DELOS: The White Tree is a fantasy set in a rich, well-developed world, with multiple cultures interacting in reasonable and believable ways. The magical system here is also well-developed – magic is not used as a hand-waving deus ex machina, but a force with believable origins, reasonable limitations, and rules of its own. Necessarily, in a world so complicated, there are explanations and descriptions aplenty, but having characters who are new to the world, and experiencing it for the first time, gives plenty of opportunity for readers to learn about the world without the explications becoming too drawn out and tedious. The world contains a lot of the usual fantasy-world tropes – magical horses that bond with our heroes, sacred trees, a kindly maternal witch figure, and of course the Chosen Ones – but these are tropes for a reason, and they are handled in creative and interesting ways here.
The main characters are of course likeable, brave, kind and fierce in defense of the right, but they are not flawless or too overpowered for belief, and they have to grow into their full power as the story goes along. Nor does the book give us a too-simplistic victory without a great deal of tragedy, heartbreak, and death along the way. There are plenty of moments that point out in stark and painful detail just how horrible such a war can be, and how much loss it inevitably brings. Some of the romances between the teenage characters, especially Cynthia’s, do feel a bit sudden and out of nowhere. A bit more attention given to their development, and to what actually draws the characters to each other, might make them feel more vividly real. The idea of simulac weapons that don’t actually kill is an intriguing one, and one that may appeal to more pacifistic readers, but it also raises some interesting questions about the ability of a nation using only such weapons to really triumph long-term in warfare, and the inevitable skewed nature of a war where only one side’s weapons actually permanently kill, which are not really fully addressed in the book. This is also rather a longer book than most young-adult books can get away with- even certain series famous for long books started with shorter ones to draw readers in – and it could potentially be split into two novels without losing much of its rich description or lively plotline. Still, the plot has enough action to keep the reader interested throughout its length, which is a substantial achievement. And though the genetic science of the last few pages is rather dubious, they are sufficient to set up interest for a potential sequel.
DELOS: The White Tree combines a rich magical world with lively, engaging characters and an energetic plot to build a story that, despite its length, has substantial potential to engage and captivate young adult readers.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader