Assessment:
Plot: Snyder’s novel is a quickly-paced whirlwind of intrigue and adventure with characters in a mad dash to unravel the mysteries of the past for their own designs. Despite the machinations of many opposing players, The Eyes of Tamburah remains seamlessly plotted.
Prose/Style: Snyder’s prose is direct and clear, serving the story well. It is its dialogue, however, which shines the brightest, with each character’s voice wholly unique even amid the myriad of inscrutable players vying for control.
Originality: The Eyes of Tamburah is an engrossing tale that perfectly balances suspense and adventure in a well-realized, nigh-inhabitable fantasy world that speaks to discrimination and unbalanced power. Readers will find a captivating combination of political intrigue, religious furor, Indiana Jones-esque archaeological adventuring, secret organizations, and lost magic which may or may not have ever existed at all.
Character Development/Execution: Despite a myriad of enigmatic players in a long-game for power and control for the city of Zirdai, characters’ motivations and clandestine operations never feel convoluted or forced. Readers will quickly fall for the protagonist, researcher Shyla, who slowly realizes her strengths and faults, rising to the challenges set before her despite overwhelming circumstances.
Blurb: A whirlwind fantasy adventure filled with intrigue and suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page and scrambling for the next book in the series.
Date Submitted: June 22, 2021
This fast-paced book had me racing through scenes, desperate to know what happened next. Shyla is a badass adversary and a fighter to the very end. She never backs down from a challenge, and has an impressive mind and a knack for trouble.
I think that my favourite part of this story, however, is the setting. The city of Zirdai is as alive as you or me – it practically leaps off the page at you. This underground world, with its water restrictions and endless, dark tunnels, is utterly captivating.
An enriching mix of fantasy, adventure, suspense with a touch of romance filled with witty dialogue that made it very easy for me to grasp the new world and terminology. World building can be a complex endeavour, especially one as original as this one, but the way Maria structured the dialogue, it really engaged me. The fast-paced plot made it almost impossible to put down. I also found her use of referencing time through angles and sun-jumps pretty cool.
