Book Review | The First Binding

Ari is a legendary traveler who’s killed a god and buried an entire village. He’s a hero in some stories and a villain in others. However, one night, he shows up a tavern and begins to weave the true tale of his life.

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi is an epic fantasy set in a South Asian inspired world that I was really excited for. However, this was an incredibly frustrating read.

I’m going to be up front here and say that I couldn’t stand the main character. Ari is an insufferable narrator who blames women as the main cause for life’s woes … and yet he continues to hit on them with awful pickup lines. I kid you not, at one point he neighs at a woman while trying to flirt with her. I would have gotten up and walked out on him right there.

On top of that, even the simplest of actions are written in the most overwrought purple prose to the point that I found it entirely distracting.

Lastly, admiring another person’s work is one thing, but this book feels like it’s trying too hard to emulate The Name of the Wind’s premise and style (especially toward the beginning). In fact, the first page almost too closely parallels The Name of the Wind’s opening where Kvothe describes the three kinds of silences.

All in all, I couldn’t get into this book and I really don’t foresee myself continuing on with its sequel either.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : August 16, 2022

Publisher : Tor Books

IBSN : ‎1250796172

Pages : 832

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