After reading the first book in this series, ‘The Sting of Victory,’ I could not wait until book 2 was released. I instantly bought it upon availability and began reading. And reading. Reading…
This book felt SO LONG. Another reviewer referred to it as a ‘journey.’ I think that was a creative way of saying exhausting. This is not the critique you may be thinking.
YES, it was hard for me to get through. It was grief ridden and somber. Painful to be with Flowridia as she found her way outside of Staelash. But I powered through all that was uncomfortable so that I could reap the rewards within this melancholy installment. And there were many. Love, companions, friendship, unexpected allies.
The author has a way of creating a complex world with even more elaborate characters. The constant thought in my mind while reading both books was ‘How can something so bad, feel so right?’ I felt guilty and distressed. How could Simper make me think one thing and then completely convince me otherwise later? She keeps me frequently trying to guess how the story will unfold. It is always a surprise.
And there is truly no depth as to how sick and twisted Ayla Darkleaf can be. Wow.
Magic. Necromancy. Untapped potential. Completely bereft of her love, Flowridia may have just made a deal with the devil. WHEN IS THE FINAL BOOK GOING TO BE RELEASED?!
I’m giving this a 4, only because of the length and some repetitiveness. There were too many times we read about Flowridia riding her death horse with Ana in her lap and her hand in Demitri’s fur. Several times we were explained how Flowridia pulled energy from the earth and death. Tell us once and then abbreviate it in subsequent uses.
But it was still fantastic.