‘An ode to storytelling, complete with a rich mythology, turbulent adventures, and a flawed hero you’ll root for… Approached with patience, this epic fantasy will satisfy any fan of the genre.’ — Kirkus
‘THE FIRST BINDING is the first volume in a new magnificent and ambitious high fantasy series to obsess over.’ — Novel Notions
‘R.R. Virdi’s THE FIRST BINDING is engrossing and beautiful, joyous and painful—always entertaining, sometimes profound. This book makes me remember why I love epic fantasy.’ — Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Dune: House Atreides
‘Crafted with patience, passion, and most importantly, tremendous love. Read R.R. Virdi!’ — Jim Butcher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Dresden Files
‘Virdi has created a rich world where he lays out his magic system thoroughly and requires his characters to work within it. This isn’t the magic of a chosen one, plucked out of obscurity and given a great power. No, this magic is work and was learned through sacrifice and necessity.’ — Booklist
‘[T]he pattern woven by the recurring elements is beguiling. You’ll want to sit down with this Storyteller again.’ — SFX Magazine
‘An epic like no other—grand, sweeping, dramatic, a love letter to fantasy burning with with the dust and heat and mythos of South Asia. It reads like magic and tastes like saffron.’ — Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Washington Post bestselling author of the Salvage Crew and the Commonwealth Empire
‘THE FIRST BINDING was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and I am happy to say that it met my expectations. A worthy Epic South Asian Fantasy to look out for.’ — Book A Fiction
‘[A] new favourite of mine, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out!’ — Library of a Viking
‘R.R. Virdi spins a very personal epic fantasy about the consequences of our actions and the nature of heroism. Rich world-building, plenty of action, and devious twists abound. Very highly recommended!’ — Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Kagen the Damned
‘If you loved The Name of the Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamora, this is your next reading addiction.’ — Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy
‘THE FIRST BINDING is epic fantasy at its finest—an homage to storytelling and legend, richly told and endlessly engaging. Complex and luxuriant, this is an emotional, multifaceted gem of a book that examines the twists and turns a story takes on its journey from the truth.’ — Andrea Stewart, author of The Drowning Empire trilogy
‘Lavish in detail, a saga colorfully flavored with the mythos of India, R.R. Virdi’s THE FIRST BINDING is a fantasy debut recommended for the exceptional promise that The Name of the Wind enthusiasts have been pining to discover and read’ — Janny Wurts, author of The Wars of Light and Shadow
‘A work of extraordinary depth; readers will be unpicking the secrets of Tremaine for years to come.’ — Richard Swan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Justice of Kings
‘THE FIRST BINDING is a masterpiece of epic fantasy storytelling.’ — Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series