A review by felizacasano
The Black Khan by Ausma Zehanat Khan

4.0

Power is a major theme of the series and focused on with more intensity in The Black Khan. The machinations of power, both magical and political, are a focus of both the Authoritan arc in the first act of the novel and the Ashfall assault arc in the third act. Possessing power isn’t what makes a person evil, but rather the desire to gain more power—an idea only emphasized by the key passage of the Claim quoted above. The Black Khan wrestles with power in a very different manner than The Bloodprint: while the latter focused on how power is stripped away via destruction of knowledge and the decline of literacy, the former examines the pursuit of power and the price paid—both by the seeker and by the seeker’s demands.

Read my full review at Tor.com.