Read as part of SPFBO10.

If I wrote a book, and it was my debut, and my name was G.J. Terral…. Well, then, I would be pretty darn proud. There are a lot of elements in Bloodwoven that appeal to a fantasy reader and personally, I enjoyed how the story as a whole held on firmly to the main character’s internal conflict.

It’s actually quite simple, what Bloodwoven is about. It’s about a soldier who suddenly finds one of his wards murdered, with the alleged murderer in his grasp. His task would be to deliver the alleged murderer to face justice. However, and this is where things get complicated pretty fast, should you always simply trust what your eyes see and what your superior tells you, or should you trust your gut and nagging feeling?

All is not as it seems, and Terral takes Bloodwoven to epic heights with some morally hardhitting questions. Whilst the characters debate over their beliefs, faith, and try to separate the right from wrong, there is no shortage of adventure, action and danger. The morally weighty questions we face throughout the book are just the thing for added depth.

Additionally, what makes this bookish treat stand slightly taller and straighter, is the magic system described. It’s a nice treat for any fantasy reader and in this case, not only does it come with some cool visuals, it delivers one of the biggest conflicts for our main character Lindel.

Yes, I did find the start a bit rocky, that’s likely on me, finding myself in a new world with new characters and what have you. But, the further along the story I got, the easier it went. Do I believe there’s room to improve? Sure. I think Terral’s writing and the setting of the building blocks of his story are solid – with some polishing and final touches, Terral’s books can go from diamond in the rough to, well, quality cut diamond.  

I commend G.J. Terral, he has something really solid happening here, and I believe that we are likely to see enjoyable titles from the author into the future.