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a_novel_craving's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, War, Murder, Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
tawallah's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This sequel takes us into the world of the Alfár where an infection has corrupted both the world and its inhabitants. Willow is determined to fight for people and her world and engages the help of Kell Kressia.
Sad to say but this wasn’t as mesmerizing as The Coward. And it is quite different on so many levels. I was expecting some of the unresolved issues to be dealt with in this sequel. The direction which it pursues isn’t bad, it needed to be fleshed out more. The bulk of this book features one the quest which has quite a bit of Lovecraftian horror elements. This is quite a dark novel with many characters facing their inner demons. Concept wise, this is great but the execution wasn’t as precise as its predecessor. And because it is heavily focused on the quest, the developments in The Five Kingdom gets mere brushstrokes. So that this book feels more like a middle book than the end of a duology.
Despite this major flaw, the character study remains this author’s strength and I look forward to reading more of his books. He seems to be playing with subgenres in the speculative realm, which showcases his imagination.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Rape
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