"Legend of the Quill"

When starting a high fantasy story or series you always need to remember that world, language, and character building take time and precision. This is especially true if said story is not intended to be a stand-alone but actually a series. I always appreciates when an author takes their time to fully immerse their readers into all the little intricacies of "their" worlds. It creates a more powerful dynamic and understanding between the readers themselves and the narrative that I believe only leads to a higher quality relationship. It's almost like lego building if you think about it, first you need the foundation and then you build onto that layer by layer until ending upon completion. Without this planning and building readers will often times find themselves lost and utterly confused on what the heck is actually happening.

In my opinion, Legend of the Quill author, Astra Crompton, does a fantastic job with world building by providing intricate details and vivid descriptions that they weave into the narrative creating an otherworldly experience allowing the reader to step into a universe that feels both expansive and alive. They meticulously establishes her world, describing not only the landscapes but also the characters and their backgrounds showing how these entities influence each other within their story. Crompton does not shy away from exploring the complexities of her characters’ cultures and belief systems. Each character's culture has its own customs, languages, and histories that are interwoven into the plot, making the world feel authentic and multi-dimensional. The social dynamics are thoughtfully developed adding layers of interest and conflict that drive the narrative forward. In closing, Legend of the Quill is a testament to the author's creativity and attention to detail. Through their clear descriptions, intricate societal structures, and imaginative elements, the author crafts a world that will captivate your imagination and bring you on a thrilling adventure.

The Review

“Legend of the Quill” is a high fantasy tale that takes place in Ul-Zaorith, a world intricately crafted with many lands, races, languages, Gods, Goddesses, and also forms of magic. Our main character, Bimear Sasharr, is a young Fudorian man who throughout the story tangos with his destiny as the Ibalgen (savior/hero) and completing the legend of the quill. His main antagonist, Kigäli Ebarät, a Speritanian man is resolved to complete the will of his Goddess at any cost including destroying anyone or anything who tries to get in his way. I love a good underdog story which to me this was, as Sasharr was just a seemingly “average” young man. Throughout the story though, the reader meets many eccentric and fascinating side characters who in one way or another help build the story to its climax. To me, the secondary characters were my favorite as they really added so much depth to the story. The story started off a little slow for me but that’s kind of to be expected in a high fantasy story as the author is laying the groundwork, background, etc., but once the story picked up I was really drawn in to what was going to happen next. I will be checking out book two and look forward to it.

Finished Reading On:  March 20, 2025

Book Information

Author Name: Astra Crompton

Publisher Name: Independently Published

Published Date: January 1, 2015 (Originally Published)

Final Thoughts

Have you read Legend of the Quill? Drop a comment, a rating, and let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading! If you're interested in purchasing this book for yourself, feel free to head over to the author's website HERE.