Review: The Jealousy of Jalice by Jesse Nolan Bailey

Childhood friendship, tribal loyalty, and the bonds of magic are tested in The Jealousy of Jalice, a riveting and brilliantly penned novel from author Jesse Nolan Bailey. This female-led fantasy adventure features visceral descriptive language, an endlessly creative new world, uniquely relatable characters, and a fine balance of emotional intrigue and enrapturing action.

Annilasia, Delilee, and Jalice were once childhood friends, but the years have taken them in very different directions. Annilasia has become a tillishu, a skilled assassin with a shadowy past, Jalice is the revered wife of the Sachem, the chief of all tribes, and Delilee is her loyal decoy.

Their lands are in peril, and the chief may be possessed by a dokojin, a dark force turning his will towards destruction. When Delilee and Annilasia discover that the Sachem is plotting something that could spell ruin for them all, they decide to kidnap Jalice, leaving Delilee and her aether-magic disguise behind in the Tecalica’s place.

Journeying across the wilderness, outside the protection of the Sachem’s Fortress, Annilasia and Jalice must come to terms with all that they once shared, and all that they have become, in order to survive a deadly hunt by the chief’s warriors. As Jalice’s lost memories begin to surface, terrible secrets from the past are revealed – the dark truth of a delirium-fueled genocide that tore her family and the whole world apart. Annilasia has forgotten depths of her own to explore, including her ability to venture into the Apparition Realm. With an aether-laced book of magic in hand, and the need to eliminate the chief’s wards around Jalice’s mind, the secretive assassin must dip into a strength she didn’t know she possessed.

There are countless aspects of this novel that make it a joy to read for any fantasy lover, from unique magical mechanisms to deeply human characters who are flawed and selfish and raw. The subtle weaving of magic and fantastic cultures through these pages create a rich and immersive world, populated by dark terrors and unpredictable powers.

This story leans into the classic road journey element of the fantasy genre, but the pitfalls and enemies the pair encounter are each more mind-bending than the last. For sword and sorcery lovers, this novel will tick all the boxes, with more than enough moments of heroism and violent action sequences to sate your appetite. The complex plot is engaging all by itself, but the dynamic relationship of Jalice and Annilasia is also emotionally gripping and masterfully developed.

The writing is vivid throughout, embracing a style of lush language from the very first page. However, some of the descriptions become repetitive, and certain scenes are slowed down by overly verbose passages. Reaching for unexpected metaphors and visceral wording makes some scenes hum with literary muscle, but there are times when less is more. Still, the author’s linguistic flourish is admirably consistent, and from the colloquial curses to the blade-sharp wit, the prose feels natural, fluid, and addictive.

Overall, this is an electric debut, and newborn fans of Jesse Nolan Bailey will eagerly await the sequel, as The Jealousy of Jalice is an imaginative and impressive start to a new fantasy series.