This is the promising debut novel from writer SL Winter.
A young man, Markus Wolfe, hits a low point in his life, and is contemplating suicide when the apparition of a sage old man offers him an attractive new existence of lands and rewards in another world. Minimal information is contained in this offer but he nonetheless grabs it with both hands. He is transported to what turns out to be a staging post to the riches he was offered, wherein he must survive for a year and prove himself ready and worthy for the onward journey. This initial destination is a Stone Age world of magic, and animals that can talk – or at least communicate with humans. It has echoes of Narnia but without the obvious allegories, and the creatures in this place are considerably more aggressive than those in CS Lewis’s world. Not a single one is initially pleased to meet our hero, who must collect energy by killing ‘beasts’ in an overwhelmingly kill-or-be-killed environment. Alternately, he may bind creatures to serve his will. This is no children’s book
In clever contrast to the Neolithic landscape – where he has to start from scratch with his bare hands to create any of the comforts he enjoyed on Earth – Markus has slowly developing access to masses of data and knowledge, skills, and abilities, accessed via a screen that he can summon to appear before him in a whitish mist. This provides him with extensive statistics on all aspects of his health and quests. One of the most useful facilities he has is an ‘inventory’ where he can place and store – seemingly in an alternative dimension – almost any kind of physical matter, from weapons and dead animals to food and bowls of liquid, and then withdraw these items whenever they’re needed. Imagine how useful this would be when travelling in our world, it’d certainly beat carry-on luggage! Another essential, considering the amount of severe wounding he receives from both self-inflicted but also unprovoked, savage attacks, is a healing mechanism that he can ‘cast’ upon himself, though this facility regularly runs dangerously low and close to inadequate, sustaining a strong element of jeopardy in the storyIn amongst all the raw fighting and savagery, we discover a deep tenderness in the characters of both Markus and several of the ‘beasts’ with whom he develops close relationships and that become like family to him. This contrast helps to move the narrative along nicely.
The data and statistics element is perhaps overdone, with seemingly repetitious listings of Markus’s status. However, I suspect that this may have been less tedious if I had actually read the book rather than listening to it on Audible, as I could have ingested the lengthy listings with a quick scan rather than having them slowly, and somewhat monotonously, intoned in my ears. I also imagine that what seems to me, in late middle age, to be an excessive serving up of data, may be more appealing to Gen Z et al who may be more accustomed to and comfortable with digesting such detail. This is after all LitRPG, (Google it – I had to) but that shouldn’t put you off. Furthermore, I can readily visualise how this element would be much more easily presented should the story ever be filmed. The tale is told in a very visual way and would suit that medium perhaps better than it does the written or audible word. The Audible narration is indeed admirably undertaken by Kevin Kemp, except for his increasingly irritating predilection for the glottal stop.
‘Taming Destiny’ is engaging and intelligent. My attention was held, and it was easy to suspend my disbelief. It left me wanting more, and I will certainly be obtaining Book 2 when it is available.
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