TILL MYTH DO US PART

In Ebrahimi’s debut fantasy adventure novel, a man goes on a quest through the afterlife.

Heaven isn’t the best place to be—or at least it isn’t for Kai, since he finds that he’s separated from Sophia. In the afterlife, he fights mythical creatures and is akin to a god, complete with a temple constructed for his worship. However, the actual gods have gone silent; now the world that Kai inhabits contains only mortals and myths. He lives with his parents and siblings, and with his current wife, Helene, whom he met in the afterlife; she knows and respects that his heart has always been and will always be with his earthly love, a woman named Sophia, who also dwells in heaven. He risks everything to keep secretly meeting with her—but then a priest catches them and sentences Sophia to a region called Irkalla, just out of Kai’s grasp. Now Kai is determined to find his way back to her by making unlikely allies and going on a quest that takes him, literally, to hell and back. This page-turning fantasy novel features a rich, invented mythology that draws from well-known ancient Greek lore. Along the way, it offers three-dimensional characters whose journeys grow more compelling as the story develops. The worldbuilding is rich with detail without burdening readers with huge blocks of explanatory text; however, the highlight of the book is its dialogue, which offers insights on each character’s motivations, as well as their backstories, making for a read that flows easily. It’s only the first installment in the Seed of Yggdrasil series, but it’s a strong one that will make readers eager for further entries.

A richly colorful quest tale that’s full of heart.