is a strong protagonist. When her caravan is attacked by bandits, a creature called an Evay takes her young cousin. She doesn’t hesitate to run after him to rescue her cousin. Reiana is happy with her caravan family, though she fears her grandmother, and had a hard upbringing with her. She seems unnecessarily cruel to Reiana, but her motives unfold with the story. She must get to the Starwell at a certain time in order to fulfill her destiny. Despite how she grew up, Reiana is kind, loves her caravan family, and is not afraid to protect them. She was a marvelous character who we root for.
The Evay is a great fantasy character by Mr. Timmony. While they can take the form of a human, they are anything but human. The detail of this one’s true form was so creative and gruesome. He had mane of white hair, sharp teeth, red eyes, grey skin, and skulls adorning his clothes and skin. Creatures from the Void (a place for daemons), they are cruel, crafty, and possess dark magic. The reader clearly sees the evil they wreak.
Starbinder is wonderfully a told fantasy. As a prequel to Blood of the Spear, it is a must read. If you haven’t read Blood of the Spear, I highly recommend it.
Summary
For five hundred years since the Sundering, the order of the Shaluay Starbinders has been dwindling. With their Starwells lying dormant, key artefacts of their order lost and their seers driven mad by the powers that broke the world, only one hope remains to the man who leads them; a fifteen year old girl.
Born to a clan of Wanderers, Reiana has been raised by a harsh grandmother who blames her for the death of her daughter, Reiana’s own mother. When bandits attack the clan’s camp, Reiana leaves the safety of the caravans to pursue the abductor of her younger cousin, heedless of the dangers.
But when a creature of the Void takes notice can Reiana’s own untapped abilities save her, or will the truth of a betrayal see her lost forever?
Starbinder is an action-packed prequel novella to The Blood of the Spear. If you like flawed heroes, fast-paced storytelling, and intricate world-building, then you’ll Love Mark Timmony’s character-driven introduction to the epic fantasy series, The Eye of Eternity.
You can find out more about Mark Timmony on his website at: https://marktimmony.com/
My thanks to Mark Timmony for providing me with an eBook copy of the book.
Review of The Blood of the Spear
Purchase Starbinder on Amazon
Purchase The Blood of the Spear on Amazon
