Review: Kingdom of the Northern Sun by Clara Martin

In a world where magical beings and military might collide, there are sure to be fireworks, and this is certainly the case in Kingdom of the Northern Sun by Clara Martin. This first installment in what promises to be a strong series follows Eileen O’Donell as she navigates life without magic in a world that seems controlled by it.

After suffering a head injury during her time serving in the army, Eileen lost the ability to access her magical abilities, and like so many veterans in the real world, finding a job has been a struggle. After intervening and sheltering a slave – one who belonged to a royal Fae, Prince Faolain of Northern Sun – she loses yet another job and puts herself squarely in the crosshairs of some truly dangerous magic-users. She is soon recruited by a rebel organization who rescues Fae slaves and generally does what they can to disrupt the diabolical plans of the Fae in their lands.

Using her military prowess, Eileen becomes indispensable to this upstart group, but her past is always hot on her heels. Between hallucinations, paranoia, a penchant for angering Fae, and a tireless determination to help those in need, O’Donnell even manages to find time for romance, but her love interest, Charles Talbot, has nearly as many skeletons buried in his past as Eileen. As the book pushes on, the truth of Eileen’s injury becomes murky, while her mental connection to Faolain and his brother Eamon hints at an even greater connection between this ex-military lieutenant and the Powers That Be in the bordering kingdoms.

The setting is North America divided into four realms, and while this isn’t geographically complex or inaccessible to our imaginations, there are different social orders, leaders, traditions and alliances, all explained with subtlety through the prose, so it never feels as though Martin is simply unloading exposition. By the end of the second chapter, the major world-building has already been done, showing a keen drive by the author to immerse readers in the story fast.

While the plot moves quick, there are a number of moments where scenes seem unrealistically short. Even in the first chapter, Eileen’s job interview is impossibly brief, and somewhat unbelievable for anyone who has ever sat through a tense interview. This is not the only instance of this fast-forward prose, which may be brisk, but at times is breezy to a fault.

The language itself is straightforward and the plot points aren’t complex, but there is an excellent layer of social commentary beneath this entire book, something the author could lean into even further in future installments. Given today’s headlines and divided opinions about refugees, war and misuses of power, this book is a timely and impactful read. Stepping away from the context of the real world and exploring one of magic and wonder can be a good way to gain perspective on issues that strike close to home.

All in all, Clara Martin balances an engaging plot, compelling characters, and smart allegorical writing to deliver a powerful start to this new genre-bending series. The novel can stand alone as an entertaining work of fantasy, but there are also enough loose ends to keep readers eager for the sophomore offering from this sharp new voice in the genre.