In Taylor’s fantasy novel, a jaded young woman living in a world of magic is forced to pay off her family’s debts by carrying out a dangerous mission. In the realm of Telluth, a young woman named Annalyn “Anna” Hale loses all hope after the tragic death of her beloved father. With her mother forced into debt after his passing, Anna sells herself out to the government’s troops. Despite her inexperience and limited fighting ability, Anna is soon specially requested by those in charge to embark on a secret reconnaissance mission: The savage Vasbrute have recently violated the land’s peace treaty, and she—alongside her fellow soldier and newfound friend, Pyran, and a handful of other recruits—must secretly follow their trail into the forest to determine if official military intervention will be necessary. What seems like a dangerous but straightforward mission soon devolves into a tangled web of hidden political machinations, unexpected alliances, and the unveiling of a sinister plot that could change everything. The only thing that can save the group is Anna’s newfound ability to unleash the power of the Son of Death himself—a power she must learn to wield herself. Taylor has crafted a vivid and imaginative world crammed full of favorite fantasy beings, from elves, dwarves, and mages to necromancers and monstrous beasts that roam the forest: “His dark eyes flashed red in the sunlight…He crossed his arms and angrily bared his teeth, exposing pointed white teeth that fit together like a dog’s.” It is also LGBTQ+ friendly, with Taylor subtly working in a same-sex relationship and a character who is referred to with they/them pronouns with no fanfare. While the pacing can drag a bit toward the midway point of the 500-plus-page story, this is but a small blip in an otherwise mesmerizing novel that manages to balance plenty of action with deep and thoughtful character-building. An epic fantasy that successfully doubles as an intricately woven tale of grief, survival, and friendship.

Speak with the Dead is one of the more enjoyable fantasy novels I’ve come across this year. Taylor’s novel takes a world which could become another grimdark saga—the story opens with debt collectors coming after the protagonist’s widowed mother and goes on after the protagonist practically sells herself to be a soldier—and instead becomes a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired romp, with a little political drama tossed in for flavor. At times, the modern tone of it threw me off a little, but on the whole, I greatly enjoyed the read. Anna, the aforementioned protagonist, quickly goes from being a baker’s daughter who hunts in the woods and scavenges ruined houses to supplement her mother’s income to being a soldier called on to fulfill a potentially deadly mission. She is a delightful character to follow, filling the mold of a classic fantasy protagonist with enough freshness to keep her familiar rather than stale. The story keeps that same feeling; it reminded me of the fantasy novels I grew up with, and I greatly enjoyed seeing the places it broke from the patterns, along with seeing old patterns I remembered. What interested me most was the hints of worldbuilding that came through in the narrative. Taylor focuses mostly on the action of the book, but does a good job making it feel as though that action is taking place in a wider world, one which has not only a variety of people in it but a rich history behind it. My one complaint about the book (and the reason for giving four rather than five stars) was that some of the scenes dragged on. They never became a slog, but I recall a few that seemed to be more for the purpose of amusing the reader than anything else. Some may enjoy these scenes, but I felt the amusement could have appeared just as easily in the scenes that also explored character dynamics or the wider world. Those parts of the book that did focus on those elements were much more enjoyable. On the whole, Speak with the Dead was a lot of fun to read, and I found myself speeding through it! I recommend it to anyone who has fond memories of Tolkien knock-offs and wants something that has a lighter touch, or who never really saw themselves in what was often a male-dominated genre. I’m eager to read more of Taylor’s work when I get a chance!