A successful high-stakes fantasy that delivers riveting action scenes and bold characterizations.
This sequel sees a far-reaching demonic conspiracy throw the world into chaos.
As King Saldor’s youngest son by a second marriage, Sillik never thought he’d rule Illicia. But now that assassins have slaughtered most of House Rendarick, the young man, well versed in the seven laws of magic, is the crown prince. Having defeated the assassins, Sillick and his sword master, Briana, have encamped with the Illician army near the Falls of Theosa. They’re joined by the Nerak army, which stands with Sillik against the kingdoms of Ynak and Peol. Fire wolves harass the camp, though the later return of dragons, not seen in centuries, exacerbates the situation. Meanwhile, in the island city of Salone, where the seven laws are taught, word has arrived of House Rendarick’s fate. King Ametor and Queen Jacqueline, Sillik’s cousin, fear the worst since they’ve seen sinister schula creatures on the island. A cabal that worships the nine gods of evil is led by Brother Simpsen. Those loyal to the seven gods must join together to defeat the followers of the nine, which results in Sillik’s drafting his friend Lysander, Cliff Flier of Aceon, into battle. Without the blessing of his mother, Queen Saskia, Lysander risks a vast contingent of herish—giant birds of prey that submit to riders—on a quest to save his friend. Cannon’s imagination is glorious and savage to behold in this fantasy sequel to The Kings’ Assassin (2018). Not only does magic offer villains their darkly shining moments—Brother Simpsen crushes to death, then resurrects a dove in one scene—but politics provides toothsome horror as well. The seductress Minerla brings a daring bit of kink to a narrative that wears its A Song of Ice and Fire influence proudly. The author trades the prophecy trope for predictions made by the goddess Lady Silvia while the quest for secret libraries and special artifacts scratch more traditional genre itches. After a rousing final act, readers should be deeply satiated by Cannon’s brand of magical duels and intrigue until the next installment.
A successful high-stakes fantasy that delivers riveting action scenes and bold characterizations.Pub Date: May 30, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-79601-987-2
Page Count: 558
Publisher: XlibrisUS
Review Posted Online: Feb. 28, 2020
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
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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