STAR WARDEN Volume 1 by Donavan Walker - Review

For he is the Star Warden, none shall find him wanting in the face of evil.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

INTRODUCTION

The Star Warden returns to the old reliable tried and tested method of good versus evil, with no shades of grey. There is no questioning the lead character, Samuel Bailey’s resolve to save the world from Daimos and the threat he poses to both Earth and Aetherium. Those who are fans of the isekai genre may get a kick out of this as Samuel is from Earth but unlike those stories where it’s a one-way trip. We soon learn that travel between both Earth and the world of Aetherium is possible. As Sam has frequent flashbacks to his youth and the time he spent growing up with Kaguya, introducing her to Earth’s customs and showing that his reckless courage was a thing even back then. But despite his bravado, he is a troubled man haunted by his inability to save his father in a time of crisis. It’s that failure that compels his actions as the Star Warden.

PLOT

The plot of Star Warden is nothing too complicated. It has a hero trying to save the world from a great threat. However, it does a solid job of weaving both the world-building and characters into the overall story. We also see Daimos’ perspective at times and he is most definitely a memorable villain. 

CHARACTER

As the plot is fairly standard, the characters are what stand out. From Bailey’s relentless optimism to Kaguya being a reliable pillar that he can depend on. However, what is clearly shown is how they culturally belong to two very different worlds. Often shown by Bailey’s occasional quip that is often lost on the other characters. Daimos himself is an unapologetic monster of a being and his abilities prove more than a match for Samuel. He is a confident, capable villain that is a nice breath of fresh air from ones that lack any kind of real impact. One other character that I hope we learn more about in future is the Milesian Knight, Gareth. Built from the archetype of the knights of old. Gareth’s scepticism but honourable nature towards Bailey puts forward an interesting dynamic between the two with Gareth also trying to move on from his past mistakes and Samuel giving him a helpful nudge in the right direction. It also goes without saying but the art used in the book really helps paint a clear picture of the cast as a whole. 

WORLD BUILDING

There is a lot strong of world-building in this story and as it's short you learn as much as you need while still leaving room for more. There are some rather creative enemies too, like in a later chapter where a demon uses the power of illusion to distort the castle’s appearance in an interesting attempt to consume our hero. It also learned that the castle in general has magic properties and can be altered at the will of its occupant. The world of Aetherium is expansive and never feels the same with each area clearly described or defined. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

As a whole Star Warden is a strong, short and sweet story that serves as a nice introduction to the world and ongoing conflict within. It has a memorable cast of characters supported by pages of art that depict scenes that occur within the story. While its plot isn’t the most complex, you get various hints of a complex world and the politics within, but as a more action-focused story, it makes sense for that sort of stuff to be a more minor detail. If you like the isekai genre, I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good old-fashioned hero. We are sorely lacking them these days. 

OVERALL: 

If you are interested in reading the book, you can find it here.