Review: The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi

Blurb:

Myths begin, and a storyteller's tale deepens, in the essential sequel to R.R. Virdi's breakout Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy debut, The First Binding.

Some stories are hidden for a reason. All tales have a price. And every debt must be paid.

I killed three men as a child and earned the name Bloodletter. Then I set fire to the fabled Ashram. I've been a bird and robbed a merchant king of a ransom of gold. And I have crossed desert sands and cutthroat alleys to repay my debt.

I’ve stood before the eyes of god, faced his judgement, and cast aside the thousand arrows that came with it. And I have passed through the Doors of Midnight and lived to tell the tale.

I have traded one hundred and one stories with a creature as old as time, and survived with only my cleverness, a candle, and a broken promise.

And most recently of all, I have killed a prince, though the stories say I have killed more than one.

My name is Ari. These are my legends.

And these are my lies.

Review:

It's always a thrill to dive back into a world you've fallen in love with, and R.R. Virdi's The Doors of Midnight is a fantastic return. Right from the start, I knew I was in for a journey just as captivating and beautiful as The First Binding. This book isn't just a sequel; it builds on the first, taking everything that worked and elevating it to a new level.

One of the first things that struck me was the effective use of a dual timeline narrative. We find our beloved storyteller, Ari, in two very different situations. In the present, he's locked in a jail cell, accused of a heinous crime that readers of the first book will recognize. Simultaneously, we travel back to his past, picking up right after his expulsion from the ashram. This younger Ari is trying to find his way, navigating an academic "moratorium" and getting called to settle a mysterious debt. It's a testament to Virdi's skill that he effortlessly weaves these two storylines together, each one informing the other and deepening our understanding of Ari. 

The characterization, as always, is simply top-notch. Virdi creates two distinct personas for Ari: the charming storyteller in the present and the witty, scrappy youth in the past. They're different, yet both possess a fundamental goodness that makes you root for them. We finally get to see the events that older Ari has mentioned so casually, and it's fascinating to watch how the experiences of the young boy mold him into the man he becomes. His voice, whether as a youth or a weary spy, is never boring—it's verbose, sly, and utterly captivating, a force that propels the entire story forward.

The first-person limited point of view in both timelines is executed flawlessly. Through Ari's eyes, we meet new characters and get to know old ones on a deeper level. Every person he encounters, feels fully realized. It was great to see some returning faces like Radi, Aram, and Shola, all of whom add wonderful layers to the narrative. I also found myself totally captivated by the new relationships Ari forms with his fellow prisoners. The story-for-story trade they engage in is a beautiful and somber part of the book, especially the tale of Satbien, which was truly moving. And while I did miss Eloine's constant presence as a foil, her dynamic with Ari is still as wonderfully complex as ever. The push-and-pull, the flirtatious tension, and the longing between them are palpable, and their scenes together are a highlight.

One of the most powerful elements of this series is Virdi’s prose, and in this book, it reaches new heights. His writing is lyrical, poetic, and absolutely gorgeous. It’s clear that he's a master wordsmith, easily one of the best in the fantasy genre today.

The worldbuilding is just as incredible. It provides a whole new set of tales that deepen the world's history and hint at future mysteries. The Doors of Midnight doesn't follow a typical fantasy structure; instead, it’s designed to immerse you in the world and make you feel as if you are sitting right next to Ari as the tale unfolds. In my honest opinion, Virdi succeeds magnificently at doing so.

If you’ve read and loved The First Binding, you absolutely must continue with The Doors of Midnight. And if you haven't started this series yet, what are you waiting for?