Spark of the Divine (The Kalaraak Chronicles #1), by Louise Holland
The Book
Synopsis:
SAVE THE GODS. SAVE THEIR REALM.
As a Divine, Mae wields her strange gifts quietly as a mercenary—until a simple rescue job sees the crew uncover a plot to steal divinity from the gods themselves. When the god Mae serves is attacked, she must restore their power before the seven realms are thrown into chaos.
With the kingdom of Altaea already on the edge of war, and the divinity of all gods at stake, the crew must travel beyond their country and their realm to save it. But each member has their own agenda, and secrets of romance and betrayal threaten to break them apart.
Originally inspired by a years-long Dungeons and Dragons campaign; and the first instalment in fantasy series The Kalaraak Chronicles, SPARK OF THE DIVINE follows a group of reluctant heroes on a quest to save a god while the fate of the realms hangs in the balance. Will they each find what they desperately seek, or will the secrets they keep from one another be their undoing? Can they master their fears to defeat an evil their world has never seen?
Is it the strength of the god that matters, or the belief of the Divine?
My Review
Spark of the Divine is the first book on the D&D inspired fantasy series The Kalaraak Chronicles, an unhinged character-driven novel which is also the debut of Louise Holland. Despite being quite a chonker, I can say that I devoured this book pretty fast, as it felt like a classic told in a modern voice, always giving you one more reason to continue and see if our band of mercenaries can win a match with marked cards.
During one of their last bounties, the crew of misfits end up crossing its path with a scheme which is trying to steal the power of gods; war drums sound over the seven realms, the own divinity of gods is being played on the table, so our heroes will be forced to start a quest in order to preserve the world. A journey that has many reminiscences from what you can expect on the most unhinged of D&D campaigns, testing the limits of the bonds that tie our characters together.
While the quest is central to the plot, it's really just an excuse for Holland to delve into her characters; one of the aspects that shines in particular in this novel. All of them are well developed, with their own particular backstories, and some characteristics that define them; they are quite a particular group, with characters that are unique in their own ways (Lessie is definitely the MVP, but that's something you will need to read the book to understand). Holland takes her time showing how the relationships between them work, the banter and how with the time they have spent together, they are a motley but joint band.
The world is also inspired by the ones used in classic fantasy (80s), with different places that we will visit as part of the quest, while others will just be described with an excellent amount of detail; and not only that, but including more plains of existence that enrich the reading experience.
Spark of the Divine is an excellent debut, a perfect book for those looking for a classic fantasy with a modern voice; it's a story which has a heart. Can't wait to continue reading more instalments on the Kalaraak Chronicles.
The Author/s
Louise Holland
Louise Holland is an indie author from Adelaide, Australia, and her writing is fuelled by 30% hyper-fixation and 70% spite. When not writing or procrastinating writing, she can usually be found sobbing to Taylor Swift or impulse buying another set of glittery pink dice she doesn’t need.