'The Southren Road' by Julian M. Armstrong

Genre: Fantasy/Epic

Initially, I found the pacing to be quite slow and that certain scenarios and plot devices were predictable; however, as the narrative progressed, I really liked the growing dynamic of the group of characters and their personal developments and hints into their pasts, leaving me wanting to find out more. The amount of detail Armstrong goes into about creatures, settings, character histories, and objects makes the narrative even more engaging as it showcases how well-thought-out the novel is.

Although the beginning was formulaic, some later plot twists surprised me, and as the novel continued the action and fight scenes became even livelier and more intense which kept me hooked, despite its initial predictability.

I also liked and appreciated the balance between genres in this novel, as it has a bit of everything for everyone: action, adventure, comedy, and romance, as well as the overarching theme of fantasy; and this makes it, in my opinion, a good well-rounded book that most young adult readers would enjoy.

Lastly, I appreciated the ‘Glossary and Index’ and ‘An Introduction to Tala’ at the back of the book as it had a lot of useful information such as timelines, background history, and word meanings. Therefore, I think it would have been more beneficial to have these sections at the start of the novel; that being said, I do appreciate the extra effort put into creating these chapters, and further highlights how intricate and in-depth Armstrong has created the world of Tala.

I would recommend ‘The Southren Road’ to any avid readers of the fantasy genre as it is evident Armstrong has created a fully-formed world and characters with a nice balance of sub-genres.

Rating: * * * *

*DISCLAIMER - I received this book for free as part of an ARC. My opinions are unbiased and honest, and I was not paid to give this review.*