Legacy of the Brightwash

Tainted Dominion, Book 1

By: Krystle Matar

Narrated by: Paul Woodson, Felicity Munroe

SPFBO Finalist

Stabby Nominee—Best Debut 2021

Stabby Nominee—Best Indie Book 2021

Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong?

Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions.

Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her? Why was he the only one who cared?

Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for?

©2022 Krystle Matar (P)2022 Podium Audio

Critic reviews

"Legacy of the Brightwash is a grounded, realistic, and surprisingly dark book, but it’s a book with a fundamentally moral lead that keeps the darkness from feeling gratuitous."

-Ryan Howse, Grimdark Magazine

1984 Meets Flintlock Fantasy

WOW! I'll be honest here and say that I had heard this book was grimdark and romance, and neither of those terms really interest me all that much. I've read some grimdark that I love and some romance that I love, but largely these are not areas of fiction I am drawn to. This book, however, absolutely blew my socks all the way off.

We follow a man who has served the Authority his entire life, and while he has questioned some of the awful things to happen in his life, he still served this power because he has been brought up to believe that this is the noble and upright thing to do. He monitors those with the Taint to keep the people of the dominion safe, but when one of his Tainted is hiding a secret and kids start showing up dead with missing limbs, he will begin a journey that will shake the foundation of everything he believes.

This feels like a modern fantasy novel inspired by George Orwell, but unlike Orwell's work the characterization is truly top tier, the prose is very good, and the dialogue is sharp enough to cut you. This is such a triumph of a novel, and I am just in awe of Matar's skill as a storyteller.

If you are not a romance reader, do not worry. The romance element is only one part of Tashue's journey and it happens to be one of the best romances I've probably ever read in adult fantasy (a low bar at times). I am someone who usually doesn't like sex scenes because they often come across as indulgent or cringey depending on the author. In this book, however, the sex scenes are not that numerous and they are actually well written and lack the cringe I usually find in those scenes.

As for the grimdark label, I personally found the world to be dark, the Authority's presence is ubiquitous, always hovering above our characters and weighing them down, but the characters we follow are noble at heart (despite their many flaws) and a joy to root for.

The performances by both narrators is amazing!! Felicity Munroe shines! Paul Woodson is also excellent and he perfectly captures the voice of our protagonist Tashue! LOVE THIS BOOK!

A very good fantasy book

This story was different from the other fantasies I have read. The audible telling was great also.

Scandal, tragedy and rumors abound. Does anyone care?

Tashue Blackwood is a decorated military veteran and a veteran of the domains tainted authority. A pseudo military organization with the responsibility of overseeing and managing the gifted citizens of the domain. Tashue comes face to face with the ugliest parts of society, from people wishing to leverage his controversial military career for political capital, to a dead child he can't seem to get anyone else to care about, to his own adult son who refused to register and is now locked in the rift.

The counterpoint to Tashue is Stella Whiterock a fugitive who is much more than she seems but she can't seem to stay away from Tashue, and he's good with her daughter.

A great opening to a series! can't wait to read the next one.

Paul Woodson, Felicity Munroe and the lovely people at podium audio do a great job bringing this piece to life. Especially loved Felicity's Stella voice and Paul's Tashue.

Slow burn w/ emphasis on BURN

Ms. Matar has crafted quite a story here. The lore and the world are unique and engaging, which leaves me constantly uncertain in the best way. The various threads of mystery and intrigue are well-balanced throughout, and the blood is slightly more plentiful than the orgasms.

The metaphors/lessons are clear but not heavy-handed, and I appreciate that. I loved the depth and variety of characters, and the agony and ecstasy they felt. This is a world of struggle and cruelty adjacent to opulence and a veneer of refinement, and it’s wonderfully painful to inhabit.

enjoyed

Dark like whiskey, beautiful like the blonde red tresses like one of the MCs. So brutal it would make a Nazi blush.