Title: Anaxiunara: One Brief Eternity
Author: David DeRosa
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1721850174
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 644
Reviewed by: Arthur Thares
Pacific Book Review
Too often, fantasy novels are just bland rehashes of the same vague fantasy lands using the same humanoid creatures to fight epic battles, and while there is nothing inherently wrong with that, it can get a little dull. People don’t particularly read a fantasy adventure novel for the character depth, but it is a breath of fresh air when you get to know the characters a little more. That is just one of the many things author David DeRosa did right in his story, Anaxiunara: One Brief Eternity.
The story follows the pirate Jo Lee Validad and his family as they go on fantastic adventures fighting Overlords, dragons, and other fantasy creatures, but you can find that kind of content anywhere. What truly stands out about Anaxiunara is the story that surrounds these action scenes. There is so much detail put into character development and going above and beyond when describing the abilities of each character. There is not just blanket magic in this book, but many types of magic that some have a more natural ability to learn than others, but all must be learned.
What is really special about this book are the relationships that DeRosa created within the pages. While it is a fantasy book, many times, all of the fantasy elements melted away and you forgot that interaction happened between elves, dwarves, and dragons because they all felt very human. It speaks great volumes to the writer that can get readers to forget everything else and focus on the dialogue between characters. There is a fair share of action and adventure in this book, but the time between these scenes is where this book stands out.
This is not a story for someone looking for an A Song of Fire and Ice type book, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked. In fact, this book could be described as genre-bending and may be a good introduction into fantasy for those used to reading romance or drama stories. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, it shows those fantasy lovers that there is more to a story than fireballs and body counts. DeRosa already has a few other books under his belt, so if you like this one, there is more to explore, and there is a good bet that he will continue to expand his fantasy universe with even more unique characters and fun adventures.
