As some one non-indigenous to the worlds of High Fantasy, I generally find myself instinctively shying away from any narrative which mentions a "Quest," particularly in the first ten pages, and especially if it involves some kind of Demonic Overlord.
In the past this aversion has been a bit of a cripple, causing me to shy away from some otherwise fine reading material. "Lord of the Rings," for example, took a good long run-up. I still haven’t quite plucked up the resolve to go anywhere near Narnia. And I very nearly passed over the world of "Eikasia," which would have been entirely my loss.
"Eikasia" is good. In fact, it’s very good. The writer clearly has considerable talent- she works the language well, and although the prose occasionally harks toward the grandiose, it never strays too far for too long.
An interesting example of the lingual tightrope chanced by the writer is the main characters’ habit of explaining long words to one another. At first this was cute characterization, it started to become tiresome . . . and then the author saved it by turning it into a significant motif. It takes a skilled hand to achieve this instead of coming across as, say, vapidly obsessed with one’s own vocabulary.
(As an aside, there are a couple of moments when the author does repeat herself a little too often- for instance, she seems very, very concerned that the reader be aware of one character’s status as an "auburn woman." It’s really a minor quibble, though, and probably a side-effect of writing in installments).
Splitting the narrative between a first person protagonist and her third person ally proves an interesting and effective way to go, and the website’s efficient design allows you to sort through the different strands of story with ease. The two main characters themselves seem quite well fleshed out, and there are shades of progression early on- particularly for viewpoint character Nyx, who soon suffers a fascinating . . . development . . . which allows the author to experiment effectively with fonts and spacing.
Of course, nothing’s perfect, and Eikasia is still a relatively young story. In parts it feels a bit like a road-movie transposed into a fantasy setting. While the primary duo make a vivid impression, most of the ancillary characters seem to fit altogether too well into the bigoted-and/or-violent-Local archetype. One the other hand, at least one side-character has managed to come across as instantly interesting despite having only a couple of innocuously placed lines and a prudent drop of potentially Chekov-ican poems, which bodes well for the future.
All in all, Eikasia is a good start from a talented pen. If the story fulfills its early promise, then it will be well worth keeping track of- even if it means braving a Quest . . .
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Eikasa shows promise. The word “promise” is used often in reviews at WFG. In most cases, I think the reviewers are trying to find a nice way to say that it is not very good but a miracle might save it, or that with an awful lot of editing it might be readable. In some cases the reviewer is too nice to say, “You can’t write, try water skiing or something.” . . . Although I am sure that in many cases they do mean it. In this case, for example, I do mean that Eikasa shows promise.
The website is quite attractive, but has some major flaws; my IE8 kept changing the font size on the right-hand-side columns and also tried to keep refreshing the page every few seconds. Very distracting, but it may have more to do with my browser. Links are clearly marked and the author allows you to search the chapters by POV, helpful if you want to revisit an earlier scene for clarification. An RSS and Twitter feed are provided, as well as a link to the author’s main blog page and art. The author is, without a doubt, a talented artist, and her artwork is worth visiting. As of the posting of this review Eikasa has 4(.4) finished chapters, each containing three or four parts.
This web novel starts right out of the gate in chapter one assuming that you know a lot about Fantasy, shape-shifters, Ailurans, and warriors, (Which I did not), and it takes a little time for a reader like me to begin to understand what is going on. However, I assume most Fantasy readers are at least a little familiar with these archetypes and can follow easily from the beginning. The writing is brisk and easy, carrying you with little effort into the main current of the story.
The story itself is interesting and is written in the first person through the eyes of the protagonists, Nyx and in the third person through other characters like Elmiryn and Elle. When scenes involving Nyx are described in the third person it can be a little confusing, but the narrative carries you on, and you learn to accept this point of view (POV) changes. Nyx describes herself as “ . . . quiet, cautious, and unassuming” but seems to be everything but, arrogantly getting into trouble at every turn.
The author has a good vocabulary and uses words in interesting, but always correct, ways. This word usage, as in this sentence: “ . . . Quiet as a bog creeping through swamp . . . ”, or this one: “My brown cotton pants were baggy, and the seat of them molted with wear . . . ”, adds to the sense that the writer has a “voice” that is quite unique.
The Author uses adverbs ending in “ly” too often, removing punch and power from her sentences, and in many cases the characters seem to only be able to “flit” here or there, but the author, I believe, has talent and yes, shows promise. In the end, this is a web novel that is carried by the story, and if Fantasy is to your liking, I am sure you will enjoy Eikasa.
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I started reading Eikasia over a year ago and I am still in love with it today. As a particularly fickle reader it is a huge compliment that i have remained interested in the goings on of Elle and Nyx. This story breathes forth a moving relationship that grows slowly and with a sense of realism. I often found myself pining amongst it’s pages for a realization of what lies between the lines. Though i have been well fed, i find that my hunger never ceases.
There is a sublte sort of originality within Eikasia’s pages that I only saw with broad hindsight. It is more a feeling that i got when reading through certain parts, especially during the end of the first story arc. It reminds me of when i was young and fantasy seemed more wild and unpredictable.
Eikasia can be a little slow to start, but once it gets rolling you will find yourself enticed by the stark individuality of it’s characters and their unusual thoughts. Elle especially has a most peculiar mindscape, which still surprises me over two hundred pages in. I have faith that once the first few chapters are behind you, you will find a unique intrigue that wraps it’s tendrils about you like no other story i have read.
This story is very worthy of support and praise and i personally appreciate anyone who takes the time to encourage Miss Montoya in her literary growth. I cannot wait to see more from her, both in the world of Eikasia and elsewhere as she passes from a journeyman to a master.
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