Into the Broken Lands by Tanya Huff was a fairly standard fantasy epic quest book. I couldn’t say that I necessarily disliked it or that I loved it. If there was a sequel, however, I would certainly be interested in reading it. Not sure what type of measurement that might mean to other people, though. Continue reading to see what led me to this conclusion.
Summary
Shattered by mage wars, the Broken Lands will test the bonds of family and friendship, strength and sanity. To save their people, the Heirs of Marsan have no choice but to enter, trusting their lives and the lives of everyone they Protect, to someone who shouldn’t exist, who can’t be controlled, and who will challenge everything they believe about themselves.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Plot and Characters
Into the Broken Lands is a typical fantasy quest and with that comes with your stock of characters on a dangerous adventure into the unknown. We also have the heir lacking confidence and needing to prove themselves, the power and knowledge-hungry scholar, and the stoic reluctant guide. Pretty standard fare. Unfortunately, it allows for certain tropes that are at times overdone in the genre. There are some additional aspects that are touches that I enjoyed, such as LGBTQ+ representation, the question of what constitutes personhood, etc.
World Building
I’m not sure how I stand on the world building. The concept of the “Broken Lands” that the quest takes place in is pretty interesting. Although things are not explained regarding certain aspects of it. For example, only at certain times can you enter into it. Why? I’m still not quite sure. Huff clearly outlines that this world is a post-mage era that looks down upon the use of magecraft and all that comes with it. I, however, didn’t catch why they were so against it. Since no one lives in the Broken Lands, everyone is from somewhere else. Unfortunately, we do not necessarily get an idea of what Marsanport and other locations are really like. Thus there is an aspect of the characters’ culture that feels neglected. While that is not necessary to enjoy their quest, it just would have added more depth to the world building.
Narrative Structure
Huff wrote the saga with not only multiple viewpoints but also timelines. I must say I really like stories that have numerous timelines that also reflect each other. Most of the viewpoints take place in the “now” while one of them is “then.” What I really thought was an interesting aspect was that the timelines both occur during this coming-of-age quest for the Heirs of Marsan in the past and present. Beyond that, one of our characters was present during both timelines. Thus our reluctant guide knows more than she is letting on. This is something I would have liked to be played upon more throughout the story.
Overall
As I mentioned, I do not feel very strongly one way or another about Into the Broken Lands. Tanya Huff certainly created an interesting story, but it was not one that made me feel invested in the characters and their quest. If they had to bring back fuel for a flame to keep Marsanport safe, I should feel connected more to Marsanport. There were certain aspects that were fresh for the genre, but I do not think that was enough to carry the book. I think most fantasy lovers would enjoy this book, but I do not think that it revolutionizes the genre by any means.
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