Reclaimed

The World of Reforged, Book 3

By: Seth Haddon

Narrated by: Gary Furlong

Saba Vasili, a scholar of the astral sea, faces a harrowing accusation: an arcane device he designed has malfunctioned and an entire district of the city has been obliterated and a foreign dignitary has been killed. Charged with murder, Saba is incarcerated on the orders of Byrengrad's ruling council, the Triad.

Ambassador Luan Zek of the Rezwyn Empire is dispatched to take custody of the alleged murderer of his countryman. But seeing Saba's pathetic state, Zek questions whether Saba is truly guilty or only the Triad's scapegoat.

With Byrengrad's fate in the balance, Saba and Zek must uncover the truth behind the arcane catastrophe and stop the malfunctioning device that is jeopardizing the fabric of their whole world.

Contains mature themes.

©2024 Seth Haddon (P)2024 Tantor Media

outstanding

I was surprised at how good this was. It outshines the other two books of the series -- and, fortunately, it can easily be read as a standalone. IMHO this is a moving exploration of the contradictions, insecurities, and tensions inherent in the trans experience -- and it's also an engrossing story, with an excellent narrator to top it all off.

I' definitely going to be following Seth Haddon's career, and I hope for big things ahead!

Reclaimed

Reclaimed is a deeply moving end to The World of Reforged trilogy, with the plot centered around Saba’s journey as a trans man navigating a politically and magically charged landscape. The romance between Saba and Zek is tender, slow-burning, and marked by hard truths about body, identity, and self-worth. Haddon doesn’t shy away from gender dysphoria but treats it with grace and nuance, making it part of Saba’s strength rather than a side-note or worse, character flaw. Treated with gravity and painful revelations about truth versus negative self talk, this finale delivers top scores on high fantasy tension, emotional rawness, and queer representation.

love these narrators

I love the narrators and the storyline is absolutely amazing and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Unexpectedly Amazing

The previous two books in the series were good, but not noteworthy entries in the overlap of sword and sorcery/romance/intrigue. The characterization was strong, the magic distinct, and the plots convincingly byzantine.

Then comes along Reclaimed. Seth struts his stuff lacing identity, guilt, and desire with responsibility, ethics, and legacy balanced against prejudice, history, and mistrust. This is the first time I've had the joy of reading a story centered on how tightly the trauma of being trans integrates itself into every element of someone's life. Using the previous world building regarding the Astral, Gedroks, the Empire, and the unique history of our protagonist (I can't spell his name audio only ;-;) and mixing them together with a decent mystery and a bone deep struggle with identity, Seth's character writing shines bright as day.

Very relatable protagonist as a trans man

Mild spoilers I think…

Ive read this and Reborn, and so far I’ve enjoyed this story so much more. Not because I didn’t like Reborn, I very much enjoyed the story and characters, but because I found Saba to be scarily relatable when it comes to how I’ve viewed my body as a trans man. While I haven’t personally had top surgery yet I know for a fact I too won’t be fully satisfied with myself. The yearning for the cis male body I’ve literally dreamed of for years sucks, and seeing a character struggle through the same exact thought process is nice in a weird way. I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character this hard before lol. I hope that one day I’ll find it in myself to love myself as I am the way Saba has by the end of the story.
Overall story was enjoyable. Definitely one I’ll be listening to many times. Gonna recommend this to my book club group as well.