The Boy Who Wept Blood (The Erebus Sequence) by Den Patrick (29-Jan-2015) Paperback

Erebus Sequence #2

by Den Patrick

A gripping new high fantasy set in the Gormenghast-like castle of Demesne, from the author of the acclaimed THE BOY WITH THE PORCELAIN BLADE.With his rich evocation of the Italian Renaissance-like realm of Landfall, his uniquely appealing way with flawed yet empathic characters and his ability to write gripping scenes of both action and subterfuge, Den Patrick has already established himself as a new favourite for fans of Scott Lynch and Robin Hobb alike.Ten years have passed since the disappearence of Lucien and his protege, the young swordsman Dino, is struggling to live up to Lucien's legacy. Sworn to protect the silent queen Anea as she struggles to bring a new democracy to Demesne, Dino finds himself drawn into a deadly game of political intrigue as the aristocratic families of Landfall conspire to protect their privilege. Always ready to prove himself as a swordsman Dino is anguished to discover that in order to fulfil his vow he must become both spy and assassion.And all the while the dark secret at the heart of Demesne is growing towards fulfilment.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT

Paperback

First published January 29, 2015

About the author

Den Patrick is originally from Dorset and lives in London. His first three books for Gollancz, the War Fighting Manuals, were released in the autumn of 2013.
The Boy with the Porcelain Blade was nominated for the British Fantasy Newcomer award and forms the first book in the The Erebus Sequence. The Boy Who Wept Blood and The Girl on the Liar's Throne complete this trilogy of Gothic Fantasy books, described by Jen Williams as "Gormenghast meets the X-men".

2018 sees the start of a new series, The Ashen Torment, which kicks off with Witchsign on May 24th, a crossover Fantasy set in a Nordic and Russian inspired world of forbidden magic and imperial tyranny.

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

With courtly intrigue, assassinations, and a growing darkness, The Boy Who Wept Blood is an entertaining read that builds upon the best elements of The Boy With the Porcelain Blade.

Lucien's legacy lives on in his protege Dino. But ten years have passed since Lucian disappeared, and Dino is struggling to live up to his legacy. Sworn to protect Anea as she struggles to bring reform to Demesne, Dino finds himself drawn into a dangerous game where he must become both spy and assassin in order to fulfil his vow.

And all the while the darkness at the heart of Demesne is growing towards fulfilment.

Patrick has again weaved his magic and crafted a fascinating story of intrigue, betrayal, and mystery. I love the world he has created and expanded upon in this book, with its renaissance like facets and similarities. One of the criticisms I had with the first book in this series was that Patrick did not explain or show enough of the world outside of Demesne for my liking. In the Boy Who Wept Blood Patrick this has been improved upon, and whilst I still have many, many questions I felt comfortable with the information revealed in this book.

Dino, the main protagonist, was both interesting and frustrating at the same time. Patrick traditionally has written very character focused stories, and this is again the case in The Boy Who Wept Blood. We witness all of the momentous events unfold mainly through his eyes and thoughts, and the reader is carried along by his role in the plot. I did enjoy how Dino evolved from the start of the story to the end, and I found his idiosyncrasies both charming and compelling. I did however find some of his choices and decision making confusing at times, and at odds with how I thought he should have reacted.

The cast of supporting characters, like in The Boy With The Porcelain Blade, were rich, vivid, and well executed. Anae again is compulsively thrilling and mysterious, and I found Stephania's rise politically and emotionally very riveting. I did find myself yearning for Lucien, the main protagonist from The Boy With The Porcelain Blade, halfway through as I felt the story slow down and lull. However I read on, and was rewarded when things improved dramatically in the final third as the dark events surrounding Erebus unfolded.

The action, political machinations, and intrigue in The Boy Who Wept Blood were again, like in The Boy With The Porcelain Blade, top notch. Duels, betrayals, and unrest are littered throughout the story. In fact one of the highlights of this book was Patrick's ability to enthral me during those scenes. I literally felt like I was there, witnessing events, tasting the coppery tang of blood on the air and smelling the tense sweat clinging to people as the Houses warred and conspired against each other.

Finally, one criticism I do have with The Boy Who Wept Blood is the ending. It does leave things wonderfully open for the next book, but I just felt a little deflated by it even though Lucien does return. I expected more based on the lead up to it and the the reveal of Erebus.

All in all The Boy Who Wept Blood was a very enjoyable, character-driven fantasy with intriguing mystery and cracking action. If you are a fan of Scott Lynch, or just fantasy in general, then you should check this book out!

4 out of 5 stars.

smashdragons.blogspot.com.au

A review copy was provided.

[Hailee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this second volume, ten years have gone by since the villainous King of Demesne was killed, his cruel scheme to create mutants with special abilities by breeding from kidnapped women was uncovered, and Lucien, one of the Orfano, the successful children of that experiment, departed to set up a new kingdom in San Marino. His sister Anea, now called the Silent Queen, although she is working to turn Demesne and the new town built around it into a republic, is the ruler and has made things better for the ordinary folk who now have the status of citizens. Their younger brother Dino, now 22 years old, is nominally in charge of training the sons of the nobility in swordplay. In reality though he is having to neglect his duties in favour of guarding Anea against assassination attempts, and the story begins with one of those which he has to foil.

The nobles continue to scheme, with some of their houses backing Anea but others working against her. Anea, meanwhile, neglects her role in favour of working with the king's machines and making discoveries, helped by a scientist. Her deputy the Domina Russo - in book 1, one of the "good guys" but in this volume developing her own dark agenda - increasingly takes command and makes decisions which ultimately work against the citizenry. Dino, trying to protect his sister, is drawn into activities which lead him troubled and conscience stricken, and he also wrestles with his sexuality, since being gay is, at minimum, cause for being driven out of town. Starting with a plague of ants, enemies multiply thick and fast and he is ultimately faced with the loss of many dear to him, with disillusionment and death encircling him.

This book has a more straightforward structure than the first in that most of it is set in the present with only some chapters being flashbacks - though it is necessary to note the year at the top of each chapter to avoid being confused. Some of the events of the intervening ten years are shown that way, including a war against a force in the forest - many of Demesne died and it isn't clear who the war was against, or whether it has anything to do with the current burgeoning threat, but it is still highly dangerous to try to traverse the forest which - this point wasn't quite clear - might lie between Demesne and Lucien's kingdom.

I liked the continuing Renaissance italy feel of Demesne and the continuing presence of Dion's pet drake - like a small non-fire-breathing dragon. Dino himself is a sympathetic character despite his occasional frailities which are due to being a young man who has had to grown up too fast and never had a proper home life, and it was interesting to see him at this later stage of his life having liked him as a "mini me" of Lucien in book 1. So I found his fate at the end of this volume very sad.

Some shocking revelations are made about some of the characters especially Russo and Anea. Sadly many of the "good guys" become casualties and things look very dark by the end. One oddity is that the ant plague which seems to have great significance in the early part of the story isn't resolved, but just fizzles out. I understand that they prefigure the plague of raiders/Myrmidons who take their place, but as it is revealed late on in the story where those come from and they are not literally transformed ants, the ant theme is a bit inconclusive. Because of this and some of the other unclear points, I can't quite award this 5 stars, but instead a well deserved 4.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Den Patrick’s done it again.

The Boy With The Porcelain Blade was one of my favourite fantasy books of last year, and for very good reasons. Following this, The Boy Who Wept Blood had quite a lot to live up to. Having now read it, I can say this much – it doesn’t live up to the first book in this series. It surpasses it.

The damn thing made me cry, people.

In a well-played switch of character POV, there is (mostly) no sign of Lucien this time around. Instead, as the title and the synopsis suggest, this story belongs to Dino, who was just a boy the last time we saw him. Here, he’s doing a lot of growing up. This means having to deal with a lot of what Lucien had to, in a way. As Demesne’s new master swordsman and bodyguard to its new queen (Araneae/Anea), he has a great deal of responsibility. It also means he’s got a whole world of problems, as indicated by the scene upon which the book opens – someone’s trying to kill her. Cue swordfighting and snark – two of my favourite things, and written here delightfully well. As standards set for the rest of the book go, this is a pretty good one, and it only gets better.

In other less swordfighty areas, the kind of growing up that Dino has to do involves, shall we say, appropriately adult activities, and this is where the real emotional punch of this story swings from. I can’t and indeed won’t give too much away there, but the matter of Dino’s struggles with self-belief and the unavoidable nature of his feelings for a certain someone (I will leave the name out lest I get spoilery) is handled in a way that’s both frank with the facts, yet carefully, thoughtfully done. It’s a hit for me, and an important one, so well done there. (That said, I suspect it’s going to be a good long while before I can look at roses without getting teary-eyed.)

I mentioned that Lucien is largely absent from this chapter of the tale, and while this is true, I find it intriguing to think that he still maintains a sort of presence in Demesne. For much of this book, as with the first, his importance in Dino’s life is undeniable. He may not be there to be looked up to anymore, but nonetheless he permeates the book as a ghost of sorts. He might have gotten out of the hell he grew up in, but I spent much of this book suspecting that there were some people he left behind who still consider him (and what he did) to be dangerous, even as Dino still admires him. It was interesting food for thought, even if it’s only on my own part…

But, we were talking about Dino, weren’t we? As with the previous book, there is not much here to be happy about, generally speaking. There is still plenty of danger lurking, and nobody is safe from it. This is an idea that Den Patrick apparently takes quite seriously, and while it’s one that can turn me off if it’s overused (looking at you, Game of Thrones), it’s also one that I find immensely satisfying when it’s done right, and by that I mean remembering that little thing called balance. There might not be a happy ending, exactly, but there is always hope.

I might be emotionally ruined, but damn it, I’m still hooked. Maybe February is early days for saying this, but to hell with it. I just found one of my favourite fantasy books of 2015.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ten years have passed since the events in The Boy With The Porcelain Blade, and Demense is now ruled by Anea. She has promised to replace the old regime with a fairer society, hoping to ultimately create a republic where there is less of a gap between the classes. Everything should be happy endings and golden sunsets, but sadly that is not the case. There is still something rotten in the state of Landfall, and it has fallen to Dino to uncover the depth of this conspiracy.

I think I’ve warmed to Dino far more than I ever did with Lucien. The internal conflict that plagues Dino makes him feel that much more fleshed out and better realised as a character. Heroes are all well and good, but a flawed hero, one beset with doubts and inner turmoil is the literary equivalent of crack for me. Though a decade has passed, Dino is still just a young man. He is still trying to understand where he fits in the world, at times his feelings of uncertainty feel palpable. The plot allows for time to explore this part of his journey and I think it makes for a better story because of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed The Boy With The Porcelain Blade a great deal, but The Boy Who Wept Blood is better. When I’m reading a book I want to get caught up in the story, I want to see characters grow within the confines of the narrative. The relationships between Dino, his friends and also his enemies are so well executed. The reactions that characters have to events is a perfect example of this. Capturing the delicate subtleties of genuine emotion in fiction seems to me to be the trickiest of tasks but damn him, Den Patrick makes it looks easy. There is a standout moment where a terrible event occurs, and tonally it’s bang on the money. The character interplay and emotional fallout from this one scene are pitched perfectly. I think I may have even gasped out loud. Take it from me, it’s impressive stuff whenever a writer manages to make me exclaim aloud.

Elsewhere, I found the evolution of the relationship between Dino and Anea particularly interesting. They have grown up together, but circumstance and duty have forced them down two entirely different roads. Watching how their attitudes and interactions with one another develop and change makes for riveting reading, made all the more impressive by the fact that Anea never utters a word.

Though Patrick gives the reader plenty to ponder when it comes to his characters, their motivations and their various schemes; don’t be fooled. This isn’t an entirely cerebral affair. There are plenty of action scenes and more sword fights than you could shake a sharp pointy stick at. I envisaged this book, and its predecessor, to have an air of the Musketeers about it. More fantastical in nature, but with lots of swashbuckling action to enjoy and plenty of political machinations to go along with them.

The old axiom power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely couldn’t be more appropriate when it comes to Landfall. The lords and ladies are a pretty corrupt bunch and they continue to try and out flank one another to gain political favour at every turn. Loathsome as they may be they are fascinating to watch. Like a never ending game of chess there is move and counter move, feint and counter feint. Some characters fall to the lure of power and it’s trapping while others make good their escape. Finally the shadowy power that has been working behind the scenes makes their presence known. In the midst of this all this skulduggery and backstabbing, Dino must try not only to survive but also to retain his humanity.

There is something wonderfully evocative about Landfall and more specifically Demense. Using his descriptive mojo Patrick paints an opulent tapestry to describe the lush surroundings. Grand rooms and exotic fashions help to bring the locations and characters to life. It also deftly highlights the social injustices that exist within this corrupted society. Those who are born into one of the ruling families are blessed with a lavish lifestyle while the common folk have to work hard for everything they own. The discrepancies between the two are noticeable the further into the tale you read. I always enjoy when an author takes an opportunity like this to consider every facet of a world they have built.

The book ends on a bittersweet note that sets things up for what I expect to be a truly memorable finale in book three. With this novel, Patrick firmly establishes his well-deserved place as part of new breed of UK based fantasy authors. If he keeps on producing output like this it won’t be long before reviewers will be using terms like ‘unmissable’ and ‘classic’ to describe his work.

[Booksendcoffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started out pretty mundane but further on it bacame interesting, with cunning plot twist! Leaving me wanting to read more from Den Patrick!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Book Two of The Erebus Sequence we return to the world of Landfall and the castle of Demesne. Nine years after the events of The Boy With A Porcelain Blade we are a wiser reader, now knowing that the King’s reign was a time of horror and almost mystical wonders. Lucien, the ‘Boy’ (or Orfano) of the first book has retired in solitude to San Marino. After the terrors of her father’s reign, his sister Anea, The Silent Queen, seems determined to bring in a new era of enlightenment, with rights, education and emancipation for the lower classes – something the aristocratic ruling hierarchy are horrified by.

The Boy Who Wept Blood however is mainly focused on the actions of one person – Anea and Lucien’s half-brother, Dino, the boy with chitinous tines on his forearms and who, as the title of the novel would suggest, bleeds when drawn to tears. Acting as bodyguard to his half-sister, this world of Demesne is both dangerous and exciting. There are regular attempts on Anea and Dino’s life by the frightened populace – both the various Houses now jockeying for political position and the equally unsettled general population. To add to this upheaval there is the rise of a new religion amongst the people – The Cult of Santa Maria – which has led to travelling disciples and civil unrest among the masses.

As the plot develops, Dino finds himself involved in court intrigue and subterfuge. Acting as both bodyguard and assassin, Dino’s life becomes increasingly complex trying to satisfy the many demands made upon him. He finds himself having to make ever more difficult choices, often with things he disagrees with.

And at the same time, Anea’s research into her father’s ancient technology suggests that there are older and darker forces at work.

The Boy Who Wept Blood still has that wonderful sense of world-building we encountered in the first book. Demesne is an amalgamation of some kind of baroque, Renaissance-like Gormenghast, combining the weirdness of Mervyn Peake with the science-fantasy of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth, not to mention a touch of Scott Lynch’s Locke Lamora, with its strange places and unusual Italian-esque names. These can take a little while to get used to, but create that sense of ‘somewhere different’ wonderfully.

But what wins mostly is the sympathy that Den creates for his characters. Dino in particular is a pleasingly well-developed character, and much of the book is about him dealing with the subterfuge and danger of daily life. Dino finds himself acting as bodyguard, court commentator and spy, dealing with betrayal and murder whilst simultaneously coming to terms with his own sexuality. In comparison with Lucien, Dino is a more approachable and social character, although he does not find being placed centre-stage easy.

It is a time of change in Demesne, and The Boy Who Wept Blood reflects this. The overall tone of the book is rather akin to imagining the 18th century French Revolution in Renaissance Italy, which sounds odd. But it works.

The supporting cast help fill out the environment nicely. Dino’s friend Massimo is a loyal ally, in a world where friends are rare. Each House has its own identity and its share of unusual characters. In particular, the Duke and Duchess of Fontein House and Duchess Salvaza Prospero (formerly of Fontein House) are advocates of inertia, seeing Dino and Anea as threats to the establishment and Dino discovers that rapidly to his cost. The plot twists and turns created by their combined interactions, some of which are logical, others you will not expect, are what make this novel exciting.

If The Boy with the Porcelain Blade introduced us to the world of Landfall, The Boy Who Wept Blood adds detail, texture and colour. This is a bigger and more ambitious book than Porcelain Blade and one with enough development to keep fans of the first book very happy. I would recommend that you read The Boy with the Porcelain Blade first, but you should be able to pick this one up without too much trouble.

In summary, The Boy Who Wept Blood is a book that you can revel in. I was most impressed by the book’s gothic-ness, its secure world-building and deft characterisation – The Boy Who Wept Blood is an exciting page turner that didn’t disappoint.

[Caroline Mersey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Power corrupts, dehumanises and desensitises. That's the unequivocal message behind Den Patrick's second novel in the Erebus sequence.

Picking up ten years after the events of Porcelain Blade, we see Demesne on the road to becoming a republic. That journey is as tough as you would expect, when the interests of inherited wealth and power are as entrenched as this, but Patrick goes beyond this by showing how even those with the best of intentions are corrupted by power. There are two powerful metaphors for this: the tinctura that prolongs life and health, but removes empathy and connection to others, and the physical corruption of Erebus himself. There are shades of the Russian revolution and spying and assassination leaves the main character, Dino, feeling grubby. So often these activities are framed as being exciting and the impact of them on personal trust isn't felt.

Add to all this a sensitively treated sub-plot about bigotry and the suppression of diversity, and this is a compelling and confident second novel.

Patrick's books continue to run heavily counter to the received conservative view of fantasy and he uses them to pass comment on the genre itself as well as our own society. For me, that makes them highly fresh and interesting and a cut above some of the other work out there at the moment.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Den Patrick keeps us in the Demense for all but the last couple of chapters with the main storyline taking place ten years after Lucien's departure. Dino is protecting Anea as she tries to implement a republic much to the chagrin of the nobilisi.

I enjoyed Dino being the main focus of this book and his character development is really interesting. However the continued use of flashback chapters was a distraction. What worked well in The Boy with the Porcelain Blade seemed rather tired and unnecessary here. In fact that's the sole reason my rating is 3 instead of 4 stars. The story itself is very engaging and I'm still interested in the world. Instead of telling the story in a linear fashion, from Lucien's departure, Den Patrick chose to use the device he used so well in the first book. Aside from being unnecessary it was also inconsistently applied. I'll leave off complaining about it though as it's one flaw in an otherwise good book.

I'm not a fan of Anea's path and it seems out of character to me but it is well written and makes for a good background for Dino's story. I think that the missing piece, at least for me, is that there's never really any explanation of the initial Erebus contact for Anea and that seems a rather necessary point to have left out.

Aside from those minor quibbles this a decent second book in the series. It's not as strong as the first book but it doesn't have to be. Dino works as protagonist and Erebus works as a villain. The plotting of the nobilisi being a thorn in the side of both Anea and Erebus excels at setting the scene for what eventually comes to pass. And like the first book this one turns on the same spindles of politics, intrigue, and revenge. Don't jump in here, this is not a series one can read out of order but it is worth your time.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was definitely a more exciting plot than I thought it would be. The political intrigue caught my interest, and Dino's character was sympathetic and layered at times. I like how we see more of the society and it's darker side, such as the way people discriminated against others for just being who they are.

I do wish the humour was either done a little differently or not done at all, as it could feel forced at times and really pushed me out of the narrative. Like with the first book in the series, I struggled to visualise the setting and the many characters/houses was too much for me to follow deeply enough to stay engaged. I also wish the back and forth timelines didn't happen, but I've never liked that technique in any work to be fair.

I liked the friendships between Dino, Stephania, Nardo and Massimo, and I wish we could have delved into those a bit more instead of reading chapters that didn't dnt seem that important to the plot. Some beautiful imagery and wording can be found throughout this novel, but unfortunately the effect is lost once you notice all the typos, missing quote marks and missing words.

[NarniaGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received through GoodReads First Read for reviewing - thank you.

I enjoyed this despite not having read the first volume. It took a while to get used to the style and the Mediterranean background because of the first names. I did have to refer to the guide of the Houses at the beginning of the book but one minor problem was that some characters had similar names so I got a bit confused as to who was who. Not helped by calling someone by their given name one minute but the next using their title, so I was really lost at times.

I would have liked there to be a little more urgency, the plot a little tighter. Things just happened, without relation to other events - or maybe that was just how I read it. Dino rarely seems at risk despite being assassin, spy and bodyguard. I wasn't too keen on the jumping back and forth in time as I kept losing track of how old Dino was and thinking 14 was terribly young to be an assassin!

That said I enjoyed the book enough to go and buy vols 1 & 3. The characterisation was strong and it was immensely readable. A book I would read again.

[Katrina Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is surprisingly powerful. The themes it dives into and the ones it brushes past are all emotive and thought provoking.

It's much darker than the first book and has a lot more depth.

I really enjoyed the slower pace (although this may have been me reading it over a longer period rather than the pace of the writing) and the political machinations were suitably fiendish and twisty.

The plot seems straight forward on the surface but in reality it is anything but and I'm desperate to get on to book three and see where it goes.

The characters are wonderfully written, flawed and lifelike.

To me this feels a little bit more grown up than the boy with the porcelain blade and it really works.

The ending is unexpected and inevitable and really punched me in the feels.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second in the series - they must be read in sequence - Dino has been developed nicely and the prose rolls along at a good lick. New characters and a few from the first book feature giving a feeling of development - 10 years have passed since the first book ended.
Den Patrick has his own style even though people compare the books to Locke Lamora etc. I am interested to see if the next one develops a bit outside of Demesne and into the rest of the world.

[Moonsong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rating should be 2.5 stars but since that's not possible - 3 it is. Better than the first book but not by much. Still utterly predictable with interchangable characters and no world building to speak of. At least this one is LGBTQ+ friendly and the main character is less of a bumbling idiot than the one in the first book.

Not interested enough to read the third novel.

[Ivailo Lyubenov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better and cleaner writing than book#1.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Clayton Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is pointless and unecessary. After the first book the story had nowhere to go and so the writer seems to have just decided to milk the first book as much as he can. Even to the extent of resurrecting (literally) the villain from the first book and coming up with a silly reason why the queen has turned bad. Don't waste your time on this.

[Richard Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boy Who Wept Blood is the second book in the author’s Erebus Sequence. Though it is not a direct sequel to The Boy With The Porcelain Blade published last year, as it does not follow that book’s protagonist Lucien or his storyline. Instead it is set ten years later, but in the same world of Landfall, an Italianate secondary world of intrigues, infidelities and rapier-like wit. And actual rapiers. Lots of rapiers. Though it is no doubt of benefit to have read the first book, it is by no means essential to fully enjoying this one.

Most of the action takes place in and around Demesne, a vast castle-like conglomeration of Houses of the nobili, the noble families, reminiscent of Gormenghast in its labyrinthine structure and claustrophobic atmosphere. The story follows Dino, the brother of, and bodyguard too, the queen. Both of them are orphani, the collective name given to individuals with certain physical anomalies whom are both revered and reviled within society. Dino, for example, weeps blood (as well as having a conspicuous disfigurement); this really represents the primary fantasy element in the setting—there is rumour of sorcery, and superstition and myth about but they never become explicitly manifest; for the most part the book remains low-fantasy.

The physical differences of the orphani (we learn that Lucien was also one) stand as a metaphor for othereness, a recurring theme which plays out across social class, gender and sexuality. This is utilized to give characters distinct perspectives and motivations and drives the subtext of the book.
Conflict in ever-present in Demesne as a consequence of feuds, espionage and between the nobility with death never more than a silent stiletto away. Dino is maestro superiore di spada, the master-at-arms, as well as being a useful spy (and later, assassin), and his skills are in both demand and a source of contention amongst the noble families. He is an engaging and sympathetic figure, torn between duty and desire and caught up within the Machiavellian machinations of a court society in which trust is a scarce commodity and alliances are fragile at best.

Stylistically the book is well-balanced between lush sensory descriptions of place and person (the details of clothing are particularly well-tailored) and taut, economic writing in the action sequences. The dialogue is crisp and acerbic and the characterization displays much nicely textured writing: specifically, Dino’s internal struggle is depicted with sensitivity but does not shy away from rawness of emotion when required. This book has style!

Throughout, the plot moves with pace and purpose; although intricate it is not so complex it becomes onerous to keep up. The twists are effective and several red herrings do their job, leading to a left-field denouement; if there is a slight quibble it is that the bizarreness of that climax struck a different chord to the rest of the book, bringing in a more high-fantasy tone, but it was compelling nonetheless. The book concludes with a muted coda, suggesting there is another entry in the Erebus sequence yet to come. Fingers (and blades) crossed for a return to Landfall in the future.

[Andrew Knighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

BWWBIt's a great pleasure when a sequel is better than its predecessor. Sometimes that comes from the ability to build upon the previous story, adding depth and saving time on exposition. Sometimes it comes from a writer improving their craft. In The Boy Who Wept Blood, the second book in Den Patrick's Erebus Sequence, it seems to come from both.

The Boy Who Wept Blood picks up ten years after where The Boy With the Porcelain Blade left off. Much has changed in Landfall, a fantasy world with an implied science fiction backstory. Much has stayed the same. The noble families of Demesne are still plotting against each other in a series of arcane intrigues. The Orfani, unusual offspring of this gothic palace's past, are still the tools, targets, and victims of the schemes. Social divisions continue to plague society.

Yet the events of the previous book have brought a wave of change - political, social and religious. Trying to protect the people he loves, master swordsman Dino attempts to ride out the slow building tsunami. Caught in a web of manipulations and lies, he risks being used by those causing the problem. Can he take control and save the situation, or will he be swept away by it?

The questions of class prevalent in the first book return, joined by a new emphasis on sexuality. This isn't to say that the book is full of steamy scenes, but rather that it explores how rules restricting human sexuality can mess people up. Characters struggle with love in a world of political marriages, with being gay in a homophobic society, with understanding their own desires when people's actions and their intentions seldom match and social pressures prevent them from even thinking the truth. This is beautifully executed, using power, subtlety, and an idealism that still acknowledges how unpleasant the world can be. It's fantasy exploring the real problems of society, not just escaping them, and that's something I like.

The story doesn't stop for these big questions but weaves them into its tapestry. There are plots and fights and all that adventure. But if you want to stop and think, there's something of substance too.

Splendid stuff.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of The Boy Who Wept Blood
By Den Patrick.

I received this book as a Giveaway from Goodreads.
This book is a sequel to The Boy with the Porcelain Blade and is set 10 years on from that book. The king is dead and Demense is now ruled by Queen Anea who desires to establish a republic and create a much fairer society closing the gap between rich and poor. Dino is now Demenses new Master Swordsman and the Queens bodyguard.
The story begins dramatically with an attempt on the queens life and continues at pace, hardly pausing for breath, holding the interest of the reader and keeping the pages turning. The interplay between the characters is impressive, written by someone who really understands people and what makes them behave as they do. The authenticity just shines through. This book works on several levels. If you like a lot of drama and action there is plenty. The political machinations and manoeuvering are impressive as the characters, continually try to out-do each other as they strive for power. Some handle things well and some don’t and it isn’t easy to predict which will be which.
The story has many layers to it and the deeper the reader looks the more is found. In essence the more you put into this book in terms of thinking about its themes the more you will get out of the book. The differences in the society between the ruling elite and the common people is clearly illustrated. As the queen tries to improve the lives of the lower classes the aristocracy are horrified by it and fight to retain the status quo. Along with this is the rise of a new religion among the people and simmering civil unrest.
While it would be helpful to have read the first book it is not necessary in order to follow the story. This book will consolidate the author’s fans from his previous book and generate many more fans who will be eagerly awaiting the next one. A very, very good read from start to finish.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting story with some good intrigue. 10 years after the first book in the trilogy we see some of the fallout--Lucien has left Desmesne and started a new town; Dino now takes center stage. He makes a good main character. He is competent and working hard to unravel the machinations of someone's plan to bring down and take control of the castle and its people.

Dino deals with a few different conflicts in terms of his loyalty and figuring out who he is. It provided a different perspective than what I am used to in most of what I read. This book also broadens the scope of the trilogy a bit, and I'm curious to see where it goes.

Rating: R, for strong language (f-words), action violence, and a scene of sexuality.

***SPOILERY THOUGHTS***
I was ok with the fact that Massimo died before he and Dino could hook up. A lot of that was feeling awkward, and felt like it was more focused on than a traditional hetero relationship.

Turns out the Majordomo isn't dead (shock!) and now he somehow morphed himself into a part ant like the old King was part spider. How did he do this? As Erebus, he is pulling lots of strings and I'm not fully sure what his endgame is.

Sad that Dino died so that Stephania could escape. I did like their friendship a lot, and it was fitting that he went out in a blaze of glory.

Anea and Virmyre have been working with the King's machines, which it turns out seem more like sci-fi type things. This wasn't really hinted at in the first book, so I'm curious to see what comes of it. And what's in the black coffin things down below the city, with all the legs? What other machines are there? Will we get more of the actual backstory of Desmesne?

I had a hard time seeing the changes in Anea, and was happy once I started the next book to see that it wasn't actually her, that she had been replaced. I look forward to seeing her get her revenge.

[Dakini K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Den Patrick utilises the strengths of "the Boy With the Porcelain Blade" and abandons the mechanisms that detracted from his work. The political plots and intrigue, mystery and horror remain within the framework of his gritty yet beautiful literary prose; his infuriating dual time-frame narrative disbanded. Dino always presented himself as an interesting complex character even in childhood, arguably more agreeable than Lucien, the protagonist in the former novel. In book 2 of the series, Lucien's legacy has a shadow of heroism and progress that seems at odds with the content of "The Boy With the Porcelain Blade", who, rather than being a flawed hero transcended into glory, comes across as a snivelling, self indulgent brat a great deal of the time. I think the jumping time frame, rather than linear chapters really did a disservice to emphasising any development of character and made him less likeable. The traditional narrative structure works considerably better in "The Boy Who Wepy Blood", Dino's tale. He too is flawed, but in a manner than inspires identification and empathy, rather than indifference. It's great to get a deeper sense of Stephania and other characters; those likeable, loathable and a steady combination of each.

A couple of quirks interfered with me adoring this book; Dino's catchphrase "you know" at the end of every goddamn sentence was a mechanism not in the first book, and became tiresome withi this one. There are a couple of consistency issues; Allattamento is spelt differently in both books (Allatamento appears in the first one) and on one occasion, Dino is referred to as Lucien.

All in all, Den Patrick has the marking of a very exciting storyteller, taking history, politics and tropes and arriving with something new, avidly entertaining and fierce.

[Иван Величков · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много голямо развитие на Ден Патрик само за една година(и само една книга). Този път във фокуса на събитията е Дино, последният от осиновените от благородниците експерименти на краля. Бодигард, убиец, майстор на шпагата, верен и циничен. Образът му ми харесваше повече от Лусиен, още в предишната книга.
Атмосферата във Владението е по-мрачна от всякога. Мълчаливата кралица иска да направи република, благородниците заговорн��чат по между си, а нова заплаха се появява под формата на сиви ездачи, нападащи посред бял ден селата, градовете и дори стените на Владението за храна.
Радвам се, че авторът е решил каква форма ще бъде поредицата му. Тук нямаме колебанието от предишната книга. Стилът е мрачно политическо фентъзи с много интриги и убийсатва. Отново много добри боеве с рапири и мечове. И отново лъжичка мистерия.
Този път г-н Патрик използва много умерено и на място ретроспекциите, а напрежението и мракът се натрупват през цялата книга и водят до страхотен финал, оставящ те настръхнал и (изненадващо за мен) желаещ да прочетеш следващата книга.
Ако е по-добра от тази, колкото тя от предишната, ще е шедьовър в жанра. Очакваме.

[Giraffedragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I have many mixed feelings over this book.
Firstly I love the style to much. I also love Dino as a character he's so complex and my favorite so far in the world, he's certainly very human. That he was gay made me so happy to be quite honest, it felt like a small part of me was put into the character, despite my sexulaity being more bi or pan then gay, and I was so awed by his bravery facing the fact. Dino overall and Achilles just resonated with me so much and I don't quite know why.
My anger came in when Mass was killed, as if felt like a killing for shock to begin with and I was so upset because I had expected the author not to do that, to just dismiss the problem and have the love interest die. But that didn't happen. And as the book became more and more clearly a tragedy it seemed to fit, though it still grated on me.

This probably isn't that good a review, I'm writing this after just finishing the book in upset anger over the ending and I feel rather passionate about the whole thing. Sorry.

Overall it was excellent, with the betrayals and schemes were well mixed in, the characters extremely well portrayed.

[Shane Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed book one of this series but actually think this turned out stronger. There haven't been any major departures in terms of writing style though the constant alternating between past & present structure has been abandoned (for the most part, there's still the occasional flashback chapter, but they're used very sparingly). The biggest strength is the amalgamation of court politics (these should be familiar to fans of Martin/Abercrombie et al) with a mysterious subplot that has shades of science fiction. The full extent of the subplot is always left a little tantalisingly unclear. There's a nice line in swashbuckling swordplay & the character arcs are borderline heartbreaking. I did saw the final big twist coming a bit before it happens but beyond that I can't think of anything I disliked. Very strong, no evidence of Difficult 2nd album syndrome here.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway.

The book is set in a fantasy world, the king is dead and the land is now ruled by the silent queen. Everything isn't running as planned, there are disputes between the major houses and famine through the population.

The book is the second of the Erebus series and follows the boy with the porcelain blade by 10 years and follows Dino through assassinations, deception, espionage and deception. The lose of these closest to him as power slips away from the republic movement.

Well written and entertaining although something just seemed a little to bizarre for me towards the end.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was enticed by the title and cover but ultimately this novel did not work for me.
I didn't really care about any of the characters. It probably doesn't help that this is the second book in a trilogy and I haven't read the first one.
The worldbuilding didn't come to life although there was copious use of Italian terms and titles.
There's also plenty of purple prose, especially at the start of the novel. Did no one mention that less is more when it comes to adjectives?

What should you read instead?
Fantasy on being different and keeping secrets; Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.
Fantasy with assassins in an alterantive Europe; His Far Assassin trilogy by Robin Lafevers.

[Ties · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong ending. But it took some effort to get there. Was in doubt whether I would award 3 or 4 stars,settled on three because of the rather boring middle part.

The ending was again strong but a lot of the arch I felt to be out of the main characters sphere of influence. Him being like a spectator or someone always being relevant only after the fact.

I could make some predictions about the third book but will most probably not read it.

[Liviu]

another very promising sounding series that turned out to be a dud at least for me; first volume started great but did not fulfill its promise bogging down quickly into sandbox world building, while this one about which I had much less expectation failed to interest me at any of the points I tried to get in including the last few pages and various in-between ones

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boy Who Wept Blood is a return to landfall. Surprisingly we don't get a continuation of Lucien's story but Dino's instead. I think it's much better for it. Set in a classic 15th century Italian style world, full of revenge, double crossings, interesting characters and one or two surprise story developments. Book three Girls on the Liars Throne only increases my anticipation.