Fantasy Book Reviews

Niran

Author: abiran1995
Title: Niran
Link: https://www.wattpad.com/story/81082294-niran

When we read Fantasy, we generally expect things like wizards and dragons, but Niran offers something that's far less common and deserves more love: humanoids. In the world of Niran, humans can transform into animal-like beings and possess superior powers. With that naturally comes lots of awesome action, and the book definitely delivers!

The book begins with a wonderfully written Prologue, and is the only book I've reviewed so far that does a Prologue correctly. It does double duty by setting the tone of the story as well as world building. It's short and simple, yet filled with intrigue and forces you to read on. If you want to see how to do a Prologue properly, read this book!

Chapter 1 starts with a dream sequence written in first person, while the rest is written in third. This is an uncommon technique that when done wrong causes a lot of confusion for readers. With Niran, it worked well to introduce us to one of the main characters, Zaria, and the trials she can expect to face. The dream appears to foreshadow the gruesome deaths of her family right before her eyes. It's quite graphic and intense, bizarre and convoluted, but that's how dreams are supposed to be! Like the Prologue, it adds to the story world and raises many good questions.

We first meet Zaria and her siblings Axel and Luna, who are all humanoids and live in the city of Niran. During a sparring session with a family friend, Axel is injured, his body pierced by hundreds of metal pieces from his shattered sword, much like what Zaria saw in her dream.

We then meet Simba and his father, Hanuman, as they arrive in Niran for a meeting with the minister. Simba explores the city and encounters Zaria, who is frantically trying to get the medication she needs for her dying brother. He helps her, but wonders if he did the right thing.

Elsewhere, a presumably important figure named Frost is practicing with a bow and arrow with an archer he hired.  The training session turns out to be an attempt to assassinate Frost. He's attacked by dozens of men, and in a last ditch effort to get out of the predicament, he unleashes his powers and blacks out.

The story is told through multiple POV's, all of which seem to revolve around the city of Niran. It's not easy to write multiple POV's, but the author does a great job of reeling us in to each character's story. It also helped that there is some overlap between their stories. The only negative point I'd make is that their voices are not distinct enough. It felt like there was only one voice: the narrator's voice telling the story. This is a small problem, since the narrator's voice itself is strong.

There's plenty to love about Niran. The author has created an enchanting world, populated by equally fascinating characters, whose lives we care for and want to know more of. The effort put into describing the different settings, the social hierarchy, and the humanoids is visible in every paragraph. The action scenes are spectacular, but not overly drawn out. The author selects the most important details and describes them to us through wonderful imagery. And the names! The cities and characters are given such unique names that it adds to the mystical feel of the story world.

Niran is a no-brainer must-read. Instead of wizards and elves, give humanoids a chance and check this book out!