The Killing Fog

3.5 Stars * An thrilling Asian-inspired Fantasy that could have used deeper character development* ARC provided by 47North via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I've read by Jeff Wheeler, so I'm not familiar with his style. But this Asian-inspired Fantasy story caught my eye on Netgalley, so I gave it a try. Sadly, the ARC only had a TBD page for the map. It would have been helpful to have access to the map. I will say thank you, though, that this was clearly called out as the beginning of a series. I do enjoy series as well as standalones. But it drives me nuts when I get to towards the end of something I thought was a standalone only to find out it is a series. This happens the most when I am reading ARCs. The story has some interesting world elements. The world has magical artifacts left over from an unknown civilization. However, using any magic summons a fog that kills any living thing it comes in contact with. (The title is quite literal.) I was engaged in the story but wasn't in love with the characters. I didn’t connect with Bingmei the way I was hoping to. I’m a sucker for female warrior characters, but Bingmei always felt stiff and thinly drawn. The most interesting thing about Bingmei was that she had a magical sense of smell that was some sort of synesthesia. (On a side note, it's interesting that synesthesia is suddenly so vogue. It's suddenly popping up all over new releases.) But I craved deeper character development from her and the rest of the characters. This seemed to be primarily caused by the age old problem of Telling instead of Showing. There was just something about the writing style that kept me from being totally immersed in the story. The Killing Fog is still an exciting, adventurous story. There is lots of action, but I've definitely been spoiled by Fonda Lee’s martial arts scenes. Not much lives up to her action writing. Nevertheless, most of the story is fast-paced and easy to read. While I wasn’t emotionally invested in the characters, I was never bored by the plot. It was an exciting story about revenge and the fight to save the world from an unspeakable evil. “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” This was labeled as Adult fiction, but most of it felt YA. I don't think the main character's age is ever specified, but she sounded and acted like she was in her late teens. Add to that the love triangle, agnsty focus on her revenge, and the whole Chosen One troupe, and it felt soundly Young Adult. And while there is quite a bit of fighting and killing, the violence is the PG13- don't-show-the-gore type, so I would recommend this for teens. The story had enough content to still appeal to most adult readers. But it seems miss-marketed. I enjoyed the story. Once I got into it, I finished it quickly. I do look forward to reading the next book, but I hope there is more in-depth character development, less telling, and that it doesn't focus on the love triangle. RATING FACTORS: Ease of Reading: 4 Stars Writing Style: 3 Stars Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars Level of Captivation: 4 Stars Originality: 3 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Killing Fog Author: Jeff Wheeler Book Series: The Grave Kingdom Book 1 Rating: 5/5 Publication Date: March 1, 2020 Genre: Fantasy Recommended Age: 15+ (slight violence, faith, it’s a read with older characters than normal but the book doesn’t cursing or sexual content. Some might refer to this as a “clean” read but I don’t like the term as it suggests other reads are dirty when there’s nothing inherently wrong with language used or sex) Publisher: 47North Pages: 412 Amazon Link Synopsis: Survivor of a combat school, the orphaned Bingmei belongs to a band of mercenaries employed by a local ruler. Now the nobleman, and collector of rare artifacts, has entrusted Bingmei and the skilled team with a treacherous assignment: brave the wilderness’s dangers to retrieve the treasures of a lost palace buried in a glacier valley. But upsetting its tombs has a price. Echion, emperor of the Grave Kingdom, ruler of darkness, Dragon of Night, has long been entombed. Now Bingmei has unwittingly awakened him and is answerable to a legendary prophecy. Destroying the dark lord before he reclaims the kingdoms of the living is her inherited mission. Killing Bingmei before she fulfills it is Echion’s. Thrust unprepared into the role of savior, urged on by a renegade prince, and possessing a magic that is her destiny, Bingmei knows what she must do. But what must she risk to honor her ancestors? Bingmei’s fateful choice is one that neither her friends nor her enemies can foretell, as Echion’s dark war for control unfolds. Review: Overall, this was a great book. The world building was spectacular and it really was the highlight of the whole novel. The book’s characters were very well developed as well and the plot was great! The plot kept me intrigued throughout the entire novel. I really didn’t have any issues with the book except for the fact that I felt like the book’s pacing was a bit too slow for me. Verdict: It was a great read!