This review was written by: C
Received: Borrowed from Library
Date of Publication: November 2017
Pages: 394
Stars: 3.5/5
Official Summary:
Magic is risen.
When magic returned to the world, it could have saved humanity, but greed and thirst for power caused mankind's downfall instead. Now once-human monsters called Howls prowl abandoned streets, their hunger guided by corrupt necromancers and the all-powerful Kin. Only Hunters have the power to fight back in the unending war, using the same magic that ended civilization in the first place.
But they are losing.
Tenn is a Hunter, resigned to fight even though hope is nearly lost. When he is singled out by a seductive Kin named Tomás and the enigmatic Hunter Jarrett, Tenn realizes he's become a pawn in a bigger game. One that could turn the tides of war. But if his mutinous magic and wayward heart get in the way, his power might not be used in favor of mankind.
If Tenn fails to play his part, it could cost him his friends, his life…and the entire world.
My Thoughts:
I've been struggling to finish this book for the past few months (not because the book was terrible or anything -- it had its ups and downs like every other novel). I often start reading multiple books at the same time and usually one gets pushed off to the side at some point due to me having more interest in another. Runebinder just happened to be that book. Plus, college exams do make it a bit difficult to find time to read. For some reason, after exams, I've only been able to read this book in shorts spurts.
Getting past my epic procrastination, I'll give you a bit more info about the story. The plot takes place after life as we know it has ended and the world is overrun with monsters and magic. The individuals who destroy monsters and try to protect what remains of humanity are known as Hunters -- people who are attuned to any number of spheres that control either earth, water, fire, or air. In a weird way, it kind of reminds me of Avatar the Last Airbender, except that instead of the fire nation attacking, a bunch of monsters destroyed the human race. And now that I think about it, probably anyone could become an avatar-esque figure if they were capable of being attuned to all elemental spheres. Tenn ends up being the protagonist, and many events transpire as his water rune spirals out of control. Eventually, his destiny is made known and what he must do to save humanity.
To get a bit deep, my ultimate favorite thing about this book is how it depicts gay romance. The casual flirting, love, and relationships between male characters were so normal and natural -- no explanations were required. Plus, nothing was fetishized or made extremely awkward or unbelievable. Kahler truly made everything come across with ease and without a need to defend the characters and who they are as people. I'm also happy that the book made it so that no sexuality felt like it was the "default" -- gay, straight, bisexual, etc could all cohesively exist in harmony. I've finally found a book that depicts gay romance as normally as a straight couple is portrayed.
My second favorite thing about this book was that Kahler followed a specific philosophy with Tenn. There was a particular passage in the book when it's finally explained what's been going on with Tenn, his erratic water sphere, the weird attacks that have been occurring around him. I don't remember the exact quote, but it stated that Tenn is the chosen one (not a real shocker because he is the protagonist after all). The marvelous thing is that it's made known that Tenn is the hero in this story because he didn't seek power, power sought him. It probably seems ridiculous that I even find this to be profound, but I love the idea that power seeks out a worthy individual, rather than someone seeking out power. Take this as you will, but it was a nice touch in my opinion.
I didn't give this book a higher rating mostly due to the confusion that sometimes arose when reading it. There were bits where explanations were confusing or sometimes not enough information was given. I think the magic system needed just a bit more work, especially when explaining how people are attuned to spheres, the differences between all the monsters and how they're made, how people are either Hunters or witches, and what even qualifies someone to get a sphere and become a Hunter.
Aside from my few complaints, I think the series has potential. I don't know if I'll have time to continue it in the near future, but it's definitely on my radar to complete.
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