An Inkling of Flame by Z.B. Steele

Blurb:

Tell me how it happened...

Layne was a soldier, conscripted to fight under the Fox in a vengeance fueled march. He, and his friends, were due for a fated confrontation, one that has ended in blood and loss. Now, the inquisitors want to hear every detail of his conscription, his training, and the duel against the assassin in grey.

A backwards narrative full of banter and blood Z.B. Steele presents An Inkling of Flame, a Song of the Damned novella.

Review:

Whispers of the Storm is one of the most talked-about indie releases of last year, one that’s been on my radar ever since. With the likes of Erikson and Abercrombie cited as inspirations, this one was an easy pick for me. Expectations high, I went in mostly blind because I had managed to read nothing more than just a few character names from the Song of the Damned. But, did it live up to my expectations?

SPOILERS AHEAD!

What I liked:

Immediately, I liked how the book was structured. The grounded single POV narration, punctuated by the prologue and interludes ‘interrogating’ the narrator, blurred the lines between black and white, forcing me to consider which, if either, were the ‘good guys’. After all, this is grimdark fantasy, so it’s probably greyer than absolutes, no? 

The narration and the main characters, however, are probably my favorite parts. Layne is a troubled child from a broken home, his misdeeds earning him enough infamy in their small town. However, when he finds friends who accept him for who he is, he begins to feel like he belongs. Not just that, even his slow embrace of religion and worship of the Fox helps him find direction and morality. Until religious war breaks out. Able-bodied men—and boys—are conscripted into the war, and naturally, Layne and his friends choose to fight for their god. However, is that really the best way forward for them?

From feeling like an outsider, to belonging to a community, to leaving that community behind in order to ‘protect them’ by fighting a war… this entire arc moved forward with emotional brutality. Layne, for the most part, doesn’t really understand what he’s doing. He does what he thinks is right, but life and the world are never that easy to decipher. From the heartfelt banter, to seeing him grow up alongside his friends, to seeing him slowly lose himself as life unleashes its cruelty on them all was equally daunting as it was moving.

While the plot is pretty straightforward, the character development, as well as the interpersonal relationships between Layne and his friends, is nuanced. It will immerse you in their lives completely, making you feel their pain and anguish. Each of these kids comes from a difficult home, and it affects them differently. Even when they are conscripted for war, their behavior—despite seeming carefree in the beginning—makes sense for someone who never believed they belonged. 

Overall, quite a gripping read, especially if you love character-driven stories that treat their characters like people, and don’t shy away from throwing them into a gauntlet. 

What I didn’t like:

While there’s nothing in particular that I did not like about An Inkling in Flame, I will admit that the world-building didn’t pique my interest enough. I was more interested in the characters than the world. The relative restraint with world-building is a skill and a feature, but sometimes it can withhold more than it should. Which is what I felt after finishing this novella.

As a standalone novella that explores the complexities of its characters, this was a brilliant read. However, I didn’t get enough of the magic system and the world. I’ll admit, the ending with a certain character coming in did pique my interest. I wish we had gotten a little more of that character. Well, I guess for that, I’ll have to read book 1.

Conclusion:

A tragic tale of four friends that brilliantly explores religious war & found family. A gripping trailer for Steele's grimdark series, Song of the Damned.

TL;DR:

WHAT I LIKED: Character development, indoctrination into religious war

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: World-building felt wanting