Island of the Dying Goddess
by Ronit J
On the island of eternal grief
Even the gods have died a thousand deaths
My name is Anawar, and I am an immortal explorer. A few days ago, I was stranded on Sawarrgh, an island where everything looks twisted and the air smells of mourning. The atmosphere has forced suppressed memories to resurface. I have to consciously keep them at bay, or I won’t be able to survive this island’s horrors.
There’s Ghaph, the mad warmongering god who mutilates his enemies and patches on their dismembered limbs. Then there’s Ndraja, the goddess who can enslave entire kingdoms with just her thoughts. But the worst is the nameless Goddess who created Sawarrgh a millennia ago, caging it in a barrier that reverses time, forcing the island to relive the same year over and over.
Sawarrgh is a nightmare come alive. Here, existence itself is a curse. The living are barely alive. The stranded, condemned.
I need to escape this island, and in doing so free Sawarrgh from its perpetual punishment.
And the only way to do that is to kill the Goddess.
Elden Ring meets A Fistful of Dollars in this stand-alone horror grimdark fantasy
5 out of 5 fairies
This book, at it’s core, is an exploration of grief. But it’s also so much more. There are so many layers, the world-building and characters are complex. Although I’ve read other works by this author, this one has touched me the deepest. I know this was inspired by a dark event in Ronit’s life, but the way he explored and expressed his grief in these pages and through the things these characters experienced had a dark beauty to it. Don’t get me wrong – this is very dark. Don’t go into this expecting anything different. I can’t imagine the horror of being forced to live the same dark year over and over again, yet that’s exactly what the inhabitants of this island do, and Ronit does an excellent job of bringing it to life around you. For all the darkness, there is some light within the story. However, please make sure you are in a good headspace before you dive in to this beautiful, dark, unforgettable story that will take root in your soul.
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Ronit J is a fantasy author and indie filmmaker from Mumbai, India. He was 11 years old when he first decided to write fantasy books, and there has been no looking back since. His debut novel, Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! was released on December 1, 2023. Fantasy, and by extension the whole speculative fiction genre, is Ronit’s preferred medium for exploring his anxieties, worldview, and absurd ideas.
Ronit reviews sci-fi and fantasy books for SFF Insiders, as well as films and series on his website & blog.
Ronit is also an amateur chess player, cinephile, beer lover, and food devourer. He currently lives in Mumbai with his loving wife and their golden retriever.
LinkTr.ee
Get it Help! My Dog is the Chosen One! | Add to Your TBR
Read Lily’s Review
Get Abandoned by the Gods | Add to Your TBR
Read Lily’s Review
Get Island of the Dying Goddess | Add to Your TBR
Read Lily’s Review
10 SFF Series That Inspired Ronit J
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