Book Review: Blood of the Exile

Reviewed by Peter Hassebroek

A fantasy rich with culture and character

Althea MacMillan doesn’t have much going for her in Chicago. Never has. Orphaned, with “an uncertain diagnosis of Lupus,” bad luck in successive foster parents as a child, boyfriends as a young adult—any radical change would be welcomed.

And then she is abducted by an obsequious but somewhat dense winged gargoyle, aided by a hired sardonic journeyman, summoned to inherit the regal title and its associated property left to her by an unknown relative. Alas, the property is underwhelming, its surrounding lands arid, its large household (manse) in need of major repairs and barely habitable.

On arrival, Althea meets the housekeeper, a scaly, four-armed, competent but terse goblin who is invisible unless called for. Thus begins a continual unveiling of magical and fantasy elements, including her own potentialities. While fascinating, they cannot combat her loneliness:

“It was a bone-deep, blistering pain made worse by each fresh reminder that she was on a whole different world—and not metaphorically. The three moons. The purple tea. The endless list of words, phrases, and concepts that might as well have been delivered in Swahili.”

A longing for familiarity inspires Althea to befriend a crow, unaware that the bird, like other creatures she will encounter, can shapeshift. In this case, into a human male who happens to be extraordinarily handsome. Only his superficial appeal is neutralized by his annoyingly persistent flirtations. The crow learns after many rebuffs it’s wiser to service his own ambitions by applying his extensive knowledge to adopt a coaching / advisor role. To the chagrin of others.

Althea’s newfound lofty status, in a world with somewhat archaic customs and genteel language, clashes with her coarser Gen Z culture. Much of the conflict (and humor) centers around her ability to reconcile two contrasting existences. For one so young, it’s no surprise this funnels into a crisis of conscience leading to a difficult choice in which she can’t prevent hurting someone.

A benefit of the length of this book is allowing these aspects to be presented clearly through lively action and dialogue rather than dry exposition. The same goes for explaining local customs and how the magic works (or doesn’t) in relation to the four traditional elements. The pace is quick enough to prevent it from feeling sprawling.

There’s also plenty of room for a large, complex set of characters whose distinct natures evolve unhurriedly. The result is a smorgasbord of conflict dramatized through witty repartee and scathing verbal attacks. Our pacifistic heroine is usually caught in the middle, as happens most frequently with the crow (Corvus) and gargoyle (Athelstan).

“Corvus was trying to maintain his composure, but Athelstan was clearly doing the electric slide on his last nerve.”

Managing the varying temperaments compounds Althea’s more direct challenges. Such as the difficult, sometimes debilitating process of strengthening her magical abilities. Or figuring out whom to trust and how to asset her values. It’s a tumultuous but necessary acclimation to actualize her destiny on a world she’s only begun to explore.

A substantial first novel with a full story and a rich set of distinct characters, Blood of the Exile both stands alone and acts as a momentous beginning. While there are darker sections, it has an overall feeling of lightness that, based on a brief preview of the second book, is likely to change. Blood of the Exile provides a strong foundation for the future of the Thitherlands and Althea MacMillan’s reign.

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