Legacy of the Brightwash

Tainted Dominion, Book 1

De: Krystle Matar

Narrado por: Paul Woodson, Felicity Munroe

SPFBO Finalist

Stabby Nominee—Best Debut 2021

Stabby Nominee—Best Indie Book 2021

Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?

Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.

Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her? Why was he the only one who cared?

Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?

©2021 Krystle Matar (P)2022 Podium Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Legacy of the Brightwash is a grounded, realistic, and surprisingly dark book, but it’s a book with a fundamentally moral lead that keeps the darkness from feeling gratuitous."

-Ryan Howse, Grimdark Magazine

1984 Meets Flintlock Fantasy

WOW! I'll be honest here and say that I had heard this book was grimdark and romance, and neither of those terms really interest me all that much. I've read some grimdark that I love and some romance that I love, but largely these are not areas of fiction I am drawn to. This book, however, absolutely blew my socks all the way off.

We follow a man who has served the Authority his entire life, and while he has questioned some of the awful things to happen in his life, he still served this power because he has been brought up to believe that this is the noble and upright thing to do. He monitors those with the Taint to keep the people of the dominion safe, but when one of his Tainted is hiding a secret and kids start showing up dead with missing limbs, he will begin a journey that will shake the foundation of everything he believes.

This feels like a modern fantasy novel inspired by George Orwell, but unlike Orwell's work the characterization is truly top tier, the prose is very good, and the dialogue is sharp enough to cut you. This is such a triumph of a novel, and I am just in awe of Matar's skill as a storyteller.

If you are not a romance reader, do not worry. The romance element is only one part of Tashue's journey and it happens to be one of the best romances I've probably ever read in adult fantasy (a low bar at times). I am someone who usually doesn't like sex scenes because they often come across as indulgent or cringey depending on the author. In this book, however, the sex scenes are not that numerous and they are actually well written and lack the cringe I usually find in those scenes.

As for the grimdark label, I personally found the world to be dark, the Authority's presence is ubiquitous, always hovering above our characters and weighing them down, but the characters we follow are noble at heart (despite their many flaws) and a joy to root for.

The performances by both narrators is amazing!! Felicity Munroe shines! Paul Woodson is also excellent and he perfectly captures the voice of our protagonist Tashue! LOVE THIS BOOK!

A very good fantasy book

This story was different from the other fantasies I have read. The audible telling was great also.

Scandal, tragedy and rumors abound. Does anyone care?

Tashue Blackwood is a decorated military veteran and a veteran of the domains tainted authority. A pseudo military organization with the responsibility of overseeing and managing the gifted citizens of the domain. Tashue comes face to face with the ugliest parts of society, from people wishing to leverage his controversial military career for political capital, to a dead child he can't seem to get anyone else to care about, to his own adult son who refused to register and is now locked in the rift.

The counterpoint to Tashue is Stella Whiterock a fugitive who is much more than she seems but she can't seem to stay away from Tashue, and he's good with her daughter.

A great opening to a series! can't wait to read the next one.

Paul Woodson, Felicity Munroe and the lovely people at podium audio do a great job bringing this piece to life. Especially loved Felicity's Stella voice and Paul's Tashue.

perfect for grimdark fantasy lovers

Tashué has been working as a Regulation Officer for years without issue, even when they arrested his son for non-registration as a talented and locked him in the Rift. He has witnessed his son wither away in the Rift over years, and while he fears Jason will die there, he's accepted the outcome because he sees Jason's continued refusal to register as the cause. Until a dead child washes up on shore of the Brightwash, tattooed similarly to those in the Rift and missing her arms and legs. Suddenly nothing makes sense, and the more Tashué searches for answers the more his faith and trust in the Authority facture.

This is the type of book that will make you think, make you feel, make you rage, make you invested. It's harrowing and deep. Emotional and devastating. Pain, despair, brutality, grief, and a different type of racism than color - it's all there. This book will try to tear at you from the inside out. It's so grimdark, you'd never expect such a strong romance to come out of it, but what a beautiful love story it is, offsetting the darker sides of this tale just enough. This book is unlike any other, especially with how the author delivered wonderfully with very difficult topics that make you stop and think.

Now to the book's best bits: the characterization. This is where the author's writing shined most. The characters bleed their emotions through every page. Honestly, the character work is fantastic. Each one is layered and complex with history and misgivings, each one perfectly flawed that as a reader, you can't help feeling for them.

Slow burn w/ emphasis on BURN

Ms. Matar has crafted quite a story here. The lore and the world are unique and engaging, which leaves me constantly uncertain in the best way. The various threads of mystery and intrigue are well-balanced throughout, and the blood is slightly more plentiful than the orgasms.

The metaphors/lessons are clear but not heavy-handed, and I appreciate that. I loved the depth and variety of characters, and the agony and ecstasy they felt. This is a world of struggle and cruelty adjacent to opulence and a veneer of refinement, and it’s wonderfully painful to inhabit.