A solid debut entry.
There's nothing crazy here, but what has been done is pretty good. Despite the longer length, it feels relatively tight. The characters have a distinct voice and the world is interesting. The story is paced well.
I didn't quite get invested emotionally though.
Something about the flow feel off to me. Maybe its the way that so much character growth is done through internal monologue. This is especially apparent for the Uncle and Roan. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but, to me at least, it adds a layer of filtering that made it difficult for me to connect to. Also there is a fair amount of exposition front-loading, which becomes very noticeable with the lack of ambiance or music.
In conclusion, this was a good entry. There are few hiccups that hold it back, but there is a great foundation here to build upon. I really hope you continue within the fvn community, and I will always cheer for a fellow Willy Hope Hodgson and Robert Chambers fan.