The Unspoken Name by A K Larkwood

Book of the Month
A. K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name is among the most creative, exciting, and brilliantly-told epic fantasy novels I’ve read. It is an immersive experience that grabbed my attention early on, then grew at a staggering rate until I found myself being launched through fantastic worlds, meeting wonderful characters, and caught in a magnetic prose that left me spellbound. Larkwood has a tremendous talent for building upon the best parts of what makes fantasy great and elevates it all with her own dash of chaos and wonder. Simply put, it is an outstanding debut I won’t soon forget.
I won’t reveal much of the plot and take anything away from the author, but I’ll discuss what is shared in the book’s description. We open the story by meeting young Csorwe, a grey, tusked teenager who was born for the sole purpose of sacrifice to an underground god upon reaching a certain age. (Side note: the term ‘orc’ is never used in the book, and while Csorwe shares common traits with the classic interpretation of an orc, it may be reductive to call her one and limit your take on who she really is.) Moments before Csorwe’s sacrifice, a man named Belthandros Sethennai (just one of a myriad of great names in this book) offers to save her life and whisk her away to work in his service. Sethennai has goals of his own; he must reclaim his home from which he was exiled and seek knowledge of an impossible myth. These plot points alone sound substantial enough to fill the pages of the book, but in fact, its story has just begun…
“You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”
The Unspoken Name is many things; it is a tale of sacrifice and vengeance, abandonment and exile, loyalty and true love. It is an expansive universe that crosses over into different worlds via a dimension called the Echo Maze, navigable by air ships, which adds a science-fiction aspect to the story. The Echo Maze is a trans-dimensional plane where cosmic paths converge, and innumerable portals known as Gates are used for passenger ships to travel between these worlds. The use of these Gates has led to various cultures of magic, races, cities, and religions to intersect in interesting ways, and Larkwood smartly weaves its repercussions into the fabric of Csorwe’s story.
One of the many, many aspects of the story that stood out was how selective the author was in her descriptions of some of the bigger concepts, such as the ships, the details of the Gates, and the Echo Maze itself. The reader is given information on how things functioned, but the rest is often left to our imagination, which is a decision that I enjoyed immensely. There is so much story packed into this novel that I felt that adding extra details would take some fun away from the reader as well as slowing down the absolute blistering pace of the book.
Events happen at an astounding rate. Plot points that I thought would last the entirety of the book were resolved long before the halfway mark. The book felt like it had multiple finales and your heart will run the gamut of emotions. Csorwe remained the backbone of the story, but we spent a lot of time inside the heads of the supporting cast, sometimes for just a few pages, and other times for a bit longer. It was always for just enough time to understand other characters’ motivations, reactions, plans, and the emotional fallout of events before moving on to another POV. And when many of the characters were inevitably brought together, Larkwood shined in letting us view certain events through multiple pairs of eyes. In doing so, the characters felt richer and the scenes carried more emotional weight. The narratives were balanced well, and the emotional stakes never felt one-sided.
The Unspoken Name is the best kind of surprise. I had heard nothing about it but selected an advanced copy due to its interesting premise and wonderfully mysterious cover. This turned out to be one of the very best decisions I’ve made all year. It is an affecting story that hits all the right notes. This is a book that any fan of fantasy would do well to put at the top of their reading list. Do not miss it.
ARC from publisher Tor via Edelweiss. On sale February 11, 2020.
This The Unspoken Name book review was written by Adam Weller


All reviews for: The Serpent Gates

The Unspoken Name
The Serpent Gates #1
A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about an orc priestess turned wizard's assassin.What if you knew how and when you wi...
Have you read The Unspoken Name?
We've found that while readers like to know what we think of a book they find additional reader reviews a massive help in deciding if it is the right book for them. So if you have a spare moment, please tell us your thoughts by writing a reader's review. Thank you.
The Unspoken Name reader reviews
10/10 from 1 reviews
There are currently no reader reviews for this book. Why not be the first?
Write a reader review
Thank you for taking the time to write a review on this book, it really makes a difference and helps readers to find their perfect book.
More recommended reading in this genre
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen
Alan Garner
When Colin and Susan are pursued by eerie creatures across Alderley Edge, they are saved by the Wizard. He takes them into the caves of Fundindelve, where he watches over t...

The Dark is Rising Sequence
Susan Cooper
On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house that they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is ...

Three Hearts and Three Lions
Poul Anderson
The gathering forces of the Dark Powers threaten the world of man. The legions of Faery, aided by trolls, demons and the Wild Hunt itself, are poised to overthrow the Realm...

Seaward
Susan Cooper
His name is West. Her name is Cally. They speak different languages and come from different countries thousands of miles apart, but they do not know that. What they do know...

The Abhorsen Chronicles
Garth Nix
Who will guard the living when the dead arise? Sabriel is sent as a child across the Wall to the safety of a school in Ancelstierre. Away from magic; away from the Dead. Af...

The Chrestomanci Series
Diana Wynne Jones
Orphans Eric Chant (nicknamed Cat) and his sister Gwendolen, a gifted witch, are whisked away to live in a castle with Chrestromanci, a much-revered man of magic, wealth an...

Hyddenworld
William Horwood
It has lain lost and forgotten for fifteen hundred years in the ancient heartland of England – a scrap of glass and metal melded by fierce fire. It is the lost core o...
Crow's Revenge
Marcus Alexander
Charlie Keeper has been forced from her home by a bloodthirsty and terrifying stranger. But in escaping she discovers her house holds the gateway to the Realm of Bellania -...

The Tragedy Paper
Elizabeth LaBan
Every year at an exclusive private boarding school in New York state, the graduating students uphold an old tradition – they must swear an oath of secrecy and leave b...
Great fantasy books published in 2020

The Unspoken Name
A K Larkwood
A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about an orc priestess turned wizard's assassin.What if you knew how and when you wi...

The Girl and the Stars
Mark Lawrence
A stunning new epic fantasy series following a young outcast who must fight with everything she has to survive, set in the same world as Red Sister....

Zed
Joanna Kavenna
From the winner of the Orange Award for New Writing comes a blistering, satirical novel about life under a global media and tech corporation that knows exactly what...

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water
Zen Cho
A rollicking update on the classic Chinese bandit fantasy by award-winning author Zen Cho“Fantastic, defiant, utterly brilliant.” —Ken Liu...

The Sin in the Steel
Ryan Van Loan
Heroes for hire. If you can pay.Buc:Brilliant street-ratHer mind leaps from clues to conclusions in the blink of an eye.Eld:Ex-soldier...
Looking for more suggestions? Try these pages: