Book Review: Alderelm

Reviewed by Addison Ciuchta

A high fantasy adventure in a world full of heart, beauty, and found family

Alderelm opens with LittleLeaf LeadTree, the youngest and last-born of a Faerie species called the Treeans who live as one with the ancient, sentient trees of their land. 

When the story begins, LittleLeaf is going about her normal routine, visiting and communicating with her tree Miriam and itching for experiences beyond her day-to-day in the confines of her forest. Their forest, Alderelm, is one of seven ancient forests full of trees that hold the knowledge of the history of everything. 

Soon, though, fire appears on the outskirts of their land, signaling impending danger. They quickly learn a similar fire has wiped out at least one of the other ancient forests. This tragedy was caused by the Geul, beings from the underworld itching for destruction for destruction’s sake. 

LittleLeaf, the carrier of the seed of Alderelm, must unite with two elves, Noblien and Sage, and a huntress named Tullkaee to keep the seed protected from those who wish to destroy it and with it, her people and their history. Through beautiful and strange lands, the group encounters enemies and unexpected friends on their journey together.

There is quite a bit of worldbuilding in this, especially with the pure number of species, lands, and histories introduced in just the first few pages of the book. It can be disorienting at first as new character after new character appears, especially when chaos breaks out with the fire and the action starts moving. It can be difficult to tell who will come back later in the novel and who is only there for one or two scenes. The appendix at the back is particularly helpful with keeping track of who is who and what species they are, so make sure to be flip to that regularly.

As the story progresses, it becomes easier to remember the characters and their histories, since the point of view tends to focus on LittleLeaf and her small group of adventurers. The relationship between the four of them is touching as they all come from different places with different histories, but they’ve found a common ground in the love they end up sharing with each other. 

While they aren’t without argument or fight, all four find a deep respect for each other and the strengths they have. A scene near the end between Sage and Noblien is sure to bring a tender tear to the eye, as are all of the moments the two of them share as they slowly and hesitantly open up to one another. It’s a true found family story in the midst of high fantasy chaos.

“They were two warriors facing vulnerability for the sake of confronting the truth and, therein, being the bravest testament to courage.”

The worldbuilding is detailed and wide-reaching. The strongest part of this is the way each species or character has their own understanding of what is myth and what is real, which feels so realistic to how that might play out in reality. One character who grew up with the Treeans may not know, exactly, the history of the Puman elves or the Coyotls the same way someone who grew up in a different part of the world would.

“’Hold now,’ whispered the captain. ‘This cannot be so. You speak of children’s stories.’”

The writing style may take some getting used to. It’s written in a lovely, lyrical style, but some moments can be difficult to figure out what is happening. A few scenes or sentences may require re-reading to figure out its true meaning, but the result is also rather beautiful prose that matches the beauty of the world in Alderelm.

“As a being of the elements, she was a tender compilation of all the world’s sorrow in a day.”

While it takes some adjusting to the world and the voice, Alderelm is a touching, intricate fantasy story of loss, yes, but also friendship and love found in characters so very different from each other. You’re sure to meet strange creatures, stunning lands, and stirring emotionality in this one.

Thank you for reading Addison Ciuchta’s book review of Alderelm by Ellis McCauley! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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