Review: Oss'stera: An Epic Fantasy

Oss'stera: An Epic Fantasy by Ross Hightower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fell so deeply into Desulti: An Epic Fantasy’s world, where Tove’s scarred resilience lit up every page, that opening Oss'stera: An Epic Fantasy, the third thread in Ross Hightower and Deb Heim’s Spirit Song Saga, felt like slipping back into a tale told by a fire’s glow.

This fantastic narrative carries us into the Alle’oss rebellion against the Volloch Empire’s unyielding grasp. Alar, a leader with a rogue’s charm and a dreamer’s fire, ventures into the bustle of Lachton with his artist companions, Scilla and Ukrit, to weave a clandestine scheme to fund their defiance. It’s a story of stolen hopes, whispered plans, and people clinging to their soul.

The world feels alive, almost breathing. I could smell the cold stone of a mountain monastery, hear the clatter of tankards in a riverfront tavern, and feel the weight of eyes in Lachton’s streets. The pacing is a curious thing, swift and breathless in moments of cunning heists, yet pausing to linger, perhaps a touch too long, on the Alle’oss’ woven rituals.

What caught my heart, I think, is the way the characters dance on the edge of right and wrong. Alar’s ideals tangle with his readiness to bend morality, and even the Imperial Captain Brennerman, a man I expected to loathe, shows flickers of doubt that made me pause. This moral tangle, so like the shadowed choices in Desulti, solidifies Oss’stera's part in fantasy works, where the best stories ask what it means to fight when the cost is your own light.

Yet, I confess, the opening felt like retracing steps I’d walked before. For those of us who know Desulti’s tale, the recounting of past deeds can slow our stride, though newcomers might find it a necessary map. Not only that, but I wished for more of Scilla and Ukrit’s souls to shine through. Alar burns brightly, but his companions feel half-sketched, not quite matching Tove’s vivid arc from Desulti.

Oss’stera is for those who love tales where worlds feel as real as stone, where rebels with scarred hearts fight for a flicker of freedom. It’s a story that unfolds like a whispered secret, full of courage and shadowed choices. If you’ve been drawn to the rich cultures of The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne or the intimate rebellions of The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, this will call to your soul.

My warm thanks to Ross Hightower and Deb Heim for the ARC. It’s a tale that lingers, soft as a sigh.

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