Book Review: Remnant: The Clans of Arcadia by Arwen Chandler

*I received a complimentary copy of this book, and I’m leaving a voluntary review*

In Remnant, we follow Karn Elohite, son of the chieftain of his clan, sworn enemies of the Maekel clan who has recently came into possession of great destructive forces. It becomes Karn’s quest, chosen by his clan’s goddess, to stop them at all costs.

I’m happy to say that this was another book I just absolutely loved. It’s fantasy, no more no less, and it reminds of Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, Eragon, and many more. It’s not as massive as those mentioned above, (at least not yet), but that doesn’t mean it’s short. It’s concise, and to the point – there’s droplets of backstory and fleshing out of the world of Arcadia as we go a long, but not so much that it becomes exhausting. It’s a quick mistake to do in fantasy, I find, to attempt to create a great big world in an instant, instead of letting it happen naturally.

I was impressed with some of the world building in this book – the magic system for one is quite unique (at least to me). The world feels organic and natural, and it’s very well developed. (I also quite enjoyed the many references to other great fantasy worlds).

This is clearly built up to be a series, and the book ends – not necessarily on a cliffhanger – but with more to be revealed. There’s a great build up of mystery and intrigue toward the ends, some questions being answered, but at the same time eventually leading to more questions.

There’s quite a bit of romance, perhaps enough to warrant the book being categorized as fantasy/romance, and though I didn’t mind it, (it’s clearly a huge part of some character’s story), I felt like maybe it overshadowed other plot lines. Even the gods of this world are romantically intertwined.

To conclude, Chandler writes with passionate determination, making for a gripping, action-filled fantasy epic, with interesting, relatable characters, and an enticing plot. It’s a rich, complex story, packed into concise and beautiful book – one I’d recommend to any lovers of the genre, particularly if you like a flavor of romance.

Check it out why don’t you.