Rating: ⭐⭐⭐️⭐️⭐-(5/5)
Everyone has their zest and stipulations when moving to read fantasy. Regardless, once you find a fantasy novel that has a terrific emotional rapport between the reader and the fictitious subject, embodies a thought-provoking theme, and can skillfully pull the reader into the fantasy world. Then you have got yourself an extraordinary fantasy novel.
Merchants Of Knowledge And Magic is a fantasy tale written by Erika McCorkle, an exceptional wordsmith. The two eminent characters are Calinthe and Zakuro. They are transiting a myriad of planes in the Pentagonal dominion, meeting species, hunting for information, and searching for a missing demon. Calinthe is primarily a merchant of knowledge. Though her persona is numerous, being a peddler of insight makes her focus on the accession of knowledge. Then, there's Zakuro, the merchant of magic. Her powers are to create illusions, enchantment, and modification of fluids. The collaboration of these two characters might have birthed the title of this book.
The beginning of this book may feel slow-paced because of the continuous traveling escapades of Calinthe and Zakuro. Do not faint because you're up for a dark, mind-blowing ride. In the final quarter of the book, the story and tone take a whiplash-sharp turn into far grimier territory when the main character, Calinthe, is enslaved, tormented, and maimed. I fell in love with this twist. Curious to know the dark turn of events in their adventure? Read this book to find out!
Merchants Of Knowledge And Magic is easily the most detailed fantasy book I have read in a long time. It is a character-driven novel with a smooth narrative. The included descriptions are alive in your head as you read. During my reading, I felt like I was present in this fantasy world, experiencing every single activity firsthand. The Pentagonal dominion building is vast and in-depth. You can tell the author has been building and improving this world for years.
It would be safe to call Erika a divinity of fantasy writing. She takes you on an adventure filled with dread and passion. Her writing style is the needed breakthrough in fantasy novels. Her ability to juggle the varied characters, make them sound distinct, and have their voice and individuality is mind-blowing. Even though Erika has done a perfect job in describing these characters, I feel that the author would have provided pictorial representations to aid comprehension. This book deserves a movie adaptation, and I hope the author has this in mind, so we can appreciate and applaud her creative mind.
Fantasy books are indeed written mainly for pleasure. However, Merchants Of Knowledge And Magic has lessons rooted in the paragraphs. From Sin-Derion, I learned that if you are ever trapped in one place your entire life, you will begin to seek purpose. Inevitably, there was so much to take from this book. New messages, new knowledge, and a fresh experience are all packed into one book. Another aspect that got me so devout to this book was its capacity to grapple with world problems like rape and slavery head-on.
Ultimately, this book is exceptionally well-edited. There's nothing to dislike about this book. For a rising writer like her, I am deeply impressed. I have no choice but to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend this book to fantasy enthusiasts looking for a unique read.
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About the Author
Erika McCorkle (she/her) is an avid world-builder and consumer of all things fantasy, whether that be books, video games, or anime. She has been developing the Pentagonal Dominion for 22 years and figured it was about damn time to publish her books. She has a Bachelors of Science in Biology and works as a laboratory technician on the graveyard shift at her local blood bank, which qualifies her as a vampire.
She can be found on twitter @Kiraofthewind1 or on her website, www.authormccorkle.com
