A vibrant, deliberately paced, and enthralling fantasy.
A small group of allies in a faraway world battles oppression and seemingly indestructible fiends in this fantasy sequel.
Democryos was once a master “voider” in the Northern Kingdom. He honed magiclike abilities from an otherworldly plane called the void, an act he renounced after learning that trapped souls powered the voidstones wielded by voiders. The secret to stopping voidance may now lie in his lover Chimeline’s vivid dream-visions of Temberlain, the first effulgent, who died generations ago. (Effulgents belong to a religious sect that doesn’t believe in relationships or ownership.) But Dem and Chimeline have trouble deciphering events and figures in her recorded dreams, including exactly what that silver-armored “azureman” is. Meanwhile, Dem and his friend Blythe work to free countless souls stuck in an impossibly large voidstone. But danger looms. The king unleashes an enigmatic plan to round up effulgents, and someone kills voiders and steals their pocket-sized voidstones. Dem, Blythe, Chimeline, and others soon realize that people are disappearing in the Northern Kingdom, and azuremen (like those in Chimeline’s dreams) are suddenly showing up. The dreams may prepare the companions for facing both these never-speaking, startlingly durable beings and quite likely an even greater enemy. Wozniak’s effective, unhurried pace guides readers through dense worldbuilding. This second installment, for example, touches on events from the preceding novel and spotlights intermittent dream episodes with Temberlain that confuse even Dem and Chimeline. Nevertheless, beautifully detailed scenes fill the pages, most notably of the void—a “colorless darkness” in which voices of souls or voiders “weave in and out like braids in a rope.” The story zeroes in on an indelible cast, from foulmouthed friend Colu, perpetually guzzling the alcoholic beverage sugarcanex, to Chimeline, continually doubting her ability though she may prove more powerful than skilled voiders. All the while, a slow-burn mystery plays out and a revealing final act answers questions surrounding the blue-faced azuremen and Chimeline’s “voidreaming.” Although a third volume is certainly possible, this tale ends with a thorough and satisfying wrap-up.
A vibrant, deliberately paced, and enthralling fantasy.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2022
ISBN: 9798986681818
Page Count: 591
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.
In the final book of Corland’s dark fantasy trilogy, a ragtag band works together to liberate a colony and dethrone tyrants.
A group of spies, thieves, and murderers, united by a common goal of ending the treacherous rule of King Joon of Yusan, regroup after a bloody battle claims the life of one of their own—the banished Yusanian prince, Euyn. However, there’s little time for Mikail, Aeri, Sora, and Royo to mourn. Bounty hunters and assassins are after them, in part because they now possess three of five legendary Relics of the Dragon Lord. Mikail, who’s just found out that he’s the last surviving member of a royal family, wields the Water Scepter of Wei, while Aeri, King Joon’s daughter, holds the Sands of Tim and the Golden Ring of Khitan. The remaining relics—the Flaming Sword of Gaya and the Immortal Crown—remain with King Joon, who’s desperate to have all five to wield a great deal more power. Meanwhile, the cruel Count Seok, who once indentured Sora, has usurped the throne of Yusan. The group has two goals: overthrow the king and liberate the Yusanian colony of Gaya—Mikail’s homeland—so that it can again be a thriving, independent realm. The relics are powerful tools in combat, but using them is adversely affecting Aeri and Mikail’s health. They need allies, but trusting strangers is a dangerous gamble. Corland’s final book in her Broken Blades trilogy is a relentlessly thrilling and action-packed dark fantasy featuring memorable characters, intense battle scenes, romance, and a satisfying conclusion. Alternately narrated by Aeri, Mikail, Sora, Royo, and their long-lost friend, Tiyung, readers benefit from watching the story unfold through the perspectives of each compelling, well-drawn character. The author’s passion for the fantasy genre shines through in the novel’s richly detailed worldbuilding, including vivid descriptions of landscapes and palace layouts, as well as its exploration of magic. Readers will also delight in the sardonic humor sprinkled throughout, as when Mikahil narrates, “Rune thinks he fathered Seok’s son. Truly, the nobility of Yusan has too much time on their hands.”
A compelling and skillfully written end to a thrilling fantasy series.Pub Date: July 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781649379153
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
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