Renshaw tackles subjects like abusive relationships, intimate partner violence and PTSD with enlightened sensitivity, and with as much competence as he uses to describe intense training regimens, and student camaraderie. The women are well rounded and cannot be reduced to mere stereotypes, nor does the book imply that only the women who train as warriors have strength worth considering.

Kalry is a delight to read, for what little time she appears in the book, and her role is taken over by Liru soon after. Kevin Hearne is a painful example of this phenomenon, but not Renshaw. The plot does not stretch itself thin despite its sheer scope, and battle scenes, personal growth and the concept of family are all given equal importance, equally well written.įar too often, authors writing from a male perspective write female characters badly. Renshaw promises us a mighty world, and fulfills that promise to the reader’s satisfaction. The world building is ambitious, but does not ring hollow. I’m a sucker for good fantasy, for good coming-of-age novels, and Dawn of Wonder is both. Thought goes into the development of his characters, and the narrative matches the protagonist, showing us only what would be obvious through the eyes of a teenage boy. There is then no doubt that Jonathan Renshaw is a good writer. It is difficult to attain that balance between humour and gravity, but Renshaw manages it by quietly slipping it into even the most mundane of sentences, making the reading experience even more pleasant. It is unhurried, and care is given to the placing of every word. All the while, mysterious happenings unfold inside and outside the city, and Aedan nurses his desire for revenge against the Lekrau.

Once there, he catches the eye of the great general Osric, and joins a group of students training to be Marshals of the kingdom. Rumours about his involvement in the attack force his family to leave their home and journey to the mighty city of Castath. Synopsis: Aedan’s carefree life at the Badgerfield farm is rudely disrupted when Lekrau pirates attack, and kidnap his best friend Kalry.

Dawn of wonder the wakening book 1