Synopsis
Under the twisted shadows of the Deadwoods, Ophelia Ravenward emerges from a hole in the ground with no memory of her past. She is led to safety by an unkindness of unruly ravens, and finds herself at the foot of Deadwood Manor. There, Lady Nikollette and her wards, the cheery Amarine and the Divided half-human, half-ghoul Barnaby, welcome her.
Ophelia is offered sanctuary, aide in unraveling her forgotten past, and the chance to unlock her magical potential. Together, Lady Nikollette, her wards, and Ophelia travel to Spellevue, a tower that stands at the heart of Sominor. There, under the watchful eyes of the Eldweavers, Ophelia must first complete the dangerous Trial of Talismans if she ever hopes to become a Spellweaver.
Unbeknownst to the good people of Sominor, a dark plot is taking shape. A plan to awaken the long-slumbered Endless King, a Spellweaver corrupted by dark magics. The Endless King, in his twisted quest to save the people of Sominor from the fear of death, seeks to turn every living soul in to one of his endless. A grave threat, casting an ever-looming shadow of the otherwise peaceful land.
Ophelia Ravenward: The Daughter of Deadwood is an engrossing novel synthesizing elements of history and fantasy by Alan Iso. The story chronicles the life of Ophelia Ravenward, an emancipated girl living in infamous Deadwood, a town that had no law during the Wild West days. The book covers thematic developments about identity, legacy, and survival, as Ophelia tries to decipher the inheritance of her identity in a chaotic setting. The grit of the Old West juxtaposed with supernatural happenings becomes a thrilling edge that will not go unnoticed amongst many historical fiction titles.
The quest for Ophelia to find out who she really is and what her role is in a supernatural struggle going on around her lays further intrigue onto an otherwise gritty setting called Deadwood. The growth of Ophelia against choices made under duress and betrayal is at the center of the story. Accompanying Ophelia are a cast of diverse characters-good and bad-who give shape to her moral development, testing her understanding of good and evil. Each character is round and enriching to the novel, creating their own tension which serves to deepen the themes in the story.
One of the most interesting features of Iso's work is his skillful flow from sordid realism to elaborate fantasy in ways that generate an atmosphere that holds readers captive. The slow-burning mystery over Ophelia's parentage is always there to keep the tension alive and push the plot forward; however, it feels uneven in pacing at times, especially in the middle, when the story falters with too much exposition.
The very central premise of Ophelia Ravenward: The Daughter of Deadwood concerns the ongoing supernatural battle about which Ophelia seeks the truth regarding her lineage and the quest's multiple levels of intrigue in Deadwood's otherwise gritty setting. Ophelia's evolution through the novel becomes important, as she weighs the life-or-death choices confronting her in the grip of danger and betrayal. She is joined in her journey by a cast of morally ambiguous characters who present a challenge to her views on right and wrong. The characters are well developed, adding depth to the story, with their own conflicts elucidating the overarching themes of the story even further.
There are so many appealing points in the work of Iso, with the unusual marriage of real grit from the Old West with high fantasy construction that intrigues the reader. There are sustained tensions throughout the narrative by the slow-haunting mystery that surrounds Ophelia's parentage, which at times propels the action forward. Conversely, at times such tension becomes unbearable as the pacing is uneven; slower midsections tend to drag as they compulsively introduce too much exposition.
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