VESTIGE | Kirkus Reviews

In Anonymous’ fantasy novel, new members of ancient, secret council strategize ways to make the world a better place—and wonder if they should even accept this responsibility at all.

During the First Civilization, which fell 12,000 years ago, a council of spiritual leaders called the Ohm ce Alefa was established to act as the guiding force of morality, form religions, and connect members of the global population. Through the centuries, descendants of the council members, known as the Auromzed, have continued the mission of the Ohm ce Alefa. When the current council members all choose to die, as is the custom, their children come together to prepare for their predestined ascensions. Each are assigned different duties, based on their ancestral lines, which are Indh, Abe, Edinak, Ren, Aryan, and Ehirman, and oversee innovation, knowledge, nature, trade, communication, and war, respectively. Gathering at the estate of Auromzed elder Akram Ehirman, whom they call “Grandfather,” the incoming members (Alexander, Ahana, Adisa, Aurelio, An-Sun, and Antigonus) discuss the council’s responsibilities, ponder the ethics of its existence, and try to think of ways to heal society. Conflicting perspectives disrupt the group’s harmony, and secrets are uncovered, allegiances are tested, and hidden forces pose an existential threat. Alexander was raised away from his fellow Auromzed and is a newcomer to the inner workings of the Ohm ce Alefa, so he effectively serves as the reader’s surrogate as he learns about each backstory, each cultural detail, and each advanced tech gadget. Set in the present day and featuring millennial central characters, this book can best be described as a blend of high fantasy and urban fantasy, and the novel’s world is built with rich detail. The author also presents readers with a well-developed ensemble cast, resulting in a story that’s thought-provoking throughout. However, the novel’s slow pace and multiple, drawn-out philosophical debates (“To say that decisions should come from morals and morals come from God would be to say that men without God have no morals and thus, should make no decisions”) may be off-putting to some.

An ambitious but slow-moving secret-society tale.