AUTHOR INFO: T. A. Hernandez is a science fiction and fantasy author and long-time fan of speculative fiction. She grew up with her nose habitually stuck in a book and her mind constantly wandering to make-believe worlds full of magic and adventure. She began writing after reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings many years ago and is now happily engaged in an exciting and lifelong quest to tell captivating stories.
She is a clinical social worker and the proud mother of two girls. She also enjoys drawing, reading, graphic design, playing video games, and making happy memories with her family and friends.
Publisher: Sanita Street Publishing (December 14, 2021) Page Count: 554 Cover art: T.A. Hernandez
JENNIFER
This was quite a different tale. It starts
off like it's going to be actiony adventure kind of story, when right off the
bat, it grabs our attention with a fatal attack on the main character. But it
quickly changes to being a quieter exploration of the characters, and the world
they live in, interspersed with the occasional action scene.
Amar, is an
immortal and to make things interesting, he loses his memories each time he
dies. He is cursed and part of his journey is discovering why.
Amnesia plots can be so touch and go,
but I did like how this was handled. From the mistrust towards the other
characters, who are committed to helping him, to the anger and frustration, of
not knowing anything about his current life, while knowing most everything
about the world he lives in. I liked the varying emotions he displayed, and
even though I thought he was a jerk most of the time - I understood why.
Kesari, a young girl who joins Amar’s group, hoping that she too will gain
answers. She is looking to break the bond between herself and her magical
spirit companion- Lucien. Kesari has a troubled past that haunts her,
preventing her from using her magic even when it could have saved a life.
Aleida,
believes Amar, and his curse, may be the answer to curing her dying brother.
Unfortunately, her good intentions are peppered with bad choices. Aleida also
has a magic spirit dragon companion named Valkyra.
I thought the spirit companions, Valkyra
and Lucien, were the neatest thing in this story.
They bond with a person who has magic, and that are willing to sacrifice part
of their life to do so. I loved the idea and wanted more about this whole
process.
Also, Kesari, wanting to break that bond with Lucien, had me so interested in
the repercussions to herself, if she achieved that goal. Would she be lonely
without him? Would she be able to handle the guilt because it would effectively
kill Lucien? The whole thing raised so many possibilities for her to have to
deal with in the outcome and I have to admit, I kind of want it to go there, at
some point- even though I quite liked Lucien.
*
The characters are all carrying some sort of demon to be rid of… not an actual
demon, but something that haunts them. This is one place I thought the story
shone the most- in the tackling of these demons and allowing them to grow and move
on from their mistakes. It was never an easy process for any of them and sometimes-
like in life, it seemed it was one step forward, and two back, and always, that
trauma was there to shadow any and all decisions that were made by them. The
other characters were supportive (some were not at first, Amar was just an
angry man but can you blame him?) and each of them were able to make some
progress, and become stronger because of the support they
received from the others.
*
If I had any complaints in the story, it would be
the lack of tension throughout. Everything is pretty well laid-out with few
surprises along the way. Or at least, if you have been reading awhile like me, they
weren’t huge surprises even with the bit of misdirection.
It slowed the story down a lot, for me and I found I was not always wanting to
get back to it. Though the pick-up in pace towards the end, helped.
*
All in all, a good story with some great character
exploration, and some pretty cool ideas with the bonded-spirit companions.
I also have to bring attention to that nice bit of
scene-setting, with the eerie-feel and the sights (namely the skeleton parade) in
the lands leading up to Shahalla.
JONATHAN
Amar has lived forever—or, rather, he lives over and over again, his
curse bringing him back after every death with fractured memories and no idea
who or what he is.
Tethered Spirits focuses on several POV
characters: Amar, who is arguably the primary protagonist, and whose curse is
the center of the various plots and motivations of characters. There’s Kesari,
a young mage coping with guilt and distress over a past accident. There’s also
Aleida, who desperately seeks a cure for a wasting disease afflicting her
brother. The individual threads of these weave together with several other
non-POV characters as Amar seeks to undo his curse and others try to help him
or turn it to their own ends.
The narrative only scratched on the surface of the world-building, though
I liked what we were shown. There are several diverse and distinct cultures
present, and the themes of racism and colonialism are woven into the backdrop,
and serving as partial motivation for at least Aleida, whose nation was
conquered and her people scattered. The story also showcases an interesting
magic system. Tarja, or those who can use magic, are those with inherent
ability or have bonded with the spirit of a deceased tarja, sacrificing part of
their lifespan for the power and magic brought by their bond. I enjoyed the
concept as depicted but is also the softest of systems, with spells and
enchantments (and level of power) seeming to be as easy or as difficult as the
plot demands.
Plot pace is medium, with some extended travel and conversation scenes
sandwiching the fight scenes. This is also a very low-key story in terms of
tension and none of the characters display more than a mild sense of urgency.
There are hints throughout the tale that the situation is not all that it seems
and the reveals—while not shocking—were consistent with what had been built up.
And without getting into spoilers, I admit the resolution to the finale left me
a little puzzled.
If there was a hanging point for me, it was in empathizing with the
characters. Though Amar and Kesari grew somewhat over the course of the story,
I didn’t quite find myself hooked by their struggles. Most of the cast
displayed the same moments of irrational stubbornness. In the end, I was unable
to emotionally invest in the three POV characters, which limited my enjoyment.
Overall, Tethered Spirits had an interesting premise and set-up
but my inability to connect to the characters meant it wasn’t quite for me.
ŁUKASZ
Tethered Spirits follows three point-of-view characters whose paths cross, sending them on a journey to uncover a dangerous secret.
Amar is immortal, but his immortality comes at a price - every time he returns to life, he loses all memories of his past life and relationships. Kesari is a mage who refuses to use magic. She has traded half of her lifespan to form a Bond with a magical being, but she is looking for a way to break that bond and remove that power. Finally, Aleida, an orphaned young woman, begins as the antagonist, although she's is not a bad person. At the beginning of the story, she hunts Amar and his companions, believing that his immortality could save her brother from a fatal illness.
Tethered Spirits is a character-driven story with very personal stakes. I prefer personal stories to epic ones, so I read the book quickly. Hernandez gives her protagonists interesting and painful backstories and explores them through the plot, dialogue, and some flashbacks. I liked the idea behind them more than the execution. Why? Well, a few scenes felt out of character. Or to put it another way, we get a few memorable and emotionally charged scenes that work well as scenes. But the path that led to them, or the reasons for the characters' fears or anger didn't seem convincing to me (subjective).
Hernandez's writing style is clear, straightforward, and easy to read, although a bit too descriptive for me (almost every unimportant detail has an extra word describing it). Adverbs are cool, and rules are for fools, but I prefer tighter, less descriptive prose. The pacing is good, though it's a long book and the sense of urgency isn't always there.
World-building and magic system worked well for me. I like the idea of people paying the price to bond with "spirits" to gain magic and paying price for the power. It's more nuanced than that, but I'll allow you to discover it on your own :)
Overall, Tethered Spirit is a solid and entertaining book. It could use one or two trimming sessions to become tighter, leaner, and more impactful. but it works well as an introduction to the world and its main players.
OFFICIAL SPFBO SCORE
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