Amnar: The Execution [Kindle Edition]

The purpose of fantasy writing is to illuminate reality and Joely does a tremendous job in this regard. This is a short and simple novel on the face of it, but it opens many doors to some deep ideas and a thirst for more knowledge about the world of Amnar. At its heart this is a morality tale on the perils of complacency in a utopian culture and although the plot is simple and the characters, apparently at least, well defined, there is much to discover here. Whether it's Alix's realisation that the true power of law comes from a subtle balance of flexibility and strength, or the Jeckyll and Hyde nature of Arist's machinations and possession, Joely gives us much to contemplate without forcing us to contemplate any of it. And this is the most striking feature of the book; there is such restraint in the writing. It's clear that the author knows this world intimately; there is mention of dragons and mind reading, wars and political discontent in far away outposts, deep history and deep spirituality, and whilst it's abundantly clear that these things are all deeply rooted in the world and of the utmost relevance to the story at hand, exploring them is left for another tale and another day.

I've been a fan of the Amnar world for a few years now having listened to the podcast readings of the next book in the series, The Inheritor, so I was quite excited to read a tale from the world set in an earlier time to give me some background to those characters I already knew in the world of Amnar.

The Execution goes so much further than that. I J Black has created not just an interesting back story for her previously released work but a great story in it's own right made better due to the backdrop of a well described, functioning world with a rich civilisation in which the cast can play out their story.
The book is a challenging read and asks the reader to engage with it on a level that is rare in modern fantasy. Particularly for the first half which is an intriguing political and legal drama, which works well as a method of immersing you into the various levels of the Amnar culture. The second half of the book is more action packed and drags you on to the exciting climax at breakneck speed.

In short this was more than I'd bargained for, an excellent read and it's excited me to read the other books in the series.

Recommended by a friend on Twitter, The Execution counted as my first tentative steps into I J Black's world of Amnar, and it didn't disappoint. Originally intending to read just a few pages while waiting for the washing machine to finish its cycle, I found myself on the couch a few hours later with the damp clothes still inside the drum and a finished book in front of me.

Right from the off, Black's strong character development shines through as we're taken on a tour-de-force of the ancient society in which a brewing political maelstrom is about to shockingly explode, and introduced to what I assume will be the main protagonists of the Amnar series (indeed, a lot is left open for future works, but not in such a way that it feels forced). The social and professional hierarchies of Amnari way of life are rigid and complex, but never confusing; it all seems to fit together very well. Black's world and its colourful inhabitants come across as very natural and believable, and as such it makes for compelling page-turning from the first to the last.

It's actually nice to see an original, interesting and robust fantasy setting for once. Too often we're asked to go that extra mile and suspend plausibility when it comes to a world, its characters and the associated plot lines because their authors see things in their creations that they can't quite actualise in their writing. Not here though. The Execution flows perfectly and feels good, like that old comfortable pair of slippers you have. You know the ones I mean. They're snug, they're warm and they just FIT. You'll sink into this strange, alien world and feel like you belong. Like you've been there from the start. The only trouble is that once you've put your slippers on, you don't want to take them off again, and full credit to the author for that. The idiom "hook, line and sinker" has never been more apt. I'm caught like a little fish, and I want more.

You know, I only meant to write a short paragraph in this little box, and I've digressed to the point of waffling about comfortable footwear. Maybe that's the point; I've not been enthused enough to write a review about anything in a long time. The Execution is a cracking read that I simply couldn't put down. I'd advise it to anyone, but especially to those like myself that read a lot of fiction and feel that many authors are just going through the motions these days, and are in need of something fresh. I'm genuinely looking forward to reading The Inheritor.