“The ending alludes that this is just the beginning of a greater story.”

Review by Erin Phillips

Two young people from opposite sides of the Great Continent must make sense of their life.

Rune has grown up all of her life in the mountainous northern nation of Kansanai. As granddaughter of the Senior Elder, she has been a devout believer of the Vihishki gods her whole life. Yet, when a prophet challenges the Vihishki gods against his Aivan, the One Truth, everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Will she be able to let go of the life she thought she deserved for something far greater than what she could have ever imagined?

Rolf goes through the motions of everyday life in the southern nation of Etalentin. Yet, his routine is disrupted when a voice claiming to be the one true God speaks to him. Listening to his heart, he follows Aivan, but he is thrown temptation after temptation on his journey. Will Rolf be able to resist the temptations in order to fulfill Aivan’s plan for him?

The One Truth is a story about self-discovery, identity, and faith.

Aivan: The One Truth is a quick read, being only around 100 pages long and reminded me of an Old Testament fantasy, featuring scenarios that pulled inspiration from Elijah and the priests of Baal, Daniel and the fiery furnace, and the plagues of Egypt.

The main emphasis of the worldbuilding centered around the dominant polytheistic religion versus a forgotten monotheistic religion, which was clearly meant to resemble the God of the Bible. It felt overall like we were just seeing the tip of the iceberg, with references throughout to a war, politics, religious rites, and relationships. The nation of Kansanai certainly has history, and this story provides just a glimpse.

The story is pretty straight forward, but with two points of view—Rune and Rolf. The characters each had a very linear character arc, each taking a path from being raised in the religion of the Vihishki gods, experiencing doubt in those beliefs, and hearing Aivan call them to a spiritual awakening. As a result of their new faith in Aivan, Rune and Rolf face much opposition, but they persevere faithfully.

The ending alludes that this is just the beginning of a greater story.

With the novella being so short, I never felt like I quite found my footing in the allegorical religions, characters, or worldbuilding. The story and character development all has to move quite quickly, leaving little room for exploration outside of what is required for the plot to move forward. Unfortunately, that left me always wanting more, and feeling less connected with the characters than I may have if the story had a bit more space.

If you are looking for a quick read that will remind you of several iconic stories from the Old Testament wrapped up in a medieval fantasy adventure, perhaps this story is for you!

3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author through Literature Approved. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own, and I am writing a voluntary review.

Content Ratings:

2. Very mild action (mentions common injuries like broken bones, without gruesome details).

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Other Trigger/Content Notices:

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