Greetings, travelers! We start the week out with a beautiful and brilliant visit into the Otherworld that you’re not soon to forget. That’s because we’re going to be spending time in the world of Skania, exploring one of the epic tales that will emerge from there. Read on to learn more about the wonderful debut of this fantasy realm, Habi.
Author A.G. Manny is as passionate a worldbuilder as they come, and they pursue their passions with such excitement and zest that it’s no surprise that their debut novel, Habi, is as exciting and explosive as it is. It also capitalizes on the entertainment that we currently have to explore. At first blush, Habi feels like Arabian Arcane, in all the best ways possible. But Manny excels at worldbuilding, and sees his realm of fantasy in ways that he can bring to life through his wordcraft, and it immerses readers indeed. He also strikes a careful balance, because while the book has the potential to lean on irreverence, it also tackles deeper story beats with care.
End of Magic – Skania, Koura, 1138
A band of young thieves fights for survival, yearning for a life that promises stability and happiness.
A golden-eyed child, Habi Sabbah, scavenges the lower ring of Koura, a sprawling city marked
by stark divides between wealth and destitution. With her adopted family—a ragtag group bound
by hope and necessity—Habi dreams of stealing their way out of the slums. But as they edge
closer to their aspirations, they stumble upon dark secrets buried within the city’s walls—secrets
never meant to see the light of day, and ones thought to be long dead.
Koura is ruled by a formidable Sultan, a man who enforces his rule to satisfy his whims. In
defiance of his iron-fisted control, Habi and her siblings soon discover the harrowing truth
behind the millions of wandering souls confined within the towering border walls of the hive city.
What begins as a quest for survival spirals into a confrontation with dangers far greater than
they could have imagined.
It’s fitting that the first time we meet Habi, she’s quickly bounding forward. The book itself moves at a wonderful pace, never lingering so long in any place that it feels tedious. Instead, Manny manages to make the experience feel light and breezy throughout, and that’s saying something, because his book is a sturdy volume. That’s necessary though, because Koura has all kinds of nooks and crannies that are ripe for exploration. The author has expressed his desire to continue exploring the world of Skania, so there’s no better time to dive in. Check out Habi, by A.G. Manny, on Amazon today.
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