In this novel, humans are subject to rule by a race of people called Nazilians, whose capital is the city of Nazil. Readers who have had traumatic experiences or who are sensitive to those topics may wish to abstain from reading. The book contains a significant amount of rape and sexual violence, and I will speak on that content in this review. On that point, I should give a trigger warning on this review. The novel is for the most part high/epic fantasy, with strong overtones of dark fantasy. Still, I have to say this is a very good book for combining romance, high fantasy, and Gothic sensibilities. That and the prophetic nature of the story are things I'm not usually a big fan of. If I have one complaint about the book, it's that the protagonists fell in love at first sight and go from 1 to 100 very quickly. His relationship with Zeta and how he attempts to help her were an interesting storyline in and of itself.

The supporting cast is excellent in the book with Damimore, Pentanimir's brother, being one of my favorite characters as he struggled to live up to the example of his elder brother for most of his life. This isn't a bad thing since the Byronic tragic hero is an effective trope among them for a reason. The Rise of the Nazil actually reminds me a bit of vampire fiction as the Nazil have a lot of the undead's qualities and the cover (along with Pentanimir himself) reminds me a bit of Alucard from the Castlevania series.

Pentanimir Benoist, First of the Chosen, swiftly falls in love with Brahanu and soon becomes ready to challenge the whole of his racist society. Thankfully, for our heroine, she finds herself meeting one of the better examples of the species. The Nazil are a bit like Tolkien's elves in they are incredibly formidable, beautiful, and magical people who are also complete jerks. THE RISE OF NAZIL starts with a familiar enough story with a beautiful young human woman finding herself in foreign lands ruled by the terrifying Nazil.

The Rise of Nazil by Aaron-Michael Hall