Synopsis:
The Mother lied.
The Mists that writhe and swirl beyond the walls of Keselgraad are not her enemy; they are her creation, a way to eradicate the city’s inhabitants before they can grow strong enough to pose a threat to her paramountcy.
Precious few are aware of the goddess’s duplicity. Lord Matellas Thane was among the first to learn the truth, but it only led to his downfall. He now lies imprisoned deep below the Church of the Mother under the watchful eye of the tainted warden, Devrard.
Yet, there is still hope. The disgraced captain, Aldin Pine, has managed to escape the goddess’s tentacular grasp, the flecks of crystal embedded in his skin allowing him to pass through the Mists unscathed. He is following his partner, Selene, to another city, one that may hold the key to the Mother’s destruction.
And behind him, eleven orphans with eyes the colour of amethyst. Once abandoned and forgotten, they have been given a new purpose. New identities. A new beginning.
There is power in a name. Sometimes, a legend can be forged from a single word.
Brachyura.
Review:
Being a huge fan of Robins’ War of the Twelve series, when book one of Mothers of Sorrow, The City of Mist and Tears, was released, I couldn’t wait to dive back into this world. TCoMaT was such a refreshing premise and the ending gave a whole new meaning to War of the Twelve because it re-introduced us to certain characters. And in this book, The City of Sun and Stars, said characters begin to become those legends, and I am all for it!
Picking up immediately (and I mean immediately, like minutes) after TCoMaT, Pine, Selene, and the orphans are traversing the deadly mist in search of this fabled second city. Upon reaching it, they are somewhat welcomed, but begin to grow into their powers and bodies (almost 5 years pass in this story). Back in Keslegaard, former Keeper of the Peace, Thane, is imprisoned by the Mother. He’s learned how to play chess and becomes a better man. The terrifying Mother goddess begins her deathly conquest of the world by breeding her greylings (little goblin-like beasties who just want to kill).
I liked this book, let’s be frank. I love Robins’ world and these characters. When I started reading indie books, War of the Twelve was one of the first. I blazed through all four books in under two weeks. I loved TCoMaT because the premise of a city trapped by mists was incredible. And the plot/characters, loved them, especially the reveal at the end that one character was Brachyura from War of the Twelve fame.
But I do have to admit that because I’m such a fan of War of the Twelve and knowing what happens there, I did feel a little less engaged in the ‘danger’ for these characters, especially Brachyura, because I know their fates. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy every moment of their growth physically and into their powers (which lets be real, are cool as shit). It’s just that during the battle scenes, I wasn’t afeared for their lives. But for any new reader, they will be glued to the pages!
Thane is probably my favorite character in this book. After not really liking him in book 1 (he was the pseudo-antagonist) he really shined here. His character growth was tremendous, and Robins introducing chess was integral to growth. I really enjoyed his arc. Pine took a backseat here but I don’t think that was the wrong choice at all. While he was arguably the main character of book 1, his arc was less for a good plot reason. While we only got a few scenes of the Keeper of the Faith, her gnarly transformation under the Mother’s blood was wicked cool and creepy (and another nod to the War of the Twelve later books!). But this book is all about Brachyura and his siblings. His arc was amazing and seeing him grow into the legend he was in War of the Twelve was really enjoyable. I really enjoyed how fallible he is throughout, growing and learning like any teenager should. His loyalty to his siblings and honor/duty, it’s really admirable. I quite liked how he got his famous armor and axe from the other series.
As ever, Robins weaves a story very well in such a short amount of pages. His prose is evocative, never purple, and very accessible. The pace is always steady and never does the story flag. Dialogue is excellent, the character growth and motivations always on point. My only criticism is that the 4 year time jump happens somewhat randomly, one chapter they just get to the second city/integrated somewhat, then the next is Thane in prison learning chess and boom, four years have passed, then a few chapters later, Part I ends. Almost wish Part I ended between the time jump, but that’s just picking nits.
The climax was so good, Robins really knows how to end on cliffhangers. As in TCoMaT where we learn Roach/Roe is actually Brachyura, Robbins ends TCoSaS with another banger, introducing us to a character of great importance in the War of the Twelve‘s lore. So, bravo, sir, bravo.
If you have not yet started Alex Robins’ series Mothers of Sorrow or War of the Twelve, do yourself a favor and get them higher up your TBR. Both series are taut books with excellent characters and that good v evil vibe but with lots of skewing. I highly recommend these books and I cannot wait to see how Robins will land this series!
*I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
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