Started: 17/10/20
Finished: 29/11/20
Spoilers: No
Thank you to Netgalley, Gollancz, and to the author for letting me have an early copy of one of my most anticipated books. It didn't disappoint.
This is such a strong second book. Oftentimes, sequels fall short, but if anything, this book is more exciting than its predecessor.
Characters
Immediately Tinnstra puts to good use her character development from book one and shows us what a badass she's become, whilst still maintaining her very real, very human fears of death.
Same goes for Dren. Boy's grown, and it shows. I love the character he's become. Feels like the boy has become a man, so to speak. It's great seeing this more rational, responsible side of him.
Ralasis is a pleasant new addition to the cast. He gives me loveable rouge vibes, which are the best vibes. What a total babe.
And I loved getting Zorique's POV too this time around. She's also a badass. Like mother like daughter.
Plot
Again, much like the first book, I kind of love seeing these 'true horrors of war' depictions in books. Just makes the whole thing feel more realistic.
And I love a good battle, and this one was epic. That's the only way to describe it. Epic. So many different fights happening simultaneously with so many different characters. The tension is palpable and I never felt certain who'd survive it. This is how you write a good battle.
That twist of events with Zorique though and the age stuff. Totally didn't see that coming but it worked amazingly well with the story.
The plot overall was well-paced with enough happening to keep me interested throughout. Even though I'm a slow reader and this took me a while to read, I never once bored of it. There was far too much going on for that to happen.
Setting
Something interesting I noticed this time around was the spelling of the countries. Now I'm learning Chinese, the names feel more significant.
The country Jia, for instance. 家 or Jiā in pinyin means home in Mandarin, which makes the atrocities befalling it feel all the more heartbreaking.
And the country Meigore; the name reminded me a lot of 美国 (Měiguó) which is 'America'. Probably just a coincidence, but I thought it was pretty interesting.
And it shows the author has put a lot of thought in naming the countries. By using names that resemble real pronunciation and spelling (in pinyin, at least) makes the setting feel more authentically 'Asian.'
And one can only assume that Chongore is China, 中国 (Zhōngguó).
But continuing this thought of Meigore and America, Meigore's treatment of refugees feels startlingly familiar of American's treatment of Mexicans not too long ago. Perhaps this Meigore/America cross over is a little more intentional than I thought. And pretty clever, might I add. It makes the country feel both eastern and western.
And if there's one thing I've learnt about Mike Shackle's writing, it's how seamlessly he blends cultures to create something wholly original.
Writing Style
Brilliant writing. Engaging and straight to the point. The flow of the writing is smooth and easy the read. Some books can feel suffocating in their overly flowery prose, but Mike Shackle's writing paints enough visuals to ground the readers in the scene without bogging it down being poetical. It works perfectly for the tone of the book. This is dark, this is gritty, this is a story of war. It's stories like this, written in this way, that make me realise that there are no winners in war, only devastation.
Final Impression
I can't think of any faults. It's just so good.I don't know what else I can say about it. It's so good.
I assume there will be a book three after that amazing ending. Talk about leave us wanting more.
What a great bloody series this is turning out to be.
Bravo.
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