Resurrection by J.W.Bendall: Great Entry Into A New Fantasy Series

Fantasy Alert! Fans of dark fantasy will undoubtedly devour this first installment of a new series ‘Resurrection’ (The Grave Gang) by J W Bendall. You will enter the dangerous realm of dream walkers, fierce guardians, and a girl whose anger made her do the otherwise impossible. This legendary book blends the epic tale of a reluctant soul-bringer with clashes between the native Kith and the invaders, the ‘Settlers’. Continue reading for the spoiler-free plot of Resurrection, and Nerdection’s thoughts on the book.

Spoiler Free Plot of Resurrection

Resurrection follows this story: Long ago, the Kith flourished in a land rich in old magic. Food and drink were aplenty, and animals ran wild in the bushes. They also had heroes—nine guardians, drawn from all the peoples of the land to fight back against the invaders. But everything changed when the Settlers attacked. 

No one knows what happened that day. But one thing the Kith knew for sure: that their heroes had failed to protect them. The Nine perished away into nothingness, leaving the Kith kin to fend for themselves.

With the victory of the Settlers came their cruelties. Soon they tore down the foundations of the Kith heritage, tarnishing their land and enslaving their kin. Now, there’s no hope left for the salvation of the Kith — or the courage for retaliation, for that matter. But among all this chaos, a new legend rises.

Arna can see Shades — souls of dead people — and bring them back into the world at her command. But she has never been a fan of her powers. Until one day, she stumbles upon the tomb of one of the most potent Nine heroes, Burruk. Angry and resentful of the Settlers’ mistreatment, she summons the Shade of Burruk to put the Kith out of their misery. And Burruk returns, just not in the way Arna would have predicted.

Now Arna and Burruk will hunt down the Empress and wipe out the reign of the Settlers once and for all — if Burruk manages to adapt to his new form first.

My Take on Resurrection

A tale of Nine infallible guardians who failed to protect their own? Sign me in!

Resurrection promised a story of heroes and disputed territories and a girl with the world’s fate resting on her shoulders. Naturally, I was excited. What I hadn’t predicted was the friendly banter and chemistry between the protagonists. The atmosphere of Resurrection was one of impending doom, and I loved that even the inanimate objects, like the Land of the Kith, seemed to have a life of their own.

Moreover, Arna and Burruk’s grudging companionship at first and the slowly developing respect for each other later was purely adorable to read in Resurrection.

‘Weren’t you ever afraid?’ she said.

‘I am more afraid of knowing I could have acted, and choosing instead to sit passively, and watch the results of my failing to do so.’

Arna asking Burruk about his life as a hero

Arna’s growth arc, where she is loath to use her powers first but later accepts her destiny as a necromancer, was done well. Despite that, her role was a little limited in the story’s unfolding, much to my dismay. Still, the story has a lot of unharnessed potential, which I’m sure will be explored in the sequels.

The plot of Resurrection was generic but still carried intricately. It featured epic world-building with gradually fading magic, a mysterious Empress, and unrelenting protagonists who wanted to stop at nothing but gaining victory. 

Yet some things left me annoyed. The scarcity of characters, for one. Nevertheless, the story had a great start, became gratingly slow-paced in the middle, but thankfully picked up speed again, where it managed to catch my full attention. After that, it became a matter of shocking twists and turns until it ended suddenly, leaving me yearning for the next book in the series.

Then of course we got the concept of Nine heroes, which honestly were the favorite part of my Resurrection reading journey: Burruk (the Knight), Yuron (the Shifter), Ishint (the Huntress), Hilemara (the Cartographer), Freedi and Jinna (the Dancer and the Masque), Bao Oa (the Anvil) Varnar (the Weaver), Kerrigmar (unknown) and finally, Elenil (the Grace). I’m eager to read about their stories in the next installments of Resurrection.

Readers are sure to enjoy this epic first installment of a soon-to-be fantasy series, which mixes the fascinating legend of Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive with the necromancer magic of The Bone Witch saga. 

Content Triggers

Appropriate for ages 13+. No explicit content, or language concerns. However, there are parts where the main protagonist cuts herself in several places, in an attempt to perform blood magic.

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