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Fate's Forsaken #2
Slight and Shadow
Winter has finally broken its hold over the Kingdom — but as the snows melt, trouble springs up in its place. A dark cloud hangs over the army has retreated behind its high walls, not a word slips out from between its gates. And rumors swirl that the King has gone mad. Kael knows nothing of his sights are on the plains. But with his horrible luck following him wherever he goes, it doesn’t take long for his plan to unravel. He finds himself trapped in Gilderick's clutches and forced to work as a slave, laboring alongside the giants — who don’t exactly welcome him. In fact, he begins to suspect that some would rather see him dead. If Kael is going to have any chance to survive, he’ll have to come up with a new plan — and quickly. Meanwhile, Kyleigh finds herself locked in a sprint across the desert. Time presses against there is a force gathered in Whitebone that threatens to undo everything, should it reach the plains. But her pride blinds her to the dangers, and it isn't long before she and her companions are lost among the towering dunes. The strange magic of the sun drains their strength, misfortune nips at their heels, but they are determined to save their friends. And so they'll brave the desert's every peril — be it storms or cave trolls … or flesh-eating worms.
595 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2013
59 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Shae Ford
10 books210 followersShae Ford is a USA Today bestselling author from a not-so-small town outside of Ft. Worth, Texas.
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
September 21, 2015
YA fantasy with a slight touch of romance, narrated by Derek Perkins. Good story, and better than many, but it went on too long, slowing the pace. Ford has a vivid imagination and writes dialogue well, but she needs to tighten up her tales, based on the two I've read. She writes so many elaborative scenes (even though somewhat absorbing) that I lost sight of the main plot. It lost its momentum. Some scenes could have been cut entirely, and only mentioned (for example, that scene at Duke Reginald's castle, the scenes at Kyleigh's Roost, with butler, and silly scenes with Knotter, at the gate). Some scenes became repetitive: The farming scenes, Jake and the worm experiments, etc.). Other scenes were stretched out too long (the giants expressing thanks, for example).
The quick friendship with Elena didn't feel credible, given what she did. That bugged me. Given her past, I couldn't buy into her new persona. I did, however, like Jake's character development, and Elena played a role in that.
I liked the giants Declan and Brend. Their gradual friendship with Kael felt credible — it's development was not too pat or easy (as with Elena). Declan's backstory provides the most pathos in the entire book, for me. Well done!
For too long, Gildereck just sat in his castle. Not a scary villain at all. I kept thinking, "Hello?? Come out, come out, wherever you are!" However, his confrontation with Kael was good, and included some unexpected twists.
The author does use the word "rump" liberally, as several others have said. Why not say, "He sat on the ground" rather than "on his rump" (we always sit on our rump as default — it's not necessary to state it). When it's necessary to refer to it, I'd prefer a mix of synonyms -- backside, bottom, rump, rear, rear end.
The mot people. Cute. Nadine. Love her. The maze game. Suspenseful. Engrossing. Eveningwing. A clever insertion into the plot, but how did he know where to find Kyleigh, in the desert? How did Silas know to find Kyleigh at the Roost? The sword that killed the dark rider. Ummm....exactly how?? The battle to free the giantesses. Superb. The gate falling. Vivid. The meeting with Roland. Perfect.
Excellent narration by Perkins.
The quick friendship with Elena didn't feel credible, given what she did. That bugged me. Given her past, I couldn't buy into her new persona. I did, however, like Jake's character development, and Elena played a role in that.
I liked the giants Declan and Brend. Their gradual friendship with Kael felt credible — it's development was not too pat or easy (as with Elena). Declan's backstory provides the most pathos in the entire book, for me. Well done!
For too long, Gildereck just sat in his castle. Not a scary villain at all. I kept thinking, "Hello?? Come out, come out, wherever you are!" However, his confrontation with Kael was good, and included some unexpected twists.
The author does use the word "rump" liberally, as several others have said. Why not say, "He sat on the ground" rather than "on his rump" (we always sit on our rump as default — it's not necessary to state it). When it's necessary to refer to it, I'd prefer a mix of synonyms -- backside, bottom, rump, rear, rear end.
The mot people. Cute. Nadine. Love her. The maze game. Suspenseful. Engrossing. Eveningwing. A clever insertion into the plot, but how did he know where to find Kyleigh, in the desert? How did Silas know to find Kyleigh at the Roost? The sword that killed the dark rider. Ummm....exactly how?? The battle to free the giantesses. Superb. The gate falling. Vivid. The meeting with Roland. Perfect.
Excellent narration by Perkins.
December 12, 2016
Some parts dragged.
As a stand alone book I would not buy it. But it was acceptable because it was part of a series, plus it was an audiobook.
There are two stories in this book. Kyleigh and Kael are in separate lands - traveling. Kyleigh is sort of taken prisoner by the Mots while Jake is healing. Kael is made into a slave with giants who are slaves. He doesn’t leave the giants because he wants to help them and fight against Gilderick the evil ruler of the plains. The author flips back and forth between the two stories. The stories dragged. But parts of them were kind of good - meeting some of the interesting characters.
I did not like one part. A couple loves each other but the author wants to keep them apart and therefore has one of them lie to the other. The lie did not fit motivations. It left a bad taste for me. See spoiler.
THE SERIES:
This is book #2 in the four book series Fates Forsaken. I read the first two books and part of the 3rd book. I lost interest - partly due to other things going on in my life. One of my friends rated books 3 and 4 the best. Give it a try if you’re in the mood for this genre.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Derek Perkins did an excellent job.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 19 hrs and 42 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: unknown location in a time before guns. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: fantasy, young adult.
As a stand alone book I would not buy it. But it was acceptable because it was part of a series, plus it was an audiobook.
There are two stories in this book. Kyleigh and Kael are in separate lands - traveling. Kyleigh is sort of taken prisoner by the Mots while Jake is healing. Kael is made into a slave with giants who are slaves. He doesn’t leave the giants because he wants to help them and fight against Gilderick the evil ruler of the plains. The author flips back and forth between the two stories. The stories dragged. But parts of them were kind of good - meeting some of the interesting characters.
I did not like one part. A couple loves each other but the author wants to keep them apart and therefore has one of them lie to the other. The lie did not fit motivations. It left a bad taste for me. See spoiler.
THE SERIES:
This is book #2 in the four book series Fates Forsaken. I read the first two books and part of the 3rd book. I lost interest - partly due to other things going on in my life. One of my friends rated books 3 and 4 the best. Give it a try if you’re in the mood for this genre.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Derek Perkins did an excellent job.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 19 hrs and 42 mins. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: none. Setting: unknown location in a time before guns. Book copyright: 2013. Genre: fantasy, young adult.
July 27, 2016
Slight and Shadow is the next book in the Fate's Forsaken series and sees Kael and Kyleigh having gone off in different directions so spend a good two-thirds of the book on different adventures but that spiral back in a very creative and inventive way! :D
The book expands rapidly on the landscape and scale of the previous book expanding the culture and peoples of that they encounter! :D The Giants and that Kael encounters and Kyleigh run in with the Mots provides a adventure and humour in spades not to mention Declan and Brend who's treatment of Kael provides a lot of running jokes and as Johnathan any Arylin and the rest of the Pirates turn up to help in the rescue of the giantess's and their reaction Johnathan, Kyleigh and Kael antics is brilliant! :D
The villain of the piece Gildereck puts in a direct appearance at the end following a war of attrition but the Countess Demir does an equal job as is bound to cause some issues in future adventures for Keal, Kyleigh and co.
Slight and Shadow is very clever and great rip roaring roller-coaster adventure full of daring do and humour all over the place! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
The book expands rapidly on the landscape and scale of the previous book expanding the culture and peoples of that they encounter! :D The Giants and that Kael encounters and Kyleigh run in with the Mots provides a adventure and humour in spades not to mention Declan and Brend who's treatment of Kael provides a lot of running jokes and as Johnathan any Arylin and the rest of the Pirates turn up to help in the rescue of the giantess's and their reaction Johnathan, Kyleigh and Kael antics is brilliant! :D
The villain of the piece Gildereck puts in a direct appearance at the end following a war of attrition but the Countess Demir does an equal job as is bound to cause some issues in future adventures for Keal, Kyleigh and co.
Slight and Shadow is very clever and great rip roaring roller-coaster adventure full of daring do and humour all over the place! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
January 1, 2015
the story is fascinating however it could've been great if only a little focus was paid on the development of hero. The hero was pathetic, there was so much cry that he is a Wright, and the Wrights were supposed to be all powerful and yet not one scene was there where he did anything remotely outstanding. (At least Harry Potter did have an excuse of being ordinary) .Throughout the book i was waiting for any growth in his power or the character itself but alas only i got only disappointment. Still going to read the third book and hope that he will do anything significant.I just can't leave a novel without completing it(my curse).
February 11, 2017
Slight and Shadow the 2nd Installment of the Fate’s Forsaken series. The book starts off where Kael and Kyleigh having gone off in different directions. So spending at least two-thirds of the book on different adventures.
At first I might get confused with the changes of scenes since I am listening it in audiobook but I didn’t get confused.
The 2nd book is even better than the first. You get two different adventures in one book! In the end they get connected. At first I was a slightly annoyed and sad that Kael and Kyleigh are separated and I wanna hug Kael so much in one of his heartbroken scenes, the scenes where he aches for Kyleigh.
There are some dragging parts but not very noticeable in audiobook, which did a good job for not making it noticeable . Lucky that I am listening the audiobook at home while sketching because I look like a crazy bitch smiling at a kilig scene or burst out fangirling because of a scene. Lucky that my mother is used to my shenanigans.
This book has so many cinnamon roll characters which made me love it even more. It has it all! Fantasy, adventure, a dash of comedy and romance and aaaaahhhhh everything that makes me love this genre! I want more of my KaelxKyleigh ship!!!!!!!!!!! Also I silently ship JakexElena, even though their race practically hate each other.I even screamed at the part where Kael admit he is in love with Kyleigh! AHDJAGJSADHSDJAG
I am going to dive on book 3 ASAP! Bye for now
At first I might get confused with the changes of scenes since I am listening it in audiobook but I didn’t get confused.
The 2nd book is even better than the first. You get two different adventures in one book! In the end they get connected. At first I was a slightly annoyed and sad that Kael and Kyleigh are separated and I wanna hug Kael so much in one of his heartbroken scenes, the scenes where he aches for Kyleigh.
There are some dragging parts but not very noticeable in audiobook, which did a good job for not making it noticeable . Lucky that I am listening the audiobook at home while sketching because I look like a crazy bitch smiling at a kilig scene or burst out fangirling because of a scene. Lucky that my mother is used to my shenanigans.
This book has so many cinnamon roll characters which made me love it even more. It has it all! Fantasy, adventure, a dash of comedy and romance and aaaaahhhhh everything that makes me love this genre! I want more of my KaelxKyleigh ship!!!!!!!!!!! Also I silently ship JakexElena, even though their race practically hate each other.
I am going to dive on book 3 ASAP! Bye for now
December 19, 2013
This follow up to Harbinger left much to be desired. The pacing dropped terribly and the main unresolved tension of the last book (the near miss romance) was shoved to the end of the book as a reward for reading through the rest of the novel. Putting that aside, the story was fine, though Kael's portion was the real drag. The drudgery of slavery never really makes for an exciting read. The Jake subplot was cute, but he's so immature it tugged on my suspension of disbelief.
All in all, I'll be looking forward to book #3, but I hope it bears more resemblance to the first in the series rather than the second.
All in all, I'll be looking forward to book #3, but I hope it bears more resemblance to the first in the series rather than the second.
November 11, 2017
Didn't like the direction this sequel went in. The first book was good because of the relationship between Kyleigh and Kael and their adventures together. But in this one they split up for really dumb reasons and go on their own uninteresting and lame adventures. And it's just nowhere near as good without them together.
Kael's so-called adventure is particularly bad because he is just stuck in one place plowing the fields.
Then you have an annoying character like Silas who spends more time with Kyleigh than Kael ever did and constantly flirts with her.
And I can't believe that Kyleigh leaves Kael for so long without saying goodbye, telling Kael where she is going, or giving him a chance to apologize. I can't believe she would allow one stupid remark by Kael to drive her away like that given everything they have been through together and their painfully obvious feelings for each other.
This book undermines everything that made the first one good and is just awful. It ruins the entire series so don't waste your money or your time.
Kael's so-called adventure is particularly bad because he is just stuck in one place plowing the fields.
Then you have an annoying character like Silas who spends more time with Kyleigh than Kael ever did and constantly flirts with her.
And I can't believe that Kyleigh leaves Kael for so long without saying goodbye, telling Kael where she is going, or giving him a chance to apologize. I can't believe she would allow one stupid remark by Kael to drive her away like that given everything they have been through together and their painfully obvious feelings for each other.
This book undermines everything that made the first one good and is just awful. It ruins the entire series so don't waste your money or your time.
August 13, 2022
Not often have I been so disappointed by a book. It's like it was written by a different author than the first one. I feel like the author purposefully did everything in their power to make this as painful to get through as possible. I can't think of a single scene I would want to reread. There's just... nothing there.
First of all, the author made a truly terrible decision: this isn't one book; it's two. Kyleigh and Kael were separated due to an unnecessary and kind of abstract misunderstanding. Mostly I'd say they parted ways because the author ran out of ideas on how to stretch out their weird romantic plot further.
For 90% of book two, they have a separate adventure each, practically not connected at all. You're really reading two entirely separate books here. Separate in geography, cast of characters, culture of the people around them and plot. Every time I felt I got my bearings with one perspective and found things to slowly become interesting... BOOM! Switch back to the other character on the other side of the world with an entirely different story that I care nothing about. This fact alone ruined the book, but it wasn't all I hated about it.
This book is significantly longer than the last. And if you think this is due to an overabundance of plot for either of the main characters, you are sadly mistaken. For most of the book, they sit around waiting, just going about their daily business of being slaves. They sit around waiting for something out of their control to happen or for information to magically appear. It's painfully boring to watch Kael yet again spend a day plowing a fucking field, or watch Kyleigh herd goats - holy shit.
The romance part was ruined for me over the course of book 2. I didn't catch any chemistry between the main characters in book 1 to begin with, but now they are entirely separated and literally don't talk to eachother until 97% into the book - and no, I'm not exaggerating. Their distance just made it more clear how little they know about each other and how little chemistry they have. They are only romantic interests because the author wanted it to happen, not because they organically developed a relationship. In reality, they should barely be friends, much less so in love that they experience recurring physical pain at being parted.
And because all of that isn't enough, the main characters suddenly decided to become absolute whimps whenever the author needs them to be in order to stretch out the story to this ludicrous length. I have lost count of the amount of times our hero, who previously defeated an entire pirate ship's worth of warriors, gets beaten to a pulp. If you decide to read this, keep a watch out for scenes where Kael has a boot in his back/face - it's a recurring thing. Seriously, every time - it's absolutely comical. I'm wondering whether he has a permanent boot-shaped scar on his back by now. I think we get to double digits. And if there isn't a boot involved, then he passes out. He passes out about a half dozen times or more. I'm genuinely concerned he might have some cardiac issue with all the times he passes out and needs to be rescued.
As for character development: every single one of the side characters gets so much more love than the main characters. It's great that you spend pages upon pages on the development of Jake and Elena (why exactly do we need her? She's so unnecessary, same as Silas. Why are these characters even there!?) and the generic pirate captain and his wife (who became a master archer over the course of 5 minutes), but how about you spend at least as much time fleshing out your main characters. Hell, two of the side characters get an entire romance + wedding + pregnancy while the main characters don't even talk to eachother for more than 500 pages. And when they do, there still isn't any payoff. How did the author think this was enjoyable?
The villain is - yet again - super weak. You know the drill: evil for the sake of being evil, omniscient and practically unkillable. Does he have motivation for enslaving an entire country, leaving their people as mindless husks and working them to death on the fields all the while he keeps their women as breeding stock? Nu-uh.
Spoilers:
And to top everything off... holy shit, this was the worst bit: they fight through hordes of people to get to the villain, and then after he is defeated... they let him get away? Just like that. They don't even attempt to go after him when he left just seconds ago. Why do they let him get away? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW. YOU HAVE A LITERAL DRAGON - YOU CAN FUCKING FLY AND SPEW FIRE YOU ABSOLUTE DIMWITS. WHY DO YOU LET THE MASS MURDERING, TORTURING VILLAIN RAPIST SORCERER WHO KNOWS EVERY SECRET OF KAEL AND CAN LITERALLY INVADE MINDS GET AWAY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? YOU HAD ONE FUCKING JOB! Holy shit...
And because even that isn't enough to perfect this culmination of awful: you get your unavoidable rape content now. Yes, the villain they let get away is also a serial rapist, because we can't have fantasy without rape. Is there a reason for this other than the shock value? Absolutey not. But apparently we needed the villain to rape his captured women to forcefully impregnate them, because he wasn't irrationally evil enough already, and what possible other threats could there be to women? /s
Oh, and you know HOW Kael defeats the villain in the end? With love. With love to the woman he practically doesn't know and hasn't spoken to in like a year. How does love defeat a mega villain? I don't know, but somehow his love is super dangerous while they are mind-battling idk. I cringed hard.
First of all, the author made a truly terrible decision: this isn't one book; it's two. Kyleigh and Kael were separated due to an unnecessary and kind of abstract misunderstanding. Mostly I'd say they parted ways because the author ran out of ideas on how to stretch out their weird romantic plot further.
For 90% of book two, they have a separate adventure each, practically not connected at all. You're really reading two entirely separate books here. Separate in geography, cast of characters, culture of the people around them and plot. Every time I felt I got my bearings with one perspective and found things to slowly become interesting... BOOM! Switch back to the other character on the other side of the world with an entirely different story that I care nothing about. This fact alone ruined the book, but it wasn't all I hated about it.
This book is significantly longer than the last. And if you think this is due to an overabundance of plot for either of the main characters, you are sadly mistaken. For most of the book, they sit around waiting, just going about their daily business of being slaves. They sit around waiting for something out of their control to happen or for information to magically appear. It's painfully boring to watch Kael yet again spend a day plowing a fucking field, or watch Kyleigh herd goats - holy shit.
The romance part was ruined for me over the course of book 2. I didn't catch any chemistry between the main characters in book 1 to begin with, but now they are entirely separated and literally don't talk to eachother until 97% into the book - and no, I'm not exaggerating. Their distance just made it more clear how little they know about each other and how little chemistry they have. They are only romantic interests because the author wanted it to happen, not because they organically developed a relationship. In reality, they should barely be friends, much less so in love that they experience recurring physical pain at being parted.
And because all of that isn't enough, the main characters suddenly decided to become absolute whimps whenever the author needs them to be in order to stretch out the story to this ludicrous length. I have lost count of the amount of times our hero, who previously defeated an entire pirate ship's worth of warriors, gets beaten to a pulp. If you decide to read this, keep a watch out for scenes where Kael has a boot in his back/face - it's a recurring thing. Seriously, every time - it's absolutely comical. I'm wondering whether he has a permanent boot-shaped scar on his back by now. I think we get to double digits. And if there isn't a boot involved, then he passes out. He passes out about a half dozen times or more. I'm genuinely concerned he might have some cardiac issue with all the times he passes out and needs to be rescued.
As for character development: every single one of the side characters gets so much more love than the main characters. It's great that you spend pages upon pages on the development of Jake and Elena (why exactly do we need her? She's so unnecessary, same as Silas. Why are these characters even there!?) and the generic pirate captain and his wife (who became a master archer over the course of 5 minutes), but how about you spend at least as much time fleshing out your main characters. Hell, two of the side characters get an entire romance + wedding + pregnancy while the main characters don't even talk to eachother for more than 500 pages. And when they do, there still isn't any payoff. How did the author think this was enjoyable?
The villain is - yet again - super weak. You know the drill: evil for the sake of being evil, omniscient and practically unkillable. Does he have motivation for enslaving an entire country, leaving their people as mindless husks and working them to death on the fields all the while he keeps their women as breeding stock? Nu-uh.
Spoilers:
And to top everything off... holy shit, this was the worst bit: they fight through hordes of people to get to the villain, and then after he is defeated... they let him get away? Just like that. They don't even attempt to go after him when he left just seconds ago. Why do they let him get away? I DON'T FUCKING KNOW. YOU HAVE A LITERAL DRAGON - YOU CAN FUCKING FLY AND SPEW FIRE YOU ABSOLUTE DIMWITS. WHY DO YOU LET THE MASS MURDERING, TORTURING VILLAIN RAPIST SORCERER WHO KNOWS EVERY SECRET OF KAEL AND CAN LITERALLY INVADE MINDS GET AWAY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? YOU HAD ONE FUCKING JOB! Holy shit...
And because even that isn't enough to perfect this culmination of awful: you get your unavoidable rape content now. Yes, the villain they let get away is also a serial rapist, because we can't have fantasy without rape. Is there a reason for this other than the shock value? Absolutey not. But apparently we needed the villain to rape his captured women to forcefully impregnate them, because he wasn't irrationally evil enough already, and what possible other threats could there be to women? /s
Oh, and you know HOW Kael defeats the villain in the end? With love. With love to the woman he practically doesn't know and hasn't spoken to in like a year. How does love defeat a mega villain? I don't know, but somehow his love is super dangerous while they are mind-battling idk. I cringed hard.
February 6, 2017
I didn't particularly like this book. As a book in the middle of an epic series, I expected it to be slow, but this felt even slower than what I expected. There was very little action for large portions of the book, and the entire section of the book devoted to the giants and their farming really did not hold my interest. For those interested in the romance aspect of the series, the main characters had very little interaction throughout the entire book, while the main character continued his strange and baffling behavior.
October 10, 2013
Better than the first book but still quite frustrating in some places. The protagonist was given a lot of potential but he didn't really do much with it, this led to some slightly anticlimactic content. The rating this book has been given is good, however, and you can't argue with the rating, but in my personal opinion the only time this book should get 4 stars, is if it was out of 10. Maybe my standards are too high?
July 26, 2016
Painfully boring... I really wanted to like this series but it was just too YA for my tastes. It wasn't the lack of swearing, Gore or sex that really turned me off. It was the sluggish pace and painfully boring characters that finally hammered the last nail in the coffin.
NOT RECOMMENDED
NOT RECOMMENDED
September 16, 2017
Listened on audible. Another great book. Great narrator. Loved listening.
December 11, 2016
The 2nd installment of the series, the book breaks off Kael and Kyleigh to follow them on each of their adventures.
MEGA SPOILERS AHEAD
The plot started slow, and at first I was really annoyed that Kael and Kyleigh weren't traveling together. The book followed both of them, each with their own perspective. It started picking up when Kael's finally making progress with the giants, and Kyleigh meeting Elena, and soon after the mots. I really liked the Kael's story, where we saw how he grew closer among the giants. Kyleigh's story wasn't too interesting, but the interactions and character development of Jake, Elena, Silas and Nadine were great too. After a while, I got used to the two perspectives, and it really picked it up for me when things start getting slow on one side.
Both of Kael and Kyleigh's adventures involves overthrowing one of the Five. I felt Kyleigh's side got solved way too easy. Kael's, on the other hand, was great, but really the real hero was the half-hawk Eveningwing, who is basically so convenient to be around that it's ridiculous. At one point I was thinking that the author had the general story written down, but wasn't sure how to connect them, so she bring out Eveningwing and called it a day.
The book brings out new characters, as well as develop old ones. We didn't get to see much of Lysander and Aerilyn, but really I didn't care much for them for some reason. Some thoughts on the other side characters:
- Jake: the battle-mage. he's probably one of my favorite characters at the moment. The gentle battle-mage always makes me laugh, with his ridiculous quest for knowledge and antics. He reminds me of Wesson, a battle-mage that doesn't want to be in King's Dark Tidings series. Jake looks weak, but he's actually really strong. It was pretty awesome when he used magic on the mots gathering to protect his friends. And his scenes with Elena was pretty great, such as that time when he was offering her water but it's invisible, making her even mad. He's probably one of the nicest guys ever. We see a little bit of romantic connection between him and Elena, and I'm looking forward for more development on that
- Elena: the whisperer assassin. At first I thought she was going to Kael and maybe have some love-triangle thing going on, but then I was pleasantly surprised when she reached Kyleigh and co. and saw her interacting with Jake. She has a dark past, hints of her being abused, but other than that she didn't get much development. She just kicks ass, a warrior class whisperer, blending in the shadow as she wanted. The romance brewing between her and Jake would be interesting, as the good in Jake is possibly one of the things that can heal her past.
- Nadine: the mot warrior. I don't have much to say about Nadine, but I feel that she's really mature. I wasn't sure what's her age, or if she's the same age Kael, but she would seem to be a great close companion with Kyleigh. Looking forward for more development.
- Silas: the lion shapeshifter. I felt this guy is really out of place, and I was beginning to think of him some kind of love rival of Kael, but really this guy has no chance whatsoever. So, like I said, out of place. He seems to be another comedic relief (similar to Jonathan), but he can fight.
- Declan: the berserker. Another one of my favorite characters, this time in the side of Kael's plotline. We see alot of character development, seeing a lot of his past where his little brother was killed by his big brother. I really like how he's apparently one of the smallest giants, but probably one of their strongest warriors. He was really suspicious about Kael so I didn't really like him too much, but once I knew more about him and he started showing his support that he started to shine. Looking forward to him more, especially his interactions with non-giants.
- Brend: the easy going leader. I wasn't really sure what to make of Brend, but he started warming up to me as he started warming up to Kael. I wasn't really sure if he was the Prince, but in the end, after looking at what he did (his "mischiefs" and stories), it made sense.
- Jonathan: the supporting fiddler. Again, he seems out of place as a character, and I felt that really strongly when he just went up and went with Kael when he got captured. We didn't get to see much of him, and we probably won't in the upcoming books because he's stuck with Claire (which is good I guess). His marriage to Claire was hella sudden, again similar feeling with Aerilyn/Lysander but worse since we didn't get to see that drama. I won't be surprised if there's another marriage or two in the next book.
- Eveningwing: the hawk hero. Well what can I say? This guy both talked to Kael and Kyleigh, and even with the pirates. The guy that pretty much tied them all together. He basically saved Kael's life when he talked to Kyleigh. This guy gets things done, and apparently can find anyone he wanted. He's way too convenient, but his character was really likable. I felt that his little subplot of revenge got resolved to quickly, but it's all good.
Now, to talk about the romance.
Is I've said before, I'm looking forward to Jake and Elena's romantic storyline. We got to see a glimpse of it on a chapter on Elena's perspective, where they met the Queen of Mincework. Looking at Elena's dark past, Elena wasn't sure how to handle the gentleness of Jake. This would be an interesting couple, considering their contrasting characters: Jake being one of the nicest guys around, while Elena is probably one the meaner girls around (you always see her scowling/frowning). It's also a whisperer/mage couple, and they are supposed to hate each other (more on the whisperer).
Okay, now for Kael and Kyleigh. The two perspective format showed not only what Kael felt in the first book, but now for Kyleigh's as well. They OBVIOUSLY love each other, and it just blows my mind how on earth did they had this "oh no he/she doesn't like me" misunderstanding. Well... I can see why Kyleigh feels that way since Kael basically pushed her away. We mostly see both of them being sad, clamping down their "heartache," and here I am just hella confused. Some of their thoughts/brooding felt way too romantic (wasn't sure how to describe it, but it reminded me of Twilight series for some reason). Their scenes on we see how much they care for each other were really great. We finally get an explanation on their blood connection, why Kael didn't get burned on Kyleigh's blood, and how she can take his wounds. It was obviously around Kyleigh's dragon form, I really liked the concept. And this "Abomination" thing, which seems hella convenient to just delay the inevitable. I wasn't surprised when Kyleigh rejected Kael, but I really liked how it was on Kyleigh's perspective, where we can see how much it really hurt her. Plus, add to that that Kael knew about her healing his wounds (that's one clue), it'll be definitely interesting on how this will be resolved later.
Some fave scenes:
- Kael with "I dropped my scythe". Kael throws his scythe, claiming he dropped it, to relieve Declan of his punishment (lashing) when he dropped his seeds. At first, I thought it was really badass, probably the first time Kael gained respect with the giants, but when Brend was retelling the story, I thought it was a really funny scene as well. It must've looked ridiculous how Kael could barely throw it at a distance, but saying he just "dropped" it.
- Declan just himself facing the army as they charged. This was really epic. It was describe something along the lines of a river meeting a rock. Really don't have much to say, except it was badass.
- Jake "entwining fingers" with Elena, guiding her in the dark tunnels towards the minceworm queen. This was pretty cute, especially on Elena's reaction on how she can't make much of Jake's gentleness. I liked how this was on Elena's perspective, seeing her confused. Their little banter was great too. Really looking forward to more of this couple.
- Jake giving Elena the invisible water. This was pretty funny. We see how much of a nice guy Jake really is, where even though Elena hates him, he can't help but help her. I wish we knew what he was thinking at this time, wondering what he thought about Elena upon seeing her. This was the part that made me hope that there's a romantic subplot between the two, and I was really happy that there was.
- Kyleigh and co. talking about her kissing Kael. This was actually better than I expected, as we get to see from Kyleigh's perspective on what was going on in her mind when Kael kissed when during their heist in the last book, where he was forced to to prove her loyalty (I thought it was hella weird but whatever). This scene was sweet and heartwarming, but somewhat sad as well.
- Kyleigh saving Kael, hugging him close to transfer his wound to her. Here we see the explanation of the blood oath Valtas, a dragon thing where her chosen won't be burned by her blood and how it's possible for her to heal him. This part really describe how much she loves Kael, and it was really heartwarming that both her human and dragon selfs loved him deeply, beginning when she saved him from the tempest from the last book. It seems that her love really came outta nowhere for her too, just creeping in, and that's what I felt when I was reading. But think about it though, Kael never got burnt when he was treating her at the very beginning of book 1....
- Kyleigh rejecting Kael's confession. I have mixed feelings about this scene, but I felt it was really significant so I have to write about it. I liked how it was on Kyleigh's perspective, where we see how much it hurts her to do this. I would probably way more pissed if it was on Kael's perspective. His confession was really interesting, where he already knows that shapeshifter's aren't allowed to be with humans, talking about Iden and Quicklegs, which I'll be honest I wasn't paying attention to when I read it in the first book. Was this the reason he suddenly started pushing Kyleigh away, how they were never meant to be together? If it really is, it makes sense, but really I wish this was conveyed better. The confession ended with Kael discovering Kyleigh healing his wounds, so he got a clue there we'll hopefully see develop later. Looking forward to the tension (romantic?) between the two.
In the end, this book was way better than the first, having a convincing, exciting storyline (or two). I find that I really like the interactions between the characters more than that actual overall plot itself. I don't think that's a good thing, but well each book has their strengths/weaknesses. Looking forward to more Kael x Kyleigh and Jake x Elena (more on the latter honestly).
MEGA SPOILERS AHEAD
The plot started slow, and at first I was really annoyed that Kael and Kyleigh weren't traveling together. The book followed both of them, each with their own perspective. It started picking up when Kael's finally making progress with the giants, and Kyleigh meeting Elena, and soon after the mots. I really liked the Kael's story, where we saw how he grew closer among the giants. Kyleigh's story wasn't too interesting, but the interactions and character development of Jake, Elena, Silas and Nadine were great too. After a while, I got used to the two perspectives, and it really picked it up for me when things start getting slow on one side.
Both of Kael and Kyleigh's adventures involves overthrowing one of the Five. I felt Kyleigh's side got solved way too easy. Kael's, on the other hand, was great, but really the real hero was the half-hawk Eveningwing, who is basically so convenient to be around that it's ridiculous. At one point I was thinking that the author had the general story written down, but wasn't sure how to connect them, so she bring out Eveningwing and called it a day.
The book brings out new characters, as well as develop old ones. We didn't get to see much of Lysander and Aerilyn, but really I didn't care much for them for some reason. Some thoughts on the other side characters:
- Jake: the battle-mage. he's probably one of my favorite characters at the moment. The gentle battle-mage always makes me laugh, with his ridiculous quest for knowledge and antics. He reminds me of Wesson, a battle-mage that doesn't want to be in King's Dark Tidings series. Jake looks weak, but he's actually really strong. It was pretty awesome when he used magic on the mots gathering to protect his friends. And his scenes with Elena was pretty great, such as that time when he was offering her water but it's invisible, making her even mad. He's probably one of the nicest guys ever. We see a little bit of romantic connection between him and Elena, and I'm looking forward for more development on that
- Elena: the whisperer assassin. At first I thought she was going to Kael and maybe have some love-triangle thing going on, but then I was pleasantly surprised when she reached Kyleigh and co. and saw her interacting with Jake. She has a dark past, hints of her being abused, but other than that she didn't get much development. She just kicks ass, a warrior class whisperer, blending in the shadow as she wanted. The romance brewing between her and Jake would be interesting, as the good in Jake is possibly one of the things that can heal her past.
- Nadine: the mot warrior. I don't have much to say about Nadine, but I feel that she's really mature. I wasn't sure what's her age, or if she's the same age Kael, but she would seem to be a great close companion with Kyleigh. Looking forward for more development.
- Silas: the lion shapeshifter. I felt this guy is really out of place, and I was beginning to think of him some kind of love rival of Kael, but really this guy has no chance whatsoever. So, like I said, out of place. He seems to be another comedic relief (similar to Jonathan), but he can fight.
- Declan: the berserker. Another one of my favorite characters, this time in the side of Kael's plotline. We see alot of character development, seeing a lot of his past where his little brother was killed by his big brother. I really like how he's apparently one of the smallest giants, but probably one of their strongest warriors. He was really suspicious about Kael so I didn't really like him too much, but once I knew more about him and he started showing his support that he started to shine. Looking forward to him more, especially his interactions with non-giants.
- Brend: the easy going leader. I wasn't really sure what to make of Brend, but he started warming up to me as he started warming up to Kael. I wasn't really sure if he was the Prince, but in the end, after looking at what he did (his "mischiefs" and stories), it made sense.
- Jonathan: the supporting fiddler. Again, he seems out of place as a character, and I felt that really strongly when he just went up and went with Kael when he got captured. We didn't get to see much of him, and we probably won't in the upcoming books because he's stuck with Claire (which is good I guess). His marriage to Claire was hella sudden, again similar feeling with Aerilyn/Lysander but worse since we didn't get to see that drama. I won't be surprised if there's another marriage or two in the next book.
- Eveningwing: the hawk hero. Well what can I say? This guy both talked to Kael and Kyleigh, and even with the pirates. The guy that pretty much tied them all together. He basically saved Kael's life when he talked to Kyleigh. This guy gets things done, and apparently can find anyone he wanted. He's way too convenient, but his character was really likable. I felt that his little subplot of revenge got resolved to quickly, but it's all good.
Now, to talk about the romance.
Is I've said before, I'm looking forward to Jake and Elena's romantic storyline. We got to see a glimpse of it on a chapter on Elena's perspective, where they met the Queen of Mincework. Looking at Elena's dark past, Elena wasn't sure how to handle the gentleness of Jake. This would be an interesting couple, considering their contrasting characters: Jake being one of the nicest guys around, while Elena is probably one the meaner girls around (you always see her scowling/frowning). It's also a whisperer/mage couple, and they are supposed to hate each other (more on the whisperer).
Okay, now for Kael and Kyleigh. The two perspective format showed not only what Kael felt in the first book, but now for Kyleigh's as well. They OBVIOUSLY love each other, and it just blows my mind how on earth did they had this "oh no he/she doesn't like me" misunderstanding. Well... I can see why Kyleigh feels that way since Kael basically pushed her away. We mostly see both of them being sad, clamping down their "heartache," and here I am just hella confused. Some of their thoughts/brooding felt way too romantic (wasn't sure how to describe it, but it reminded me of Twilight series for some reason). Their scenes on we see how much they care for each other were really great. We finally get an explanation on their blood connection, why Kael didn't get burned on Kyleigh's blood, and how she can take his wounds. It was obviously around Kyleigh's dragon form, I really liked the concept. And this "Abomination" thing, which seems hella convenient to just delay the inevitable. I wasn't surprised when Kyleigh rejected Kael, but I really liked how it was on Kyleigh's perspective, where we can see how much it really hurt her. Plus, add to that that Kael knew about her healing his wounds (that's one clue), it'll be definitely interesting on how this will be resolved later.
Some fave scenes:
- Kael with "I dropped my scythe". Kael throws his scythe, claiming he dropped it, to relieve Declan of his punishment (lashing) when he dropped his seeds. At first, I thought it was really badass, probably the first time Kael gained respect with the giants, but when Brend was retelling the story, I thought it was a really funny scene as well. It must've looked ridiculous how Kael could barely throw it at a distance, but saying he just "dropped" it.
- Declan just himself facing the army as they charged. This was really epic. It was describe something along the lines of a river meeting a rock. Really don't have much to say, except it was badass.
- Jake "entwining fingers" with Elena, guiding her in the dark tunnels towards the minceworm queen. This was pretty cute, especially on Elena's reaction on how she can't make much of Jake's gentleness. I liked how this was on Elena's perspective, seeing her confused. Their little banter was great too. Really looking forward to more of this couple.
- Jake giving Elena the invisible water. This was pretty funny. We see how much of a nice guy Jake really is, where even though Elena hates him, he can't help but help her. I wish we knew what he was thinking at this time, wondering what he thought about Elena upon seeing her. This was the part that made me hope that there's a romantic subplot between the two, and I was really happy that there was.
- Kyleigh and co. talking about her kissing Kael. This was actually better than I expected, as we get to see from Kyleigh's perspective on what was going on in her mind when Kael kissed when during their heist in the last book, where he was forced to to prove her loyalty (I thought it was hella weird but whatever). This scene was sweet and heartwarming, but somewhat sad as well.
- Kyleigh saving Kael, hugging him close to transfer his wound to her. Here we see the explanation of the blood oath Valtas, a dragon thing where her chosen won't be burned by her blood and how it's possible for her to heal him. This part really describe how much she loves Kael, and it was really heartwarming that both her human and dragon selfs loved him deeply, beginning when she saved him from the tempest from the last book. It seems that her love really came outta nowhere for her too, just creeping in, and that's what I felt when I was reading. But think about it though, Kael never got burnt when he was treating her at the very beginning of book 1....
- Kyleigh rejecting Kael's confession. I have mixed feelings about this scene, but I felt it was really significant so I have to write about it. I liked how it was on Kyleigh's perspective, where we see how much it hurts her to do this. I would probably way more pissed if it was on Kael's perspective. His confession was really interesting, where he already knows that shapeshifter's aren't allowed to be with humans, talking about Iden and Quicklegs, which I'll be honest I wasn't paying attention to when I read it in the first book. Was this the reason he suddenly started pushing Kyleigh away, how they were never meant to be together? If it really is, it makes sense, but really I wish this was conveyed better. The confession ended with Kael discovering Kyleigh healing his wounds, so he got a clue there we'll hopefully see develop later. Looking forward to the tension (romantic?) between the two.
In the end, this book was way better than the first, having a convincing, exciting storyline (or two). I find that I really like the interactions between the characters more than that actual overall plot itself. I don't think that's a good thing, but well each book has their strengths/weaknesses. Looking forward to more Kael x Kyleigh and Jake x Elena (more on the latter honestly).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2022
Even better than book 1!
I started reading this series because I wanted my sons to. As I've read, I've become more and more drawn to these characters. I thought this was a children's book and yet I wept for characters, I empathized with them, I cheered for them. I loved the 3 female characters in the dessert. Their shared moment of hurt, and heartbreak, and anger. It makes me want my sons to read it even more! I'm so excited to start the next book!
I started reading this series because I wanted my sons to. As I've read, I've become more and more drawn to these characters. I thought this was a children's book and yet I wept for characters, I empathized with them, I cheered for them. I loved the 3 female characters in the dessert. Their shared moment of hurt, and heartbreak, and anger. It makes me want my sons to read it even more! I'm so excited to start the next book!
November 27, 2017
Quite an expansion in scope and characters from the first book. Enjoyable plotlines that were not always predictable but it seemed like there were lower stakes due to an increase in "the good guys will likely be fine" moments. Still, I look forward to reading #3.
March 16, 2019
A busy, busy read as our hero and heroine have adventures separately and, eventually, together again.I'm not pleased with the decisions each made about their feelings for each other - but we have a "soft" cliff hanger here and two more books to figure things out!
May 6, 2020
Book 2 in a series, Ford continues the adventure of Kael and Kylie, the pirates and this time brings in giants and underground desert people and trolls. New characters are introduced with even bigger battles. Kael continues to grow and mature into his gift as a whisperer and as a man.
January 4, 2022
I throughly enjoyed this YA book. It's well written and I think the characters are delightful and loveable . I listened to it as a audio book. The narration was great and went well with the story.
I will be listening to the rest of the seriesfor sure.
I will be listening to the rest of the seriesfor sure.
June 15, 2017
Another meh... thought I would give book #2 a chance. There were interesting parts, but I just couldn't get engaged.
January 8, 2020
The series just keeps getting better!
October 30, 2015
Pretty good fun, at the end of the last book Kyleigh went off on her own with Battlemage Jake and for most of the book we have two separate threads with Kyleigh and Jakes wacky adventures with new character Silas the mountain lion shifter (and goat aficionado) in the tunnels while Kael who has gone to free the giants to use as an army to sort out his home land screws up and gets made a slave and spends his days plowing and sowing fields and his nights on murder.
In both of the parallel story lines the two bit off more than they can chew or miscalculate in some serious way but end up learning and growing as characters as a result.
There are some fun moments a few elements of deus ex machina I'm thinking of the resolution of Kyleigh's side quest specifically, though there was a fair amount of foreshadowing of how that could come about that made it satisfying.
Kael bumbles around trying to dig himself out of the hole he is in and generally not having a good time but he learns a lot about the cost of his actions and some more about his skills.
Both Kyleigh and Kael spend a lot of time mooning over each other.
Both threads come together towards the end and we get a fairly good conclusion and lead in to the next book.
There were a couple of threads that seemed to come out of nowhere or get setup then go nowhere. The king has apparently gone quite mad in the interim and walled up all his windows and is randomly killing guards and sometimes hallucinating. We don't really see him much in this book or in the previous one so beyond him being the big bad as it were he's not a significant character in the proceedings at least not yet. There is a setup bit with the Countess which goes nowhere, beyond introducing Elena who also is a bit under used as a character.
Anyway it's a pretty good continuation of the story not that deep but a fun read.
P.S. The obsession with the word Rump continues
In both of the parallel story lines the two bit off more than they can chew or miscalculate in some serious way but end up learning and growing as characters as a result.
There are some fun moments a few elements of deus ex machina I'm thinking of the resolution of Kyleigh's side quest specifically, though there was a fair amount of foreshadowing of how that could come about that made it satisfying.
Kael bumbles around trying to dig himself out of the hole he is in and generally not having a good time but he learns a lot about the cost of his actions and some more about his skills.
Both Kyleigh and Kael spend a lot of time mooning over each other.
Both threads come together towards the end and we get a fairly good conclusion and lead in to the next book.
There were a couple of threads that seemed to come out of nowhere or get setup then go nowhere. The king has apparently gone quite mad in the interim and walled up all his windows and is randomly killing guards and sometimes hallucinating. We don't really see him much in this book or in the previous one so beyond him being the big bad as it were he's not a significant character in the proceedings at least not yet. There is a setup bit with the Countess which goes nowhere, beyond introducing Elena who also is a bit under used as a character.
Anyway it's a pretty good continuation of the story not that deep but a fun read.
P.S. The obsession with the word Rump continues
October 23, 2015
I like these books, mostly for their simplicity and straight forward nature, not a bunch of complication though I believe they are being a bit vague on the differences on the whisperer abilities, mostly something that comes into play in the third book which i wont divulge here. However, on this book, I feel severely disappointed on a simplistic point, the book name is about a certain person and their weapons, but they are very absent. I would have liked to have had more knowledge about "slight and shadow" and how they came to be favored rather then no back story and almost no visibility in the whole of the story, I cant help but think there was a previous edition that would have given that information that i would very much love to learn. I feel the title is hugely misleading and left much to be desired, knowledge i didnt even get in book three leaves this title to be the only reason i would lower my rating.
November 21, 2014
The series is interesting although there are areas where you almost want to see the hero's fail. Probably should be listed in YA category. The heart bond between Kael and Kyleigh was eluded to and not handled that well at the end of the previous book but was a central theme in this book (or at least the heartache of misunderstood rejection). It is an interesting theme to work from but not sure it couldn't have been handled better. Not sure the hawk working in secret and somehow being able to know where everyone is at, really made much sense. OK, the pirate part made sense but really he knew to cross the endless plains to search out Kyleigh in a hidden cavern in the middle of desert?????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2015
The second book in the "Fate's Forsaken" series follows Kael and Kyleigh as they set out on separate adventures, intent on putting an end to Lord Gilderick's slave trade.
I love these books so much! They have made me laugh and so much more! Each character is amazing and I love all of them(especially Kael, Kyleigh, and Lysander!). The charaters are so unique, they just belong together. Whenever the day seems bad, you can turn toward these books, they always seem take me away. I wish Kael and Kyleigh would just get together. Thank you for the one of the most amazing series, that I have read! It is well worth your time and money to read this series. On to Book 2 for me. Great Reading Everyone!
I love these books so much! They have made me laugh and so much more! Each character is amazing and I love all of them(especially Kael, Kyleigh, and Lysander!). The charaters are so unique, they just belong together. Whenever the day seems bad, you can turn toward these books, they always seem take me away. I wish Kael and Kyleigh would just get together. Thank you for the one of the most amazing series, that I have read! It is well worth your time and money to read this series. On to Book 2 for me. Great Reading Everyone!
July 1, 2015
This series is classic epic fantasy at it's best using the tropes that made it great. Unknown young man out to save the world. Humor, romance, heartache, magic, witches, pirates and a dragon! Ms. Ford is spinning the heck out of this story.
I'm guessing that it's YA in the same way that The Belgariad was. No cursing or sex, but still a meaty story with a diverse cast of characters. I mention The holy grail of Eddings only because I will probably read this series over and over as much as I have that one.
I don't know much about Ms. Ford--I can only hope that she'll be writing like this for many years to come.
I'm guessing that it's YA in the same way that The Belgariad was. No cursing or sex, but still a meaty story with a diverse cast of characters. I mention The holy grail of Eddings only because I will probably read this series over and over as much as I have that one.
I don't know much about Ms. Ford--I can only hope that she'll be writing like this for many years to come.
August 23, 2016
Even better than the first book! There was a lot of humor in this story in the form of mischief. Had me constantly laughing!! Really enjoyed this book and find myself already counting down for the next book.
Book reminded me at times of Terry Goodkind's books where the main character Richard is forced to live 'behind enemy lines' both as a citizen of the old world where socialism is practically a religion and again as a gladiator (who were slaves) in the enemy army for their entertainment.
Book reminded me at times of Terry Goodkind's books where the main character Richard is forced to live 'behind enemy lines' both as a citizen of the old world where socialism is practically a religion and again as a gladiator (who were slaves) in the enemy army for their entertainment.
November 9, 2013
This was a good sequel, though a rather slow story as only little things happen to keep it moving forward until around the 75% mark when it all starts to come together. If you want constant action, sexy lovers and sword fights and LOTS of magic then this will probably disappoint you. Instead the author concentrates on characters and world building. She has mostly intelligent characters who are willing to learn and build on their experiences. I'll be interested to see where this story goes in the next book in this series.
May 24, 2015
I thought this book was much more engaging than the first. While the first book in the series had more of a young adult "tone" (not that there's anything wrong with that), this book felt substantially more mature. I love the female characters (Kyleigh, Aerilyn, Elena, and Nadine). They're all strong individuals and with more complex characters than just simply the standard archetypal damsel, warrior, etc. The male protagonists are great too. An issue I have with this book and the first is that the antagonists aren't really drawn out well. They're just evil and feel quite one dimensional.
August 28, 2016
Summary:
This was a good extension of the story. It believably expanded the world, and played with the dual narrative between Keal and Kylie.
It created an interesting parallel as the former labored with the Giants and the latter with the motts. The symbolism was hard to miss.
It also really interestingly developed Keal's character.
Thoughts:
This was another good book. It suffered slightly from its scope, and the fact that it really is just setup for a future, larger narrative, but on the whole it was good.
I look forward to more.
This was a good extension of the story. It believably expanded the world, and played with the dual narrative between Keal and Kylie.
It created an interesting parallel as the former labored with the Giants and the latter with the motts. The symbolism was hard to miss.
It also really interestingly developed Keal's character.
Thoughts:
This was another good book. It suffered slightly from its scope, and the fact that it really is just setup for a future, larger narrative, but on the whole it was good.
I look forward to more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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