Flat characters and worldbuilding notwithstanding, the powerful moral lessons may resonate with fans of Christ-centered...
Dougherty’s newest installment in his saga featuring Thumos—the mightiest warrior of Yahweh’s heavenly army—explores the origins of the last angel ever created.
A genre-blending fusion of biblical myth, arcane thriller, and gritty crime fiction, Dougherty’s latest braids intertwining storylines. First and foremost is the creation of the avenging angel Thumos, whose opening words signify his sole purpose: “I am the right-hand of vengeance for the Lord Most High.” Sent on numerous missions by Yahweh—from aiding Moses and the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt to defending Jerusalem from the Assyrian King Sennacherib and his armies to assisting Jesus in his time of need—Thumos grapples with exacting Yahweh’s vengeance upon His enemies and following His will. In many cases, Thumos struggles to rely on his faith; Yahweh’s grand plan often seems unknowable. Other story threads, set much more recently, follow the origin stories of the detectives Ian Jelani and Lane Madigan, delving into their backgrounds—from Ian’s father’s childhood in Uganda to the murder of Ian’s wife and Lane’s time as a police cadet in Florida. Lastly is the storyline following Roberto Valenzuela and his transformation from impoverished San Salvadorian child to Miami crime lord. A prequel to Dougherty’s debut novel, 2023’s Holy Terror, the novel’s major flaws are obvious. Thumos’ many missions are only superficially described and feel rushed, and there’s little focus on secondary character depth, worldbuilding, and emotional complexity. Only Thumos’ experiences with Jesus, particularly when he’s crucified, are truly thematically powerful. Ironically, while many characters are thinly described, Thumos is meticulously portrayed: “[His] skin blazed brilliantly, like polished brass, as he allowed his natural angelic appearance to be revealed…His long, leathery ears stood upright like razor-sharp spikes, and his fiery white eyes glowed intensely.” Also, the novel leaves numerous plot threads (like Jelani and Madigan, Valenzuela, etc.) open-ended—not a satisfying conclusion so much as the completion of a foundation to the beginning of the actual series. Ultimately, though, the nonstop action and breakneck pacing compensate well.
Flat characters and worldbuilding notwithstanding, the powerful moral lessons may resonate with fans of Christ-centered stories.Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9798272977434
Page Count: 339
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Dec. 30, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.
A fantasy adventure with a sometimes-biting wit.
Tress is an ordinary girl with no thirst to see the world. Charlie is the son of the local duke, but he likes stories more than fencing. When the duke realizes the two teenagers are falling in love, he takes Charlie away to find a suitable wife—and returns with a different young man as his heir. Charlie, meanwhile, has been captured by the mysterious Sorceress who rules the Midnight Sea, which leaves Tress with no choice but to go rescue him. To do that, she’ll have to get off the barren island she’s forbidden to leave, cross the dangerous Verdant Sea, the even more dangerous Crimson Sea, and the totally deadly Midnight Sea, and somehow defeat the unbeatable Sorceress. The seas on Tress’ world are dangerous because they’re not made of water—they’re made of colorful spores that pour down from the world’s 12 stationary moons. Verdant spores explode into fast-growing vines if they get wet, which means inhaling them can be deadly. Crimson and midnight spores are worse. Ships protected by spore-killing silver sail these seas, and it’s Tress’ quest to find a ship and somehow persuade its crew to carry her to a place no ships want to go, to rescue a person nobody cares about but her. Luckily, Tress is kindhearted, resourceful, and curious—which also makes her an appealing heroine. Along her journey, Tress encounters a talking rat, a crew of reluctant pirates, and plenty of danger. Her story is narrated by an unusual cabin boy with a sharp wit. (About one duke, he says, “He’d apparently been quite heroic during those wars; you could tell because a great number of his troops had died, while he lived.”) The overall effect is not unlike The Princess Bride, which Sanderson cites as an inspiration.
Engrossing worldbuilding, appealing characters, and a sense of humor make this a winning entry in the Sanderson canon.Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781250899651
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Tor
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
SEEN & HEARD
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