Synopsis
Anger will not be quenched by blood alone.
The Missing, a rebel army that is little more than a rumor, may be Kaylo’s only path to exact his vengeance against the empire that claimed his home and killed his family. If it means a chance to balance the blood he owes, he will steal spirits and become the Missing’s tool, as long as they aim him in the right direction.
Eighteen years later, a war is raging between factions for control of Ennea. With Tayen, Kaylo, and Nix caught in the middle of a power struggle—Kaylo will have to find a way to fulfill the promise he made to Tayen, Nix must face the consequences of her betrayal, and Tayen will have to choose between vengeance and her spirit. When blood is owed, virtues will be challenged.
Review
While not the one I chose for my top reads of the year, this book was a fantastic and worthy follow up. If it didn’t release in the same year, it would have taken the first’s place at the top.
If you’ve seen my review for No Heart for a Thief (also shared recently), then you know this sequel was up against some strong competition. Not only am I again a member of the ARC team, but I know have a physical with the original art to keep for my shelf.
The author has yet again managed to set up an incredible ending—where not only are threads being tied, questions being fulfilled, and harrowing escapes taking place, but also we receive another gut-wrenching kick of emotional damage. The author ups the trauma, for Kaylo and Tayen, and especially us readers.
As I did with the first, I’d again liken this to The Last of Us. Tayen is bereaved of all those in her life, she’s jaded, and she wants revenge. So when she finally lets someone in, Kaylo, she has such a hard time accepting his mistakes. Much like older Ellie and Joel. That is where the similarities end of course, as Dulin has offered us a rich world with lore, magic, culture. And of course the darker enthocentlrism, war, colonialism, and racism. I love the deep message of the story, and I really appreciate that you can also just read and enjoy it as a fantasy, too. It’s powerful stuff.
The characters remain the stars for me. Kaylo, Tayen, and even the smorgasbord of side characters. They have dimension, they’re fleshed out, and they read as real with personality that jumps off the page. The action is brutal as if you’re really there, and it makes you see the characters in the moment even more.
I literally cannot wait for more. Also I think I found an author that says the F word more than me…
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