Fantasy

The First Binding

The First Binding

  • Downloads：3395
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-04 07:52:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：R.R. Virdi
  • ISBN：1473233984
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Summary

In R。R。 Virdi's The First Binding， a storyteller and a dancer meet in a bar， then they changed the world。

All legends are borne 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。

Thus begins the tale of a storyteller and a singer on the run and hoping to find obscurity in a tavern bar。 But the sins of their past aren't forgotten， and neither are their enemies。Their old lives are catching up swiftly and it could cost them the entire world。 No one can escape their pasts and all stories must have an ending。

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Reviews

Daniella ，

dnf after Chapter 1I'm sorry but I just can't - a 1000 page eARC with the most pretentious and overwritten vibe imaginable。。。sorry but I'm better than this dnf after Chapter 1I'm sorry but I just can't - a 1000 page eARC with the most pretentious and overwritten vibe imaginable。。。sorry but I'm better than this 。。。more

Daniel Holland ，

Can I interest y'all in a story about stories and the lies we tell？As part of the B2WTour I read "The First Binding" by R。 R。 Virdi。 We follow The Storyteller as he tells his unvarnished backstory to this mysterious singer who has excellent banter with him。 See， he has dispersed his own tale across many people （already have my tinfoil hat on） to obscure his movements。 Just like the quarry he is chasing。Won't say too much about the story， but it has magic， monsters， myths， banter， intrigue， goat Can I interest y'all in a story about stories and the lies we tell？As part of the B2WTour I read "The First Binding" by R。 R。 Virdi。 We follow The Storyteller as he tells his unvarnished backstory to this mysterious singer who has excellent banter with him。 See， he has dispersed his own tale across many people （already have my tinfoil hat on） to obscure his movements。 Just like the quarry he is chasing。Won't say too much about the story， but it has magic， monsters， myths， banter， intrigue， goat recipes I need to try， and excellent foreshadowing。 Already thought of a reason to reread it to count things， but I don't have time for that！ My long suffering assistant listened to me read most of it aloud too。Angry at you all because now I have make some adjustments to my bookshelves to make more room。Reasons to read:-You like thicccccc book series-We got stories about stories， in your stories-I can't stress enough how much I enjoy good banter-Poor decision making by young MCs （and when they are older）-MC actually communicating with their friends about an issue， mostly-Cheeky reference deep enough in the story to make sure folks are hooked-The second character's chapters-Language mishaps-I think I see the meta-bones of the story， if that makes sense。。。Cons:-Unfortunately this is the first book so I can't dive into more， only 800 pages for the conspiracy board to make connections 。。。more

♥Milica♥ ，

The First Binding is one of those books that people will either love or hate。 I didn't hate it， but it unfortunately didn't work for me。One of the main comps is The Name of the Wind of which I read only two or so chapters before dropping it， to pick up at a later date， but even based on those two chapters I'd say the comp is correct。 It has a very similar feel to that book， and a few readers who actually read the whole thing said so too。I have no problem with the writing， it's beautiful and I di The First Binding is one of those books that people will either love or hate。 I didn't hate it， but it unfortunately didn't work for me。One of the main comps is The Name of the Wind of which I read only two or so chapters before dropping it， to pick up at a later date， but even based on those two chapters I'd say the comp is correct。 It has a very similar feel to that book， and a few readers who actually read the whole thing said so too。I have no problem with the writing， it's beautiful and I didn't mind all the descriptions。 My main problem is the pacing， and some other stuff I'll tackle in a bit。This is a slow book， and when I say slow， I mean you will feel like you aged a few years by the time the action finally starts。 And even when it did start， I still found the present chapters slightly more compelling than the past ones。 And the past ones are the majority of the book。。。Then there's the length。 Could it have been shorter？ Probably。 SHOULD it have been shorter？ Here's the tricky part - I don't know。Because for the whole book things are happening at a snail pace， then near the end they pick up and just when I felt like the action was starting for real。。。the book ended。In a way it was a complete story （would be a shame if it wasn't for 800+ pages）， but also not really？ Somehow I think it could've benefitted from even more pages。 Perhaps shorter past sections to balance out the present timeline？ Moving on to the next thing that bugged me， the "I'm not like other girls trope"， but a male version。 Let's call it "I'm not like other men"。 This is my very first encounter with that trope and I can't say that I like it。 It ruined my enjoyment of those few present chapters。Eloine kept saying that "most men wouldn't do that" or "most men don't think like/of that" and Ari in turn said how he's "not like most men" and that he's "different"。 This happened several times and nearly made me laugh。Ari might as well be different from other men， but telling us instead of showing us is not the way to convince us。I get that poor Eloine never met a man who did the bare minimum but。。。there's no reason to praise this one so much。 His ego is big enough without it。Which brings me to the characters。 They were okay， I didn't hate anyone and had no favourites。 But I wish we got to know Eloine more instead of Ari， she was more interesting。The world building and magic system were some of the best parts of the book， other than the previously mentioned writing。 WE NEED MORE SOUTH ASIAN INSPIRED FANTASY WORLDS！！！ I really liked learning about it， and I do see the potential of this series and might even read some other books set in the world。 Maybe following different characters though。 2。5*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more

Magen ，

It’s been along time since I’ve read such a thick， intense fantasy novel。 The story is easy to slip into as our main character Ari， The Storyteller， recounts his life to a mysterious singer。 The narrative jumps between past and present。 The author focuses heavily on the importance of stories and the ways they get interpreted/twisted based on the person experiencing the story。 It is a long read but it didn’t feel like it， as I too was caught up in the stories Ari weaved。 This is a promising start It’s been along time since I’ve read such a thick， intense fantasy novel。 The story is easy to slip into as our main character Ari， The Storyteller， recounts his life to a mysterious singer。 The narrative jumps between past and present。 The author focuses heavily on the importance of stories and the ways they get interpreted/twisted based on the person experiencing the story。 It is a long read but it didn’t feel like it， as I too was caught up in the stories Ari weaved。 This is a promising start to a series and I’m eager to see what the next one brings！ Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Liza ❤️LIBROCUBICULARIST❤️ ，

I’m about to enter Three Tales Tavern on August 16th， 2022 😍

Mashara ，

At 17% in， I'm afraid I cannot continue this book。 Which is a complete shame as I am always excited about receiving fantasy ARCs specially from POC authors。 And I appreciate NetGalley and Tor books for this ARC。However， despite an interesting premise， I find it impossible to continue dragging myself through this book。And the reasons are two fold。 One。 Many reviews rightly compare this book to The Name of the Wind， I believe due to the setting， ie， legendary storyteller founds himself telling his At 17% in， I'm afraid I cannot continue this book。 Which is a complete shame as I am always excited about receiving fantasy ARCs specially from POC authors。 And I appreciate NetGalley and Tor books for this ARC。However， despite an interesting premise， I find it impossible to continue dragging myself through this book。And the reasons are two fold。 One。 Many reviews rightly compare this book to The Name of the Wind， I believe due to the setting， ie， legendary storyteller founds himself telling his life's story in a dark tavern。And yes。 But that is sadly not its only valid comparison。 Just as TNotW the male gaze is pervasive way pass the point of offensive。 Of the 4 female characters that appear so far， 2 serve the exact same function， to request Ari to tell a story， and then listen to him raptly tell it。 Esmeralda， sorry Eloine， gets to do it while listening to another carton cut out of a female character do the same in a sort of inception of misogyny。Then there is the zealot female guard， who Ari sexually harasses in the 2nd line of the conversation。 Now， bigots and zealots deserve a lot of what they get， but when what they get from our supposed hero is blatant sexism， that says a lot more about him than it says about them。 And this is not in flashback。 This is not young Ari who learnt better， this is the actual present Ari。 If this is the final version， I pass。 The fourth one appears basically to be a punching bag for young Ari， by no fault of her own。The book is also exhaustingly gender stereotypical， the amount of phrases of the type "men do this"， "not many men would say this" " all woman do this"， etc etc， is constant。 Even from the get go， Ari comes into the tavern， （his arrogance is grating， but ok） and starts talking to the bartender， he has a story， Ari's reaction is that it always involves a woman， and that it never ends well。 It doesn't。 She dies。 By 17% I counted 3 of these sort。 That fridge is about to pop。Some examples:Most men， when in the company of a beautiful woman， harbor the notion that they’ll stroll for hours under a midnight canvas threaded with stars。 She had a point。 Most women always do。 But it can be a terrible danger to let them know you know that。 “The woman， eh？”“It’s always a woman。” I kept my voice level， but gave him a knowing look。 “Tricky things。 If my Rita was around， I’d pull her ear to give you some advice。” “It’s a silly thing—a woman was involved。” There always is—always。 Remember that， not much more stubborn in this world than a woman when she knows she’s right。 Which”—he winked my way—“is almost all of the time。 Men are utterly useless at aiding one another when it comes to matters involving the fairer sex。 “Few men ever consider what might be a violation of someone’s space。” Don't get me wrong， I am reading the Wheel of Time and each time I hear （they are audiobooks） "she crossed her arms under her breasts" I flinch， but those books， for all of Jordan's obsession with boobs， are 30 years old and not as gender deterministic as this one from 2022！Two。 There are situations that are completely non sequitur。 It feels like the author decided it was a cool thing for the character to say or do， and left it in the book although it does not follow at all from the action。Ari says， while retelling a story from his childhoods says that had he known what would happen he would have stopped a situation， one that is stopped anyway by another character 5 minutes later。 I understand the hero complex we are trying to set up， but it still needs to make sense。Then he finds Eloine， because she said she liked the rain （first， mate she did not only say it， she was standing soaking wet with you in it， this does not make you look perspicacious） and sincerely I don't think that sitting in a rooftop in the rain after a brush with death follows from somebody saying they like the rain。 But is the brush with death itself， these religious zealots come to them in a tavern they are clearly unwelcomed in and the bartender sold them out， when Ari flaunts magic around to help Eloine scape， and when then he tells the first bartender about it， there is no surprise about the situation， so Ari knew， which fine， he's selfish， I've read about worse characters， but the thing is that there is no mention at all of this up until the zealots show up， not when Ari was using magic left right and centre to tell a story to a rapt audience in chapter 4， where nobody felt even remotely worried， angry or unease， about this openly being done in a place where apparently you will be called a demon and likely killed because of it？ It feels like it was a cool idea that appear a few chapters in but the beginning was never re written。I found the book flows magnificently in some instances， but then it becomes too enamoured with an idea and loses track of what it was doing。 Half way through， bear with me， Ari's telling Eloine about his younger self telling a girl （name eludes me） about their theology and the creation of the world， he decides to tell it in rhyme。 If this is a fancy of younger Ari， older Ari or the author， it is never clear enough。 The shame is that I found many parts of the book really compelling and they flew by， making the others grate worse in comparison I believe， and eventually it was one too many comments about what men or women do， and I was done。 。。。more

Mary ，

7/27/22 - I'm currently reading， but because of ADHD related stuff， it's taking me some time！ I'm currently on Chapter 19 of the book， and really enjoying it！ It has a complex world， an innovative magic system， and characters that I'm enjoying getting to know。 7/27/22 - I'm currently reading， but because of ADHD related stuff， it's taking me some time！ I'm currently on Chapter 19 of the book， and really enjoying it！ It has a complex world， an innovative magic system， and characters that I'm enjoying getting to know。 。。。more

Dawn ，

I fell instantly in love with the lyrical language R。R。 Virdi uses in "The First Binding"。 I enjoyed everything about this book （the story， setting， characters）， but the writing glowed in my mind。 It's nothing short of beautiful。 This is a slow-paced book， but it really doesn't need to be any faster。 This is one to sink yourself into and simply enjoy the ride。 I hope book 2 won't be too far in the future。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and i I fell instantly in love with the lyrical language R。R。 Virdi uses in "The First Binding"。 I enjoyed everything about this book （the story， setting， characters）， but the writing glowed in my mind。 It's nothing short of beautiful。 This is a slow-paced book， but it really doesn't need to be any faster。 This is one to sink yourself into and simply enjoy the ride。 I hope book 2 won't be too far in the future。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more

Sodapopsapphic ，

I don't leave reviews， but I felt I had to after reading so many comments of this being too similar to Name of the Wind， and I have to wonder how many books those people have ever read？Omg， there's an orphan after his family is killed。 That's so Kvothe！ Wait， I mean Rand。 Oops。 Luke Skywalker。 Wait， no， this is the plot to Eragon？ Or。。。no， is this Shannara？ Um。 Hero's Journey？ Omg， no， wait I know this one， how many myths is this the basis for？ Oh， our goddess and savior， Beyonce， which story？ O I don't leave reviews， but I felt I had to after reading so many comments of this being too similar to Name of the Wind， and I have to wonder how many books those people have ever read？Omg， there's an orphan after his family is killed。 That's so Kvothe！ Wait， I mean Rand。 Oops。 Luke Skywalker。 Wait， no， this is the plot to Eragon？ Or。。。no， is this Shannara？ Um。 Hero's Journey？ Omg， no， wait I know this one， how many myths is this the basis for？ Oh， our goddess and savior， Beyonce， which story？ Or， the clever witty rogue seeks out to survive in a harsh world and through accidents and being in the right place at the wrong time， his name spreads and deeds and misdeeds are attributed to him？ Wait， that happens in The Witcher books too， right？I can keep being snarky， or I can get to the review。 I picked up a copy of this from Ebay after finding an ARC for sale and being unable to wait to grab this book。 I have to say， it was really worth it。It's beautifully paced and lyrical that brings my poet's heart to life。 Yes， there are some similarities to Name of the Wind， if you believe it's only book to ever do a framing story about an interesting life。 Which is also the movie Forest Gump。But where it differs is how this book shines。 One， Ari is not insufferably smart， at least to me。 In fact， he makes a point and others do too of pointing out he's not smart， patient， or wise。 Instead， he's clever， and that usually comes from him having to survive some truly tragic things in life and be quick on his feet。 But this is balanced by his cleverness getting him into as much trouble as it gets him out of it。 He's flawed， angry， which makes sense in the past story because he's a hurt teenager。 The magic school setting reminded me more of Poppy War， Harry Potter， as well as Name of the Wind， and I enjoyed seeing a South Asian take on it with the emphasis of philosophy showing up and spirituality in the plot。 The most interesting thing about this story to me is not the fixation of names， but on stories。 That everyone have one。 Everything has one。 And they are all important， and how Ari over time beings to see through and into the true story of others and how they've come to shape them。 This applies to some of the more。。。interesting problem characters/creatures in the novel。 And it humanizes them in wonderful ways。 This is not a book that will hold your hand or coddle you。 It will make you think， put it down， reflect， touch you， and make you consider who and what true evil really is。 Or if anything is really evil at all。I walked away really thinking on that quote that we are all the villain in someone else's story。 If you enjoy lyrical stories， something complex and beautiful， a story that talks about the truths of life and and makes you reflect on things， you'll love this。 。。。more

Andrew ，

Review to come

Wayne Santos ，

A story about stories and what they mean to the readers， the listeners， and even the tellers。Ari introduces himself and his world in a showy， lyrical manner that tells us everything we need to know。 He is a storyteller， but he's more than that。 This is a story， but it's also more than that。 Over the course of narratives framed in the present， the past， different points of view， and even other stories told within stories， Virdi takes readers on a journey about the power of stories， why we love th A story about stories and what they mean to the readers， the listeners， and even the tellers。Ari introduces himself and his world in a showy， lyrical manner that tells us everything we need to know。 He is a storyteller， but he's more than that。 This is a story， but it's also more than that。 Over the course of narratives framed in the present， the past， different points of view， and even other stories told within stories， Virdi takes readers on a journey about the power of stories， why we love them， why we don't， why the tellers spin their tales and even how those tales get away from the tellers and take on a life of their own。This is a slow， rich journey that is as much about the moments of character as the wry references Virdi laces in， with everything from Lord of the Rings to DC Comics Green Lantern being invoked in subtle or not-so-subtle ways because stories come from other stories。 Virdi embraces this， not claiming that this is a 100% original story that no one has ever told before， but that all stories come from the stories before them。 The best stories understand what was best about those older stories， preserve them， tweak them， and make them relevant again for a new audience。There are layers for everyone here。 You can follow the tale of grown-up Ari on a quest to avenge himself。 You can follow the tales of his youth to see what forces， choices， and mistakes will eventually shape Ari into the man that spins this tale and learn more about the legends and history of this world。 The people， their heritage， and the unique South Asian interpretation of fantasy that takes the culture， influence， and legacy of trade on the Silk Road between continents and explores what this really means for a new generation of readers who may be unfamiliar with this milieu and historical context。Ari is a fascinating character because he is flawed and doesn't shy away from this， but he is also an admitted professional storyteller， so you do have to wonder how reliable a narrator he can be。 The setting is rich， and the struggles have you rooting for Ari， but he makes mistakes that he owns up to as well， so he's closer to the reader， making mistakes， in the moment， than a flawless demi-god who acts without error。 This is a journey， and there's still plenty more to come， so take your time with it。 Enjoy the ride and take comfort in the fact that the next step is coming soon， not years from now， if ever。 。。。more

Alice In Hornyland ，

5/5 -- so poetically beautiful， but #1 horny for Radi， our chaotic mandolin playing bard who preens him。 Here for the long haired pretty boy bards。Now for the story。 Very creative past present story with a mysterious plot of tavern tales， courts， gossip， and manipulation in the present， and a past life of thieving， tragedy， betrayals， found families， revenge， and animal companioning bonding。Loved it！

USOM ，

（Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） Let me begin by saying what I did like about The First Binding。 The First Binding is a fantastic new voice in the epic high fantasy world。 South Asian inspired， that's all you had to say to hook me。 With a frame narrative， we are drawn further into Ari's story。 Into everything the world thinks they know about him and his life。 The frame narrative is an intriguing choice for this b （Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher。 This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest。） Let me begin by saying what I did like about The First Binding。 The First Binding is a fantastic new voice in the epic high fantasy world。 South Asian inspired， that's all you had to say to hook me。 With a frame narrative， we are drawn further into Ari's story。 Into everything the world thinks they know about him and his life。 The frame narrative is an intriguing choice for this book as it gives it a classic feeling and much of the book gives me "Classic High Fantasy" vibes。 This could be just another reason for that。 While reading I got some de Castell vibes which I enjoyed because his books are some of my favorite that fit into this genre。 I also have a soft spot for storyteller MCs in general。 Mostly because this book does a great job at examining the nuances and perceptions of stories。The power of stories to convey fear and to create images。 To create an idea of who we are as a person and what we have done - truth or not。 Legend or lie。 How stories can multiply and take on a life of their own。 And if you love the idea of a person learning to use their magic - this is for you！ All in all， the world building is also fascinating not only with the cities and what not， but I loved the idea of the bindings。 But The First Binding is a chunky book which normally wouldn't have dissuaded me - you just have to be ready for a long ride。 Some parts flowed a bit more quickly than others and some had some plodding moments as well。 And that's part of why for me， this book wasn't clicking。 It has all the elements I normally love， but for me， mentally， right now I just couldn't click into the book or Ari。 Partly is the length， but also while it's certainly high fantasy， the beginning parts of Ari's story are not really necessarily action packed。 It's a lot to do with lore of the book and setting up the framework of Ari's background and characters。 While that's important information - especially as it relates to one of Ari's titles - it means that the mystery of who Ari is now， and the actions of the present， don't get revealed until later。 Furthermore， while there's still intriguing actions of thieving， cleverness， and revenge， I felt like I never fully connected with Ari and Ari as a character。 I could understand WHY Ari did what he did and this motivations of revenge， but besides just wanting chaos and revenge， I couldn't click with him and I think it's because as a reader I like a lot of character introspection。 The thoughts we keep to ourselves and twist around in our head and there wasn't as much of that as I was expecting。 So while on paper， this book seems entirely up my alley， but it just never ended up being one that swept me away。 That being said， I think if you love the themes of storytelling， like high fantasy chunky books， love intriguing worlds， this could be for you！ 。。。more

Danielle ，

Thank you， thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an advanced copy of this wonderful tome。This book is lyrical and beautiful in all its tragedy and harmony。 It definitely feels like a successor to "The Name of the Wind" but it's also its own creature。 I went in thinking I was getting a gorgeously written book， but now I know that this will be one of my favorites for a long time to come。 The words swept me away every time I opened the book and it really is a shame it had to end so soon。 If there were Thank you， thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an advanced copy of this wonderful tome。This book is lyrical and beautiful in all its tragedy and harmony。 It definitely feels like a successor to "The Name of the Wind" but it's also its own creature。 I went in thinking I was getting a gorgeously written book， but now I know that this will be one of my favorites for a long time to come。 The words swept me away every time I opened the book and it really is a shame it had to end so soon。 If there were ever a genre of escapism， this book fits that description perfectly。 There are so many places this story can go from here and I can't wait to read every word that RR Virdi has to offer of this world。 I've already preordered the ebook version and will be ordering the hardcover when it comes out。 I just can't wait for more！ 。。。more

Andrea ，

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC。Ari is a wanderer， a storyteller， and a magician。 We first encounter him in a humble inn， preparing to tell a story。 But little do the villagers listening know that he's also the inspiration for many of the stories he tells about heroes。 After a chance encounter with a women who has more than her fair share of secrets， Ari promises to tell his tale， and we hear Ari's history。It took me forever to get through this book。 It has all the marks of s Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC。Ari is a wanderer， a storyteller， and a magician。 We first encounter him in a humble inn， preparing to tell a story。 But little do the villagers listening know that he's also the inspiration for many of the stories he tells about heroes。 After a chance encounter with a women who has more than her fair share of secrets， Ari promises to tell his tale， and we hear Ari's history。It took me forever to get through this book。 It has all the marks of something I should love— a tale about stories， non-Western fantasy setting， an intriguing magic system， an orphan down on his luck， and more。 I adored how， in some of the stories， I could hear the rhythm and internal rhyming of some lines。 However， the pacing is off in two important ways。I appreciate the care in world building and slowly unveiling a story， but as a reader approaching an author for the first time， I really need a compelling hook early on to spark my interest， and I didn't get that here。 The shape of the plot is also off-putting。 I felt like the book didn't build to a true climax— while there's an epic battle near the end with some foreshadowing， I didn't feel like the character and story were moving toward that point。 The result is an ending that felt unbalanced and abrupt， even with more books planned。 I'm sure plenty of folks will enjoy this though！ 。。。more

Librow0rm Christine ，

Thank you Orión Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of The First Binding by RR Virdi in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。Firstly， don’t let the size of this book at 850+ pages put you off。 RR Virdi has created an enthralling tale that totally pulls you in and doesn’t let go。The book itself is an analogy of stories， that takes you through Ari’s life in a totally immersive manner。 And yes， I can’t deny the sense of similar fantasies such as Name of the Wind， that others have refer Thank you Orión Publishing Group and NetGalley for the arc of The First Binding by RR Virdi in exchange for my honest and unbiased review。Firstly， don’t let the size of this book at 850+ pages put you off。 RR Virdi has created an enthralling tale that totally pulls you in and doesn’t let go。The book itself is an analogy of stories， that takes you through Ari’s life in a totally immersive manner。 And yes， I can’t deny the sense of similar fantasies such as Name of the Wind， that others have referred to。 However， Virdi is a master at building the tension in a gentle， unhurried manner that has you wondering if you’re about to reach the peak， that he then diffuses beautifully， pulling you back in until once again you are at the brink…and yes， those analogies do come to mind。 😂This is not a book to hurry， this is a book to savour， to cruise along gently and take time to enjoy the sights and stories， and subsequently reflect on them and discover the subtle nuances of the stories， the world building and the overall structure。 If you’re looking for a book that will pull you along like a roaring wildfire or crescendo of noise， this isn’t the book you are looking for， but if you are looking for a high fantasy filled with fantastic world building， a multitude of multi-faceted stories， characters with depth， myth， mystery and more， then I urge you to pick this book up。 I’m already totally invested in Ari and I can’t wait to see what comes next， but please for the love of Brahm RR Virdi， include a summary at the start of the sequel。 An absolute 5 star read for me！ 。。。more

CONNIE MINUTOLO ，

I don't even know how to begin to write a review review for a book that has captured my heart and soul。 To be honest I was very intimidated by the length of this book with going over a 800 pages but let me tell you it may be a slow start but as the story progresses Virdi's writing style will definitely tug at your heart strings。 We follow Ari who is a traveling storyteller 。He tell us tales of wonder that clearly will stick with you。 Ari is stubborn but so open minded that I was immensely captiv I don't even know how to begin to write a review review for a book that has captured my heart and soul。 To be honest I was very intimidated by the length of this book with going over a 800 pages but let me tell you it may be a slow start but as the story progresses Virdi's writing style will definitely tug at your heart strings。 We follow Ari who is a traveling storyteller 。He tell us tales of wonder that clearly will stick with you。 Ari is stubborn but so open minded that I was immensely captivated by him。This has been compared to Name of The Wind 。It's like a story within a story。 The story was A little slow at first and I would say about the first hundred pages in it began to pick up for me。But I promise you to syay with it I loved the back and forth between the timelines and left me wanting more。My emotions were all over the place and I can't wait to travel more with Ari on his adventures。 I was sent a copy in exchange for an honest review and I am truly grateful for this wonderful book。 。。。more

Boe ，

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The First Binding is the first book in the Tales of Tremaine series by R。R。 Virdi and this is the first book to the best of my knowledge that I’ve personally read that makes use of the Framing narrative （check out Petrik Leo’s review for more info） style of writing and boy did it have me hooked and wanting more。 I can honestly say hands down the opening to this book had me hooked unlike anything I’ve ever read。 The story starts off with ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。The First Binding is the first book in the Tales of Tremaine series by R。R。 Virdi and this is the first book to the best of my knowledge that I’ve personally read that makes use of the Framing narrative （check out Petrik Leo’s review for more info） style of writing and boy did it have me hooked and wanting more。 I can honestly say hands down the opening to this book had me hooked unlike anything I’ve ever read。 The story starts off with the main character Ari playing the role of a Storyteller/Bard inside the Three Tales Tavern。 Ari however is no ordinary Storyteller/Bard and neither is R。R。 Virdi writing， the way the opening reads and draws you in I felt like I was sitting right there inside the walls of Three Tales Tavern watching Ari perform and it was freaking magical。 I’m talking like the first time you experienced Disney World as a kid， kind of magical。 As the story unfolds Ari comes across a beautiful mysterious singer with a checkered past of her own named Eloine。 It’s safe to say their chemistry with each other sparked an instant attraction to one another almost as if they had known each other in a past life and were drawn back together。 Not long after Eloine recognizes Ari for who he really is and not who he’s pretending to be and well let's just say there's no better persuasion than that of a beautiful woman to convince a man to do anything。 As a result she gets Ari to agree to tell her his true story， not the one of legends and myths that through Ari’s quick wit have been spread all over the lands about him。 No， she wants the true origin of how he became the Binder he is today。Since this book uses the Framing narrative as Ari tells us about his youth from a very young age and proceeds on to that of a young man in his late teens the book takes breaks from time to time。 An intermission if you will to tell us the story of present day Ari and Eloine and the shenanigans they get into。 There is so much to this story I would love to tell you about but in doing so I fear I might spoil the story and the writing that R。R。 Virdi is just too beautiful for me to risk that。 Honestly if you want a more in depth review I would recommend reading or watching Petrik Leo’s review as he’s a pro。 This is the first book I’ve ever read by R。R。 Virdi and it’s my understanding this is his first ever high fantasy and I think it's safe to say he found his calling。 I truly hope he continues to write more high fantasy novels after he completes the Tales of Tremaine series because his first attempt is an amazing contribution to the genre。 As far as I’m concerned this is not only a 5 star book but it’s also arguably the best story I’ve personally read this year， even if Virdi did us dirty with the ending leaving us on a cliffhanger。 Seriously man， when is the next book coming out I need answers。 :） 。。。more

Reader at Work ，

You’ll want this book， pre-order it already。 Review to come closer to publication。

TimetoFangirl ，

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This was a DNF for me pretty early on - like， before 15% early - so this review is not an accurate judge of the entire book。 That said， I did skip ahead and read the last few chapters in the hope they would change my mind， but alas， they did not。I actually think a ton of readers will love this book， probably for the very reason it didn't work for me; the writing style。 The prose is VERY flowery， you could definitely call it purple I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。This was a DNF for me pretty early on - like， before 15% early - so this review is not an accurate judge of the entire book。 That said， I did skip ahead and read the last few chapters in the hope they would change my mind， but alas， they did not。I actually think a ton of readers will love this book， probably for the very reason it didn't work for me; the writing style。 The prose is VERY flowery， you could definitely call it purple， and the beauty and lyric quality of the language is a major focus of the work， as far as I can tell。 I don't usually connect with overly lyrical prose， but every so often I can make it work in third-person books。 "The First Binding" is told in first person though， and the combination of that POV and the writing style just led to me thinking the narrator was unbearably pretentious。 I suspect "The First Binding" is a book that people will either LOVE， or it won't work for them at all。 。。。more

Peter Kosanovich ，

Did not finish。 I’ll be honest。 I won an ARC of The First Binding。 Early reviews for it were comparing it to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss， which for a lot of people would be a major plus。 For me that was a warning。 I found The Name of the Wind to be very well-written， but ultimately frustrating to read。 I’m not a fan of the story-within-a-story format， and it honestly felt like a dragging 700 page prologue， rather than the first entry of a trilogy。 That’s basically how I felt about T Did not finish。 I’ll be honest。 I won an ARC of The First Binding。 Early reviews for it were comparing it to The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss， which for a lot of people would be a major plus。 For me that was a warning。 I found The Name of the Wind to be very well-written， but ultimately frustrating to read。 I’m not a fan of the story-within-a-story format， and it honestly felt like a dragging 700 page prologue， rather than the first entry of a trilogy。 That’s basically how I felt about The First Binding。 Generally well-written， but with the same story-within-a-story format as The Name of the Wind， and just felt like it was dragging。 I also felt the magic system was super vague， though I’m sure that would have been elaborated on more later。 Ultimately though， after 100 or so pages （of more than 800）， most of which was exposition， I just couldn’t keep going。 。。。more

Victoria Lightning Reads ，

'There's a story behind everything and everyone - powerful tales， even if they don't seem it on the surface。 There's power in stories。 There's magic in them。 And each person's life is a story itself， and with that， every person carries magic within them。'The First Binding is an Asian inspired high fantasy that is intricate， compelling and enchanting。 Essentially a story about the appreciation of stories， with rich world building， intriguing magic systems and diverse in religion and culture。 'It 'There's a story behind everything and everyone - powerful tales， even if they don't seem it on the surface。 There's power in stories。 There's magic in them。 And each person's life is a story itself， and with that， every person carries magic within them。'The First Binding is an Asian inspired high fantasy that is intricate， compelling and enchanting。 Essentially a story about the appreciation of stories， with rich world building， intriguing magic systems and diverse in religion and culture。 'It was said when Abrahm had been born， the sun and moon embraced， shrouding the world in a bright， dark light。 A false midnight。'The story starts with the building of anticipation within a tavern， as our main character Ari， the storyteller， sets the stage for a magical performance。 Honestly， I felt like I was in the tavern and couldn't wait for the storyteller to begin！ Virdi has such a way with words， they flow and ebb and it is just glorious to read。 I feel so very lucky to have been given an ARC of this story。 Whilst in the tavern， Ari meets a mysterious singer named Eloine， who convinces him to tell her his story， his truth。 We then embark on 2 separate （but joined） stories spanning Ari's life - his childhood and his present day。 I struggled at first flitting from past to present as I was so engrossed in each story that I didn't want to be pulled out of them！ There are so many stories within stories， adding layers and depth not only to the characters， but also the world and the magic。 The magic system is really fascinating。 Built upon conviction， unwavering faith and strength of will， the Ten Bindings are more often than not believed only as myth。 Some， very rare few， can actually master them。 I loved learning about them - I would go into more detail but don't want to give too much away and spoil it！ Our main character Ari has such a troubled childhood。 Each part of his life is filled with strife and hardship that no child should endure。 You see firsthand how this shapes who he is as an adult - his personality， lifestyle， triggers， morality and motives。 This book feels like it is setting the scene for an epic tale to come and I cannot wait - Virdi has me absolutely hooked。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

DNF @ 27%Picked it up because it was described as southeast Asian inspired Name of the Wind。 It was far too similar in too many ways and I just couldn't get into it。 :（ DNF @ 27%Picked it up because it was described as southeast Asian inspired Name of the Wind。 It was far too similar in too many ways and I just couldn't get into it。 :（ 。。。more

Donale Roxbury ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Did you get to see her husband he is ugly and the other people are just the same way。com tight but get to no more about it 48th of Cambridge and the same you kill the UK is ugly betty go on a lot to be

Bee ♡ ，

dnf'd at around 10%。unfortunately the writing wasn't my style at all and it was getting harder and harder to push and keep reading it。 dnf'd at around 10%。unfortunately the writing wasn't my style at all and it was getting harder and harder to push and keep reading it。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan-Tor/ Forge for an advanced copy of this different kind of fantasy story。People constantly decry that the novel is dead， however doom spiraling through social media， especially Instagram and TikTok the art of storytelling seems to be doing quite well。 Numerous people tell stories， about their significant others， children， stars， politicians， not in a monologue sense， but in full storyteller stance， with props， facial expressions， filters and My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Macmillan-Tor/ Forge for an advanced copy of this different kind of fantasy story。People constantly decry that the novel is dead， however doom spiraling through social media， especially Instagram and TikTok the art of storytelling seems to be doing quite well。 Numerous people tell stories， about their significant others， children， stars， politicians， not in a monologue sense， but in full storyteller stance， with props， facial expressions， filters and plenty of drama。 No different then in days of old when rooms， or caves were lit by fire， and dark outside kept people close， and tales of wonder， familiar and from afar made the nights pass。 Entertainment is something that humans always seem to want， love to share， and use to make themselves and others happy， or share things about the world。 Many books cover the experience of writing， even in a fantasy setting， not many cover the world of storytelling， what a good story can do for a person telling and others。 Or how the stories a person tells can cover for deeper secrets。 In The First Binding， book 1 in The Tales of Tremaine series， R。 R。 Virdi gives us a storyteller sharing tales of the world， but keeping even bigger secrets to himself。 A quiet afternoon in a standard tavern。 A man enters， with a staff and books， lots of books， over and around him with a simple ask for a drink。 People know him， but don't know him， a reputation both good and bad。 A deal is made and soon the tavern is packed for a night of stories， and songs， which comes as a surprise to our storyteller， as a singer is staying at the same time， one whose songs reach as deep into the soul as his stories。 Tales are told and as the reader continues more of the world is revealed， or at least what the storyteller shares。 Stories have a power and sometimes the teller of those tales have more to hide than to share。 A very different story that could easily lose the narrative but does not。 The author has a lot going on， introducing a long standing fantasy world， the magic， the songs， plus a reason for what is happening and where it is going。 Virdi does a very good job of keeping everything together， and adding his own flair and holding things together。 Narratives change， points of view change， writing styles change， characters fade in the background， appearing later and seeming fresher than before。 The world is interesting， and the portrayals of the characters seem real， much more real than expected。 There is much going on， but nothing gets in the way， nothing gets lost， and everything happens for a reason， not page count。The book does take a while to click， as the author is really trying something new， and instead of standard European influence is going for a more South Asian influence。 Stick with the story and readers will be rewarded with a story that is probably going to be the next big fantasy tale。 I am excited to see where this series goes， and learn more about the world and its wondrous stories。 。。。more

Elodia ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you to Tor Books for an advanced copy of this book。The First Binding follows The Storyteller as he recounts his life story to the mysterious singer Eloine。 It is a slow read; it took me at least 100 pages to truly feel invested in the story。 It picked up for me when Ari finally gets to the Ashram， which happens well after the 50% mark。 At the Ashram， we meet new characters， both friends and enemies， and they really round out the story。R。R。 Virdi includes mythology and lore as stories other Thank you to Tor Books for an advanced copy of this book。The First Binding follows The Storyteller as he recounts his life story to the mysterious singer Eloine。 It is a slow read; it took me at least 100 pages to truly feel invested in the story。 It picked up for me when Ari finally gets to the Ashram， which happens well after the 50% mark。 At the Ashram， we meet new characters， both friends and enemies， and they really round out the story。R。R。 Virdi includes mythology and lore as stories other characters tell， adding world-building and atmosphere without info-dumping。Ari grew up in the lowest caste in the Mutri Empire; to say he had a hard childhood is an understatement。 He goes through horrific situations that make him lose himself and his dreams。 He is a stubborn character， often referred to as "clever" by the adults around him。 I will not lie， I did not find him clever。 I found him annoying most of the time; however， having glimpses of him in the present helped me to tolerate him。 These glimpses helped me appreciate the character more as I could see his character arc taking form， and I'm excited to see his journey to become the man he is。I always enjoyed the intermissions to the present。 Eloine as a character felt somewhat flat。 We get two chapters in third-person point-of-view following her， though we do not get to learn much about her。The First Binding is a long set-up to the series。 It was slow but completely worth it。 The twists and cliffhangers at the end of both narratives were shocking， and I cannot wait to see where this story goes！ 。。。more

Michael Mammay ，

This book is exceptional。 The prose it in is just。。。。 I found myself taking longer than normal to read it， not because it's long （it is） but because I would stop and read some lines over， just to appreciate them。 The structure on this is interesting as well， as it's really a bunch of little stories all woven together to tell a bigger one， but also to examine the nature of stories themselves。 The thing that makes this book wonderful to me is that each story within the story is done so well， with This book is exceptional。 The prose it in is just。。。。 I found myself taking longer than normal to read it， not because it's long （it is） but because I would stop and read some lines over， just to appreciate them。 The structure on this is interesting as well， as it's really a bunch of little stories all woven together to tell a bigger one， but also to examine the nature of stories themselves。 The thing that makes this book wonderful to me is that each story within the story is done so well， with subtle interactions and references to bigger things while at the same time having conflict and stakes of its own。 I'm sure I'm not explaining myself well or doing it justice。 To be fair， doing it justice is probably beyond me。 TL;DR -- It's really good。 Highly recommended to anyone who likes epic fantasy。 。。。more

L'ours inculte ，

Abandonné à 30%

Pamada ，

4。5/5I don't know if I have the words to describe how much I loved this book。 I have no notes which makes it a little difficult to write this review， but I found myself completely caught up into the world the R。R。 Virdi created that I just。。 read！ and enjoyed。But make no mistake， this is a thicc book （at 95% I still had an hour left in reading！）。 Haha its possibly the longest book I've read this year and every word is brilliant。 The poetry， the stories within stories， the complex magic system。。 4。5/5I don't know if I have the words to describe how much I loved this book。 I have no notes which makes it a little difficult to write this review， but I found myself completely caught up into the world the R。R。 Virdi created that I just。。 read！ and enjoyed。But make no mistake， this is a thicc book （at 95% I still had an hour left in reading！）。 Haha its possibly the longest book I've read this year and every word is brilliant。 The poetry， the stories within stories， the complex magic system。。 ARI。 His present day self， The Storyteller， bleeds into the narrative with every step and interaction。 His younger past self is really such a rascal and you cannot help but love him and his way-to clever-for-his-own-good ways。 I will say I found myself heavily favoring the past and how Ari came to be the Storyteller; I do feel like we got more of that than present day in general， but that may change in book two as things ended in the present quite unexpectedly。Echoing all the other reviews， if you loved The Name of the Wind， you will very much enjoy The First Binding。P。S。 I would die for SholaP。P。S 。。 I very much want to give this 5 stars， but I promised myself no more 5 star reviews unless I love it on re-read as well （you can thank FBAA for this little rule）。 I highly anticipate bumping this up to 5 stars when the time comes though。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The First Binding

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The First Binding&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The First Binding&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0