An orphan among barbarians and witches in a tribe bound by harsh, strict tradition, Aoleyn may be one of the strongest witches to ever exist. She desperately dreams of escaping into the world beyond her home among the Usgar, and with her great power she may one day succeed. The problem is, her magic comes with a horrible price. Not only has she caught the attention of one of the brutish, merciless leaders of the tribe, she also happens to be a beacon to the mountain’s demon that feasts on all, but particularly hunts those who use magic.
In this story we mainly follow Aoleyn, an outsider within her tribe. If her appearance wasn’t enough, her complete and utter lack of desire to be a proper Usgar woman cause even more problems for her. This daughter of one of the strongest witches of the Coven and a forsaken Usgar warrior was left to be raised by her Aunt, a woman of a firm hand and even harsher lessons, blind-sided by tradition, but still only wanted the best for her niece. Aoleyn was seen by all as a strong, rebellious spirit that had a spirit that needed to be broken.
Child of a Mad God is a serious page-turner. The story is intense, action-packed, and holds some darker themes. Once I started this book is was nearly impossible to put down, and when I did, it was all I could think about. This was one of those books that stuck with me, haunted me. I had to keep going, to find out what happened here, there, everywhere.
One of the many things I loved about this book is the magic system. I’ve mentioned in reviews before that I love systems that incorporate music, and the Usgar tribe literally refers to their own Coven magic as the Song of Usgar. Each power, each spell, they all come from a different type of stone, and each type of stone has its own song to be honed in to. And it isn’t as simple as singing a merry song with a pretty rock in your hand. No, these songs wear you out faster than sprinting uphill in a mudslide when you’re not strong enough. The range of how the magic works as well gets me all excited on its own. There is a variety in the capabilities of it, yet it all makes sense and nothing feels out of place.
Then there’s our dear Bahdlahn, renamed by our heroine, Aoleyn. His original name given to him by members of the tribe was Thump, a name to signify and address his believed stupidity. A simple, basic name for a simple, basic slave who was supposedly incapable of even speaking. Aoleyn took a liking to this slave, and renamed him Bahdlahn; a name with a similar meaning, but moreso like that of the galloping of a horse. A name that wasn’t an insult, but a true name. She didn’t like the fact that he was picked on by all, and took it upon herself to be friendly with him. The slaves were treated horribly, and it was something she never understood, liked, or agreed with.
Even with this demon referred to as the Fossa, the prevailing violence within the tribe, the brutal levels of slavery, and all the inner battles that revolve around maintaining dignity and a sense of self-worth, the greatest struggle in this story is the battle against tradition. Nearly all the other struggles in this story are merely side effects of Usgar tradition. The idea that it has been done this way, and only this way, for x amount of time and for reasons y and z is the greatest battle anyone can face when we know in our hearts that there is a better way. It is a struggle many of us have faced ourselves in the real world, and it makes Aoleyn’s struggle against it all the more relatable. An outcast she may be, and frowned upon by many, but she is easily the most human member of her tribe.
R. A. Salvatore has easily become one of my new favourite authors. His use of language is nothing short of brilliant, as is his ability to describe in great detail using the simplest of phrases or metaphors. He is a word magician, capable of building up a vast world without being overbearing in presenting the setting, instead letting everything fall into place just as it should. A big bravo to this authors unquestionable skill. I will most definitely be reading more.