Eleventh Cycle is a gritty, grimdark fantasy novel with a huge list of trigger warnings (provided by the author), so not for the faint of heart! The misty world feels claustrophobic at times which is just a sign of how good the author is at drawing you into the setting. But don't get me wrong, this is one of the darkest novels I've read, one that seriously justifies the use of content warnings, as the worse aspects of a decadent world will be reflected in a really grim way, without any kind of glorification; and that close connection to the characters will make it harder from the emotional standpoint. We also have interludes interspersed with the narrative on occasion, giving us a glimpse into Mount Morniar and the realm of the Elders. Now let me tell you, this is TRIPPY lol. I mean seriously it's incredibly fresh and inventive. I have never quite experienced worldbuilding that's felt this alien. Thats the entire feel to this world, a very alien, in some senses barren and morose world. This is not a light tale, not by any means.

Eleventh Cycle - Why you should be excited for this Dark Eleventh Cycle - Why you should be excited for this Dark

Eleventh Cycle achieves Brandon Sanderson-level worldbuilding, but with a murkier tone and a more nuanced execution. Although the name of Ardalan’s series, Mistland, recalls Sanderson’s Mistborn, the world of Eleventh Cycle has more in common with The Stormlight Archive, particularly with how Ardalan introduces multiple races that vilify each other without knowing why they are enemies. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of the esteemed Grimdark Magazine in the fantasy community, well recently Eleventh Cycle got a glowing review. I'll post the link and the last few summary lines below

In conclusion, this book is set to shake the foundations of grimdark fantasy, with a new independent author who has a decisive command of character, world-building and prose, all working in harmony to create my favourite series debut of the year.

Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan First Impressions : r/Fantasy Eleventh Cycle by Kian Ardalan First Impressions : r/Fantasy

Let's start with the fact that I absolutely loved James' prose. It felt so fitting in the way that it tied the culture of more spiritual folk into the worl 4.5 rounded up. Inspired by Beserk and the Dark Souls games, you can feel the influences throughout the book – especially in the tone and atmosphere. Minethria is a rich, well developed world with a huge amount of lore that I loved learning more about. Yes I can say that with certainty because We Break Immortals came out last year so I don't have to decide between my love for the two!!! The fun comes from trying to connect all the disparate pieces together because in their totality they will make a cohesive whole, but at first read through they do appear randomly chosen. I am still yet to work out how it all connects! Through these little pieces we learn more about the world, its creatures, the past, lots of different bits and bobs and its all utterly fascinating. Its clearly got a richness to it that in my opinion so far matches an wheel of time sort of scale, but it's never overwhelming or put forward at the sake of story or character. If you want to invest in all the different aspects you can, but first and foremost this is a character driven tale.A soft and gentle breeze rustled the long field of grass as if grooming it with an invisible tongue. The orange glow of an egg yolk covered it all and the soft touch of grey began to grow like mould over its tapestry.' And that's where I get annoyed, because I'm not sure this would stand out as so awfully bad to me if I were just reading instead of listening. It might not be that bad. Eleventh Cycle has one of the best levels of worldbuilding that I've seen in a long time, with a really dark and grim execution. This book is not shy of showing the dark realities that are associated with war and violence. On its own it may not move you to tears as it did I, but within its context this was a heartbreaking line that gave us magnificent insight into this character's inner turmoil, this struggle with this hero complex they have thrust themselves into as a distraction from their grief and trauma.

Eleventh Cycle by Grimdark Fantasy + Berserk and Dark Souls | Eleventh Cycle by

Ardalan builds deep connections to each of the four protagonists through their first-person narration. We first meet Dalila, a farmer girl with a mysterious ability that leads to conflict with her conservative family. Next is Nora, who escapes abusive parents to become a fierce warrior full of hatred toward the opposing akar race. Eleventh Cycle then shifts perspective to Chroma, an adolescent akar who struggles with finding his place within akar society. Finally, we are introduced to the high-ranking captain Erefiel, who is caught between worlds as a half-human and half-Zerub, a race that blends human and animal anatomies.Kian N. Ardalan was born in Germany, Dusseldorf to Persian parents and has since travelled between so many places that he sees himself as a person of the world; well, with one exception.