I really enjoyed this book! The fantastical elements, including an intriguing curse, were very well woven into the historical setting to create a very believable stage for the story. Simon, called “simpleton “ by some has been cursed to forget everything. He travels with a fur trader and as the story unfolds, he begins to remember.
The characters were so much fun, and abrasive Luca, the Sicilian bladesmaster was a real treat. The flare with which the characters speak and the flow of the dialogue definitely kept me immersed throughout.
This author has truly mastered the skill of revealing the elements of the story piece by piece and bringing it all together in the last few pages to transform what felt like a jumble of incoherent bits into a powerfully cohesive tapestry. Matson is definitely an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future releases.
My one difficulty was with Simon's age. I have absolutely no idea how old this character is, and that was made particularly difficult because of his introduction to the story as a simpleton, but even bey the end of the book there's no real indication of his age. He could be anywhere from 13 to 23 for all I know and that omission did make it a little hard to connect with him.
Although the style is a little dry, I think this novel could be a real hit for readers who enjoy strong world building, historically fantasy and believable scenarios with little magic.
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