The First Binding by R.R. Virdi is a new epic fantasy classic

One of the biggest fantasy book releases of the year is here: The First Binding by R.R. Virdi. And when I say “biggest,” I mean it both in the metaphorical and literal sense. This is a chonky, door-stopping tome of a fantasy book. At the same time, the hype levels have been off the charts for this story. Now that it’s here, we’re going to discuss whether the book lives up to the hype.

This will be a spoiler-free review, so if you’ve been curious about The First Binding or are just now hearing about it, you can proceed without fear.

The First Binding book review

While there is no shortage of new fantasy books being published today, it’s not every day that a book as immense and ambitious as The First Binding comes along. This is a door-stopping tome in the tradition of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive, and Patrick Rothfuss’ The Kingkiller Chronicles. If those types of books, the ones big enough to defend yourself with on the subway, are the sort of thing you enjoy, The First Binding is the must-read fantasy book of the year.

The First Binding is the first volume in Virdi’s Tales of Tremaine series, and follows Ari, a mysterious man with an incredible story to tell. It features a very cool magic system, worldbuilding based on South Asian culture, and immersive writing. There are mysteries on top of mysteries, and Virdi has the skill to slowly peel back the layers while always making sure there’s something to keep you turning the pages.

While this is Virdi’s debut novel, he was already a well-known name in the indie fantasy landscape thanks to his urban fantasy series Grave Reports, as well as The Books of Winter series. But The First Binding is a different sort of book; it is Virdi’s epic fantasy debut, but it doesn’t read like it. This is a seasoned writer who knows how to tell a good tale, which is fitting because The First Binding is about the world’s greatest storyteller.

The love of stories bleeds off the page. The First Binding features stories within stories as Ari relays various tales from Tremaine’s history. Sometimes, those simultaneously split focus between the epic legends and elaborate pantomime Ari is using to tell the story in a way that could easily go off the rails in the hands of a writer less skilled than Virdi. Other times, the stories involve intricate rhyme schemes and philosophical pondering. These tales within the tale were highlights for me, and I always got extra excited once I realized one was about to happen.

If you miss The Name of the Wind, you need to read The First Binding

I usually try to avoid making comparisons in book reviews, but in this case there’s one I think is really warranted. The First Binding has a lot in common with The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss; both are stories where someone who is basically a borderline mythic hero tells their life’s history, often in the first person perspective. Both feature stories-within-stories and a poignant lyricism to the writing. I found myself re-reading specific lines of The First Binding because they were so beautifully worded, which is not something that happens to me with every book.

If you’re one of those people who has been pining after The Doors of Stone for the last decade, you pretty much owe it to yourself to read The First Binding. Out of the literal hundreds of books I’ve read since inhaling Rothfuss’ novels back in the early 2010’s, The First Binding comes the closest to capturing that same kind of magic.

That said, one way The First Binding stands out from The Name of the Wind is that its framing story is far more fleshed out. I enjoyed Ari’s present-day stints just as much as I did his recounting of his life. Virdi takes his time getting us into the recollections, weaving his tale with patience and precision.

Moving beyond the comparisons, I will just say that I enjoyed this book a lot, and it’s easily one of my favorite fantasy novels that I’ve read so far this year. Ari is a very sympathetic character, both because of everything he goes through and because of his attitude. While he has hard edges, he’s also a character who retains a sense of optimism and charm. Even when he’s saying something cynical, he doesn’t feel like a cynic. He has scars, plenty of them, but he’s grounded in a way that both makes it easy to root for him and to empathize when he’s having a hard time.

As for downsides, The First Binding leans a little heavily on innuendo at times, to the degree that it knocked me out of the story occasionally. But it’s easy to forgive that when there are a thousand other things it does so well. It’s also a bit of a slow burn, which makes sense given its size. Virdi takes his time exploring the bigger secrets of the story, so that is something to be aware of if you find yourself wishing for more action earlier on. Once things really get rolling, however, it’s hard to put down.

Verdict

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi is an immense achievement, and deserves a place on any epic fantasy reader’s shelf beside the other greats of the genre. It’s a mesmerizing love letter to stories, to the South Asian culture and history that inspired it, and to the fantasy genre as a whole. Readers will be talking about this book for years to come, so if epic fantasy is a genre you’re interested in, I’d highly recommend checking this book out.

The First Binding is out now from Tor Books.

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