Broken Arrow is first in Durant’s Darkened Destiny series, following the adventures of half-breed Ealdred. Despised for what he is, Ealdred has been a slave his entire life. When the sorcerer Zeldek captures Ealdred and brings him to the stronghold of Gaiztoak, he learns there’s more to his past than ever he realised. Zeldek tries to convince Ealdred to join forces with him. Ealdred refuses, and later is ‘freed’ by Zeldek’s general, Bellator, who is convinced that Ealdred has what it takes to mend the magical broken arrow artifact of Arnon. There certainly is more to Ealdred, more than even he and Bellator know. A visit to the Valamette royal household reveals unexpected aspects of Ealdred’s past. Ealdred will lose friends, and gain them, but can he gain what he most wants- his freedom? And can he learn to control his burgeoning magic before he seriously harms himself or others?
I quite enjoyed this story. There were far less dragons than I expected. We see living dragons, but most often, we see them as decoration on weapons, jewelry, and brands. Still, I love Fyra for the time we see her. Maybe there will be more dragons in future books. I certainly hope so! Ealdred himself is a compelling character. A slave, Ealdred has never quite lost his will, his stubborn streak. He’s been beaten near senseless, starved, and forced to watch a friend die. He has a strong sense of morality and ethics, and it is for this reason that Bellator needs him to help mend the Arrow of Arnon.
The writing was a little clunky at times. There were things that could be tightened and trimmed to flow better. Another grammar/ spell check would not be amiss. I was also confused about the half-breed concept. Zeldek called Ealdred half-race, saying he is part Valhyrean, which did seem a different species actually. But half-breed seems to mean something else, like if people from one country marry someone from another country. Does that mean each country is actually a slightly different species? Half-breeds seem to always manifest with pale skin, black hair, and blue eyes. The anthropologist in me wants to understand the genetics behind this! Haha, probably just reading too much into things. That being said, I quite enjoyed this read and am looking forward to reading the next in the series. Recommended for those enjoy scifi/ fantasy!
***Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book was reviewed for the XPresso Blog Tours.
