Legacy of the Brightwash | By Krystle Matar

My thoughts

Narrative and Plot

Legacy of the Brightwash stirs your emotion from the word go. There is no doubt that the overall theme is that of oppression and how it seems to be the norm among the privileged. Something like that hits a primal part of your mind while reading. At least it did for me, given that I grew up reading about all kinds of real life oppression that my country had to endure.

The story is told from multiple points of view. While some of them didn’t feel necessary, it managed to weave it all together and make you care for each character.

Characters and Conflicts

Tashue Blackwood is your protagonist who undergoes a painstakingly brutal hero’s journey. He is a man who believes in the system and has the courage to do what needs to be done. Until his world starts unravelling, all because of an unknown girl whose mutilated body washes up on the shore.

To say that it is a slow burn is an understatement. However, I appreciated that since it clearly takes all that time to show where each of the supporting character is coming from and how they connect to his world.

Every single character stood out, be it Stella Whiterock or the reporter who is after a story. Everyone had an arc and contributed significantly to the storyline. The final conflict, which was set up to be some high-powered action, fizzled into a quiet stand off. Of course, the stand off goes everything against what the protagonist believed in, but it didn’t justify the long journey that it took to get there.

Now I am aware that this is part of a duology and there is another book coming. But, for the purpose of the review, I need to look at a book and say that it can stand on its own. Legacy of the Brightwash had more unresolved conflict than what it solved at the end of the day. It’s the only flaw I could find in this story.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a slow burn, fantasy with a hint of a dystopian society, Legacy of the Brightwash is the book for you. With its elaborate world-building and carefully portrayed characters, it stirs up some kind of righteous indignation for the oppressed and you cannot wait to go for the next book to see them revolt.

About the Author

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. It is organized by @TheWriteReads

I received this book in exchange for an honest review for the BBNYA  2023.