A dramatic fantasy novel driven by strong characters.
Isen Prison is the most dreaded detention facility in all of Gurmanis, a reputation the institution has earned through years of forced labor, inhumane conditions, and unconcealed torture and cruelty. Home to rapists, murderers, enemies of the state, and every sort of criminal imaginable, the prison’s inhabitants contend with unmitigated hopelessness and deep despair. Judged guilty of the murder of his parents, William Farmer is turned over to Isen for what will surely amount to a merciless premature death from malnutrition, abuse, and neglect. But that is just the beginning of Will’s story. After more than half a decade at Isen, Will has practically lost every remnant of himself, being known only as 271 within the prison’s uncaring walls. Convinced of his worthlessness and lack of purpose in life, sixteen-year-old Will’s thoughts are occupied with nothing more than self-loathing. Although the boy can barely separate the judgment of onlookers and ridicule from his own low self-estimation, Will is a survivor. When a powerful object comes into his life, he begins to realize the potential in himself that has always been there, buried beneath years and layers of self-destruction. The prison may have broken him, but Will is not beyond repair or redemption. And in a world plagued by war and intolerance, Will won’t be the only person on a road to deliverance.
Religion and culture may separate them, but something stronger than hatred brings two young men together in a world divided by maps, morals and politics. Dawn of Unity is a dramatic fantasy novel driven by strong characters and a complex system of governance and religion, where both are perpetually locked in conflict. Will’s story arc is deliberately paced and emotional, a journey that takes him from abandonment and disillusionment to personal agency and a clear path to redemption. In a battle between truth versus duty and fate versus self-determination, Will’s resolve may waver, but he never shatters. A myriad of dynamic characters enrich his story, including a man who might easily be misjudged at first glance and also a compassionate yet level-headed knight who takes on a father-figure role. As Will and his companions navigate the horrors of war and intolerance, true friendship is found where there was once only darkness and disappointment. Nitish Sharma packs a lot into this robust novel featuring a heady blend of something akin to medieval steampunk and magical fantasy, joined together to build a unique new world where you’re sure to be awed. Classic themes are given a new lease on life in Dawn of Unity.
