Book Review: Dawn of Deoridium

Reviewed by Chika Anene

A fantastic new YA Fantasy that fans of The Poppy War by R.F Kuang will love

16-year-old Kaili, who is next in line of the queens of the kingdom of Kalulishi, is no ordinary royal. She possesses electromagnetic power caused by The Shift—an upheaval of the earth’s magnetosphere more than three hundred years ago. 

When Kalulishi faces an attack by an outside force bearing the name Iron King, Kaili puts her life on the line and travels to the deadly Dead Lats to find Deoridium—a mythical element that possesses unmatched electromagnetic energy that her father spent a great deal of time searching for while he was alive—in order to save her people.

From reading Dawn of Deoridium, one thing is clearest to me—Jeff Ting is one heck of a talented writer. 

The worldbuilding in this book is unique and well-developed, indicative of the author’s care and time planning such a full and rich world. From the complex terms—many of which are a little hard to remember—to places and characters, the author does an excellent job creating the Kalulishi kingdom and surrounding cities. 

The descriptions in Dawn of Deoridium are so alive, and the banter shared between clansmen of certain cities during Kaili’s journey, or the little children who eagerly want her to perform tricks with her powers, are great specific details added to the already strong worldbuilding.

Readers are introduced to several characters in Ting’s book, but they are far from shallow. Each of them plays an integral role in the development of the story. The characters are well-rounded, interesting, and believable. Characters like Kaili’s fierce aunt Saiya with her unmatched martial arts skills, or her mother, the queen, are among the most memorable in the book.

Demityr is a strong and powerful antagonist. His vile character is written so well that it’s impossible not to dislike him. When he harasses and belittles the main character in front of a large group of people, you’re going to be counting down the minutes until he is defeated.

Dawn of Deoridium is a brilliant young adult fantasy with some science fiction elements. Trust me when I say: You’re going to fall in love with the world that Ting has created here.

Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Print Length: 352 pages

ISBN: 979-8406654538

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