The setup for Seven
Forges is straightforward. A retired soldier is hired to lead an
exploratory expedition into the unmapped wilderness bordering an empire. To his surprise he encounters members of a
brutal theocracy. Members of this
society, the Sa’ba Taalor, are sent back to the Empire and the effects of this
visit could change the world for everyone.
It’s difficult to evaluate Seven Forges because it reads like half a novel. As the book ends, all important storylines
are going full speed. How can a reader
evaluate the development of character, theme, etc when it is all willfully left
until the second volume? At the end of
the book, character and world building both feel a bit under cooked. Is this intentional? Will there be significantly more in the next
volume? Your guess is as good as mine.
I will say that Moore does a great job controlling the
information that we get about these strange people at the edge of the
world. The mystery of what exactly is
going on with the Sa’ba Taalor is central to the book, so it feels intentional
that we don’t know very much about them.
However, Moore slowly gives us information, some of which just raises
more questions.
This sense of discovery and learning just exactly what is
going on is central to what is enjoyable about Seven Forges. Most of the
time the reader doesn’t know any more than the characters from the Empire. And as events start to get more complicated,
we want to understand just what exactly is going on. But Moore steadfastly refuses to answer all
the questions, even as we start to puzzle out answers to a few.
If you are the sort of fantasy reader who enjoys super
detailed lists and food descriptions, or elaborate magical systems, then this
may be a frustrating read for you. Seven Forges is not that kind of
book. I would encourage you to try to
embrace the bloody mysteries of this world.
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