[MPOV] Knights of the Alliance (The Alliance #1)

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 4.37/5
Published: October 19, 2021
Author: Stefanie Chu
Genre: Sci-fi fantasy, epic fiction, young adult

Nineteen-year-old Mirari fears her magical powers more than anything else in the world. They are the reason she ran away and concealed her identity.

But when her childhood best friend, Gaven, is framed and sentenced to death, Mirari must strike a deal with the only man who can save him — Lord Fangbane.

Fangbane strongly believes that all it will take to end centuries of passive disdain is to establish a nonpartisan selection of fighters whose mission is to enforce unified peace. His efforts lead to the recruitment of elite fighters known as the Knights.

Meanwhile, Mirari and Gaven only desire to live their lives in peace, far away from the chaos of the world. Fate, however, has other plans for them as they are forced to reunite and thrust into the midst of Fangbane's quest.

As they gather a motley crew of misfits to join their cause, bonds form, and secrets are revealed. The Knights must come together not only to protect the Alliance but also the lives of their new friends.

Trust, friendship, and revenge collide in this epic tale of magic, loyalty, and bravery as our heroes fight for their survival and the greater good. Will they rise up as legends or fall as pawns in a dangerous game?

This is book 1 of The Alliance series. I have read Echos of Enmity awhile back, so I knew a little background of this series. Reading this sort of filled up the gap, understanding more of the conflict and where it all begins. My utmost gratitude to the author for this copy! Apologies for taking a while to complete it and I'm glad that I can move on to book 2.

Overall, this novel was easy to grasp even though it is thick with plots and revolved around many characters. I liked that it has been indirectly sectioned and arranged in such a way that I don't get confused. Moreover, this novel is about magical abilities that truly reminds me of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse that I liked!

I'm quite enthralled with the world created in this novel as the story progressed. It is fit to be on the big screen too IMO since it is sort of like an epic fantasy. I would think fresh faces would blend in perfectly as when I am reading it, I kept imagining faces I've not seen with handsome Asian-Eurasian features. I know it sounds crazy but that's just me lah!

I especially liked the little intro in the middle about Fangbane and Starlight, how they have met and why Fangbane wore a full-face helmet. It actually gave me goosebumps and made it more humanly, felt more real. 

It's quite eventful with a dash of humour and it made the novel not as bland and serious. The chaotic ending definitely would be big screen worthy with all the magic and fighting. I liked how it ended with a little promise of book 2 coming up. If you are into magical epic fantasy novels, you should pick this one up!