The Dark Archer
by Robert Cano
Book review by Susan Stradiotto
Like so many other modern fantasy works, The Dark Archer isn’t a book that I could sit down and fly through. I read the first series of Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series in a weekend. This book does not allow for that, and there are so many creatures: wraiths, fae, dragons, banshees, gods, satyrs etc. that it takes focus. However, this story is well-worth the perseverance.
Description of The Dark Archer
All he wanted was the safety of his princess. What he received was eternal torment.
From Goodreads
Bereft of a soul, a wraith who should have no ties to humanity, Bene wants nothing more than release from his twisted existence. Trapped between life and nothingness, he hopes to reclaim his soul and find the death he so desperately desires.
Bene finds rare solace in the company of Feorin, a satyr war hero who chose exile over continuing the centuries long war with the Fae. He doesn’t look at Bene with fear or contempt, but rather hope. If a wraith can find a path to redemption, perhaps he could as well…
The Goods about the book
- The Dark Archer trips my taste for solid worldbuilding.
- There is a fantastic map tucked in the back of the book that helped me along the way.
- It’s pure epic fantasy, the hero’s journey to be exact. It has a tragic romantic thread, but the focus is more on the main character Bene.
Some of the stuff I adored
The concept embedded in the title really intrigued me. It came clear to me around page 50, and I thought to myself. “Wow, that’s cool!”
The way the wraith magic works and is fleshed out throughout the novel was fun. It wasn’t a magic system per se, but it fit more with the nature of being a wraith. If I look at my 5 Sources of Magic post, I’d say this blends the magic given and the genetic magic categories. It’s magic because of his wraith nature. Maybe it’s because I haven’t delved deeply into these creatures, but I found it super unique.
Also, I truly enjoyed the contrast between younger and older dragons. This does hit a trope with the dragons, but it was fun to read in The Dark Archer.
This quote from Bene (spoiler omitted):
“If it were as easy as me dying, I would welcome it. But you attacked my friends. I never wanted you dead, dragon. I never wanted your…For your loss, I am sorry. For your death, well…you brought this upon yourself.”
page 282
And this quote, also from Bene:
“I am incapable of releasing my humanity for the sake of my own peace. There is nothing more selfish than to seek peace when others suffer, especially at my hands. What I could be is not what I want to be.”
page 338
The “eh, maybe could be better”s
I will admit that I’m learning to be both a reader and an author, and sometimes the author part handicaps me during my reads. In this case, there weren’t that many things that tripped my author trigger. However, there were a few grammatical issues and instances when I believed the information could have been delivered through more character interaction as opposed to inner monologue. The later could be stylistic choices, so take that opinion with a grain of salt.
Then, there is one thing about the worldbuilding that bothered me. Two moons, okay. I can get behind that. But the thing about multiple suns pulled me out. Again, I think this is just me, because discussing with my son, he mentioned he’d have absolutely no problem with it.
Anyway, that’s really all, folks.
The Bottom Line
I debated between 4 and 5 stars and in the end, I think the story, emotion, and voice of this book deserve all 5. If you’re a fan of fantasy, and especially if you’ve enjoyed activities like table-top role-playing games or online fantasy games, read this! It hits the fantasy tropes but has an unusual main character. That the main character is a wraith makes it an interesting read in itself.
Have you read The Dark Archer?
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