Sometimes a hero must burn all she holds dear.
Unrest brews in the city-state of Uitenbach, but its magi continue their work, even though the world outside the hallowed grounds of their academy seems to be tearing itself to pieces.
Newly divorced and still smarting from her philandering ex-husband’s rejection, Maga Liese ten Haven doesn’t want to draw attention to herself. When the mysterious Atroyan tribesman Malagai reveals to Liese that she is the heir to a forbidden magical legacy, she is thrust into a conspiracy that may foment a civil war. If she fails, her magic will consume her.
But what if the only way to right the wrongs her people have done to the Atroyan nation is to sacrifice everything?
About the author:
Nerine Dorman is a South African author and editor of science fiction and fantasy. Her novel Sing down the Stars won Gold for the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2019 and The Percy Fitzpatrick Award for Children's and Youth Literature in 2021. Her YA fantasy novella, Dragon Forged, was a finalist in the Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature in 2017, and she is the curator of the South African Horrorfest Bloody Parchment event and short story competition. Her short story “On the Other Side of the Sea” (Omenana, 2017) was shortlisted for a 2018 Nommo award. Her novella The Firebird won a Nommo for “Best Novella” in 2019. In addition, she is a founding member of the SFF authors’ co-operative Skolion and is an active member of the Africa Speculative Fiction Society.
The Company of Birds | Nerine Dorman
ISBNs
Paperback: 978-1-0672459-1-7
Ebook: 978-1-0672459-2-4
This is spectacular fantasy! The type of fantasy that leaves you with a clear picture in your head of this detailed and spellbinding world. Uitenbach is not just a pretty backdrop for this story. It is its own character. And makes the story all the more vibrant. The politics and magic system can be see throughout the story and you can see how it has shaped the created world.
I liked the characters because they felt real. It did take me a while to warm up to our main character Liese, which I don’t think is a bad thing. She is shy and quiet and just likes to keep to herself. Us introverts take a while to warm up to and it is the same with Liese. All the characters are believable because they aren’t all nice likeable characters. You can’t like everyone in the real world and even the people you like can be annoying sometimes. These characters are just the same. They all have their little things that make them a bit unlikeable, except for Malagai, who is amazing (I’ll die on this hill).
This is the story of an introverted book girl who is forced to leave her comfy bookish safe place and be a hero, kinda. And I have never related to a character more. I honestly didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did, but it is worth your time to read it.
5 sparrow tornados attacking your cheating ex out of 5.
‘The Company of Birds’ is an interesting novel that incorporates aspects of magic, secrets, betrayal, mystery, academic settings, and some birdie references 🪶
The overall plot was quite interesting and was riddled with plot twists that kept the story both interesting and moderately paced. The author did, however, spend quite of lot of time setting the scene – the true “action” only started about 100 pages in – which dragged the beginning of the book a bit in terms of pacing and action. Other than that, however, the plot really carried this book.
The characters had some strong personalities and were very strategically placed throughout the book in order to best develop the story. Liese especially was very headstrong and determined to the point where I sometimes had to question her actions throughout the book. Malagai was similarly just as determined – his introduction to Liese is especially telling in this regard.
The plot alone really has a lot of potential to take this book very far, I found the characters to be secondary in this regard. I understand that Liese’s divorce plays a big role when considering who Liese is as a character, I just wish it was incorporated in a different way.
I received this book from Mirari Press in exchange for an honest review.
The Company of Birds by Nerine Dorman is the type of fantasy novel that stays with you for a very long time after you finish reading it. I hosted a read-along for this novel on social media alongside a few of the other Mirari Luminaries and it was so fun to get to experience this with them.
The story follows Maga Liese ten Haven, whose husband has recently left her in favour of an ex-student. While she recovers from the heartbreak, she finds out from a mysterious tribesman named Malagai that she is the heir to a forbidden magical legacy, that if left unfulfilled, will result in her demise.
Nerine Dorman’s prose is elegant and lyrical. She conjures worlds that are rich and vivid and otherworldly. Her characters are flawed and deeply human. You feel with them, ache with them, route for them. Dorman manages to find the perfect balance between working with introspective character monologues and high-stakes conflict, all while asking difficult moral questions.
This book is a must read for all fantasy lovers!