Readers are immersed in Hairen's uplifting community in the novel's immediate chapters. Many personalities inhabit Archer's vivid world where elements of Asian culture weave colorful strands of realism into the setting, the village of Hairen. Maybe even all of Hairen.īut do they even want to know who misused the ink, condemning them? What would motivate someone to make such a horrific decision? Worst of all…Ĭalligraphy Guild is an elegantly written, slower-paced novel chiefly concerned with its characters. The result? A fragmented community and a growing fear that the traitor will never be revealed, meaning disaster for all the Calligraphers. Meanwhile, with the realization that a traitor is among them, the Calligraphers begin to turn on each other, creating strife and tension within the Guild. Add to this that dragon voices are suddenly spilling into her head they grow louder all the time and threaten to overtake her mind. Duyên's existence, even her sanity, is endangered, as every day without an identity for the traitor ticks the Guild closer to destruction. When one traitorous Guild member disobeys the command of truth-telling and re-writes history, the dragons, givers of the gift of the magical ink, descend to pronounce judgment on Duyên's guild. Falsehoods are intolerable intentionally falsifying a record is an offense worthy of exile and even death.
Truth is the only acceptable record a Calligrapher can make with the dragon ink. In Hairen of Virilia, dragon ink solidifies the past, and with its use come solemn responsibilities. However, history isn't recorded in the usual fashion in Duyên's world. These elite writers possess the powerful responsibility of recording history. Like eiderdown on a sighing summer breeze.Ĭalligraphy Guild follows young Duyên, who is pleased to learn she has been admitted into the ranks of her village's Calligraphy Guild. I surprised myself by enjoying a book outside my usual fare-I have a penchant for darker, more chaotic stories similar to my own-but this novel had a much softer touch. Thus, I tucked cozily into Calligraphy Guild, a relaxed, lightly magical story blossoming with long-forgotten virtues, inspiring relationships, and an emphasis on community and family. Having been familiar with Archer’s excellent social media posts and thoughtful commentary, I knew hers was a book I had to read. One of the joys of 2022 was settling into this gentle Christian fantasy novel by R.M.
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