My second read of the Indie Fantasy Addicts Summer Reading Challenge, heretofore referred to as SRC2024, came from debut author Maya Gouliard. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and the world-building of Chroma is deeply thought out and well-deployed to enrich Lara’s quest. While there were some prose aspects that I felt could be sharpened to deliver a more solid novel, the bones of the story and majority of the published work are a lovely bit of escapism centering a woman, a MOTHER as the hero of her own story.
And I’m always a champion of works that center women.
This was a refreshing take on the Hero’s Journey, told from a perspective I rarely see in fantasy fiction: that of a mother. Lara’s journey, as she calls on the lessons of her parenthood and caregiving, is a relatable one. I greatly enjoyed following her journey and seeing my own struggles and strategies mirrored in hers.
The world-building and the magic system in Chroma are clever and unique. It was evident that much thought and care was put into Chroma and how the segregation of magic would affect the land and people. We spend much of our time in the Wastes and Azural, but during Lara’s journey, we get glimpses of two other realms, Green and Purple, and meet others displaced by the hoarding of magic, the Brown Travelers. Through the people Lara meets in Azural, the blue realm, we gain a deeper insight into Orange, and the values of the people who reside there, which was a clever bit of writing from Gouliard.
Also – ADORABLE ANIMAL COMPANION. Fleck is such a standout character, and the slow unraveling of his purpose and species was a delight to read. I’m a sucker, in general, for an animal companion, but one with lore revealed as well as it was here is an immediate YES from me.
A solid fantasy read with a refreshing main character and prose that gains confidence as the story unfolds.
Favorite quote: “Was it something that came with age that made people give soliloquies?”
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