The Dawnhounds

       

Title: The Dawnhounds

Series: The Endsong Book #1

Author: Sascha Stronach

Publisher: S&S/Saga Press, June 14, 2022

Pages: 351

Genre: LGBT Fantasy

The port city of Hainak is alive: its buildings, its fashion, even its weapons. But, after a devastating war and a sweeping biotech revolution, all its inhabitants want is peace, no one more so than Yat Jyn-Hok a reformed-thief-turned-cop who patrols the streets at night.

Yat has recently been demoted on the force due to “lifestyle choices” after being caught at a gay club. She’s barely holding it together, haunted by memories of a lover who vanished and voices that float in and out of her head like radio signals. When she stumbles across a dead body on her patrol, two fellow officers gruesomely murder her and dump her into the harbor. Unfortunately for them, she wakes up.

Resurrected by an ancient power, she finds herself with the new ability to manipulate life force. Quickly falling in with the pirate crew who has found her, she must race against time to stop a plague from being unleashed by the evil that has taken root in Hainak.

I have no idea why it took me 6 months to read this book! Well, I do have an idea, and it's that I read the paperback instead of the ebook or audiobook. But it's so dang good!

The world is gritty and the magic system is so cool. The technology is crazy and living inside of a living mushroom sounds like a fairy tale. And, I mean, this book isn't not a fairy tale, but it's definitely in the vein of a Grimm fairy tale, certainly not a sweet bedtime story fairytale. 

I really liked Yat as the main POV of this book. It's told in third person limited for the most part, and from a few different characters' perspective. But Yat was a total noob in this book. So the exposition that you do get felt really genuine to her experience, as well as mine. And do you need some exposition because the magic / political system is so well done. 

This book does suffer just a touch in the way that a lot of series starters do. It sets up book 2 so well, I really do want to know what's going on! But there are SO many loose threads to pick back up and follow. **(Mini spoiler ahead)** I can't wait for Yat to kick Sibbi's ass though, it's a hot take but I could see it coming!

Ratings

Stars: 4/5