Review : Kindling by Kanika

 This is the first book I've read from this author and is my first try in a mythological fiction. From my understanding it's a prequel to Rage of the Immortals. 

Kindling is part beautifully-written literary fantasy and part mythology. This peculiar combination results in a book that is incredibly quotable, detailed and full of description, and also a page-turner. It fluidly switches between a wider view of the world and all of its various gods and creatures and a closer focus on the Cifer and Atom siblings. Quite unusual and exceptional story.

A tale like this could seem distant and otherworldly and be challenging to relate to; since I'm not a divinity (well, only in my head). The truly astounding thing about this story is how relatable it is. The tremendous amount of love and affection between Cifer and Atom is the most relatable. They are not perfect, they make a lot of mistakes but at the end they are for each other! 

So it's super safe to assume that I enjoyed this book a whole lot. I mean any book that gives me a movie vibe from my childhood is already off to a good start. 

Now the worldbuilding and the adventure itself was pretty easy to devour. Ever since the beginning, I was so intrigued with the God and Godess, their sons and the mysterious place named Neither-here-nor-there. As for the main characters in it, you will meet Dave the God and Davie the Godess, Cifer, who rules the Underworld, and Atom, the king of Heaven. Apart from them there is Ivprith, the lady of the wild, Nightmare, a shape-shifting cat, and Vishaad, a warrior Ukhab. 

In the beginning, the world itself seemed incredibly fascinating. The first few sentences are lovely and evocative, promising an atmospheric read. Even though it turned out to be less atmospheric than expected, the worldbuilding was still good. The mythology of the world is cool! It's what made the story immersive for me.

The writing is good but there were a couple times I thought things were rushed. Kanika has talent and I am interested in her other works.