I was extremely lucky to get an advanced copy of this book from TOR to review. I was not disappointed with A. K. Larkwood’s debut novel.

The cover intrigued me from the start with this book. It spoke to me of a tale filled with mystery and trials yet to be revealed.

I haven’t read such a gripping and epic fantasy tale since Trudi Canavan’s The Black Magician Trilogy.

A. K. Larkwood takes you on a journey following a young female orc, Csorwe. Growing up all Csorwe knew was the House of Silence, her fellow priestesses and the one they worshipped, The Unspoken One.

Like all the other priestesses, her life was dedicated in service to their god, the Unspoken One. That is until the fateful day when the wizard came and changed the course of her life and her destiny.

Csorwe then begins the journey for a life she never imagined she could have, developing skills as a thief and honing them to become an accomplished spy an assassin for the wizard who saved her. Slowly working her way to become the wizard’s feared right hand.

Years have passed and Csorwe thought she was happy in her new life serving the wizard. That is until the past she left behind catches up with her. The Unspoken One has not forgotten Csorwe and her betrayal.

Csorwe will have to make some decisions that will test her physically and mentally. Time will tell if she can make if through and what she will leave behind.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is a fan of fantasy, to escape into a world full of mysterious gods and the sacrifices one must make when trying to escape fate.

With such an amazing debut novel you can certainly expect great things to come from A. K Larkwood. I eagerly await this book hitting the shelves so I can immerse myself in Csorwe’s story all over again.

I honestly don
t know how I felt about this one. The story was enjoyable the further I read, but it was a little slow going and the world was confusing most of the times. its definitely worth the read, just be prepared to buckle down for the beginning of it.

This book was so confusing to me. I'm not sure what it was about the world-building and descriptions, but I didn't understand much about this book, even though the concept and plot description seemed very interesting. I liked the characters, but other than that, I didn't really enjoy my time reading this. However, I might give it another chance in the future with the finished copy.

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood. simply not for me. I struggled to get into this book kept struggling throughout, though I can see how others will enjoy it. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

The Unspoken Name is a fascinating dark fantasy that creates a naturally built world without any lectures on the systems. The world and its context evolve throughout the story without interrupting the development. Csorwe defies her destiny and makes her own, creating a coming of age story of which one of the most enjoyable things about it is the lack of labels. Through the description of Csorwe, we come to understand she is from a race of orc-like creatures, although they are never named as such. Similarly, none of the other races, characters or their preferences are pigeonholed. The development of the story is told primarily from the POV of Csorwe, however, there are enough perspectives developed from the other characters that give the reader emotional investment in multiple characters. A fascinating fantasy, Larkwood has created a set of characters and a world that could become a new epic.

This is an instant favorite. I had no idea beyond the general "dark, sacrificial, orc protagonist" what to expect from this, and it was Such A Ride from start to finish.
Just to give you a sense of everything this book has going for it, let's make a list.
We have:
A lesbian orc MC Csorwe who belongs to an order of followers who worship The Unspoken One. Her role? To die as a sacrifice, the "bride of the unspoken." As the synopsis tells us, she is offered a choice, and abandons that life begin her training as a hired sword.
An absolutely chaotic possibly villainous bisexual/pansexual mage who is single-mindedly driven towards one goal.
An (also incredibly) chaotic, charismatic gay nemesis and bane of Csorwe's existence (and with her also makes up possibly one of my favorite fictional chaos duos of all time).
An incredibly powerful mage love interest who has learned all her life to fear her own power.
A necromancer who has big ambitions and is out to get . . . most of the aforementioned list.
And as stunning as those characters are, they are equaled by the plot of this novel. It's stunning, with vivid, complex world building that feels vast but never stuffy, an incredible pace, and cutthroat, real characters.
Read it!!!

This differed in that it covered a longer expanse of time than you usually get in a book. Excellent characters, well built and not at all difficult to follow along. Good story development as well.

A gorgeously woven fantasy featuring a painstakingly tangible world, a heroine of complex agency, and a breathlessly-paced plot. I devoured it in one setting,

I can't even quantify how much I loved this book. The characters are fascinating and complex, and the world is detaield without getting so bogged down in lore and procedure. The story is exciting and heartfelt, and I can't wait for more.

A. K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name is among the most creative, exciting, and brilliantly-told epic fantasy novels I’ve read. It is an immersive experience that grabbed my attention early on, then grew at a staggering rate until I found myself being launched through fantastic worlds, meeting wonderful characters, and caught in a magnetic prose that left me spellbound. Larkwood has a tremendous talent for building upon the best parts of what makes fantasy great and elevates it all with her own dash of chaos and wonder. Simply put, it is an outstanding debut I won’t soon forget.

I won’t reveal much of the plot and take anything away from the author, but I’ll discuss what is shared in the book’s description. We open the story by meeting young Csorwe, a grey, tusked teenager who was born for the sole purpose of sacrifice to an underground god upon reaching a certain age. (Side note: the term ‘orc’ is never used in the book, and while Csorwe shares common traits with the classic interpretation of an orc, it may be reductive to call her one and limit your take on who she really is.) Moments before Csorwe’s sacrifice, a man named Belthandros Sethennai (just one of a myriad of great names in this book) offers to save her life and whisk her away to work in his service. Sethennai has goals of his own; he must reclaim his home from which he was exiled and seek knowledge of an impossible myth. These plot points alone sound substantial enough to fill the pages of the book, but in fact, its story has just begun…

“You have looked your foretold death in the face and turned from it in defiance. Nothing in this world or any other deserves your fear.”

The Unspoken Name is many things; it is a tale of sacrifice and vengeance, abandonment and exile, loyalty and true love. It is an expansive universe that crosses over into different worlds via a dimension called the Echo Maze, navigable by air ships, which adds a science-fiction aspect to the story. The Echo Maze is a trans-dimensional plane where cosmic paths converge, and innumerable portals known as Gates are used for passenger ships to travel between these worlds. The use of these Gates has led to various cultures of magic, races, cities, and religions to intersect in interesting ways, and Larkwood smartly weaves its repercussions into the fabric of Csorwe’s story.

One of the many, many aspects of the story that stood out was how selective the author was in her descriptions of some of the bigger concepts, such as the ships, the details of the Gates, and the Echo Maze itself. The reader is given information on how things functioned, but the rest is often left to our imagination, which is a decision that I enjoyed immensely. There is so much story packed into this novel that I felt that adding extra details would take some fun away from the reader as well as slowing down the absolute blistering pace of the book.

Events happen at an astounding rate. Plot points that I thought would last the entirety of the book were resolved long before the halfway mark. The book felt like it had multiple finales and your heart will run the gamut of emotions. Csorwe remained the backbone of the story, but we spent a lot of time inside the heads of the supporting cast, sometimes for just a few pages, and other times for a bit longer. It was always for just enough time to understand other characters’ motivations, reactions, plans, and the emotional fallout of events before moving on to another POV. And when many of the characters were inevitably brought together, Larkwood shined in letting us view certain events through multiple pairs of eyes. In doing so, the characters felt richer and the scenes carried more emotional weight. The narratives were balanced well, and the emotional stakes never felt one-sided.

The Unspoken Name is the best kind of surprise. I had heard nothing about it but selected an advanced copy due to its interesting premise and wonderfully mysterious cover. This turned out to be one of the very best decisions I’ve made all year. It is an affecting story that hits all the right notes. This is a book that any fan of fantasy would do well to put at the top of their reading list. Do not miss it.

10 / 10

I devoured this fantasy. The worlds that Larkwood builds are intriguing. One of the downsides of netgalley is that I have to wait for the next installment! With touches of familiar mythology this book builds a heroine who I loved. The people and creatures are intriguing and this was a great read!