Reading Dauntless is like being immersed back in a video game. The world Bonin has created feels so atmospheric and the action scenes are amazing! It’s a debut that manages to balance personal versus world stakes in a unique way. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana.
Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Beginning Dauntless, we are immediately immersed headfirst into this conflict. Into this struggle between those who wear beast armor and the beasts which ravage their towns. But nothing is ever as simple as this and when Seri meets Tsana, a girl who can communicate with the beasts, nothing will ever be the same. Because Seri’s world has been assuming that they’re mere creatures, incapable of organized thought. However, it turns out that Tsana’s people can do so much more and that there’s more to their world than Seri thinks.
Dauntless becomes a race for the truth against an imminent threat. One that Seri’s friends have never prepared for. And while I enjoyed these battle scenes and the multiple perspectives we can see through, Seri and Tsana’s conflicts were my favorite. For Seri, she has to unravel everything she’s known not only about the world, but also about herself. About the secrets she’s been keeping and her place in the world. And for Tsana, her loyalty and her own ethics are explored. When we are pitted against what we think, what we are told, who do we believe?
There were a few world building/plot implication threads that weren’t tied up at the end. But this is a standalone and so I know that to take that on would need another book. That being said, Dauntless isn’t necessarily about saving the world. While there are definite large scale implications for the story, Seri and Tsana’s story isn’t necessarily about the world changes they can do. It’s about finding out the answers for themselves. It’s about the things they can do for the right now, for the immediate now, and less about “how will I change the entire world forever”.
Overall,
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We can become lost in our quest for revenge. And sometimes we need just a moment, just someone who challenges us, to realize we could change our mind. That what we thought isn’t set in stone. How different world views and perspectives result in bloodshed. This queer fantasy stand alone is perfect for those who love action with introspection. Dauntless will thrill you whether you love characters who are forced to challenge what they now or battle scenes and chase sequences. Find Dauntless on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.