Onslaught of Madness by Jesse Teller

I received a free copy from the author (well, his wife) in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinions.

I hate typing those words at the start of reviews, but unfortunately certain global entities require it for posting reviews on certain sites, so there ya go. Anyway, I started reading this at a particularly busy time in my life earlier this year, and I feel like it took me ages to finish it (you can check my lack of progress on Goodreads if you like). Don’t get me wrong – while it weighs in at an impressive 869 pages – it is a very engaging read. It just landed at the wrong time. It also explains why I’m reviewing it two months later. Anyway enough about me, more about the book.

The story tells of the land of Tienne, a land of disparate kingdoms about to fall foul of the Drine war machine. The Drine are a nation bred to destroy, and the land of Tienne is a glittering prize for it to conquer, With the lack of harmony among the Tienne city states, the Drine should take the country while barely breaking a sweat. But all is not as it seems, as heroes rise from the unlikeliest of places. Can Drine win through, or will Tienne band together in time to save the day? Here’s my thoughts on the book:

• The characters are outstanding. Rextur, who leads the Drine charge can only be considered “evil,” but he has a sense of honour, no matter how twisted by his upbringing, that would make him a hero if he fought on the other side. Peter Redifst and his Kingdom of Three, a trio of children, are coming to the aid of Tienne. But what can three kids do, and what is their motivation? At times, they too can be as cruel as the Drine. Then there’s Vianne, rescued from assassins by a man from a land which hates magic. The man is killed, but he sends Vianne to rule his kingdom in his stead. Will she give up her impressive power, or can she win over her new people. The list goes on. You could almost write an 869 page book on the characters alone. I also loved the names of some of the Drine, such as Madness or Treason. Very cool
• The different kingdoms are, well, different. The Drine are like an army of ants, all driven by the same goal, but under the veneer of destructive unity, there are cracks along the command chain. The Tienne kingdoms fail to reconcile their differences, even with the very real threat of war on their doorsteps. Vianne’s new home struggles to accept a witch. Another kingdom has been usurped by their merchant guild, who now try to inveigle their way into the other kingdoms. But is their offer of aid honest, or do they have an ulterior motive? There are more kingdoms than I could list here, each with their own plot strand. The best thing, though, is there isn’t such a weight of different characters and places that you are washed away in a river of names. Instead, there are few, but it is the depth of the various plots that makes up the story, not the worldbuilding
• Did I mention the characters? You can tell from every word and every twist that the author loves his creations. We like them all, from the vile Rextur with his honourable streak to the mysterious Redfist, who seeks to destroy the Drine, but his motives are never clear. While his efforts appear noble, there are times when he and his two cronies appear to be just as nasty as the Drine. How will Vianne rule her new home? Will she give up her magic, or use it to take the throne. There is even a child warrior (another one) and his guardian, who are aided by a group of savage warriors led by a shapeshifter. I really enjoy, not only the stories of each and every character, but the fact that, despite this being very much in the genre of epic fantasy, that the line between good and evil is very grey indeed 
• Cast of characters aside, the worldbuilding is top notch. Gods play a major role, from the minotaur like god of the Drine, to the old gods who return from imprisonment to make their mark on the  world once again. There’s the god of children who can deliver great destruction to prevent kids from seeing the real darkness in the world. One’s allegiance to the gods is important too, kind of like your affinity in role-playing games. Seeking aid from another god can see you excommunicated – if you’re lucky. There are shape-shifters galore, and magic plays a big part for the Drine and others. The thing that stands out for me the most is, even though everything is well portrayed, the world and all the characters and so forth, are simply bonkers. In an awesome kind of way.

Verdict

A long but engaging read, and the more I reflect on it, the more I like it. I can see this being the author’s magnum opus.