Child of the Daystar

The first entry of author Bryce O’Connor’s The Wings of War series opens with an infant of a reptilian race known as the atherians wailing for emancipation from his human slavers. The main action occurs in the desert Cienbal, where Agais Arro’s family has a good year of trade, their caravan headed to a great oasis known as the Garin. The caravan stops to pick up the atherian child nearly beaten to death by his former owners, with males among the race like the infant being rare, mostly keeping to mountainous terrain called the Crags.

Meanwhile, the atherian and antediluvian royal advisor Sassyl Gal talks with his Queen, Shas-hana Rhan, whose son has been taken in by traders, with the monarch of the Under-Caves annoyed her people are not created as equals. The atherian child for his early days is kept isolated with the Grandmother of the Arro clan, the infant ultimately named Raz i’Syul, meaning Child of the Sun. In the novel’s universe, the sun and the moon are considered to be Twins, with ultimate explanation given to the time system in years ver Syul, meaning Common Age or Age of Sands in the South.

The first chapters occur in 842 v.S., with the atherian infant sparking curiosity and fear among the Arro clan, with an ultimate aim to return him to his people, and Agais’ wife Grea expecting a child as well. Several chapters dedicate themselves to the parallel chronicles of Talo Brahnt in the Veitalis Range, with Cyurgi’ Di, the High Citadel, being the region’s northernmost temple, and Talo having a servant named Syrah, who is inducted into the storyline’s primary religion.

Thirteen years pass since the discovery of Raz, who grows and is able to handle a dune scorpion, getting the Arro name appended to his moniker as well, and Agais and Grea having raised their daughter Ahna. The caravan arrives in the city of Karth, where Talo and Syrah spread the word of Laor, with bandits talking about robbing the Laorins. The paths of the Laorins and Raz briefly cross, with tragedy striking the Arro clan as well as it had before, and Raz ultimately commissioning a twin-pronged weapon he names after Ahna.

Six years later, Raz works as a mercenary, being known as the Monster of Karth, although he leaves the city for another, Miropa, where Raz’s adopted cousin Mychal Arro has adopted the new name Adrion Blaeth. Raz finds himself working with the criminal citizens of Miropa, having many ups and downs in his tenure as a mercenary, with Syrah continuing her journey as well, the book ending bittersweetly with her memory of Raz. Overall, this is an enjoyable first book in the series that effectively weaves its own mythos and is recommended to fans of traditional fantasy.