Reviews with content warning for Rape - Valor

A very good sequel to Malice, though I wish I read this one shortly after Malice as I had to brush up on all the character names again and like Malice the character list is extensive.

Since the story did not have to spend as much time introducing characters the pace was nice and fast and it was a fun book with lots of treachery and running and fighting - all good fighting stuff. The twists could be a bit predictable but it was all very entertaining. The ending wasn't as crazy as the first book but I bet it's the placement in the book series - I am very interested to see how all of the prophecies play out. There were some satisfying parts when

Corban finally met with his subsection of the Jehar and finally got some more information on his whole destiny

. I was very sad to hear that

Kastell was dead dead but Maquin's storyline was very interesting and it's nice to have some older protags in the lineup.

I hope that Fidele gets some good comeuppance for what she went through in this book.

A good viking fantasy read.

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isi__1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

This book had all of the positive elements of the first book (interesting plot, 3-dimensional characters, solid world-building), but without the slow setup.
Although I do have to say that I don‘t think that the ending of book one was topped by the ending of book two, I do think that the pacing of this sequel was a lot more consistent. I couldn‘t stop reading!
Even though this book isn‘t short, it is a breeze to get through. This is definitely made easier by the very short chapters, which manage to make any book go by way faster.
There‘s a few new POVs added, but it wasn‘t hard to keep track of these new characters, because I was already familiar with the world, general direction of the plot, and the other characters.

The only reason why it‘s not a perfect 5-star book is because I can see some improvements to be made in the pacing. Although I was never bored for long, there were certain scenes or subplots that did drag on a tiny bit, in my opinion. Don‘t get me wrong, this really wasn‘t a glaring issue & didn‘t happen most of the time. All I‘m saying is that I do feel like there‘s some room for growth.

In any case, I can‘t wait to read the third and fourth book. Especially because people do seem to like these the most.

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dani_reis's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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inkspren's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Does everyone die in this book?

I found this second book weaker compared to the first, but a bit more clear. Still a lovely world, and solid story telling.

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xta_07's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Things I muttered to myself while reading the last few chapters of this book: What? On no! And of course: NoNoNONONonono!

While both the beginning and the end of the book were very exciting and fun to read, I had trouble maintaining my momentum through the middle. What truly carried me through were the characters. They shine in this story; they all feel incredibly real. I really particularly enjoyed

Cywens journey, and her budding relationship with Vedaris and Alcyon. Even though she is their captive, they end up caring about each other.

I also really liked Camlin finding his place in the “crew” and learning the value of loyalty. There are a few one sided “bad guys” but most of the characters have nuance and depth, which is something I really appreciate.

John Gwynne has a knack for taking a tangled spider web of a plot and weaving it all together in a beautiful tear stained tapestry. I am both exited and scared to pick up book 3!

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josiah17's review

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm still kind of debating the rating (between a 4.5 and a 5), but I'll stick with a 5 for now.

The plot for this series is just so digestible and captivating, even in its simplicity. It's very much a "God vs Satan" or a "Good vs Evil" conflict, but it still feels fresh and unique in it's own ways.

The character work is also an improvement in this book over Malice as this book builds on the groundwork that was laid in the previous one. Gwynne is masterful at making you feel attached to his characters.

This book also explores a really interesting portion of the world, and it gives some insight into the differences between giant clans and humans.

I'm really a huge fan of Gwynne's writing. I love it. And as I said after Malice, this series is certainly on it's way to becoming an all-time favorite.

Edit 9/8/23: 4.5 stars now. Still fantastic, but not quite 5 stars like I initially thought.

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surdiablo's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

It's an improvement over the first book if you consider the 'entertainment' aspect, but I'm afraid most of the issues I mentioned about its predecessor carry over to this one as well, and the writing style just doesn't work for me. Characterization, and world-building, all of them feel either generic or cookie-cutter. Nothing really stands out and whenever something really good happens, it falls flat because the author writes just enough to get the point across, which kills whatever excitement I feel at that moment. Consider these final words of the book ( ending spoilers ofc! ) for example where

the protagonist lost his mom and buried her after a battle.

He thought of the cauldron, the black cloud rising from it, the tainted Jehar ripping men limb from limb, Nathair sitting on the dais steps, and finally the old man that he had fought, who had killed his mam. Calidus, Meical had called him. One thought circled in his head like the black birds swirling about the mountain peaks.
They must be stopped.

They must be stopped!

Okay ye, that's obvious. Is that the final line that's supposed to get me hyped for the next book? Come on now.. There are also some twists and turns in the story that made me laugh rather than be surprised because of how contrived or ridiculous it was sometimes. With all that said, I did have some fun reading it and I really enjoyed Maquin's arc. That's one thing I had my doubts about when it came to execution, and it turned out to be the best thing about the book somehow, which was a pleasant surprise. Regardless of this book being an improvement, unfortunately, I can't say I really liked it still, so I'mma round down to a 3.

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russelmcq's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

To me, this series just continues to quicken the pace. Breakneck style, short chapters, action packed. While I can see how some may not love the "stop to smell the flowers" type of prose, I really enjoy this series for what it is.

A violent, emotional upheaval that grabs you and shakes you.

As a newer fantasy reader and having gone from Tolkien to this, I can appreciate both sides immensely.

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