Review of Sin Ribbon's Novel TEN Part 1
TEN is an urban fantasy novel that holds its characters at its heart and grapples with big themes of power, fate and choice.
The titular ten are brought together under mysterious circumstances, each with unique abilities which will help to decide the fate of the world. Chapters alternate between different characters’ perspective as their personalities, histories and motivations unfold alongside a pacey, winding plot.
There’s a lot to like about this book. The cover art is great. The story hits all the right notes for its genre. The characters are diverse and compelling. Sin Ribbon does a good job of handling a large cast. We have Thane and Orion, the alternative-punk platonic soulmates, British brothers Sebastian and Allister, tarot-enthusiast Riya, researcher Olivia, lost child Qiu, runaway Madison, the clairvoyant Siha and finally Issac, who is a travelling priest. Characters bounce off one another, make friends, clash and become romantically entangled in interesting combinations. Readers are sure to find one or more favourites, and the changing point of view with each new chapter keeps things fresh.
The themes of the novel are very much wound up in its characters as well. Siha, who sees the future, often feels powerless. Thane and Allister, strong and tough young men as they are, struggle against the power of the Fates which overtake them. Riya and Madison are out of place in their homes and communities and decide to make their own way in the world. The theme of helplessness versus taking control of your own destiny is a strong one and each character’s personal arc adds texture to the narrative.
One drawback of a large cast is that, inevitably, some development gets lost along the way. Characters introduced later are less fleshed-out, though they are introduced in a way that piques the reader’s interest. Characters introduced early in the novel have excellent groundwork laid out for them but lose focus as the novel spreads its attention across more and more cast members.
As TEN is the first in a multi-part series, it’s to be expected that Sin is only setting the stage here and we’ll see much more exploration of the cast later on. Despite the diluted focus, we really do learn enough about each character to come to root for them. It’s an ambitious endeavour by the author, but one which just about works.
Diversity is another theme at the heart of TEN. It’s incredibly refreshing to see candid conversations about gender and pronouns, done in an organic way. The cast includes queer and transgender characters and Sin strikes a good balance between focusing on issues related to their sexuality and gender identities, and not letting them become two-dimensional stereotypes.
There’s a particular scene where two characters meet for the first time and one corrects the other on their pronouns. Character A corrects, Character B apologises and they get right back to the conversation at hand. It’s such a delight to see this necessary representation handled in a respectful way.
The plot is most certainly secondary to the characters in this book. As the first novel in a series, TEN occupies itself with bringing the cast together in the same place. They are travelling, running away, have been forced out of their homes or happen to have the house that everyone else crashes in. It’s essentially several road trip stories in one. There’s some tight action scenes and reveal of a wider plot, but it’s definitely not the focal point here. What we learn is pretty typical fantasy stuff; you have your chosen ones and your bad guys, the bad guys are planning something bad and the chosen ones have to stop them. It’s complicated a little by the fact that dark forces consume some of the chosen ones...which adds another layer of tension to the various character dynamics.
Nonetheless, compelling antagonists and a strong build-up result in a promising start for what should be a great series.
The pacing is good. Chapters are short, so we flip quickly between characters perspectives, which keeps things interesting. Sin Ribbon has a knack for knowing just when to end a scene with one character and change to another.
Unfortunately, the writing itself is hindered by overuse of epithets, which obstructs the flow of narrative and makes things difficult to follow at times. Epithets force you to think of a character in terms of one or two traits that the narrator deems important rather than giving your mind the freedom to build your own mental image and, when you’re absorbed in a story, it can be frustrating. It’s nothing a strong editor couldn’t fix before a second-edition release, but it is a notable downside to the book.
That said, this novel is one that lingers in the mind days after reading, which speaks to the fact that TEN certainly has a lasting impact. Sin Ribbon has crafted a compelling world that feels vibrant and fantastical and honestly, quite scary at times, set within our own. TEN’s characters pull you in and its themes give you a lot to think about.
The titular ten are brought together under mysterious circumstances, each with unique abilities which will help to decide the fate of the world. Chapters alternate between different characters’ perspective as their personalities, histories and motivations unfold alongside a pacey, winding plot.
There’s a lot to like about this book. The cover art is great. The story hits all the right notes for its genre. The characters are diverse and compelling. Sin Ribbon does a good job of handling a large cast. We have Thane and Orion, the alternative-punk platonic soulmates, British brothers Sebastian and Allister, tarot-enthusiast Riya, researcher Olivia, lost child Qiu, runaway Madison, the clairvoyant Siha and finally Issac, who is a travelling priest. Characters bounce off one another, make friends, clash and become romantically entangled in interesting combinations. Readers are sure to find one or more favourites, and the changing point of view with each new chapter keeps things fresh.
The themes of the novel are very much wound up in its characters as well. Siha, who sees the future, often feels powerless. Thane and Allister, strong and tough young men as they are, struggle against the power of the Fates which overtake them. Riya and Madison are out of place in their homes and communities and decide to make their own way in the world. The theme of helplessness versus taking control of your own destiny is a strong one and each character’s personal arc adds texture to the narrative.
One drawback of a large cast is that, inevitably, some development gets lost along the way. Characters introduced later are less fleshed-out, though they are introduced in a way that piques the reader’s interest. Characters introduced early in the novel have excellent groundwork laid out for them but lose focus as the novel spreads its attention across more and more cast members.
As TEN is the first in a multi-part series, it’s to be expected that Sin is only setting the stage here and we’ll see much more exploration of the cast later on. Despite the diluted focus, we really do learn enough about each character to come to root for them. It’s an ambitious endeavour by the author, but one which just about works.
Diversity is another theme at the heart of TEN. It’s incredibly refreshing to see candid conversations about gender and pronouns, done in an organic way. The cast includes queer and transgender characters and Sin strikes a good balance between focusing on issues related to their sexuality and gender identities, and not letting them become two-dimensional stereotypes.
There’s a particular scene where two characters meet for the first time and one corrects the other on their pronouns. Character A corrects, Character B apologises and they get right back to the conversation at hand. It’s such a delight to see this necessary representation handled in a respectful way.
The plot is most certainly secondary to the characters in this book. As the first novel in a series, TEN occupies itself with bringing the cast together in the same place. They are travelling, running away, have been forced out of their homes or happen to have the house that everyone else crashes in. It’s essentially several road trip stories in one. There’s some tight action scenes and reveal of a wider plot, but it’s definitely not the focal point here. What we learn is pretty typical fantasy stuff; you have your chosen ones and your bad guys, the bad guys are planning something bad and the chosen ones have to stop them. It’s complicated a little by the fact that dark forces consume some of the chosen ones...which adds another layer of tension to the various character dynamics.
Nonetheless, compelling antagonists and a strong build-up result in a promising start for what should be a great series.
The pacing is good. Chapters are short, so we flip quickly between characters perspectives, which keeps things interesting. Sin Ribbon has a knack for knowing just when to end a scene with one character and change to another.
Unfortunately, the writing itself is hindered by overuse of epithets, which obstructs the flow of narrative and makes things difficult to follow at times. Epithets force you to think of a character in terms of one or two traits that the narrator deems important rather than giving your mind the freedom to build your own mental image and, when you’re absorbed in a story, it can be frustrating. It’s nothing a strong editor couldn’t fix before a second-edition release, but it is a notable downside to the book.
That said, this novel is one that lingers in the mind days after reading, which speaks to the fact that TEN certainly has a lasting impact. Sin Ribbon has crafted a compelling world that feels vibrant and fantastical and honestly, quite scary at times, set within our own. TEN’s characters pull you in and its themes give you a lot to think about.
Sash is a writer, artist and all-around creative with too many hobbies. They make roleplaying games with SoulMuppet Publishing, have published short fiction in various places across the internet, and write book reviews on their blog, A Hidden Jam. Sash likes fantasy fiction, queer romance, frogs and anything to do with outer space. Find them on Twitter and Instagram @sp1ritjam.
Sin Ribbon is a storyteller on page, canvas and screen—her work culminated from poetry, screenplays, films and paintings. An eclectic blend, she draws from the philosophical and spiritual to spin existential tales of encouragement and consequence. Her works originate from the caverns of introspection and explore issues of identity, origin, loss and depression, and the quest for meaning. You can find her art on her website at https://sinribbon.com and her narrative podcast, 'In Her Burning: A Surreal Diary,' on iTunes.
Sin Ribbon is a storyteller on page, canvas and screen—her work culminated from poetry, screenplays, films and paintings. An eclectic blend, she draws from the philosophical and spiritual to spin existential tales of encouragement and consequence. Her works originate from the caverns of introspection and explore issues of identity, origin, loss and depression, and the quest for meaning. You can find her art on her website at https://sinribbon.com and her narrative podcast, 'In Her Burning: A Surreal Diary,' on iTunes.