Platinum Tinted Darkness is the first book on the Legacy of Boulon series, a dark/epic fantasy proposal written by Timothy Wolff, and which was one of the SPFBO9 entries. A book that introduces us to a world of gods, mages and lizard people, with heavy inspiration from MMORPGs, and that fits totally the vibe of "what if we go to fight against gods".

In Boulon, gods are the embodiment of powerful forces, such as death, fear, strength, etc... and cannot be trusted. A few chosen ones are used as their Harbingers, turning their bodies into vessels for an incredible amount of power, becoming an immediate threat to the world, needed to be stopped. This is the labour of the Guardian, six powerful individuals that combat together, and who swear to maintain themselves apart from political disputes.
But all changes when Serenna Morgan oversteps and breaks the Pact, tired of seeing her people dying, attracting the attention of Death to become its Harbinger.

The actions of Serenna open a crack in the Guardians, as not all of them are sure she should continue being part; but with how twisted are gods' intentions in this world, letting one of the best Guardians go is not exactly an option.
With this premise, Wolff continues exploring the relationship between them, how some get targetted by gods, while at the same time, Boulon is struggling with the political and militar fights.

Wolff introduces us to a rich world, with several kingdoms that are fighting between themselves; in the middle of all, the Guardians are the institution that ensures a certain stability against the gods' designs. They are supposed to be the best warriors/wizards, working and fighting in a style that remembers to the job system in FF; as they are against forces much more powerful, coordination and teamwork is the key.
I personally appreciated that gods are developed and we get to know more about their past lives; instead of being generic forces, we soon discover how they are relatively known figures in the history of Boulon.

The pacing is quite fast, full of action and combats, really well written; however, it can feel confusing at the start, especially with how the Guardians start at different places during the book.

Platinum Tinted Darkness is the gate to a world with so much potential, that you will love if you are a fan of JRPGs or even DnD. Can't wait to continue with the adventures in the second book, which will be released this December.