The First Binding: A Silk Road epic fantasy full of magic and mystery
- Downloads：6275
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-08-25 00:16:38
- Update Date：2025-09-23
- Status：finish
- Author：R.R. Virdi
- ISBN：B094QCV2BG
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
All legends are born of truths。 And just as much lies。 These are mine。 Judge me for what you will。 But you will hear my story first。
I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow。 Then I killed their god。 I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it。 I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved， and wanted to save。 I've called lightning and bound fire。 I am legend。 And I am a monster。
My name is Ari。 And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil。
I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow。 Then I killed their god。 I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it。 I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved， and wanted to save。 I've called lightning and bound fire。 I am legend。 And I am a monster。
My name is Ari。 And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil。
Reviews
Sean
，
Received arc from Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for honest read and review，and this view is my own。4 and 1/2 stars。 Big book。This was an absolute brilliant book to read and had me hooked from the beginning。It is a huge book and it took me a while to get through it，but boy was it worth it。There have been comparisons to the Name of the Wind，but that is a disservice as this book is so similar，but different as well。 Beautifully written and a joy to read。The main character Air is brilliant and Received arc from Orion Publishing Group and Netgalley for honest read and review，and this view is my own。4 and 1/2 stars。 Big book。This was an absolute brilliant book to read and had me hooked from the beginning。It is a huge book and it took me a while to get through it，but boy was it worth it。There have been comparisons to the Name of the Wind，but that is a disservice as this book is so similar，but different as well。 Beautifully written and a joy to read。The main character Air is brilliant and I liked the way that he was actually telling the story， it was a stunning start to what could be an epic series。This is up there with my books of the year， not to be missed。 。。。more
Emrin
，
I'm a few hours into the audiobook and honestly not sure I can finish it。 No one mentioned how cheesy it is。。。 His hair was black as night and just as wild？ There's a woman behind every story？ Are we getting wet alone， wink-wink？ A lot of very cringy moments。 Has a lot of very well-worn and dated tropes about the nature of women， as if we are monolithic， mysterious semi-human creatures that no man can understand。 The dialog is like a parody of a fantasy novel。 I keep waiting for it to improve bu I'm a few hours into the audiobook and honestly not sure I can finish it。 No one mentioned how cheesy it is。。。 His hair was black as night and just as wild？ There's a woman behind every story？ Are we getting wet alone， wink-wink？ A lot of very cringy moments。 Has a lot of very well-worn and dated tropes about the nature of women， as if we are monolithic， mysterious semi-human creatures that no man can understand。 The dialog is like a parody of a fantasy novel。 I keep waiting for it to improve but not there yet and the signs aren't good so far。 。。。more
Kevin Halter
，
The First Binding by R。R。 Virdi was a real treat。 I novel that invites you to slow down and let reality melt away as you are introduced to new worlds， characters， and situations。As a personal rule I reserve 5 star ratings for books I want to re-read at some point。 The First Binding is one of those books。 I found myself slowing down in an effort to make the book last longer。This is a story about Ari， "I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow。 Then I killed their god。 I've st The First Binding by R。R。 Virdi was a real treat。 I novel that invites you to slow down and let reality melt away as you are introduced to new worlds， characters， and situations。As a personal rule I reserve 5 star ratings for books I want to re-read at some point。 The First Binding is one of those books。 I found myself slowing down in an effort to make the book last longer。This is a story about Ari， "I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow。 Then I killed their god。 I've stolen old magics and been cursed for it。 I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved， and wanted to save。 I've called lightning and bound fire。 I am legend。 And I am a monster。My name is Ari。" It is also a story about stories --those we tell others and those we tell ourselves， why we tell them， what they do for us and what they do to us。Thank you #NetGalley， #Tor， and R。R。 Virdi for the ARC of #TheFirstBinding。 。。。more
Matt
，
CHARACTERS 🧙🏼♂️ 8/10PLOT 📖 7/10WORLDBUILDING 🌎 9/10ATMOSPHERE ✨ 9/10PACE5/10 🐢 （in this case， I wouldn't count the pacing against the rating。 The story just has a slow pace that some may or may not like。 So I felt it was worth noting。）Overall， I really enjoyed reading this。 I was very interested in where the story was taking me。 That， along with the prose， kept me hooked。 This is just the VERY beginning of a magical tale with the potential to be something grand going forward。 CHARACTERS 🧙🏼♂️ 8/10PLOT 📖 7/10WORLDBUILDING 🌎 9/10ATMOSPHERE ✨ 9/10PACE5/10 🐢 （in this case， I wouldn't count the pacing against the rating。 The story just has a slow pace that some may or may not like。 So I felt it was worth noting。）Overall， I really enjoyed reading this。 I was very interested in where the story was taking me。 That， along with the prose， kept me hooked。 This is just the VERY beginning of a magical tale with the potential to be something grand going forward。 。。。more
bookishpea
，
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of The First Binding。 While I have only rated this book 3 stars， I can acknowledge that it would be much higher for others。 It is simply a matter of personal taste。 I don't mind big books （and this book is huge！） but I have always prefered straight-to-point， quick-paced books。 This book is the complete opposite。 Every single small detail is described in depth。 There were even a few pages dedicated to the cutlery an inn used and how detailing and Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of The First Binding。 While I have only rated this book 3 stars， I can acknowledge that it would be much higher for others。 It is simply a matter of personal taste。 I don't mind big books （and this book is huge！） but I have always prefered straight-to-point， quick-paced books。 This book is the complete opposite。 Every single small detail is described in depth。 There were even a few pages dedicated to the cutlery an inn used and how detailing and the material of it reflects their status。 To some， this massive amount of detail and description will be amazing， but for me it was sadly too much。 I can admit that the in-depth descriptions provided some of the best world-building I have ever read。 I could imagine each location very vividly and the world created was beautiful。 I think this is what kept me reading。 I wanted to discover new places in this vast world。 We follow the story of Ari， both in his childhood and as an adult in the present。 We are told about his childhood through the stories he is telling a friend。 I think the switches between the past and present were sometimes a bit jarring。 Sometimes we were in the past for so long that when we came back to the present I forgot this isn't just a book about his childhood。 Also， this book is all about stories， with Ari being a storyteller， and sometimes I'd get confused because Ari is telling his story and within that another story is mentioned which is linked to another story and yeah。。。 I might just be a bit slow but sometimes I struggled to follow。 I initially wanted to say that considering the size of the book， nothing really happens。 But， thinking about it logically， a lot does happen！ We get almost his full childhood and then a few interesting storylines in a different country in the present。 I think the reason I feel like nothing happened is because it didn't build up to anything。 Eloine was made to be extremely mysterious but the book ends with no answers about her。 Ari's 'adult' storyline is so stretched out in between all the stories yet the actual 'action' felt rushed into one chapter。 The end of the childhood storyline was a lot more impactful but I felt a lot of the impact was lost because it was followed by a boring conversation between adult Ari and Eloine。 Overall， am I happy I read this book？ Yes。 Would I recommend it？ Only if you like descriptive books。 Will I read the rest of the series when it is released？ Probably not。 。。。more
Pranav Prabhu
，
I have a lot of thoughts about this book。 RTC。7。5/10
Anne
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is my first ever GR review， so hopefully I don't mess it up too badlyI'm about 60% of the way through， and loving it so much！ I will come back an update when I'm done， but so far this is easily a 5 star and my favourite read of the year。 I wanted to write an early review so that I could mention something I've noticed and really loved so far。 In the story telling chapters there are rhyming couplets and quatrains embedded in the text。 If you take them out and put them together they form an ep This is my first ever GR review， so hopefully I don't mess it up too badlyI'm about 60% of the way through， and loving it so much！ I will come back an update when I'm done， but so far this is easily a 5 star and my favourite read of the year。 I wanted to write an early review so that I could mention something I've noticed and really loved so far。 In the story telling chapters there are rhyming couplets and quatrains embedded in the text。 If you take them out and put them together they form an epic-style poem。 I've only done the ones in chapter 10， Brahm so far， but this is what i have。 Apologies for any spelling mistakes or missed verses， I was excited and typing fast。 I have never seen this done before， and I think it's a testament to the skill of the author and how good this book is。BRAHMFlatweaver， Threadpuller， the one who bound the first flame and gave us lightThe one who gave the moon its pale guiding glow， a beacon for our night。 But in deep slumber he laid，leaving all to nothingness and things unmade。 This was before time， the making of the Sithre，and the Fallen’s first crime。 To find a place perfect for his loneliness to end。A spot to shape something new- somewhere to his talents spend。 He came across where we are now it’s said。Distant， dark， and empty。Somewhere with which to sew creation’s next thread。To place the seeds for life’s first bounty。 He breathed a breath， hot and thin，carrying flame and his own soul within。Through cupped hands he blew，the first winds of creation that would come to shape me and you。Hard of skin and hot of core，it was lacking and needed something more。Knowing that his tears were flame，Brahm could not shape like before – the same。 This place still lacked something needing，a spark to make it lively， and a world true。it lacked me and you。 So Brahm had no idea of what shape for these things to take，of how another life to make。 In his confusion he tore once again at himself，hoping for something new to spring。A new form of being to bring。 In this moment， Brahm pulled at something past his body –his own self an soul。And thus he gave birth to the next of the gods we would come to know -new life proud and whole。 Saithaan， prince of white fore and starlight。He would come to aid his father in his plight。 Hand in hand， they took pieces of themselves to birth children，brothers and sisters more，crafting one by one to the score。 But even still Brahm’s solitude the new gods failed to quell。Something was still missing in creation， but what…he could not tell。 But what else was left to make？What other paths in creation were there to take？ He told them， “No。 This time will not be the same。It is time to end the birthing of gods and flame。” “Will you my children， follow in my stead？Will you give of yourselves， body and soul，be willing to be bled？” They’re not far enough removed from me to be spared that oldest pain。What to do？ What to do？ I must make again。 They built kingdoms of their own under the dark and in starlight。And they went on to continue shaping an mastering all things within sight。 The Shaen perfect in form and mind，sought to create a new paradise for their kind，And in doing so， with the passing of time，they forgot the divine。 A new ache forms in Brahm’s heart， but this time he would not let it overtake him – no。He would find another form of life to sow。 Too much pain has filled my makings。This time I give something else for the taking。 A group forgotten in name and look，of stories no longer kept in any book。 But they had their own gift to share and bringThey came to the world with a new magic – to sing。 Twisting words and breath like none before。These people sang with a trace of Brahm’s voice and something hidden – something more。 All was well for the first time， or so Brahm had thought。For his firstborn， Saaithan， was still anger fraught。And his father’s undying love and attention he still wholly sought。 Brahm turned to shaping now still from bliss。Knowing now he could make without ever feeling things amiss。 Then came the second people ever to be。Those who would change things for folks for eternity。 The Ruma。 Born next， under black， the struggled long and hard， keeping far from their elders first。They wandered， restless like Brahm had done once in the dark， holding to the traveler’s thirst。 He waited – watched to see what the Ruma could and would bring as creations before had done。And they did in their agitation and warmth， make something – hard won。they toiled and tinkered， discontent， until one day they kindled a spark – fire spun。 Much like Brahm had birthed a flame and by flame。The Ruma had sought warmth and fire， and thus brought about the same。 And so the Ruma traveled like Brahm， far and wide。Passing time day and night with stories of all things; fire beasts， stone， and tide。 Stories， another gift they gave。The telling of tales we’d all came to crave。 By paths in light， and nights by fireside，the Ruma would tell tales so long as those listening would abide。 Lesser folk， still children the same，all coming from that first flitting flame。 The first forgotten， second passed to mystery，but now we’re here – you and me – having come from those who fill history。 But for this time， Saaithan sat unwell。His pain and anger he could not quell。 Only to worsen as Saithan made the first blow，striking at Brahm’s favorite creation，in a n act of hatred’s first show。 Saaithan pulled of himself as his father had taught，and birthed beings best left unwrought。 Hated， hunted to know no peace。To know a toil and pain， like he had felt – one that would never cease。 And Brahm in anguish struck back at his first son，tarnishing him in the vein of what he had done。 “For every step you take away from my light，I’ll dim your fires – your very sight！” Saaithan would work and twist things best he knew，and wring new horrors so long as he could do。 So Brahm tore in anger and in fear at his eldest son，casting the pieces to parts unshown，And in this pain and sorrow， so did Brahm leave，and left the world to a fate unknown。 “Remember what I’ve said。Remember for what I’ve sacrificed and I’ve bled。” The other god’s told hold their father’s absence，Taking the Sithre to war with Saaithan’s makings。This sent our world through many ages of pain to mirror Brahm’sEndless rises and as many breakings。 But eventually peace was done –hard fought and won。 And that is the story from which all creation came and of which it sings。That is the story of Brahm and the making of things。 。。。more
Jo
，
Dnf @12%The comparison with Name of the Wind is actually too accurate。 There were so many similarities in the hundred pages I've read that I was jolted out of the story every time。 If you never read Name of the wind， you might love this book though！ Dnf @12%The comparison with Name of the Wind is actually too accurate。 There were so many similarities in the hundred pages I've read that I was jolted out of the story every time。 If you never read Name of the wind， you might love this book though！ 。。。more
Keshe
，
The First Binding is a book to be savoured。 Like a slowly unfurling flower， each chapter adds layers and layers of richly-drawn narrative。 I found the stories nestled within stories a super compelling concept， and the prose was rich， vivid， and wonderfully lyrical。Ari is an intriguing character。 He is flawed， impulsive， often stubborn and headstrong， and lives by a strong internal moral code。 But his true gift is in the way he forges relationships with people， using stories to build bridges acro The First Binding is a book to be savoured。 Like a slowly unfurling flower， each chapter adds layers and layers of richly-drawn narrative。 I found the stories nestled within stories a super compelling concept， and the prose was rich， vivid， and wonderfully lyrical。Ari is an intriguing character。 He is flawed， impulsive， often stubborn and headstrong， and lives by a strong internal moral code。 But his true gift is in the way he forges relationships with people， using stories to build bridges across societal divides。 In a way， I feel that's the true heart of this book: stories are what brings us， as humans， together。 The First Binding is a homage to storytelling and is a masterpiece of modern fantasy。 。。。more
Therese
，
locked myself alone in a cabin all weekend just to read this book。 worst weekend of my life。
Nara
，
Don't believe the people who say it is better than The Name of the Wind。 They are lying through their teeth。 Except for some（little） differences in the lore the entire flashback is copied from TNOTW（mind you， flashback constitutes 80% of the book）。 And for the part of story that happens in the present Ari sold himself to Eloine。 She treats him like a dog on leash， refuses to tell him anything about her and make unreasonsble demands of him。 She has massive manipulative vibes which is frustrating。 Don't believe the people who say it is better than The Name of the Wind。 They are lying through their teeth。 Except for some（little） differences in the lore the entire flashback is copied from TNOTW（mind you， flashback constitutes 80% of the book）。 And for the part of story that happens in the present Ari sold himself to Eloine。 She treats him like a dog on leash， refuses to tell him anything about her and make unreasonsble demands of him。 She has massive manipulative vibes which is frustrating。 Yes， the prose is alright for most parts。 It is cool the stories within the story， rhyme when reading。 But in other parts it has silly repeatations in sentence formations。 You would not believe how much time Ari spoke something without realising he is speaking and poetry didn't really impress me。Ari is stubborn， is angry and cannot shut up talking about how great he is。（Kvothe does that too but never once will you think he oversold himself if you read TNOTW）I think there is an honest effort in world building， shame those efforts weren't put on an original work。 May be because it heavily gets the story from TNOTW ， I admit the story had some soul to it。 。。。more
Brian
，
After a bit of a slow start， The First Binding ends up a solid epic fantasy， one that I'm looking forward to continuing。 It's a frame story， with Ari， the main character， telling the story of his past while there's a second story in the present。 The story of the past is the stronger of the two， setting up Ari's backstory， much of the world， and what seems to be the bigger， overarching conflict。 The present story is less so， often feeling like it's missing too much and really just missing way too After a bit of a slow start， The First Binding ends up a solid epic fantasy， one that I'm looking forward to continuing。 It's a frame story， with Ari， the main character， telling the story of his past while there's a second story in the present。 The story of the past is the stronger of the two， setting up Ari's backstory， much of the world， and what seems to be the bigger， overarching conflict。 The present story is less so， often feeling like it's missing too much and really just missing way too much context。 The prose is hit or miss。 The book relies on stories and music， and while some are well told， others miss。 The music in particular feels more like a miss。 The dialogue is similarly hit or miss。 There's a lot of reliance on wordplay that often feels overly indulgent。 It's not a perfect book， but it's a strong one despite the flaws。 And yes， this book has strong echoes of the Kingkiller Chronicle。 But I'm not sure it's taking anything all that unique from it， and it definitely puts a twist on it。 。。。more
Olivia
，
I received a copy from the publisher。 My reviews are always honest。I've been following R。R。 Virdi's inspiring journey for a while now and have been eagerly awaiting this release。I have been in a reading slump for months， basically for most of 2022， and I was worried that I wouldn't manage to tackle this 800 page book， but the opening drew me in right away， and I rarely looked up to check Twitter on my phone。 That's a rarity nowadays。The First Binding is the first novel in a new epic fantasy seri I received a copy from the publisher。 My reviews are always honest。I've been following R。R。 Virdi's inspiring journey for a while now and have been eagerly awaiting this release。I have been in a reading slump for months， basically for most of 2022， and I was worried that I wouldn't manage to tackle this 800 page book， but the opening drew me in right away， and I rarely looked up to check Twitter on my phone。 That's a rarity nowadays。The First Binding is the first novel in a new epic fantasy series， Tales of Tremaine， infused with South Asian world-building elements， and if you've read The Name of the Wind， you will without a doubt compare the two。 The opening and pacing in general is slow。 Virdi takes great care to build the characters， world， and plot without rushing， but at no point did I feel impatient。 On the contrary， I enjoyed every single tangent Ari， the Storyteller， takes the reader on。Virdi uses， much like Rothfuss， a frame narrative。 At the beginning Ari arrives in an inn， just like Kvothe， and ends up telling his story。 Told in first person， The First Binding jumps back and forth between the past and the present， but there isn't just a story within a story， several narratives are woven through the main plot， and I found all of them gripping。The world-building and magic system are rich and immersive， and Virdi's prose is beautiful， even lyrical at times。 Ari is a fascinating character， flawed， troubled， impulsive and can't keep his mouth shut， but he's also caring。There is a magic school （of course） and I'm not a huge fan of that setting or the coming-of-age theme， but this is mostly a novel about stories and storytelling， and the emphasis lies more on the importance of found family， friendship and kindness。I recommend The First Binding to every epic fantasy fan and am assuming that in a decade it'll be remembered as one of the cornerstones of this genre。 。。。more
Eric
，
TL;DRThe First Binding by R。R。 Virdi is fantasy to fall in love with。 It’s an excellent world filled with characters that move you。 This book is an instant classic。 Highly recommended。 Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone。 Review: The First Binding by R。R。 VirdiComparing two books to one another is an easy way to relate to a story。 It’s also unfair to both books as they exist and were wr TL;DRThe First Binding by R。R。 Virdi is fantasy to fall in love with。 It’s an excellent world filled with characters that move you。 This book is an instant classic。 Highly recommended。 Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone。 Review: The First Binding by R。R。 VirdiComparing two books to one another is an easy way to relate to a story。 It’s also unfair to both books as they exist and were written on their own。 Both authors put their labor and love into the prose on the page without thought of the other author。 But。 There’s always a but。 How can I review a book when nearly every chapter if not every page makes me think of the other book？ It almost feels as if these two books are in conversation with each other。 I have done no research; so， I don’t know if it’s intentional on the part of the author。 It could be entirely intentional。 Either way， reading R。R。 Virdi’s The First Binding reminded me so much of Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind that I can’t think of one without the other。 Since I love The Name of the Wind， The First Binding quickly became a book I fell in love with。 In fact， I recommended it to the other Rothfuss fans in my office because of it。 But to be clear， Virdi’s story is not a knock off of Rothfuss’s。 The First Binding is wonderful all on its own。 It’s a book that rewards readers who look at craft as much as story。 In The First Binding， R。R。 Virdi has written an instant classic。A cloaked man enters a tavern is who our story begins。 His little demonstrations get the town talking， and as they gather for his show， a female singer interrupts him。 But the cloaked man continues on to tell a story aimed at the local audience。 Upon finishing the story， he lets the story sit in silence。 It earns him the right to stay and earn a living at the tavern。 The singer steps up next and charms everyone including the storyteller with her song。 Then she and the storyteller flirt with one another。 The cloaked man is the famous storyteller Ari， he of many stories and many lies。 The singer won’t tell Ari her name; so， he names her Eloine。 They flirt more。 Their double entendres aren’t subtle。 Soon， Eloine convinces Ari to tell her the story of him。The reader is transported to a playhouse in the city of Keshum。 Ari works as a stagehand running underneath the boards executing the special effects for the shows。 His dreams are to trod the boards himself one day。 Because they are Sullied， of the lowest caste， the playhouse is very poor。 Ari lives underneath it in a bunk he hollowed out for himself。 He is a clever young man whose mouth often causes him more trouble than it should。 The owner of the theater seeks patronage from a local drug lord at around the same time a stranger arrives。 It turns out the stranger is a magician， a binder， who is seeking out stories。 Ari catches the binder’s attention and begins to train with him。 At the same time， the owner of the theater sets Ari to training in stage fighting for parts in upcoming plays。 Ari’s days are dedicated to training mind and body。 He is happy and dreams of traveling to the Ashram， a magical school to learn binding。 But， as with all fiction， the protagonist isn’t allowed to be happy for long。 Tragedy strikes the theater， and Ari finds himself without family。 He’s soon scooped up into a gang of orphans like himself。 His role is to scam， to steal， to beg， and to earn by any means necessary。 But the streets of Keshum are so dangerous and Ari is so grief stricken that he begins to lose the magical training the binder gave him。 His dreams of traveling to the Ashram are being pushed away simply to survive。 There is much more to Ari’s story， but this is roughly a third of the book。The First Binding is a mostly first person point of view novel being told by Ari， himself。 Occasional third person point of view chapters punctuate the book。 The book is another brick of a fantasy novel with over 800+ pages of joy to be had。 Despite being a brick， it has an excellent pace that keeps the reader glued to the page。 The beginning is a little erratic， but once Ari settles into telling Eloine about his past， the writing and pacing become much more assured。 The best writing comes from people telling stories in this book。 Virdi slips in rhymes so subtly that I didn’t notice until the third day reading the book。 This is a well-crafted – possibly， meticulously crafted – book。 AriThis is Ari’s story; so， how much the reader enjoys the story depends upon how much the reader likes Ari。 He is an excellent character if a bit over-the-top when flirting。 He balances between being likable and being petty in many ways。 He is a very capable person， especially as a child， but he’s not perfect。 More than once， his reach exceeds his abilities， and sometimes he pays for that。 Sometimes， however， it works in his favor while complicating his life further。 I think I liked Ari more as a child than as an adult。 This could also be because I think the childhood sections are more cohesive as a story than the adult portions。Ari’s parts of the story are first person， and this necessitates treating the narrator as suspect。 How much of his story is true？ How much is embellishment？ Virdi writes him as introspective with an eye towards earning the readers and Ari’s audience trust。 Ari admits to mistakes， to errors， and to being flat wrong。 He admits to embellishing the stories about him and flat out changing the actual circumstances to benefit him。 These are important for the reader to see Ari as a whole character。 However， the question lingers， is he telling us this to manipulate us and to manipulate Eloine？ That is part of the fun of the book for me。 South Asian StoriesI don’t know any South Asian stories。 It’s definitely an area I haven’t read in。 So， I feel that I’ve missed depths to this novel by not having that knowledge。 This doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the novel， but I feel like there’s a level to this story that I’m missing out on due to my own ignorance。 Reading The First Binding makes me want to seek out more of these stories。 I’d love to learn what influences R。R。 Virdi had and what he thinks influenced the creation of this book。 I’d like to seek out those stories to open my own world just a little more。If you’re well read in South Asian stories and you’ve read this book， please， let me know in the comments what you think influenced Virdi’s telling。 A South Asian Kvothe？Time and again， I kept feeling The First Binding was very like The Name of the Wind。 I mean this in the best of terms because I love The Name of the Wind。 So， is The First Binding a knock-off of The Name of the Wind？ No， and how dare you for asking。 R。R。 Virdi wrote an excellent book that stands on its own， and it’s a book that， if there’s any justice in the world， should become as popular as Rothfuss’s work。Ari and Kvothe are both theatrical storytellers。 To remove all complexity from the characters， they’re basically bards。 They are both orphaned with magical talent seeking out a school to harness that talent。 They’re both fighting against demons from lore。 They’re both attracted to women who won’t tell them their real names。 So， there’s lots of similarities between these two characters， but there are many important differences as well。 Kvothe is hiding as an innkeeper at the beginning of his story; Ari is working as himself in taverns。 Kvothe keeps himself apart and alone; Ari seeks out family。 Kvothe is the smartest， most capable person at all times in the story; Ari thinks himself the smartest， most capable and， yet， often isn’t。Beyond those similarities， Rothfuss and Virdi care about storytelling: its power， its purpose， and its effects on people。 While we care about the plot， want to know what happens， want to have a complete story， there’s a lot of pleasure in how both of these authors tell the story。 They both employ imagery， sound， and rhythm to bring joy to the prose。 I recommend reading both authors out loud to see how the prose flows。 ConclusionR。R。 Virdi explodes on the fantasy novel scene with an excellent， lyrical debut。 This brick of a book keeps the reader glued to the pages。 I loved The First Binding， and you will， too。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Mark Redman
，
R R Virdi The First BindingThe First Binding is a massive book for debut clocks in at 821 pages。 The story follows Ari ‘The Storyteller，’ on a mysterious mission far from home。 It begins with Ari telling his life story to a mysterious stranger。 We learn about the legend of his youth， and how he became so powerful and infamous。 It is also a story about the changing world surrounding Ari and this stranger。The hook is the turmoil and unrest and how it forces Ari’s past to catch up with his present。 R R Virdi The First BindingThe First Binding is a massive book for debut clocks in at 821 pages。 The story follows Ari ‘The Storyteller，’ on a mysterious mission far from home。 It begins with Ari telling his life story to a mysterious stranger。 We learn about the legend of his youth， and how he became so powerful and infamous。 It is also a story about the changing world surrounding Ari and this stranger。The hook is the turmoil and unrest and how it forces Ari’s past to catch up with his present。 Ari is a great travelling storyteller who brings us many stories rich in lore， bright protagonists， religious history， diversity， and hidden clues and lets us not forget the tragedy。 All delivered in a mysterious tone， and atmosphere。 Telling the story this way delivers a massive impact on the reader。 The language is filled with poetic flourishes all very soothing， flowing， and lyrical。 The magic system compliments both the mythology， belief and storytelling which shapes the world。There is so much to unpack in this story: hidden clues， jarring mysteries， and nagging questions as to why certain things are the way they are。 It is a great journey story， and I loved seeing the level of diversity over it and the range of characters through which it is shown。 Virid has created a story that is both lyrical and beautiful in all its tragedy and harmony。 It is fantasy with a breath of fresh air， inspired by Indian history and mythology。My thanks to both Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of The First Binding by RR Virdi in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Mark Redman
，
R R Virdi The First BindingThe First Binding is a massive book for debut clocks in at 821 pages。 The story follows Ari ‘The Storyteller，’ on a mysterious mission far from home。 It begins with Ari telling his life story to a mysterious stranger。 We learn about the legend of his youth， and how he became so powerful and infamous。 It is also a story about the changing world surrounding Ari and this stranger。The hook is the turmoil and unrest and how it forces Ari’s past to catch up with his present。 R R Virdi The First BindingThe First Binding is a massive book for debut clocks in at 821 pages。 The story follows Ari ‘The Storyteller，’ on a mysterious mission far from home。 It begins with Ari telling his life story to a mysterious stranger。 We learn about the legend of his youth， and how he became so powerful and infamous。 It is also a story about the changing world surrounding Ari and this stranger。The hook is the turmoil and unrest and how it forces Ari’s past to catch up with his present。 Ari is a great travelling storyteller who brings us many stories rich in lore， bright protagonists， religious history， diversity， and hidden clues and lets us not forget the tragedy。 All delivered in a mysterious tone， and atmosphere。 Telling the story this way delivers a massive impact on the reader。 The language is filled with poetic flourishes all very soothing， flowing， and lyrical。 The magic system compliments both the mythology， belief and storytelling which shapes the world。There is so much to unpack in this story: hidden clues， jarring mysteries， and nagging questions as to why certain things are the way they are。 It is a great journey story， and I loved seeing the level of diversity over it and the range of characters through which it is shown。 Virid has created a story that is both lyrical and beautiful in all its tragedy and harmony。 It is fantasy with a breath of fresh air， inspired by Indian history and mythology。My thanks to both Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of The First Binding by RR Virdi in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Jadon Mann
，
I'm tapping out at 7%。 And that sucks！！ I was really looking forward to this book， but when I found it took me moving mountains to get 25 pages into my eARC， I decided I should wait until the audiobook was released before jumping on that and giving it a go that way instead。 I got a little further with the audiobook， but at the end of the day， my attention was still swaying， and I really want to focus on books that excite me right now。 Unfortunately， THE FIRST BINDING wasn't doing it。I can absolu I'm tapping out at 7%。 And that sucks！！ I was really looking forward to this book， but when I found it took me moving mountains to get 25 pages into my eARC， I decided I should wait until the audiobook was released before jumping on that and giving it a go that way instead。 I got a little further with the audiobook， but at the end of the day， my attention was still swaying， and I really want to focus on books that excite me right now。 Unfortunately， THE FIRST BINDING wasn't doing it。I can absolutely see the magic and the beauty in this book - the lyrical prose， the very clearly well-thought-out Desi-inspired fantasy world， the magic and mystery of storytelling。 A lot of work went into this， and I can tell。 Unfortunately， my discomfort reading the way female characters are portrayed in this book， as well as how it's told from the perspective of someone who is - let's be honest - a bit obnoxious， are what's stopping me short。 And as someone that typically reads stories from a queer lens， this book felt a bit too cliche。 I feel like I've read this before in the classics， and I don't really mean that in a positive way。 I might give this another go sometime in the future - maybe on a long flight or a car trip or an opportunity where I can really let myself get lost in a story like this。 But for now， I think I'm going to pass this along to someone who will enjoy it more than I will。（Thank you to Tor Books for this ARC！） 。。。more
Cozyfallreads
，
- Do you love utterly non rushed perfectly measured paced lyrical novels？ - A morally grey complex protagonist who still has a strong streak of justice， kindness， and saves a kitten？- A slow burn consent based sassy flirting romance？- Theater kids being dramatic （but I repeat myself）？- Mystery/intrigue- Diverse casts and creative use of mythology？- And utterly cozy fall/winter fireplace storytelling sweater reading vibes？Then you will love The FIrst Binding。 I am an utter cozy cocoa sipping styl - Do you love utterly non rushed perfectly measured paced lyrical novels？ - A morally grey complex protagonist who still has a strong streak of justice， kindness， and saves a kitten？- A slow burn consent based sassy flirting romance？- Theater kids being dramatic （but I repeat myself）？- Mystery/intrigue- Diverse casts and creative use of mythology？- And utterly cozy fall/winter fireplace storytelling sweater reading vibes？Then you will love The FIrst Binding。 I am an utter cozy cocoa sipping style book slut。 This novel checks those boxes。 If you're looking for another high action magic everywhere anime like fantasy， I am very sorry to say this isn't for you。 If you want a lush， smart， world-building clever with creative wordplay and gorgeous language fantasy。。。then this is for you！An amazingly magical feeling magic system， which sounds silly to say， but how many magic systems today feel like video game rules and less wonderful， but more like a science？ This isn't waving your hands and everything is fixed。 It's complicated， hard， surreal， and unreliable in the best of ways。 Just like the unreliable Ari is。 This is so smoothly paced that this is a novel to savor， like many other reviewers are saying， and you need to commit to this。 But if you want that one perfect book you can dedicate to and enjoy for many many months over and over， this is seriously it！ This is a storytelling novel by a real storyteller about a storyteller telling stories， all of them amazing， and even more， Ari's。 This book rekindled my love of reading and knocked me out of a slump。 This is a classic like Lord of the Rings。 。。。more
Sue
，
V81 。f
Shanna
，
There was a lot I loved about this book。 First and foremost， the writing is impeccable and deliberate， and you can tell that R。R。 Virdi has put his entire soul into this story。 At its core， it's a story about stories， and the way it is written makes you feel like you're listening to one。 It's lyrical and beautifully crafted， and there were times when I would suddenly realize that what I was reading had turned to verse at some point。 It's all done in a very clever and subtle way， and the talent i There was a lot I loved about this book。 First and foremost， the writing is impeccable and deliberate， and you can tell that R。R。 Virdi has put his entire soul into this story。 At its core， it's a story about stories， and the way it is written makes you feel like you're listening to one。 It's lyrical and beautifully crafted， and there were times when I would suddenly realize that what I was reading had turned to verse at some point。 It's all done in a very clever and subtle way， and the talent it takes to create something like that is impressive。 Much like 'The Name of the Wind'， this book is about the main character telling a story about his life， and you are taken on Ari's journey from orphaned child to current storyteller。 We don't hear his entire story， though， and I very much look forward to hearing the rest。 There are so many unanswered questions about how Ari ended up where he is now， and I'm excited to see what the rest of the series has in store for us。 As a character， I absolutely loved Ari。 He has had to learn to survive on his own in a world that wasn't kind to him， but he still ends up as a kind， charismatic person with a generous spirit。 Though he has no memory of his birth parents， he fiercely loves and protects those he considers his family at different points throughout his life。 He yearns for love and safety， and his core motivations always go back to that。 Now， was this book an easy read？ No。 This is a behemoth of a book， and it was not one that I could binge read。 The most I could read at a time was probably 50-60 pages， and then I felt done for the day。 The pacing is very slow， so I never felt the pull to drop everything and read。 I knew the story would be there for me when I picked it back up， so I felt no sense or urgency。 That's not a bad thing， but it made for a very long read。 I still enjoyed it greatly， but I had to work for it。 Overall， I'd give it 3。75 stars。 The writing itself is brilliant， but based on my pure entertainment level while reading， a 3。75 seems right。 I might go up to 4 after I sit on it a while。 Do I recommend this book？ Yes！ Is it a fun， quick read？ No！ But still， it's a promising start to a new series that has a lot of potential。 。。。more
Kristen
，
This is the story of Ari， who is a wandering storyteller。 It has the same sort of vibe as The Name of the Wind， which you will see it compared to a lot。The book is beautifully written and the world it creates is very well built and easy to imagine。 I liked Ari as a character， and so his story （or stories， as it were） were easy to vibe into。My biggest criticism of the book is that it is very， very long。 That by itself isn’t bad。 I like big books and I cannot lie。 But， along with the sheer length This is the story of Ari， who is a wandering storyteller。 It has the same sort of vibe as The Name of the Wind， which you will see it compared to a lot。The book is beautifully written and the world it creates is very well built and easy to imagine。 I liked Ari as a character， and so his story （or stories， as it were） were easy to vibe into。My biggest criticism of the book is that it is very， very long。 That by itself isn’t bad。 I like big books and I cannot lie。 But， along with the sheer length of the book is the fact that it is very often slowly paced。 This book took me what felt like forever to read。 That isn’t necessarily bad， but it also wasn’t great。Still， I would recommend this book a hundred times to anyone who liked Name of the Wind， because it’d be easy to assume they would like this one too。Thanks to the author as well as Tor via NetGalley for the review copy！ 。。。more
Angie Canhartt
，
Having read both this and Name of the Wind （which I almost didn't read this book because of the claims it's too similar）， I'm going to hard disagree。So I'm going to break them down in the review。1: There is a very different active present day plot unlike Kvothe ruminating in the present in the inn。 Does some of this story take place in the tavern？ Yes。 However， there's a mysterious woman in the present rather than two men and their sausage party foaming over Kvothe's deeds。 Instead， Eloine， our Having read both this and Name of the Wind （which I almost didn't read this book because of the claims it's too similar）， I'm going to hard disagree。So I'm going to break them down in the review。1: There is a very different active present day plot unlike Kvothe ruminating in the present in the inn。 Does some of this story take place in the tavern？ Yes。 However， there's a mysterious woman in the present rather than two men and their sausage party foaming over Kvothe's deeds。 Instead， Eloine， our singer， calls out Ari's BS， holds him accountable， seems genuinely interested in him。 Not for his fame， but to understand his story， and there is a slow burn romance between them （a healthy one with boundaries， quiet respect for them you can see， even in how he wont touch her clothes without her consent and comfort。 They even share a bed together non sexually， which was always a problem with me with Kvothe's actions in book two）。Then there is the entire prince/royal court game near the end and ballroom dancing。2: The language is similar， though I'll say Virdi's is actually a shade better and more fitting for an actual performing storyteller， not a bard with instrument。 3: The beats。 A smart child is orphaned by monsters after meeting his mentor。 This is the plot to ANY story with the hero's journey。 Wheel of Time， Eragon， Shannara， Star Wars， and so many older stories than this。 That's why they all do this， because it's been done throughout mythology。 Rothfuss isn't original in that either。 I'm sorry to point that out。 Note: I'm studying to get my Ph。D in mythology and a secondary degree in anthropology （sorry in advance but this is A SORE SUBJECT when people don't realize how many writers retake and even almost perfectly keep reusing the same myths。 It's not a problem， but just be aware they all do it。 Not one or the other）。 Neither is an orphan becoming a thief for a while to survive。 It's how they do it that's different。 Kvothe is alone in Tarben， poor， and savagely surviving for himself。 Ari is adopted into a family with an abusive father， and Ari uses his time to protect his low earning siblings， going into his own hoarded secret savings to bail out his adoptive sisters。 This is a long arc I don't want to spoil， but it's very different。4: Magical academy。 Neither of these two do anything original with this beat on the surface， and neither are the first。 Harry Potter did the antagonizing teacher and rich rival student before Rothfuss or Virdi。 It's a trope at this point。 And for a reason。 Other magical academies have done it after Rowling， but before Virdi and Rothfuss。 Virdi's Ashram is infused with South Asian culture and focuses on a south asian caste system for some of the isolation and abuse done to Ari5: Rich rival and antagonist mentor/teachers？ I've already covered that。6: Tinkers/Romani analogs？ This is a dangerous one to be careful of。 But Rothfuss didn't invent those， and given that Virdi seems to be actually South Asian， it bears pointing out that the Tinkers and Romani are both traveling people that have origins and roots traced back to India down to their arts of Tarot and future telling。 Virdi addresses one of these by name in the novel - their south asian historical names and castes。7: The dragon/draccus/serpent。 Again， as a mythology nerd hoping to become a professor some day soon， that is historically the mythological point of a dragon。 They have mostly been used as near climax/story end obstacles。 Quite literally。 The earliest dragons were established in stories TO BE OBSTACLES。 That is so old of a trope that it is very inauthentic to say only one author did it there。 Or we have to say Rothfuss stole the idea from The Hobbit， which is ridiculous， because Tolkien got it from the Norse legends he studied。 And it's okay they all did it。 8: There isn't a Felurian bit in this novel， but I have to point out even that's not unique to Rothfuss。 It's the Odyssey and Odysseus on his way home to his love （Kvothe done with the mercenaries， on his way back to the town he hopes Denna is still in） coming across Circe （Felurian）， the sexy witch temptress who seduces our protagonist literally and wants him to say。 There are so many arcs of a temptress/someone who tempts the protagonist （and they are supernatural/ethereal in some way） that nearly every culture at least has one， and a story of one trying to steer a hero off course， keep them in their grips， or lead them to doom。 That isn't original either。 Virdi hasn't done that， but if he does， I wouldn't be surprised as this story seems to be a bit more oriented on storytelling and its history than kingkiller。 There are nods to famous legendary myths in here being redone and told for this world that is has to be an intentional nod， especially with lines about secrets in stories and implications that many mirror one another。 I can keep going but I'm going to stop now。 None of this is to bash either Virdi or Rothfuss or even Tolkien。 I love them all。 I'm pointing this out as a mythology fan。 None of them are original， as hard as that might be to hear in fandom because of how toxic it can be。 Especially towards women and women reviewers， but there it is。I loved this book for what it does with those myths and south asian flavors like I love kingkiller for what rothfuss does。 。。。more
Alyssa
，
Thank you Macmillan/Tom Doherty Associates for the advanced copy of this book。 This is a wonderfully written， imaginative fantasy novel。 The author does a wonderful job building this world without ever sacrificing the story。 It's a long book but I was not ready for it to end。 Thank you Macmillan/Tom Doherty Associates for the advanced copy of this book。 This is a wonderfully written， imaginative fantasy novel。 The author does a wonderful job building this world without ever sacrificing the story。 It's a long book but I was not ready for it to end。 。。。more
Mikala
，
Unfortunately， I was unable to finish this book in it's entirety。 I had a hard time getting engaged in it from the start， and ended up DNFing it just after the main character starts to tell his life story， flashing back to his childhood。 From what little I read I can say I found the concepts of magic in the world to be very cool and part of what kept me reading as long as I did was my curiosity about the magic system。 The idea that there is literal magic in storytelling， that can captivate an au Unfortunately， I was unable to finish this book in it's entirety。 I had a hard time getting engaged in it from the start， and ended up DNFing it just after the main character starts to tell his life story， flashing back to his childhood。 From what little I read I can say I found the concepts of magic in the world to be very cool and part of what kept me reading as long as I did was my curiosity about the magic system。 The idea that there is literal magic in storytelling， that can captivate an audience。 I think that idea is something I haven't seen explored much in epic fantasy and that really appeals to readers， because stories already mean so much to us。 It's difficult for me to put my finger on what kept disinteresting me during the set-up part of this narrative。 I found the main character to be a little unnecessarily coy， he was being very mysterious and clearly not explaining things because he was going to delve into this lifelong flashback that would ultimately take up most of the book。 But during the setup it mostly just kept me from connecting with him at all。 And the mysterious singer he meets was also mysterious and just kind unwilling to be much more than a beautiful mysterious stranger。 I just found myself not really enjoying their flirtation and interactions。 In terms of worldbuilding， I can imagine most of the heavy lifting would have been done by the main flashback storyline， because during this whole first section I didn't get much of an idea of what the world was really meant to look like。 I knew this book was South Asian inspired， but I couldn't really see or feel that during the introductory part I made it through。 It felt just kinda bland generic fantasy backdrop。To summarize， I was very drawn in by the premise of this story， the magic system， and of course the fantastic cover。 But for me the main narrative took a little too long to get going， and by the time it did I just wasn't finding myself invested in this main character's story enough to continue。 。。。more
Abby
，
Thank you Tor for giving me an arc copy of The First Binding by R。 R。 Virdi！ The First Binding is about the life story of Ari。 The book starts out with an adult Ari in a new town。 Throughout the book Ari tells his life story from when he was a child till his teen years。 The book has magic and tales of old and new gods。 The concept of the book is very interesting and his writing was well done。 Fair warning the book is very long and wordy。 The author does not hesitate with their descriptions。 More Thank you Tor for giving me an arc copy of The First Binding by R。 R。 Virdi！ The First Binding is about the life story of Ari。 The book starts out with an adult Ari in a new town。 Throughout the book Ari tells his life story from when he was a child till his teen years。 The book has magic and tales of old and new gods。 The concept of the book is very interesting and his writing was well done。 Fair warning the book is very long and wordy。 The author does not hesitate with their descriptions。 More than half the book was Ari’s backstory and it honestly could have been its own book。 His past still had not met up with the present day Ari by the end of the book！ I enjoyed the adventures that little Ari has gone on and it seems like a lot more adventures are going to happen in the next book。 I am definitely invested and I need to find out what happens next！ 。。。more
Lila
，
The First Binding is spell-binding。I admit it's not a very clever play on words， but nevertheless， it's fitting。Normally， the marketing pitch of South Asian The Name of the Wind wouldn't really pull me in， but I saw an interview Petrik Leo did with author， R。R。 Virdi， and I loved his passion and what he had to say about his book。 I encourage everyone to hear him out， he is a great guest and it made me look his book out which， if my rating wasn't enough of a clue， was the best decision ever。Some The First Binding is spell-binding。I admit it's not a very clever play on words， but nevertheless， it's fitting。Normally， the marketing pitch of South Asian The Name of the Wind wouldn't really pull me in， but I saw an interview Petrik Leo did with author， R。R。 Virdi， and I loved his passion and what he had to say about his book。 I encourage everyone to hear him out， he is a great guest and it made me look his book out which， if my rating wasn't enough of a clue， was the best decision ever。Some of my favourite novels are coming-of-age， single point of view fantasy novels。 You know main character is a legend， that their actions determined the history of the world author imagined。 And then， you are thrown to the beginning to see how they actually got there， what kind of life made them become legendary。 It's the type of story that brings you close to the main character and it never fails to be compelling。There is Fitz， Vaelin， Rin， Foolish Cur。。。 and now you can add Ari to that group。 The man who is hero to some and a demon to others。The book covers the earliest period of his life he remembers: when he worked understage as a Sullied kid for a piece of bread， through pickpocketing years on Keshum streets and the beginnings of his learning to be a magic-binder in Ashram。So， let's get this out of the way first: is this similar to The Name of the Wind？ Yes， even author makes that point with opening the book with man entering a tavern and ruminating on silence。 Ari is a performer， a Storyteller known for his ability to ensnare his public and makes his stories stick to their mind。 So， yes the story opens with a lyrical prose and a certain flair， just like the book that directly inspired it， but it quickly develops into its own story。 To be completely honest， the more Virdi was getting away from purple prose and finding his own voice the better it made his book for me。 It took me several days to get through first couple of chapters because it felt like author was paying so much attention to the way story was told and the pace took the brunt of it。 But once he actually started telling what went down， I couldn't stop reading。 I ended up reading all night this book and went to the work with red eyes and happy。 And isn't that the best experience for a reader？Then there is also something else author infused into his story with that's completely him: South Asian mythology and culture were clearly the foundation of the world Virdi imagined， while ticking all the boxes of a classical epic fantasy。 It's rich and exciting in its uniqueness and novelty it brings to the genre， but my favourite part is that he made a point to show it's an old world with a rich history， a world that was lived in a long before Ari came to it。 Stories he tells about Gods and First Men made me feel that for a such a long book it's like we barely scratched the surface and there is so much more to find out and be amazed by。 The story is kind of episodic in nature， because you can clearly divide it in 3 periods of Ari's life:-Ari working in a theatre where he first learns to love stories and the importance of performing it。 It's also where he first comes in touch with Binding and decides he wants to become a Binder。 The kid Ari is easy to love and easy to be annoyed with and it's honestly where book really clicked for me。 -But， I started really loving it with second part of the book when Ari was forced to become a pickpocket and a child beggar。 It's probably the darkest part of the novel and it made Ari into a student Ashram has never seen before。-Third part is ever-the-favorite theme in fantasy novels: the school where our main character learns magic。 The life Ari led so far made him miles ahead of other students。 You know how there is a rich Draco-rival kid and a teacher with whom our heroes in this type of stories come to clash？ You have that here as well， but Virdi flipped it on his head because it's not a usual kid out of his/her own depth who somehow pulls it off- Ari is clearly out of depth， but so is everyone else with Ari。 They are not ready for someone like him and I was delighted by his mischief and his adventures as he learned the principles of Binding。 It's the part of the story that comes as respite after his Sparrow years and I flew through it。 -Intersected with the story of his life are interludes happening in the presence as Ari meets mysterious woman， Eloine， in Etaynia， a coastal city of Mutri Empire。 Both of them are there for a reason and their plans keep putting them at the same place。 I loved her and I can't wait to know more about her， but I do have some suspicions on who she may be。 The story ends up on a hell of a cliffhanger and it's going to be hard waiting to see where Virdi takes this story next。The First Binding is a delight to read。 It's just one of those book you lose yourself completely in and I truly hope it will become a big thing。 I would like to thank Netgalley， Macmillan-Tor/Forge and R。 R。 Virdi for an advanced copy of The First Binding。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mellie Burke
，
All the sparkling of a legendary tome of stories in and of itself。 This is a loveletter to storytelling itself and it feels like a collection of legendary real stories collected by Ari to be kept safe and retold throughout time， which in some ways， I guess it is。If you want a fresh different genius story that has all the emphasis on beautiful escapism。。。this is it！ 5/5
Annarella
，
There's a lot of hype and I'm always a bit wary about hype， high expectations， and so on。It wasn't love at first page as it took a bit to fell in love with this book but it was one of those slow burning love story that can last a life time。A complex world building and complex story， great characters， the right level of epics and emotions。R。R。 Virdi is an excellent storyteller and I read this very huge book and alway kept on turning pages even if it's a bit slow at times。I loved it and hope the r There's a lot of hype and I'm always a bit wary about hype， high expectations， and so on。It wasn't love at first page as it took a bit to fell in love with this book but it was one of those slow burning love story that can last a life time。A complex world building and complex story， great characters， the right level of epics and emotions。R。R。 Virdi is an excellent storyteller and I read this very huge book and alway kept on turning pages even if it's a bit slow at times。I loved it and hope the rest of the series will be up to this one。Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Celeste
，
Actual rating: 3。5 stars， rounded up。The First Binding was one of my most hesitantly anticipated books of the year。 Let me explain。 Petrik loved this book so much， and shared a lot of passages from it as he read， and it sounded like it would scratch my The Name of the Wind itch。 And it did， almost too well。 Despite the excessive amount of time between publications and the fact that we might never get the rest of Kvothe’s story， The Name of the Wind has been my favorite book for over a decade。 I’ Actual rating: 3。5 stars， rounded up。The First Binding was one of my most hesitantly anticipated books of the year。 Let me explain。 Petrik loved this book so much， and shared a lot of passages from it as he read， and it sounded like it would scratch my The Name of the Wind itch。 And it did， almost too well。 Despite the excessive amount of time between publications and the fact that we might never get the rest of Kvothe’s story， The Name of the Wind has been my favorite book for over a decade。 I’ve tried to shift favorites， to align myself more with other books or authors I respect immensely， but something about The Name of the Wind captured a piece of my heart and still refuses to return it。 So you would think that I’d fall head-over-heels for a well-told story that is so obviously inspired by my favorite novel。 And you would be right， but with some serious caveats。 This is the story of Ari， who now goes strictly by the title of The Storyteller。 He’s on the run from his past while also capitalizing on the mythos surrounding that past， which I found a fascinating balancing act。 Our framework story follows Ari’s Storyteller persona in the present day， and I was enraptured by his abilities as a storyteller and the magic that he wove into the telling of his tales。 Within that framework we also get the story of Ari’s past， most specifically his childhood up through the first year or so of his education， the very beginnings of the fearsome and nigh on mythological reputation he built for himself。I love a good framework story。 Not only does it allow you to become invested in your narrator on multiple fronts， it give said narrator more believable freedom to insert humor and asides into their narration in ways that wouldn’t be nearly as palatable without that constant reminder that they are telling their own story。 I thought that Virdi utilized this style of storytelling very well， reminding me again of The Name of the Wind as well as Blood Song and The Empire of the Vampire and so many more fantasy novels that I have loved first and foremost purely because of this format。 I find it the wittiest and most enchanting form of storytelling， so I was thrilled to experience another book that wielded it so well。I also loved the philosophical pondering housed in The First Binding。 Virdi’s prose isn’t quite lyrical， but it is profound。 I found myself highlighting and annotating often， sharing quotes with my husband and coming back to them days later because they were still on my mind。 There’s little that I love more in my reading life than a book that makes me think。 If a book manages to make me think and feel？ That’s a new favorite。 The First Binding didn’t quite speak to my heart， but it resonated strongly with my mind。While I was interested in Ari’s story from start to finish， I found myself having a hard time picking the book up because the pacing was agonizingly slow。 The First Binding is less of a book and more of a tome， a brick of a novel that demands much of your time。 It’s difficult to commit that time to a story that meanders so unhurriedly toward its destination， especially when you have so many other stories calling to you from your shelves。 Once Ari finally reached his school days， the pace improved， but then I was faces with another conundrum as the similarities between this story and The Name of the Wind became even more pronounced。So much of this mirrors The Name of the Wind。 Perhaps too closely。 This feels like more than inspiration。 From the poetic view of silence at the beginning of the book， to reputation of the orphaned main character and how they’re running for their past; from the search for the truth behind their heritage and their quest to find information on a supposedly mythological entity that others scoff at while our main character knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that these beings exist， and are malicious， as said beings are responsible for the slaughter of our main character’s birth or adopted families; from buying their way into school to enduring some type of punishment in a way that builds their reputation; from their cleverness to every discipline’s interest in them， outside of the discipline they most want to learn， under the tutelage of a brilliant but probably mad master。 Even the cursing is nearly identical。 I find these similarities too much at attribute to inspiration。 It’s not plagiarism， as the writing was still very my Virdi’s own and the stories weren’t quite an exact match， but it still feels almost like theft to me。Despite my qualms， I did enjoy The First Binding， and I have a feeling that I’ll enjoy rereading it even more。 I honestly can’t wait to see what Virdi does with the rest of the series， especially as I believe it will separate itself more and more from The Name of the Wind as Ari’s story progresses。 And I’m hoping that， unlike the Kingkiller Chronicles， we’ll actually get Ari’s tale in its entirety before The First Binding reaches its 15th anniversary， which The Name of the Wind celebrated this year。 If that is truly the case， perhaps my loyalties will finally swap to someone new， and I just might end up being among Virdi’s biggest fans。 Time will tell。 。。。more
Becky Martenson
，