I have come to the conclusion that anyone who calls themselves a true classic epic fantasy fan MUST read this series. It has all the classic fantasy tropes and yet has its own unique world building and surprises you won't expect. The main characters, particularly Cyran, Jaslin, and Sirra, are well fleshed out, and all have their continued character arcs that give them more dimension.
In this tale, we continue to follow the brewing war between Belvenguard and Murgare, as well as Jaslin's mission to understand more about the recent assassination(s). They lead us into a most epic escapade across the continent of Cimeren, where we get to explore new locations and characters. Some scenes are utterly gut wrenching, and one of my favorite aspects was Cyran's growing relationship with Edelmere. A strong dragon-rider bond was something that the first book lacked, and that I had hoped to see more of in this book - and it delivered.
The mysteries that went unsolved in Book 1 were revealed in Book 2, and they were shocking in the best way. I listened to this book on Audible, but it's the kind of book, like the first, that you'll want to buy the Kindle or physical copy as well to be able to slow down and digest the intricacies of political intrigue. I'll be doing the same myself.
This series is reminiscent of Ursula K Le Guin's Earthsea, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, and Game of Thrones, all traditional classic fantasy that is personally beloved to my heart. I'm looking forward to the next installment - it's been a whirlwind so far, and absolutely therapeutic to the epic fantasy nerd deep within me that longs for the best kind of escape.
RM Schultz is a brand new author for me this year, and has without question risen to one of my favorite newly discovered authors of 2024.