The Warden by Daniel M. Ford – Review

Published: April 18, 2023

Publisher: Tor Books

Series: The Warden #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320 (Hardcover)

My Rating: 5 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
For fans who have always wanted their Twin Peaks to have some wizards, The Warden is a non-stop action adventure story from author Daniel M. Ford.

There was a plan.

She had the money, the connections, even the brains. It was become one of the only female necromancers, earn as many degrees as possible, get a post in one of the grand cities, then prove she’s capable of greatness. The funny thing about plans is that they are seldom under your control.

Now Aelis de Lenti, a daughter of a noble house and recent graduate of the esteemed Magisters’ Lyceum, finds herself in the far-removed village of Lone Pine. Mending fences, matching wits with goats, and serving people who want nothing to do with her. But, not all is well in Lone Pine, and as the villagers Aelis is reluctantly getting to know start to behave strangely, Aelis begins to suspect that there is far greater need for a Warden of her talents than she previously thought.

Old magics are restless, and an insignificant village on the farthest border of the kingdom might hold secrets far beyond what anyone expected. Aelis might be the only person standing between one of the greatest evils ever known and the rest of the world.

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I’ve been looking forward to checking out The Warden since reading the synopsis. I picked this up with the thought that I’d try out a few pages and see if it clicked. Well, it clicked alright and I ended up reading over a hundred pages before deciding that I should probably go to bed. I picked it up first thing the next morning and finished the rest of it because it is a non-stop magical thriller!

Aelis de Lenti un Tirraval had grand plans after graduating with not one, but three magical specialties but she was instead assigned to a cold and remote village on the very border of the empire called Lone Pine. Things aren’t great from the start – the villagers fear her, her Warden’s tower is in crumbling disrepair, and everything smells like sheep shit – but things don’t stay mundane for long. Aelis soon finds her skills rather in demand and as she’s chasing a man through the wilds of Old Ystain, she begins to think that dark magic is afoot.

Let me start off by saying, I loved Aelis. She’s young, but proves herself to be exceedingly competent time and time again. At the smallest mistake, she finds herself reviewing her errors (sometimes imagining what her magisters and teachers would say) and making mental notes to not repeat the mistake. She definitely comes off as a little abrasive and pulls rank, but not without reason. She’s the character we follow during the entire story – no multi-POV tale here – so the reader really gets to connect with her, and by extension connect with the secondary characters she interacts with. Tunbridge the half-orc was a strong favorite as well. Though he’s a loner somewhat by choice, he’s a well-read, erudite man with mad tracking skills. He and Aelis make a great team wandering through the wilds of Old Ystain. The innkeepers and Pip, a young village girl, are also totally lovable. 

The worldbuilding is pretty damn cool as well. You have this world that’s recovering from a war against the orcs several decades past and so many things have changed in that time. Aelis’s schooling, while already completed at the time the book begins, is revealed through a few key flashback sections that give you an idea of the rigorous training she completed. The various schools of magic are pretty fascinating and we only really get to see the three that Aelis herself specialized in – Necromancy (including medical training), Abjuration (wards, battle), and Enchantment. Necromancers, as one might expect, are seriously misunderstood and feared by most. Out in Old Ystain, orc bands roam but the interactions we see are surprisingly conflict free. There are adventuring parties that go out and look for treasure and there are rogue magicians and bandits out there too, all of which Aelis must deal with.

I have to say, I totally adored this book because it covers so many things I love in a book! It has a little mystery, cool magic, a touch of romance, and an excellent sense of adventure. Just skimming through a few other early reviews, it seems that folks either totally love it like I do or just felt a bit meh about it, so your mileage may vary. If this seems like your cup of tea, I’d highly recommend you check it out. I personally will be keeping an eye out for a firm release date for the second book, Necrobane, which is currently slated for an unspecified 2024 release.