‘An eye for an eye and the world goes blind’, a warning that revenge achieves nothing, however, a sentiment lost in the void of political gain. At what point does revenge stop? Once there is no one left at all or once the corrupted power has been crowned? Revenge fuels those in power, the argument required to initiate wars and make the masses believe they are fighting for justice, a fight that was never theirs to begin with. One that has even impacted our own modern society and the reliance we have on those who are corrupted. What if you added a divine prophecy to accelerate the justification of revenge? Would it change the way you thought about those who initiate war, or are they so brainwashed by their idea for revenge that any selective piece of information occurred is just another reason to justify the immoral decisions they make?
The Ascension of Souls, by Bronte-Marie Wesson, tackles the exact dilemma we find ourselves in today’s society. Wesson builds a fantastical rich world using only the words on the page, putting photographs to shame. With an incredible building on the political powers, it will make you feel angry and oppressed as those living in Suthuras. A prophecy so broken and old no one knows the real truth, centered around two souls Luminara and Rianthran in a world so distorted in political strife. Through Luminara, Wesson unpacks human nature and what one might do when faced with a divine path laid out for you, asking us, is free will a concept made up in our minds. Whereas, Wesson shows with Rianthran, what happens when you have two paths laid out for you, how the choices you make affect those you wish to protect. Rianthran makes you understand how the choices you make accumulate, making you become the corruption you wished to end.
Wesson takes the meaning of history is doomed to repeat itself and unpacks it in a novel for fantasy lovers to enjoy. Whilst the story unpacks great political agendas and world building, it can be a challenge to wrap your head around the new concepts and how it affects the world and people in the story. However, once the road map of concepts is drawn up, it is a story worth every word on the page. You will enjoy each character’s individuality and identity as Wesson spends building them as people and not just as words on a page. Whilst there are aspects of romance it’s not a story solely focusing on the love lives of two individuals but more so on the dynamics of people in a political environment. Targeting those who love a rich fantasy world touching on issues of modern day society. With LGBTQ+ friendly romances, set in a royal court full of forbidden love, it's a story unlike one you’ve ever read before.
A beautiful commentary on how, ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.’
Written by Jactina Orgill
