The Wingspan of Treason is the first novel in the epic fantasy series The Sturmsinger Chain, the debut of the excellent author L. N. Bayen. An excellent proposal which puts a lot of thought on its plentiful worldbuilding, rich in practically all the aspects, while telling a journey of self-discovery and identity, taking some aspects from the classical hero's journey, but elevating it to a next level, partly due to the use of different perspectives, but also not being shy of portraying the hardest aspects of it.

Klaus, a prince fleeing his homeland after a murder plot against him (including his parents), together with his two best friends, Verdi and Arik, travels to Derinda, a desert neighbouring country, to lie low and try to piece together who really Klaus is; a new place that is dangerous and unforgiving, where Northerners are not trusted and pirates stalk the travellers in this territory. But coming to Derinda will not only bring them to contact the warring tribes of the zone, through Verdi's relatives, but also will start a chain of events that will reveal more about Klaus' origin and figure.

But not only Bayen puts the focus on Klaus' story, but manages to avoid one of the classical flaws in this kind of structure, giving enough space to the rest of the trio and immersing us on their own struggles and challenges, giving them a similar weight to Klaus. The three share their struggle about their own identity, in different shapes; either from their born status or from how they were raised. The author managed to create a rich cast of characters, even those that appear a few pages are more than simple NPCs put to allow our main group to complete their quest.

The worldbuilding is incredibly rich, a complex world with its own history and traditions; the moment we are experiencing with our group is just a grain of sand in the middle of a beach. While most of the plot happens in Derinda, we also get glimpses of the neighbouring nations, especially of Invelmar, especially through Klaus' flashbacks. Not only identity and self-discovery are treated, but the own aspect of connection with the nature plays an important role in the plot, and Bayen makes sure to fill the world with the most adorable creatures.
It is relatively slow paced, never info dumping you, but giving you the time to process all that is happening; it is clear that we are just setting the foundations for a really ambitious saga.

It is also necessary to mention how much care and effort are reflected on the graphic aspects of the books: from hand-drawn maps, to illustrations in the header of each chapter, this novel exudates excellency (and why human artists deserve the full credit).

The Wingspan of Treason is an excellent debut novel, an ambitious start to a series that definitely is perfect if you are looking for chonky epic fantasy but with a different setting; the prose is excellent, and it gives space for many memorable sentences. I can't wait to see what L. N. Bayen has under her sleeve for the next books in the Sturmsinger Chain series.