LOVE VORTEX AND THE DRAKOR’S CURSE opens on the docks of Scotland in 1751, as retired Captain Julius yearns to return to a seafaring life. Soon he’s tasked with setting up a new trade route with the Andaman Islands, and his 14-year-old son Peter decides to join “the adventure of a lifetime.” When the sailing crew lands in the Andaman Islands, they’re surprised to meet a group of people who are all born with the day they will die tattooed on their foreheads. As the two groups exchange goods, knowledge, and stories, they begin to influence each other’s thoughts on love, education, family, and the afterlife. Although knowing their death dates is a treasure in some ways, many Andamese wish for this curse (cast by a dragon centuries ago) to be lifted.
This historical fantasy is strongest when exploring the far-reaching cultural impacts of everyone knowing both their own and their neighbors’ death dates. For example, children are split into two schools based on this knowledge: those who will die young focus on subjects and skills that will bring them immediate joy, along with guidance on greeting death peacefully, while those who will live longer learn the trades and skills they’ll need as adults in the community. The stories of love, friendship, family, and community that the islanders share with Captain Julius illuminate a fascinating tension based on lifespan—with the people who will live longer sometimes resenting their greater responsibilities and the people who will die young facing exclusion from their community.
Author Pekka Harju-Autti’s intriguing worldbuilding is paired with a simple, direct writing style that makes the story more accessible than many philosophical fantasies. For instance, Linia when explains the mentality of such a culture: “Sometimes, knowing our fate helps us value what we have—even if it means letting go of dreams. But it also brings its own kind of peace. Strange, isn’t it? We grow up seeing those numbers every day, but it’s only when you lose someone—like my sister—that you realize how much they mean.” At times the narrative feels more like a record of events, as many plot points are shared through quick summarizing passages or open-ended questions—rather than explored through action. Some characters, such as Drakor, also rely on lengthy monologues to share their stories. Because of this approach, LOVE VORTEX may appeal more to readers who are newer to philosophical fantasy, rather than seasoned ones who might be looking for less overt dialogue.
The good-faith engagement between Captain Julius and several islanders—like council leader Aarav, shaman Nalini, love interest Anaya, and rival Lani—upends colonialist “white savior” narratives to an extent. This is especially clear when Julius spends so much time listening to Andamanese characters and only inserts himself into their lives because Aarav asks for his input. LOVE VORTEX is primarily told from Julius’s perspective, with asides from his son Peter, but it would be fascinating to explore more Andamanese perspectives to better understand their feelings about the sailing crew living among them for years. Captain Julius’s adherence to his ultimate goal of setting up a trade route that will benefit Great Britain, despite anticipating the ways it will impact or even harm the people and culture he has grown to admire, is somewhat disappointing but realistic within the historical scope and consistent with the bittersweet tone of the novel as a whole.
The setting of the real-life Andaman Islands is a complicated choice, and the book would greatly benefit from including an author’s note for several reasons. First, it is not clear whether Harju-Autti has a personal connection to the Andaman Islands, so it would be helpful to know more about his research process into the islands’ history and culture. Because many peoples of the Andaman Islands died as a result of colonial violence and disease, reflecting on that impact would elevate the author’s intentions of showing Captain Julius’s open-hearted, collaborative group as a counternarrative to actual history. Finally, combining elements of a real group’s belief system with a unique fantasy premise may cause confusion for anyone seeking to learn about Andamanese culture. For example, Puluga is an Andamanese creator deity, but it is not clear whether some of the shamanic rituals and community festivals led by Nalini are rooted in cultural research or are purely the author’s creations.
Overall, LOVE VORTEX AND THE DRAKOR’S CURSE features a fascinating premise and accompanying worldbuilding that is occasionally affected by limited perspectives and context.
Pekka Harju-Autti’s LOVE VORTEX AND THE DRAKOR’S CURSE is a historical, philosophical fantasy that’s best when it examines how knowing the day you die could impact many facets of life.
~ Cameron Gillespie for IndieReader