Review: Epic world-building, engaging.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 9, 2013
The Scars of Ambition (The Cumerian Unraveling #1) is an epic introduction into a world that is fantastic enough to be interesting and real enough to be believable. The story revolves around Lowell Bracken and his empire but there are several other characters that play major roles, such as Sierra.It's hard to categorize this book which could work for or against its discoverability. I detected elements of fantasy, sci-fi, international espionage, thrillers, and even horror. Letts does a superb job of world-building in a way that makes some of the "hinterlands" very believable, such as the old woman (and her lizard) in Ristle on the coast of Cumeria in Domorand.My only minor critique (and it is minor) is that the description of some of the office politics tended to pull me out of the scene, but I was always able to reengage the story with the next thrilling event. I'm excited about the subsequent books in this series and will be looking for them. If you enjoy distant worlds with international intrigue, The Scars of Ambition is the book for you.