Hello Readers!
Today marks the one-year anniversary of Calligraphy Guild's publication. Now, I feel almost sad to say that, when I knew this book was in the works I brushed it off as just another fantasy that probably included elements I had no desire to read. (Some of my readers may know that I do not favor the fantasy genre, for reasons that I will post about later.) However, as I followed Archer and saw her passion and heart for this story, and learned more about the story itself, I became curious. So curious that,when I was given the opportunity, I bought Calligraphy Guild. I don't usually buy books unless I am convinced that they are worth reading. I have also never bought a fantasy novel. I ask you to keep these things in mind, dear reader, as I try to review this book. Let's begin with the synopsis...
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~Synopsis~
Dragon ink gives calligraphers the power to set history in stone—or to change it.
Lai Duyên’s dreams are realized when she’s admitted into the ranks of the calligraphers, authors considered trustworthy enough to defend time from those who would change it. She’s thrilled at the opportunity to record her country’s history, and to work with the other calligraphers in her village.
But when Duyên’s guild is set upon by ancient dragons demanding a time-changer be destroyed, her world is flipped upside down. Her guildmates turn on each other, suspicion coloring their every move. To make matters worse, she’s begun hearing the dragons in her head and finds them impossible to block out: a condition that rendered her grandmother insane.
With the calligraphy guild in turmoil and Duyên’s ever-present fear of madness clouding her vision, will the group be able to discover which of their guildmates has altered time before the dragons pass judgment on them all?
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~My Thoughts~
To begin with, I would like to thank R. M. Archer for including both a glossary and a pronunciation guide. This novel is set in an Asian-inspired world and I have little to no knowledge of Asian languages. I will break this part down into subcategories.
The World: The world and setting of this novel felt so realistic that I almost forgot it was fantasy. Calligraphy Guild immersed me in Hairen and I didn't want to leave. There is a strong sense of culture and community throughout the novel that I really enjoyed. My favorite part was all the different guilds and how they worked together and the different options for choosing one. I would love to work in the Calligraphy Guild. To go to work to write and write with other people would be a dream come true.
The Characters: Lai-Duyên is the main character/protagonist. She reminded me a lot of myself. Her relationship with Ryuu was adorable. They were so sweet together and there were times I just grinned at the book because 😍 they were adorable. I appreciated the portrayal of a couple of characters with chronic illnesses. I think this was the first book I read with that kind of representation.
I don't know if the dragons were considered "characters" or not, but for the purpose of this post, they are. The dragons were really fun! The snark and the way they interacted with the characters were fun to read. Especially ManhZen's pet dragon, Emiko. I think I need an emotional support dragon now 😆.
The Plot: One of the characters gets the idea in their head to break one of the foundational rules of the guild. I am very bad at making guesses in mysteries as to "who dun it?" but I guessed correctly and that made me sorta happy... though I was disappointed in the character themselves for thinking they could just get away with doing what they were expressly told not to. *pokes them* they should know better 😒. The plot is slow, but that was good for me because it helped me keep track of everything going on and focus on how the characters were growing and building relationships.
The Prose: I'm a writer, so I can't help but talk about the beautiful way that this novel was written. The words and ways that the scenes were described were lovely. This novel was very well written.
Overall Thoughts: As I began reading this book I was prepared to put it down and say it wasn't for me if there was anything that made me uncomfortable. I had forced myself through another book that was awful and learned my lesson the hard way. I appreciated that Archer kept all of the witcraft-y parts of fantasy out of the book.
I would give this book a solid 4/5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean fantasy without witchcraft and other questionable elements. It's also great if you love dragons with snark and sass. 😏🐉
If you would like to add to the reading experience, you should definitely listen to the Calligraphy Guild playlist on Spotify while reading! You can find that and learn more about the book, find a character test (I got Lai Duyên), and the Pinterest boards you can find on the book page Here!
That brings this post to a close, if you would like to connect with R. M. Archer and see more of the amazing work she does you can follow her on...
That's all for today ya'll! Have you read Calligraphy Guild? What did you think? Do you want to read Calligraphy Guild? Let me know in the comments!
Blessings,
Mattie May
