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Song of Dragons #2
Tears of Requiem
The nightshades cover the land. Demons of smoke and shadow, they fear no sword or arrow. They suck the souls from all who live, like a glutton sucking marrow from bones. The world falls under their darkness. But the nightshades crave more than random ruin. The souls of mere humans will not sate them. They seek dragons. Requiem's last dragons, a mere scattering of survivors, have fought off men and griffins. But how can they fight the nightshades, creatures they cannot cut or burn? _______________ THE REQUIEM Dawn of Dragons Book 1: Requiem's Song Book 2: Requiem's Hope Book 3: Requiem's Prayer Song of Dragons Book 1: Blood of Requiem Book 2: Tears of Requiem Book 3: Light of Requiem Dragonlore Book 1: A Dawn of Dragonfire Book 2: A Day of Dragon Blood Book 3: A Night of Dragon Wings The Dragon War Book 1: A Legacy of Light Book 2: A Birthright of Blood Book 3: A Memory of Fire Requiem for Dragons Book 1: Dragons Lost Book 2: Dragons Reborn Book 3: Dragons Rising Flame of Requiem Book 1: Forged in Dragonfire Book 2: Crown of Dragonfire Book 3: Pillars of Dragonfire Dragonfire Rain Book 1: Blood of Dragons Book 2: Rage of Dragons Book 3: Flight of Dragons
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2011
81 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Arenson
148 books877 followersDaniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. The Huffington Post has called his writing "full of soul." He's written over forty novels, most of them in five series:
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
EARTHRISE — They came from deep space. They came to destroy us. Against the alien onslaught, Earth stands alone. But we will fight. We will rise. We will win. Start reading with Earth Alone, the first novel in this military science fiction series.
REQUIEM — Welcome to Requiem, an ancient kingdom whose people can grow wings and scales, breathe fire, and take flight as dragons. Requiem is explored in six trilogies, which can be read in any order. If you're new to Requiem, you can start reading with Requiem's Song (you can download it for free). For fans of dark, gritty fantasy like A Game of Thrones.
MOTH — Discover Moth, a world torn between day and night—its one half drenched in eternal daylight, the other cloaked in endless darkness. For fans of classic fantasy worlds such as Middle Earth and Narnia. Start reading with Moth, the first novel in this epic fantasy saga.
ALIEN HUNTERS — Got trouble with aliens? Call the Alien Hunters. A group of scruffy mercenaries, they'll remove the pest for you. Low rates. No questions asked. Start reading with Alien Hunters, the first book in this space opera series. For fans of Star Wars, Firefly, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
KINGDOMS OF SAND — Enter a world of sand and splendor, a world where gladiators battle in the arena, where legionaries and barbarians fight for glory, and where empires rise and fall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 1, 2021
I was fully prepared to give this a big fat 2 stars, and then it started growing on me towards the end. I'm not at all sure what it is about these books that hook me. The covers are gorgeous works of art and I love the portraits of the dragons which also correspond to one of the dragon characters herein. This cover is the Queen Lacromisa, a slight silvery dragon who is lithe and light and serpentine in its movements.
I shouldn't like this series. It isn't well written, the characters lack nuance, the plot is repetitive, the dialogue atrocious, the writing is inconsistent. The entire thing is anachronistic. At times it has the feel of a YA novel with seriously adult themes going on. It is needlessly violent, and despite this being over 200 pages, the plot is super simple (just very repetitive). These are a lot of the same gripes I had with book 1 (although I liked that one slightly better), but I still keep coming back for more. I dunno, I'm weird man.
At the end of Book 1, Gloriae, the kidnapped daughter of Benedictus and Lacrimosa and raised by their mortal enemy, unleashes creatures called the Nightshades, creatures that dwell in darkness and are made of shadow, and feed on the souls of living things. Kinda like these guys.
The Nightshades were actually pretty cool. In fact that is one of my favorite parts of this series, the Creature Feature factor. The descriptions of the different creatures found in this world of Requiem are very unique and interesting. My problem, as I stated at least twice before, is the repetition. Every other chapter, this author described the lithe and silvery dragon form of Lacrimosa, you know, just in case we forgot the other 50 times he mentioned it in this book alone. The battles themselves were also repetitive and no depth is present. But still, this series continues to grab me for whatever reason. I dunno, I plead the fifth.
The characters are slightly more developed in this volume, but only slightly. Gloriae, my least favorite character in Book 1 is now teetering on my favorite. Her character arc is the only one that really shows growth, and I give points for growth. I also respect the fact that this author has the balls to kill off his characters, and one of them meets his or her demise in this volume. The death itself was one of the most well written parts of this book, and I did feel the depth of the emotion of those left behind.
With that being said, the repetition was awful. And this author really needs an editor. Honestly, it reads like something read by someone who is super duper into D&D, but lacks writing chops and finesse. But I will still be picking up Book 3 sometime this year probably, being the serial completer that I am and hoping that problems get fixed in subsequent books.
I shouldn't like this series. It isn't well written, the characters lack nuance, the plot is repetitive, the dialogue atrocious, the writing is inconsistent. The entire thing is anachronistic. At times it has the feel of a YA novel with seriously adult themes going on. It is needlessly violent, and despite this being over 200 pages, the plot is super simple (just very repetitive). These are a lot of the same gripes I had with book 1 (although I liked that one slightly better), but I still keep coming back for more. I dunno, I'm weird man.
At the end of Book 1, Gloriae, the kidnapped daughter of Benedictus and Lacrimosa and raised by their mortal enemy, unleashes creatures called the Nightshades, creatures that dwell in darkness and are made of shadow, and feed on the souls of living things. Kinda like these guys.
The Nightshades were actually pretty cool. In fact that is one of my favorite parts of this series, the Creature Feature factor. The descriptions of the different creatures found in this world of Requiem are very unique and interesting. My problem, as I stated at least twice before, is the repetition. Every other chapter, this author described the lithe and silvery dragon form of Lacrimosa, you know, just in case we forgot the other 50 times he mentioned it in this book alone. The battles themselves were also repetitive and no depth is present. But still, this series continues to grab me for whatever reason. I dunno, I plead the fifth.
The characters are slightly more developed in this volume, but only slightly. Gloriae, my least favorite character in Book 1 is now teetering on my favorite. Her character arc is the only one that really shows growth, and I give points for growth. I also respect the fact that this author has the balls to kill off his characters, and one of them meets his or her demise in this volume. The death itself was one of the most well written parts of this book, and I did feel the depth of the emotion of those left behind.
With that being said, the repetition was awful. And this author really needs an editor. Honestly, it reads like something read by someone who is super duper into D&D, but lacks writing chops and finesse. But I will still be picking up Book 3 sometime this year probably, being the serial completer that I am and hoping that problems get fixed in subsequent books.
October 30, 2017
Another great read however it is a very dark read with the evil incarnate of Dies Irae, the brother of Benedictus, and the emperor of Confutatis now has the nightshades in his power. These monsters of smoke and darkness thrive on living souls, so how can our five dragons fight these monsters? They are intent on rebuilding Requiem but they are hounded all the way, Dies Irea is not only embittered and jealous of his brother but is now completely mad and so vengeful. To counter his darkness on the other hand we have the love and loyalty of Benedictus and Lacrimosa, still so in love after so many years and still eternally loyal, Agnus Dei and Kyrie and Gloriae all fighting together to win back their land. Gloriae realises more and more what a dreadful person the man who trained her and called her daughter was and is adamant on killing him herself. Can our heroes with the help of the griffins who are now fighting on their side defeat such a terrible monster as Dies Irea? and at what cost?
March 2, 2019
Even better than the first book. This book keeps the pace up and picks up right where it left off. The characters continue to grow and connect with you, while the story is fast paced and interesting. The details are well written without being over the top grotesque or overly detailed with the love scenes. Book 3 here I come.
August 27, 2011
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Look out, everyone! Big scaly beasts are on the loose!
Daniel Arenson returns with the second book in his Song of Dragons series, Tears of Requiem. We pick up the story right where Blood of Requiem leaves off, with the surviving Vir Requis – King Benedictus, his wife Lacrimosa, their daughter Agnus Dei, and Kyrie – fresh off their defeat and (near) fatal wounding of Benedictus’s brother and ruler of the land, Dies Irae. The griffins have been released, and hopefully life may come just a tad easier for these poor, harrowed folks.
No such luck, because Gloriae, the stolen daughter of Benedictus, has released the Nightshades, a race of strange shadow-creatures that swallow the souls of the living, leaving a hollowed (yet still living) husk behind. I can’t tell you how horrible this concept sounds, on theory and on paper. To have your soul sucked away and splintered into a million tiny pieces, while your consciousness is still aware, feeling every morsel of fear, longing, and pain it endures? It really is one of the more frightening concepts I’ve seen in a book.
Anyhow, I’m getting off track here. So Gloriae releases the nightshades, and then Dies Irae, who’s apparently indestructible – a dagger in the eye won’t kill this bastard? What’ll it take! – kicks his adopted (stolen) daughter out of his kingdom, for all intents and purposes disowning her. She eventually runs into the remaining Vir Requis she is intent on killing, to prove her loyalty to her “father”. Angst, fighting, seduction, and all sorts of other wackiness ensue.
From there, the book becomes a mad dash against time, with the survivors trying to figure out a way to defeat the ostensibly undefeatable nightshades and save what’s left of this new kingdom of the living dead. Blood is spilled, love is made, unexpected allies are brought together, and we all know that though there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for these tormented characters, they’re going to experience a good amount of tragedy first.
This is a more than worthy successor to the first book. It moves along very quickly, and it really boils down to a mad – though exceedingly violent – survival romp. The characters stay true to themselves, some make grand discoveries about themselves, and through it all an almost horror-novel sensation of isolation and fear washes over near every word.
And yet, unlike the first installment, there is an underlying sense of lightness. Strange as that is to say about a book as dark as this, there is actual levity in certain parts – particularly in the repartee between Agnus Dei and her father. These scenes worked very well to split up the doom and gloom that encompasses the rest of the story.
As for characters, Benedictus remains the stalwart old king, firm in his beliefs and yet nearly overwhelmed with guilt. Kyrie grows immensely, though he is still somewhat trapped in the timidity of being a very young man, especially when it comes to women. (As the father of two teenage boys, I can relate.) Agnus Dei demonstrates perhaps the most growth, as the angst that consumed her in the first book slowly wanes, revealing a strong and yet still sensitive woman underneath. About the only character that seemed a little off was Lacrimosa, as she sometimes acted a bit out of character, almost as a convenience for the plot. And Dies Irae is evil incarnate yet again, a bundle of hatred and brutality so single-minded in his goals that he’ll even sacrifice his own humanity to reach them…though it could be argued that, because of his loathing, he ceased to be human long ago.
As I said, Tears of Requiem is a brisk novel. It punches you in the gut from the very first chapter and only lets you regain your breath for moments at a time. It brings you on a journey of darkness and love, and asks the question of how this struggling race of people will ever survive in a world where everyone hates them. Even with this, it’s an overly fun read, a tale of mythical adventure. And Tears of Requiem does something very important for any series; it builds the tension of a fantastic storyline, with the sorrow at its conclusion setting up what is surely to be an intense – and imminently heartbreaking – conclusion to the series.
Bring it on, Mr. Arenson. I’m waiting.
Plot - 9
Characters - 9
Voice - 10
Execution - 8
Personal Enjoyment – 9
Overall – 45/50 (4.5/5)
Look out, everyone! Big scaly beasts are on the loose!
Daniel Arenson returns with the second book in his Song of Dragons series, Tears of Requiem. We pick up the story right where Blood of Requiem leaves off, with the surviving Vir Requis – King Benedictus, his wife Lacrimosa, their daughter Agnus Dei, and Kyrie – fresh off their defeat and (near) fatal wounding of Benedictus’s brother and ruler of the land, Dies Irae. The griffins have been released, and hopefully life may come just a tad easier for these poor, harrowed folks.
No such luck, because Gloriae, the stolen daughter of Benedictus, has released the Nightshades, a race of strange shadow-creatures that swallow the souls of the living, leaving a hollowed (yet still living) husk behind. I can’t tell you how horrible this concept sounds, on theory and on paper. To have your soul sucked away and splintered into a million tiny pieces, while your consciousness is still aware, feeling every morsel of fear, longing, and pain it endures? It really is one of the more frightening concepts I’ve seen in a book.
Anyhow, I’m getting off track here. So Gloriae releases the nightshades, and then Dies Irae, who’s apparently indestructible – a dagger in the eye won’t kill this bastard? What’ll it take! – kicks his adopted (stolen) daughter out of his kingdom, for all intents and purposes disowning her. She eventually runs into the remaining Vir Requis she is intent on killing, to prove her loyalty to her “father”. Angst, fighting, seduction, and all sorts of other wackiness ensue.
From there, the book becomes a mad dash against time, with the survivors trying to figure out a way to defeat the ostensibly undefeatable nightshades and save what’s left of this new kingdom of the living dead. Blood is spilled, love is made, unexpected allies are brought together, and we all know that though there may be a light at the end of the tunnel for these tormented characters, they’re going to experience a good amount of tragedy first.
This is a more than worthy successor to the first book. It moves along very quickly, and it really boils down to a mad – though exceedingly violent – survival romp. The characters stay true to themselves, some make grand discoveries about themselves, and through it all an almost horror-novel sensation of isolation and fear washes over near every word.
And yet, unlike the first installment, there is an underlying sense of lightness. Strange as that is to say about a book as dark as this, there is actual levity in certain parts – particularly in the repartee between Agnus Dei and her father. These scenes worked very well to split up the doom and gloom that encompasses the rest of the story.
As for characters, Benedictus remains the stalwart old king, firm in his beliefs and yet nearly overwhelmed with guilt. Kyrie grows immensely, though he is still somewhat trapped in the timidity of being a very young man, especially when it comes to women. (As the father of two teenage boys, I can relate.) Agnus Dei demonstrates perhaps the most growth, as the angst that consumed her in the first book slowly wanes, revealing a strong and yet still sensitive woman underneath. About the only character that seemed a little off was Lacrimosa, as she sometimes acted a bit out of character, almost as a convenience for the plot. And Dies Irae is evil incarnate yet again, a bundle of hatred and brutality so single-minded in his goals that he’ll even sacrifice his own humanity to reach them…though it could be argued that, because of his loathing, he ceased to be human long ago.
As I said, Tears of Requiem is a brisk novel. It punches you in the gut from the very first chapter and only lets you regain your breath for moments at a time. It brings you on a journey of darkness and love, and asks the question of how this struggling race of people will ever survive in a world where everyone hates them. Even with this, it’s an overly fun read, a tale of mythical adventure. And Tears of Requiem does something very important for any series; it builds the tension of a fantastic storyline, with the sorrow at its conclusion setting up what is surely to be an intense – and imminently heartbreaking – conclusion to the series.
Bring it on, Mr. Arenson. I’m waiting.
Plot - 9
Characters - 9
Voice - 10
Execution - 8
Personal Enjoyment – 9
Overall – 45/50 (4.5/5)
August 10, 2017
**trigger warning: rape**
So I finally get around to reviewing this. This was one of the first epic fantasy series I read, and it was a rather awful one to start with- covers are cool! Dragons! Gritty fantasy worlds! Inspired by Mozart! But there are some major issues in these books that I haven't seen anyone address, and... well. I need to address them.
Writing was meh, but that isn't the reason I'm giving this a one-star. Rape was used heavily throughout, first of all in order to establish the antagonist's character. It was definitely not addressed as the subject requires, definitely not treated with the delicacy that it warrants. Rape. Is. Not. A. Detail. And yet that's how it was treated.
Second of all, one of the main (female) characters rapes a main (male) character and yet it's never treated as such. She remains a 'sympathetic' character and a protagonist, and the male character- despite being sexually assaulted- just 'accepts' it unhappily. She claims to have a valid reason- which, no, there is absolutely no 'valid reason' to sexually assault another person. Not only this all, but in showing an obvious rape (he was intoxicated and did say 'no', 'stop', etc) of a male character yet not treating it/explicitly condemning it, the message conveyed is that women are the only victims of rape. This book, after all, does condemn the rape of females- why not males? That is a dangerous, dangerous message to convey. Men. Can. Be. Victims. Of. Sexual. Assault. And these books add to the all-too prevalent idea that they can't be. I don't think I need to spell out why that is a problem of horrific implications.
This series got me into reading epic fantasy, sort of because I wanted more of the grittiness and the dragons- but mainly because I had to wash the horrible taste this series left me with out of my mouth. It's been a long time since I read this, and I still can't get over it. No one- I repeat, no one- has addressed it yet, and that's not a good thing.
It is my firm belief that, since the YA industry has grown and more and more people review books/call out problems, books have improved. It's harder for problematic books to succeed, and that's good. We have to spread this, though, to other genres and demographics. When things like this are ignored, the issue is perpetuated.
So I finally get around to reviewing this. This was one of the first epic fantasy series I read, and it was a rather awful one to start with- covers are cool! Dragons! Gritty fantasy worlds! Inspired by Mozart! But there are some major issues in these books that I haven't seen anyone address, and... well. I need to address them.
Writing was meh, but that isn't the reason I'm giving this a one-star. Rape was used heavily throughout, first of all in order to establish the antagonist's character. It was definitely not addressed as the subject requires, definitely not treated with the delicacy that it warrants. Rape. Is. Not. A. Detail. And yet that's how it was treated.
Second of all, one of the main (female) characters rapes a main (male) character and yet it's never treated as such. She remains a 'sympathetic' character and a protagonist, and the male character- despite being sexually assaulted- just 'accepts' it unhappily. She claims to have a valid reason- which, no, there is absolutely no 'valid reason' to sexually assault another person. Not only this all, but in showing an obvious rape (he was intoxicated and did say 'no', 'stop', etc) of a male character yet not treating it/explicitly condemning it, the message conveyed is that women are the only victims of rape. This book, after all, does condemn the rape of females- why not males? That is a dangerous, dangerous message to convey. Men. Can. Be. Victims. Of. Sexual. Assault. And these books add to the all-too prevalent idea that they can't be. I don't think I need to spell out why that is a problem of horrific implications.
This series got me into reading epic fantasy, sort of because I wanted more of the grittiness and the dragons- but mainly because I had to wash the horrible taste this series left me with out of my mouth. It's been a long time since I read this, and I still can't get over it. No one- I repeat, no one- has addressed it yet, and that's not a good thing.
It is my firm belief that, since the YA industry has grown and more and more people review books/call out problems, books have improved. It's harder for problematic books to succeed, and that's good. We have to spread this, though, to other genres and demographics. When things like this are ignored, the issue is perpetuated.
October 4, 2016
I think this book would make a good video game - specifically a nice, questy rpg. I imagined the nightshades as a cross between Harry Potter's dementors and Kingdom Hearts' heartless. There are random, extraneous creatures thrown in that fight the heroes for no apparent reason. The heroes are always alternating between chasing and running from the bad guy. The cut scenes would be epic and nasty and they would always end with the bad guy slinking away off screen. The game maker has made the bad guy impossible to kill (but only because of the limitations within each of the heroes; not because he is immortal or anything) and increasingly evil. As he gets more evil, he becomes almost comical in the way his atrocities are portrayed. Need extra XP to level up before chasing after the bad guy again? You're in luck: there are side quests with characters who mean almost nothing, the adventures of these side quests instantly forgotten once our desired object is obtained. Doing this extends the play time of the video game for hours and hours. Or it just makes the book tedious and ridiculous.
August 23, 2011
Loved it... can't wait for the next installment.
September 29, 2021
Disappointed. This book takes place WAAAAY in the future from the 1st book so there was no connection to the characters of the first book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also, not a fan of second/third books in a series where it seems the entire book is just battle upon battle and all war. Missed the characters and compelling storyline of the first book. Big miss for me.
August 15, 2019
I never thought the King of Requium would fall! I cream wept with Lacrimoa, Agnus Dei
, Gloriea and Tyrea. I can hardly wait to see what happens next. I love this story and get lost in it's pages. Thank you!!
, Gloriea and Tyrea. I can hardly wait to see what happens next. I love this story and get lost in it's pages. Thank you!!
May 22, 2018
A continuation of the saga; a spellbinding read that's hard to put down.
January 11, 2019
Love this trilogy!!! On to the third :)
July 26, 2020
2.5/5 Stars
August 2, 2022
excellent book!! very unique
December 2, 2022
Same thing book after book. It’s like all he does is changes the names. Don’t waste your money on this
October 7, 2016
It took me two books to nail this down, but I think I've figured out what this series is missing. I see reviews throwing around a lack of character development, of attachment, but not a lot of "why" they feel this way.
There are no snippets. No moments. You don't get any "Cade really, really sucks at fishing" or "Fidelity doesn't like spicy food, which is hilarious, because dragon". I don't have any reason to differentiate one character from another, except that their dragon form has a different color. They all like the same people and hate the same people, and have the same end goal. I specifically had to pause at a few points to remember who was in love with whom, because I honestly couldn't remember why they were drawn to one another in the first place!
There are several battles in this book, but I can really feel the author realizing there are only so many ways to say "he opened his dragon mouth and blew dragon fire and the things burned." None of the overarching battle plans or specific character relative moments that really bring things to life. The fog of war comes through a bit too strongly, so we can't quite picture the scope of the battles.
Descriptions are repeated more than once, so the editor is certainly part of this - to a point. Knowing that a certain square is "large enough for an entire army to muster on" is a great description! The first time. Not the third.
The most interesting character (for me) is a character who is certifiably insane, simply because they prosper from the disjointed view of the reader. Unfortunately, the style makes everyone else seem a bit insane, too.
There are no snippets. No moments. You don't get any "Cade really, really sucks at fishing" or "Fidelity doesn't like spicy food, which is hilarious, because dragon". I don't have any reason to differentiate one character from another, except that their dragon form has a different color. They all like the same people and hate the same people, and have the same end goal. I specifically had to pause at a few points to remember who was in love with whom, because I honestly couldn't remember why they were drawn to one another in the first place!
There are several battles in this book, but I can really feel the author realizing there are only so many ways to say "he opened his dragon mouth and blew dragon fire and the things burned." None of the overarching battle plans or specific character relative moments that really bring things to life. The fog of war comes through a bit too strongly, so we can't quite picture the scope of the battles.
Descriptions are repeated more than once, so the editor is certainly part of this - to a point. Knowing that a certain square is "large enough for an entire army to muster on" is a great description! The first time. Not the third.
The most interesting character (for me) is a character who is certifiably insane, simply because they prosper from the disjointed view of the reader. Unfortunately, the style makes everyone else seem a bit insane, too.
January 14, 2012
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, so picking this one up was any easy choice, also considering the price. But I was a little apprehensive, since sequels regularly disappoint me. To my regret, the same was true for Tears of Requiem.
The novel picks up where Blood of Requiem left us, with the few surviving dragons/humans still hunted by their nemesis, and estranged family member, Dies Irae. A new group of antagonists, the nighshades, which are smoke-like, evil phantoms, team up with the mad king Dies Irea. At first they seem powerful and impossible to defeat. But as the story moves along, they are quite easy to trick and turn into some mindless, animal-like henchmen, I mean henchdemons. That was disappointing.
Unfortunately, an interesting world and interesting characters were not developed much further, and especially the characters fell a bit flat. The character development that was there was mainly tell instead of show, or some navel gazing that really did not resonate with me. A subplot which caused tension between one of the heroes, Kyrie, and two sisters, Agnus Dei and Gloriae had promise, but the execution faltered, IMO.
It's not all bad, though. Like Blood of Requiem, this novel is fast-paced and the writing is tight. A tight, but somewhat linear plot provided a few nice twists, and some details which appear to be foreshadowing for the next novel. It is still a smooth read, but just seems as if Daniel Arenson rushed to get this novel out there. It's a pity, because Arenson can do much better, as was clear from the first novel.
The novel picks up where Blood of Requiem left us, with the few surviving dragons/humans still hunted by their nemesis, and estranged family member, Dies Irae. A new group of antagonists, the nighshades, which are smoke-like, evil phantoms, team up with the mad king Dies Irea. At first they seem powerful and impossible to defeat. But as the story moves along, they are quite easy to trick and turn into some mindless, animal-like henchmen, I mean henchdemons. That was disappointing.
Unfortunately, an interesting world and interesting characters were not developed much further, and especially the characters fell a bit flat. The character development that was there was mainly tell instead of show, or some navel gazing that really did not resonate with me. A subplot which caused tension between one of the heroes, Kyrie, and two sisters, Agnus Dei and Gloriae had promise, but the execution faltered, IMO.
It's not all bad, though. Like Blood of Requiem, this novel is fast-paced and the writing is tight. A tight, but somewhat linear plot provided a few nice twists, and some details which appear to be foreshadowing for the next novel. It is still a smooth read, but just seems as if Daniel Arenson rushed to get this novel out there. It's a pity, because Arenson can do much better, as was clear from the first novel.
October 26, 2015
I'm hiding this review only for people who have not read the first book. No spoilers for this book in particular.
Premise: The second book of the Song of Dragons Trilogy, this book continues to follow Kyrie, Benedictus, Lacrimosa, and Agnus Dei. After Ben somehow makes the same mistake twice and fails to kill the big bad Dies Irae, the deadly Nightshades have been unleashed and now our heroes face an even more deadly threat. I was greatly intrigued by these shadowy beasts of horror and was very engaged by the plot. Unlike the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept me awake at night. I don't know what changed...but I like it.
Writing: The writing is the same as the last book. Vivid background imagery, weak fight scenes (compared to what I am used to). But it was easy to read, understand, and it was a very fast read. So in my book...all it needed to be.
Humor: Character dialogue...like the first book. The characters were just funny at times, but not often. There was a chuckle here and there, but a pretty dark book.
Characters: Now in my review of Blood of Requiem, I called the characters flat and shallow...able to be described with a few words. I don't know what changed really....whether they got deeper I am not sure but, somehow these characters finally captured my heart. That made this second book much more enjoyable then the first.
Journey: Easy journey, finished the book in less then two days. I liked it, despite its flaws, it was an enjoyable journey and I couldn't put it down for long.
Premise: The second book of the Song of Dragons Trilogy, this book continues to follow Kyrie, Benedictus, Lacrimosa, and Agnus Dei. After Ben somehow makes the same mistake twice and fails to kill the big bad Dies Irae, the deadly Nightshades have been unleashed and now our heroes face an even more deadly threat. I was greatly intrigued by these shadowy beasts of horror and was very engaged by the plot. Unlike the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept me awake at night. I don't know what changed...but I like it.
Writing: The writing is the same as the last book. Vivid background imagery, weak fight scenes (compared to what I am used to). But it was easy to read, understand, and it was a very fast read. So in my book...all it needed to be.
Humor: Character dialogue...like the first book. The characters were just funny at times, but not often. There was a chuckle here and there, but a pretty dark book.
Characters: Now in my review of Blood of Requiem, I called the characters flat and shallow...able to be described with a few words. I don't know what changed really....whether they got deeper I am not sure but, somehow these characters finally captured my heart. That made this second book much more enjoyable then the first.
Journey: Easy journey, finished the book in less then two days. I liked it, despite its flaws, it was an enjoyable journey and I couldn't put it down for long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2011
This is book two in the Song of Dragons series. I have to say that it doesn't disappoint. If anything, it only gets better.
At the end of the first book, Blood of Requiem, I was left with some questions and uncertainties. I won't get into details because I don't want to spoil book one for anybody. I will say that the main nemesis is ultimately the same but with different, not to mention stronger and creepier, allies.
Dies Irae returns as the main force trying to extinguish the last reminaing Vir Requis once and for all. To do this, he enlists the help of some truly terrible creatures and in the process becomes something less than human himself.
The action and tension are non-stop almost from the first page. The Vir Requis are forced to run and hide to save their souls from being shattered. They have met their match in the Nightshades and must seek forgiveness and help from their past enemies.
As far as romance goes, I was thrown some great surprises. Kyrie and Agnus Dei have their love tested by distance, hardship and outside forces. They have a fiery relationship to begin with, and it just gets more complicated as a result of their trials.
A satisfying follow up, Tears of Requiem kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the good guys.
At the end of the first book, Blood of Requiem, I was left with some questions and uncertainties. I won't get into details because I don't want to spoil book one for anybody. I will say that the main nemesis is ultimately the same but with different, not to mention stronger and creepier, allies.
Dies Irae returns as the main force trying to extinguish the last reminaing Vir Requis once and for all. To do this, he enlists the help of some truly terrible creatures and in the process becomes something less than human himself.
The action and tension are non-stop almost from the first page. The Vir Requis are forced to run and hide to save their souls from being shattered. They have met their match in the Nightshades and must seek forgiveness and help from their past enemies.
As far as romance goes, I was thrown some great surprises. Kyrie and Agnus Dei have their love tested by distance, hardship and outside forces. They have a fiery relationship to begin with, and it just gets more complicated as a result of their trials.
A satisfying follow up, Tears of Requiem kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for the good guys.
October 19, 2013
I saw the rating for the second book in the trilogy was higher than the first, so I was hopeful that it'd be somewhat after...after all, I was going in with such low expectations that it couldn't get much worse, right??
WELL, I WAS WRONG. I stand corrected.
Plotlines and characters continue to be flat, but
Out of curiosity, I read the description for the third book, and oh boy, there's no way on earth I am touching that. I am officially done with the Song of Dragons trilogy.
WELL, I WAS WRONG. I stand corrected.
Plotlines and characters continue to be flat, but
Out of curiosity, I read the description for the third book, and oh boy, there's no way on earth I am touching that. I am officially done with the Song of Dragons trilogy.
December 27, 2013
The story of Requiem continues in book two of the Song Dragons Trilogy, Tears of Requiem. I did not enjoy this one as much as I did the first book in the trilogy. There were still some epic fights and interesting play between the characters, but I didn't feel like the story really progressed. It was almost like reading the first book over again, in a bad sort of way.
I still love the shape-shifting dragons and I still really like the characters, except I didn't like the turn the character of Dies Irae made. It lessened his appeal as a villain, in my opinion.
It's still a good book, but after liking the first one so much, I couldn't help but be disappointed. I've already begun reading the final book and I can only hope it better lives up to the potential of the first book, which Tears of Requiem failed to meet.
I still love the shape-shifting dragons and I still really like the characters, except I didn't like the turn the character of Dies Irae made. It lessened his appeal as a villain, in my opinion.
It's still a good book, but after liking the first one so much, I couldn't help but be disappointed. I've already begun reading the final book and I can only hope it better lives up to the potential of the first book, which Tears of Requiem failed to meet.
November 16, 2012
I'm so sad it's over :( I want to know what continues to happen in the story but I also want the books to last forever. I want to get lost in the world of Requiem and Osanna. It's that good.
But, since all good things don't last forever, I have finished Tears of Requiem and I loved it. The action was non-stop. The characters continued to be enthralling. The new adventures continued to be surprising with new twists and turns at every corner.
The book is well written and makes sense. I love reading from all the characters perspectives rather then only hearing the story from one of them's perspective.
Well, that's all I'm gonna write for now because I gotta get back to reading Light of Requiem! The adventure continues!!
But, since all good things don't last forever, I have finished Tears of Requiem and I loved it. The action was non-stop. The characters continued to be enthralling. The new adventures continued to be surprising with new twists and turns at every corner.
The book is well written and makes sense. I love reading from all the characters perspectives rather then only hearing the story from one of them's perspective.
Well, that's all I'm gonna write for now because I gotta get back to reading Light of Requiem! The adventure continues!!
July 22, 2015
I enjoyed this book slightly more than the first, but unfortunately I had difficulty getting into it for the same reasons. I couldn't find much depth in the plot, the characters or the dialogue.
Any character growth or development seemed to happen sort of magically, without any basis in reasoning or plot-based events. The characters continue to really enjoy narrating their thoughts out loud, to the point where it's kind of ridiculous. The dialogue and actions are impetuous and child-like from each and every character, giving the book a homogeneous voice that doesn't change much from one POV to the next.
Nevertheless, it's a quick read and I'm already well on my way into the third book of the series.
Any character growth or development seemed to happen sort of magically, without any basis in reasoning or plot-based events. The characters continue to really enjoy narrating their thoughts out loud, to the point where it's kind of ridiculous. The dialogue and actions are impetuous and child-like from each and every character, giving the book a homogeneous voice that doesn't change much from one POV to the next.
Nevertheless, it's a quick read and I'm already well on my way into the third book of the series.
January 19, 2012
A good follow up to the first book of the series ... the plot line was okay, but somewhat unbelievable because of the condition of the villian from book one to book two.
If the villian was handled different the book would have scored much higher for me.
Still overall a very good read for this type of genre.
If the villian was handled different the book would have scored much higher for me.
Still overall a very good read for this type of genre.
March 2, 2012
It seems that I give a lot of 4 stars, but it's been a while since I've.read a book that was so good that it deserved 5. This one was no exception. I did like it more than the first book, Blood Of Requiem though. There wasn't quite as much anger in this book. It does seem like it is going to be difficult for the Vir Requiem to rebuild their race. I hope the next book addresses that issue more.
January 11, 2015
Just an okay book. I got bored with it & stopped halfway through. It's just the same thing over & over again - bad guy catches up when them, wounds them, they get away, bad guy catches up with them again, etc. The characters aren't very deeply developed, and the names seem like they were purposely made pretentious. I don't think I will be coming back to this series to finish it.
January 5, 2014
This book was better than the first! It had way more action, drama, and I ended up shedding a few tears. The fact that it is not made clear if the antagonist died has me anxious to read the final installment of the trilogy. Of course I know he can't be dead or there would be no war spilling over into the last book but, none the less I can't wait to get started.
August 19, 2013
Well book two continues the story, and what a story of despair, love and courage. How the characters survive I don't know. So many die so you can't be squeamish if you read this. The horror the author unleashes on the reader is very vivid.
I'm not sure I like so much death ...but I must read the last book !
So very well written and edited.
thanks daniel
I'm not sure I like so much death ...but I must read the last book !
So very well written and edited.
thanks daniel
August 4, 2016
Dies Irae has serious issues, and I cannot say that Black Fang is any better. They equally killed the Vir Requis. Plus there is soo much wrong with Dies Irae that I have a hard time taking the entire plot seriously.
Kyrie and Agnus Dei are decent characters. I feel sorry for Lacrimosa, and I cannot easily stomach Gloriae.
Kyrie and Agnus Dei are decent characters. I feel sorry for Lacrimosa, and I cannot easily stomach Gloriae.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2021
I think Arensen made noteworthy improvements in his writing between books. The characters felt more nuanced. The writing choices felt less cliche and shallow. The story felt more planned and the world more vivid.
Especially the history of Requiem and our main cast, this book felt overall improved.
Especially the history of Requiem and our main cast, this book felt overall improved.
May 27, 2013
I really enjoyed this, the 2nd book in Daniel Arenson's Songs of Dragons series. A bit of the dialogue seemed out of place but not enough to stop me from finishing the book. Face it, by that time, I was too hooked to stop reading. And, yes, I'm giving it four stars, it really was that good.
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