I, Exile by David Samuels

Synopsis – Exiled into a wasteland because of a heist gone wrong, Emelith vows to hunt down the one responsible. Except not all is what it seems in the haunted realm of the Cauldron.

Emelieth or Em as she prefers to be called, is a thief. Not just any pick pocket, she is a member of the Gilded Hand. She is very good at what she does and when teamed up with her friend Niellan, almost unstoppable. So when she is betrayed and exiled, Em has to use all of her skills to seek vengeance and bring those who would get in her way to heel.

Fun fact, our mc is in her 30’s. I found that to be a really refreshing take. Give me more older female leads in fantasy please.

I, Exile starts in the middle of a heist and the story starts the way it means to continue. Action, Action, Action. I flew through this book. Em is sent into the wasteland, they expect her to die, but she refuses to give in. She is determined, she is angry and she will do everything in her power to get the outcome she requires. I liked Em. Her life has not been easy, she is way out of her league and when she comes across a nomadic tribe miles from their usual living areas, she has to navigate old magic, gods, giant scorpions and a dry desolate landscape. I liked the way she interacted with people around her. Em was forced to face some home truths about herself and it was nice to watch her grow as a person.

The history of the world was well done. The magic and gods were interesting and the secondary characters brought a whole heap of cool to the story. I loved how unpredictable the plot was. You never knew how things would end up.

Overall a fast paced, adventure story, within an cool world.

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David Samuels has contributed to Swords & Sorcery, Silver Blade, Dark Fire, and The Fifth Di… Magazines. In his free time he likes to read, play Gwent, and refer to himself in the third person.