Catrin Russell's Reviews > Children of Adaban

A simplistic yet wonderfully intricate debut!

Children of Adaban is the first book of R. L. Myles' Legacy series. It is divided into three parts, with each separate section focusing on its own main character and their journey as they attempt to save those they love.

The first part is about Lesant, a young man training to become a warrior of his clan. Lesant's world comes to an end as his village is lost due to a natural disaster, and he wakes up in a foreign land. There, he tries to find his way home, but is faced with the problem that no one has ever heard of his homeland. This storyline - like the rest - is fast-paced and holds plenty of action, but it also features many moments to stop and reflect, with great little quotes such as this:

"We are all measured by our actions and not by comparison to each other."

In the next part, we follow Kira, a young woman cursed to a life alone, away from the rest of her village, as her powers pose a significant threat to their existence. In fact, she is meant to be their leader, but she has never even been told of her heritage due to her abilities. But when their village one day faces an outside threat, she is forced to take a stand. However, more to her past is revealed, and not everything is as it seems. I loved the suspense as this played out, and Kira's struggles were heartfelt. Also, I'm a sucker for animal companions, so... :)

In the third act, we get to meet Sanai; a Seer kept captive by a terrible Lord who plans to one day rule over all the lands. One day, she meets a strange man - seemingly by chance - and her fate is sealed. She doesn't know it yet, but she will have a hand in something greater than she could have imagined. I won't divulge more due to spoilers, but needless to say, the finale was something above the rest in this book.

Children of Adaban is written in a unique, uncluttered style that makes for a fast-paced read. Some may call it sparse in detail, but I feel that might be a personal preference. The world-building is fantastic, and the characters are wonderfully fleshed-out. I loved the fact that this isn't a "chosen one" scenario, but a matter of many people blessed by the gifts of their God - Adaban - and that they are now slowly being Awakened and their powers activated.

I suspect Lesant, Kira, and Sanai will one day meet, as some of them visited the same areas within the span of the book, and people of the land referred to them as unique. And indeed, they were, and I'm intrigued to see how this story unfolds. All in all, a great read!