Krystle Matar

The Legacy of the Brightwash (Tainted Dominion #1), authored by Krystle Matar, cover illustration and design by Brad Bergman, edited by Trinica Sampson, and maps by Soraya Corcoran, published from Imburleigh Book Company, was a personal read for me by way of the Kindle. What follows below is my honest review, freely given.

I rated this novel 5 stars.

This is the type of novel you could read the back and say it has a little bit of everything going on, right, a blend of the genres to keep everyone happy. Big too, lots of words. Getting your money worth, words coming out the back end, words for days, may even repeat a few, no extra charge. I wasn’t too sure what to expect going in reading this other than the premise was promising, giving me a little Captain Mal charm from Firefly with our male MC, Tashué, too.

The scene by the river, the discovery of the body that really sets the whole novel on it’s main path, reminded me of the opening scenes of The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015-2017), with Sean Bean, which had its own Victorian style and feel to much of the show, especially the medical aspects. That Victorian style became bound with the early western design for the world that the author, I think, created in Brightwash. I’m still somewhat new to the fantasy genres, but I really like the blended time periods feeling that I’ve gotten when reading novels that fall under Gaslamp Fantasy, I’m not fully sure how to describe it, yet.

As I said, this is a chonk of a book, but I would say stay the course, this is worth it, even if you think it may not be your cup of tea. You would think after finding a body and having a good idea how it came to be there, things would move quickly to finding out who and why, right? So did Tashué, and I love that the chapters are titled by different characters names and my favorite are always his, because he will be your spirit animal on the quest that is reading The Legacy of the Brightwash. He has survived war, personal loss; bureaucratic red tape and political schmoozing may be his line in the sand. We the reader are seeing things move in real time for Tashué and it is a glacial pace, not to say things are not happening – just not the things that would make Tashué happier. He is getting tied up in intrigue that he has no interest in, just to try and get movement on the things like less murder of innocent lives. He must be protected at all costs.

Then you have the tainted, the regulated or the locked up, used for their talent but looked upon as less, always less by those that use and abuse, those in power. The depth of pain and anger this novel will stir in you for the hurt, the marginalized, the herded, the colonized, the misused of society – you’ve seen those memes asking what radicalized you? People reading this book is going to be one of the answers, and that’s a compliment. I said at the beginning I went into this not knowing what to expect, I came to the end knowing I am going to read the heck out of the sequel, and however many other books end up being in this series. It’s well written, the story kept me drawn in, I am extremely impressed with this novel.… (més)

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Legacy of the Brightwash

Tashue’ works as a Regulation Officer otherwise known as a tinman. He keeps an eye on his tainted charges and reports any suspicious behavior. But as the years go by he begins to doubt the laws he is sworn to uphold. It’s hard to ignore the increasing desperation and oppression the tainted are experiencing. Especially when one is his own son he sent to be locked up in the Rift for refusing to register. When a girls’ mutilated corpse washes up on the shore, it seems no cares but Tashue’. As he begins to dig deeper into the girl’s death he will uncover horrific truths about the treatment of the tainted.

Legacy of the Brightwash is a gritty tale told through multiple character points of view. The world is a bleak place for those who are tainted with supernatural abilities. They must register or else be locked up in the Rift. And those who end up in the Rift rarely leave it alive. What do the guards care if the tainted beat each other to death? But even registered the tainted live in poverty, forced to perform jobs that fit the abilities they have.

While there is an underlying murder mystery, politics and romance take the lead in this story. Tashue’ finds himself wrapped up in the political games of the society’s elite, where they see no wrong in oppressing the tainted. To them, they feel as if it is their duty to label them and put the tainted to use for society’s well being. Already doubting the authority and laws, watching the rich squander and talk about the tainted as if they were animals makes Tashue’ question all he has done as a tinman.

The world is built so well, the writing so intricate with descriptions and eliciting emotions, but I do wish more of the story was tied to the girl’s murder. There is a heavy focus on Tashue’s romantic interest and physical attraction to other characters. Being in such a bleak setting the romance born from desperation and loneliness worked, but it wasn’t what initially drew me to the book.

However, that being said, Krystle Matar is an amazing writer. Her words flow across the page and paint such a vivid and dark world for the characters to inhabit. The story will pull from you so many emotions and leave them to linger long after you’ve closed the pages.… (més)