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Death's Disciple #2
Traitor's Tome
Several weeks have passed since the capital of Laria narrowly escaped destruction at the hands of the god of death and His followers. Former Captain Yala Palathar is attempting to lie low, but the dead no longer rest easily in their graves, and her role in the battle has drawn attention from potential allies and foes alike.
Niema, too, has been irrecoverably changed by the choices she made during the battle of Dalathar, and journeying home to the Disciples of Life reveals the devastating consequences of her actions. Niema grapples with her desire to protect Yala’s secrets, but when monsters start appearing in the forest, she fears that she’s brought doom upon her own people.
When the Disciples of the Flame come to Yala with the news that a dangerous book used by the god of death’s followers has gone missing, Yala is compelled to seek it out to avert further disaster. Her quest takes her to Setemar, home of the Disciples of the Earth, where her path soon crosses with Kelan and the Disciples of the Sky. It isn’t long before Kelan’s alliance with Yala puts him at odds with his fellow Disciples, and the closer Yala treads to the domain of the god of death, the louder Mekan’s voice whispers in her own ear.
With threats stirring above and below ground, ally is set against ally, and not everyone will survive the calamity that will follow…
Niema, too, has been irrecoverably changed by the choices she made during the battle of Dalathar, and journeying home to the Disciples of Life reveals the devastating consequences of her actions. Niema grapples with her desire to protect Yala’s secrets, but when monsters start appearing in the forest, she fears that she’s brought doom upon her own people.
When the Disciples of the Flame come to Yala with the news that a dangerous book used by the god of death’s followers has gone missing, Yala is compelled to seek it out to avert further disaster. Her quest takes her to Setemar, home of the Disciples of the Earth, where her path soon crosses with Kelan and the Disciples of the Sky. It isn’t long before Kelan’s alliance with Yala puts him at odds with his fellow Disciples, and the closer Yala treads to the domain of the god of death, the louder Mekan’s voice whispers in her own ear.
With threats stirring above and below ground, ally is set against ally, and not everyone will survive the calamity that will follow…
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2024
5 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Emma L. Adams
86 books949 followersI'm Emma, a fantasy author, book collector, gamer, and wanderer. I write urban and epic fantasy novels, including the international bestselling Changeling Chronicles, the Relics of Power trilogy, and the Death's Disciple quartet.
*Note: I use Goodreads only to keep a record of what I'm reading. Please don't send me unsolicited review requests.*
*Note: I use Goodreads only to keep a record of what I'm reading. Please don't send me unsolicited review requests.*
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 4, 2024
This review was originally posted on Before We Go Blog
Emma L. Adams is back with Traitor’s Tome, the much-anticipated and riveting sequel to my personal SPFBO9 semi-finalist Death’s Disciple. Giant war drakes, elemental magic, necromancy, snarky anti-heroes, riveting mysteries, and ruthless political machinations; this dark yet deadly fun fantasy series has it all.
Traitor’s Tome picks up several weeks after the explosive ending to Death’s Disciple, and continues the tale of our three unlikely allies as they each try to deal with the fallout of the crazy events at the end of book 1. Though their time for recovery, recuperation, and rest is brutally cut short, as a dangerous book used by the god of Death’s followers has now gone missing. Corruption should have been eradicated, but it appears the god of Death is not so easily defeated after all.
Now, I rarely jump into a sequel without re-reading a prior instalment first if it’s been a while, but Death’s Disciple left such a mark on me that I felt safe to just dive straight into Traitor’s Tome. And to my pleasant surprise, I was completely reimmersed in this epic world within just a couple of pages. Yes, there’s a wonderful ‘The Story So Far’ section (thank all that is holy), but even without that, Adams just does a masterful job of easing you back into the story and cleverly reminding you of how things left off.
Reconnecting with my favourite characters from book 1 was honestly just an absolute blast, and I loved getting an additional perspective from a more bookish and scholarly type of heroine who I found to be one of the most intriguing secondary characters in Death’s Disciple. The pacing in Traitor’s Tome is slightly slower compared to book 1, which I personally really enjoyed as I felt like we really got the time to sink into the story and get to know these characters even more intimately than we already did.
Yala is trying to lie low and connect with some of her old squad mates, while Kelan and Niema both return to their respectives homes and are faced with the heavy consequences of their actions. I do think the true magic happens when these characters are all on page together, but seeing them all be off on their own for the majority of the novel allowed for some phenomenal character growth and a really smooth expansion and deepening of the world building.
One of my only minor quibbles with book 1 was that I felt like we barely scratched the surface of all the intriguing things this world had to offer, but that was quickly resolved in Traitor’s Tome. The scope expands significantly, and the implications and repercussions of the events in both book 1 and the prequel novella Monarch’s Mission are seamlessly woven into the narrative.
The religion-based magic system continues to be one of my favourite aspects of this story, and I loved seeing much more of the various different factions of Disciples. The prominent themes of faith, divinity, corruption, and the bending of history really come to the forefront as more and more people get wrapped up in the dangerous political schemes threatening the tenuous peace in this world, which quickly raised the stakes. And honestly, seeing the different manifestations of all of their respective elemental powers, including the death magic, also just made for some undeniably cool, cinematic, and wonder-inducing scenes.
Now, while I did genuinely enjoy all the benefits of the slower pacing, I do think it took a while for this story to really find its aim. Even though the mystery of the dangerous missing book is introduced very early on, I somehow felt like there was a certain lack of urgency. And I also can’t deny that I just somewhat missed the effortlessly funny dynamic and snarky banter between all of these characters while they were all separated.
Luckily, the latter half quickly recaptured the magic of the first book for me, as it was filled to the brim with riveting revelations, shocking twists and turns, entertaining interactions, and pulse-pounding action scenes. And because there is always just a certain air of mystery and intrigue permeating every aspect of these pages, Traitor’s Tome still proved to be an unbelievably easy tome to fly through.
If I wasn’t already hooked and in for the long haul after Death’s Disciple, then I now certainly am. Traitor’s Tome provided some much-needed answers, but also left me with even more mind-boggling questions, which is exactly the type of reading experience I want in a good and satisfying sequel.
My best attempt at a pitch I can give for this series is: House of the Dragon meets Avatar the Last Airbender, with a good dose of The Walking Dead thrown in. I realise that might sound chaotic, but I promise it works. So, if that seems like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend picking up the Death’s Disciple series. It deserves much more love!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Traitor’s Tome is available through Emma’s site on January 16, 2024, and goes up for general sale on February 6, 2024.
Emma L. Adams is back with Traitor’s Tome, the much-anticipated and riveting sequel to my personal SPFBO9 semi-finalist Death’s Disciple. Giant war drakes, elemental magic, necromancy, snarky anti-heroes, riveting mysteries, and ruthless political machinations; this dark yet deadly fun fantasy series has it all.
Traitor’s Tome picks up several weeks after the explosive ending to Death’s Disciple, and continues the tale of our three unlikely allies as they each try to deal with the fallout of the crazy events at the end of book 1. Though their time for recovery, recuperation, and rest is brutally cut short, as a dangerous book used by the god of Death’s followers has now gone missing. Corruption should have been eradicated, but it appears the god of Death is not so easily defeated after all.
Now, I rarely jump into a sequel without re-reading a prior instalment first if it’s been a while, but Death’s Disciple left such a mark on me that I felt safe to just dive straight into Traitor’s Tome. And to my pleasant surprise, I was completely reimmersed in this epic world within just a couple of pages. Yes, there’s a wonderful ‘The Story So Far’ section (thank all that is holy), but even without that, Adams just does a masterful job of easing you back into the story and cleverly reminding you of how things left off.
Reconnecting with my favourite characters from book 1 was honestly just an absolute blast, and I loved getting an additional perspective from a more bookish and scholarly type of heroine who I found to be one of the most intriguing secondary characters in Death’s Disciple. The pacing in Traitor’s Tome is slightly slower compared to book 1, which I personally really enjoyed as I felt like we really got the time to sink into the story and get to know these characters even more intimately than we already did.
Yala is trying to lie low and connect with some of her old squad mates, while Kelan and Niema both return to their respectives homes and are faced with the heavy consequences of their actions. I do think the true magic happens when these characters are all on page together, but seeing them all be off on their own for the majority of the novel allowed for some phenomenal character growth and a really smooth expansion and deepening of the world building.
One of my only minor quibbles with book 1 was that I felt like we barely scratched the surface of all the intriguing things this world had to offer, but that was quickly resolved in Traitor’s Tome. The scope expands significantly, and the implications and repercussions of the events in both book 1 and the prequel novella Monarch’s Mission are seamlessly woven into the narrative.
The religion-based magic system continues to be one of my favourite aspects of this story, and I loved seeing much more of the various different factions of Disciples. The prominent themes of faith, divinity, corruption, and the bending of history really come to the forefront as more and more people get wrapped up in the dangerous political schemes threatening the tenuous peace in this world, which quickly raised the stakes. And honestly, seeing the different manifestations of all of their respective elemental powers, including the death magic, also just made for some undeniably cool, cinematic, and wonder-inducing scenes.
Now, while I did genuinely enjoy all the benefits of the slower pacing, I do think it took a while for this story to really find its aim. Even though the mystery of the dangerous missing book is introduced very early on, I somehow felt like there was a certain lack of urgency. And I also can’t deny that I just somewhat missed the effortlessly funny dynamic and snarky banter between all of these characters while they were all separated.
Luckily, the latter half quickly recaptured the magic of the first book for me, as it was filled to the brim with riveting revelations, shocking twists and turns, entertaining interactions, and pulse-pounding action scenes. And because there is always just a certain air of mystery and intrigue permeating every aspect of these pages, Traitor’s Tome still proved to be an unbelievably easy tome to fly through.
If I wasn’t already hooked and in for the long haul after Death’s Disciple, then I now certainly am. Traitor’s Tome provided some much-needed answers, but also left me with even more mind-boggling questions, which is exactly the type of reading experience I want in a good and satisfying sequel.
My best attempt at a pitch I can give for this series is: House of the Dragon meets Avatar the Last Airbender, with a good dose of The Walking Dead thrown in. I realise that might sound chaotic, but I promise it works. So, if that seems like something you’d enjoy, I highly recommend picking up the Death’s Disciple series. It deserves much more love!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Traitor’s Tome is available through Emma’s site on January 16, 2024, and goes up for general sale on February 6, 2024.
January 18, 2024
Review originally on
JamReads
Traitor's Tome is the second book in the Death's Disciple series, a dark fantasy proposal written by Emma L. Adams (whose first instalment reached SFPBO9 semifinals). Set several weeks after Death's Disciple, Yala Palanthar has tried to keep low profile, but when the Disciples of the Flame come with the news of how a tome used by the god of death's disciples has disappeared, she's forced to start a new quest that will take her to Setemar.
Yala's path will be crossed with the Disciples of Earth, as Setemar is their home; however, the temple is being invaded by the Corruption, blocking the Disciples of Earth's access to their powers. Without a doubt, she will need to involve herself in the problems, at least if she wants to stop the god of death taking over everything, while still fighting with the sequels of the wounds suffered while stopping Laria's destruction.
Not going to lie, I absolutely loved Yala's character in the first novel, and in this one, even with the sequels of the fighting, she's exactly the same strong and snarky character; maybe a bit more cautious, especially having in consideration she's still using a cane to walk, but at the end, she's still our Yala. Maintaining the equilibrium with Mekan, trying to get power but not succumb to Him is a difficult task, but it also gives us some of the most spectacular moments of the book.
In comparison with the first book, we have a slower pacing, Adams taking more time to build and in especial, to continue building some aspects that were overlooked in the first book, such as the religion and their gods (and honestly, I have some crazy theories about the nature of some gods). Some references are introduced to the prequel novella, Monarch's Mission, a mystery that hopefully we will end resolving in the third book. And if the first part of this book is kinda slow, is just to prepare us for the great finale that happens in the second part, where Adams unleashes all the chaos over our characters.
Reading Traitor's Tome has left me craving for more adventures of Yala Palanthar, and for exploring more the world and their deities; if you want an excellent dark fantasy series, pick Death's Disciple as soon as possible, because Emma L. Adams has nailed it!
Traitor's Tome is the second book in the Death's Disciple series, a dark fantasy proposal written by Emma L. Adams (whose first instalment reached SFPBO9 semifinals). Set several weeks after Death's Disciple, Yala Palanthar has tried to keep low profile, but when the Disciples of the Flame come with the news of how a tome used by the god of death's disciples has disappeared, she's forced to start a new quest that will take her to Setemar.
Yala's path will be crossed with the Disciples of Earth, as Setemar is their home; however, the temple is being invaded by the Corruption, blocking the Disciples of Earth's access to their powers. Without a doubt, she will need to involve herself in the problems, at least if she wants to stop the god of death taking over everything, while still fighting with the sequels of the wounds suffered while stopping Laria's destruction.
Not going to lie, I absolutely loved Yala's character in the first novel, and in this one, even with the sequels of the fighting, she's exactly the same strong and snarky character; maybe a bit more cautious, especially having in consideration she's still using a cane to walk, but at the end, she's still our Yala. Maintaining the equilibrium with Mekan, trying to get power but not succumb to Him is a difficult task, but it also gives us some of the most spectacular moments of the book.
In comparison with the first book, we have a slower pacing, Adams taking more time to build and in especial, to continue building some aspects that were overlooked in the first book, such as the religion and their gods (and honestly, I have some crazy theories about the nature of some gods). Some references are introduced to the prequel novella, Monarch's Mission, a mystery that hopefully we will end resolving in the third book. And if the first part of this book is kinda slow, is just to prepare us for the great finale that happens in the second part, where Adams unleashes all the chaos over our characters.
Reading Traitor's Tome has left me craving for more adventures of Yala Palanthar, and for exploring more the world and their deities; if you want an excellent dark fantasy series, pick Death's Disciple as soon as possible, because Emma L. Adams has nailed it!
February 13, 2024
Traitor’s Tome is an action-packed sequel to Death’s Disciple, which expands the scope of the story, world and characters in an engaging way.
Yala thought she’d dealt with the threat from the god of death and his minions…so why are there reanimated body parts flopping out the city river? Increasingly mistrusted for her connection to the god of death, Yala has to root out her enemy and discover a secret history of the various disciples they’d rather keep hidden.
Despite being the protagonist, I thought Yala was rather static as a character is this book: the real interesting character arcs belonged to Niema (trying to do the right thing in a world that’s more cynical and deceitful than she believed) and Kelan (trying to grow/level up as a disciple of air). It’s kind of rough seeing their illusions shattered in the face of reality, but very engaging.
The plot felt a little circular for me (lots of travelling and surprise undead attacks), but I enjoyed the world lore that was revealed, and am keen to see what the real history of this world is: all is not what it seems with the rival disciple orders and their professed enemy…
I received an advance copy, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
Yala thought she’d dealt with the threat from the god of death and his minions…so why are there reanimated body parts flopping out the city river? Increasingly mistrusted for her connection to the god of death, Yala has to root out her enemy and discover a secret history of the various disciples they’d rather keep hidden.
Despite being the protagonist, I thought Yala was rather static as a character is this book: the real interesting character arcs belonged to Niema (trying to do the right thing in a world that’s more cynical and deceitful than she believed) and Kelan (trying to grow/level up as a disciple of air). It’s kind of rough seeing their illusions shattered in the face of reality, but very engaging.
The plot felt a little circular for me (lots of travelling and surprise undead attacks), but I enjoyed the world lore that was revealed, and am keen to see what the real history of this world is: all is not what it seems with the rival disciple orders and their professed enemy…
I received an advance copy, and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 18, 2024
The second book in the Death's Disciple series, this was quite a highly anticipated read for me. I had a lot of fun with Yala and her crew in the first book and I was hoping that it would continue. It did! The shenanigans with Mekan continue, it's all political between the various disciple branches and Yala is as snarky as ever!
The story carries on a few weeks after the affairs of Death's Disciple. Yala is contracted to recover an invaluable book on corruption, Kelan has been sent to speak to the Disciples of the Earth but they are not answering and Niema is finding it very difficult to readjust to life at home in the forest. As most of Death's Disciple was based in the capital city, Dalathar, this one is mainly based in Setemar, so it was nice to get a view of a new place in this world. We also gain more of an insight to the Disciples of the Earth, which were only mentioned in the first book. Plenty of lore and history is revealed, which is a delight to me.
To me, the plot was in a similar vein to the first book but with enough differences to still be fresh. And like the first book, it can get gory in parts. But the story being told is interesting and I can't wait to see what is revealed in the next book, particularly with the Disciples of Life as some very intriguing titbits were offered about their history. The author also provided a "Story so far" section at the beginning, which is always an appreciated gesture.
As with Death's Disciple, Traitor's Tome was a fast and fun read. I love Yala's grumpy nature (I think she deserves to be grumpy after all she has been through!), with Kelan a close second favourite. I liked that he got more of a star role in this one. Those that have read Death's Disciple will not be disappointed with this entry. I eagerly anticipate the next entry in this series.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. I also participated in the Kickstarter for this book but this has not influenced this review.
The story carries on a few weeks after the affairs of Death's Disciple. Yala is contracted to recover an invaluable book on corruption, Kelan has been sent to speak to the Disciples of the Earth but they are not answering and Niema is finding it very difficult to readjust to life at home in the forest. As most of Death's Disciple was based in the capital city, Dalathar, this one is mainly based in Setemar, so it was nice to get a view of a new place in this world. We also gain more of an insight to the Disciples of the Earth, which were only mentioned in the first book. Plenty of lore and history is revealed, which is a delight to me.
To me, the plot was in a similar vein to the first book but with enough differences to still be fresh. And like the first book, it can get gory in parts. But the story being told is interesting and I can't wait to see what is revealed in the next book, particularly with the Disciples of Life as some very intriguing titbits were offered about their history. The author also provided a "Story so far" section at the beginning, which is always an appreciated gesture.
As with Death's Disciple, Traitor's Tome was a fast and fun read. I love Yala's grumpy nature (I think she deserves to be grumpy after all she has been through!), with Kelan a close second favourite. I liked that he got more of a star role in this one. Those that have read Death's Disciple will not be disappointed with this entry. I eagerly anticipate the next entry in this series.
I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. I also participated in the Kickstarter for this book but this has not influenced this review.
September 26, 2024
I read this book while in hospital, and for some reason I forgot to review while recovering. I little late, but better late then never my review.
For starters I love the books of Emma Adams, and this one is no exception. This sequel of Death Disciple pick up a few month of weeks after.
Yala thinks she ended the problems with the followers of the god of death. But now there are body-parts in te river. Moving body-parts to be more precise. In the mean time Niema and Kelan return home to find they have their own problems to deal with.
And then there is the missing book. This book is uses by the Disciples of the God of Death. In search of this book Yala finds herself on her way to Setemar, home of the Disciples of Earth. As the temple is corrupted, the Disciples of Earth are cut of from their powers.
With the news of how a tome used by the god of death's disciples has disappeared, Yala is forced to start a new quest that will take her to Setemar.
The temple of the God of the Earth is riddled with corruption, blocking the disciples of Earth from their powers. And the Disciples are not that forthcoming..
Meeting up with Niema and Kelan the story develops fast and furious. Monsters, great dialog, excitement, friendship and loyalty. All in a rich world where magic runs it's course.
I loved the first book, and I love this second book (though the story evolves in a slower pace)!
Recommended.
I received an Arc form the writer and offer my opinion freely.
For starters I love the books of Emma Adams, and this one is no exception. This sequel of Death Disciple pick up a few month of weeks after.
Yala thinks she ended the problems with the followers of the god of death. But now there are body-parts in te river. Moving body-parts to be more precise. In the mean time Niema and Kelan return home to find they have their own problems to deal with.
And then there is the missing book. This book is uses by the Disciples of the God of Death. In search of this book Yala finds herself on her way to Setemar, home of the Disciples of Earth. As the temple is corrupted, the Disciples of Earth are cut of from their powers.
With the news of how a tome used by the god of death's disciples has disappeared, Yala is forced to start a new quest that will take her to Setemar.
The temple of the God of the Earth is riddled with corruption, blocking the disciples of Earth from their powers. And the Disciples are not that forthcoming..
Meeting up with Niema and Kelan the story develops fast and furious. Monsters, great dialog, excitement, friendship and loyalty. All in a rich world where magic runs it's course.
I loved the first book, and I love this second book (though the story evolves in a slower pace)!
Recommended.
I received an Arc form the writer and offer my opinion freely.
June 21, 2024
Laria is no more the country it used to be, as Yala and her squad knew it. The god of death, Mekan, and his followers led by Melian might have been defeated in Dalathar, yet his presence lingers. Yala, meeting the new superior of the Disciples of Fire, is sent on a mission to retrieve a book believed to contain knowledge about Mekan, book taken away by his followers. Niema returns to the Disciples of Life, learning the consequences of her actions in the battle and slowly being shunned even by her own superior. Kelan, truthful to his own nature, causes mischief wherever he goes, led by instincts and morals yet alienating every possible other disciple he meets. They all meet again at the location of the disciples of Earth, where they have to join forces again..
Adventurous journeys of our main characters lead the reader across the whole country, uncovering secrets, solving mysteries, learning more about the gods and their disciples. The story follows several separate lines until it joins again, centered around Yala, her character, her skills and connection to Mekan, and her misfit friends. The book itself brings several great twists into the story. I absolutely enjoy this world, these characters, and looking forward to book 3 coming out!
Adventurous journeys of our main characters lead the reader across the whole country, uncovering secrets, solving mysteries, learning more about the gods and their disciples. The story follows several separate lines until it joins again, centered around Yala, her character, her skills and connection to Mekan, and her misfit friends. The book itself brings several great twists into the story. I absolutely enjoy this world, these characters, and looking forward to book 3 coming out!
February 21, 2024
It’s so nice to finally read a fantasy series that focusses on the story instead of devoting 3 to 5 chapters on explicit sex. It’s a great story and well written. I look forward to the next in the series.
September 28, 2025
what a story!
this a continuation of Yala's tale. Her friends and ... allies, get into more trouble. It is absolutely captivating this world that Emma Adams gives us. I truly have a hard time putting the book down. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would be starting book 3!
this a continuation of Yala's tale. Her friends and ... allies, get into more trouble. It is absolutely captivating this world that Emma Adams gives us. I truly have a hard time putting the book down. If I didn't have to work tomorrow, I would be starting book 3!
May 23, 2025
This is the sequel to Death’s Disciple and picks up almost immediately where the first book left off. We still follow our main three, Yala, Niema and Kelan who are dealing with the consequences of the climax in the last book. Niema is shunned as she learns of the consequences of saving Yala, Kelan and his fellows continue not to see eye to eye and Yala is suddenly more well-known than she’d like.
Whilst the events of this book follow directly on from the last, it takes some time for the story to find its footing. The first book tells a well-wrapped story without a direct thread to lead into this book. The connection is certainly there, but, vaguer and it took a good deal of effort to build-on and connect to the previous story. This made the first ~40% of the book significantly slower than the previous book which had its positives and negatives. This gave plenty of time to build on the magic system and its connection to the world’s deities which was my favourite part of the first book. I said in my review of the first book the world felt a little generic outside of the magic system, but this further exploration fleshed out the world for me and made it feel more lived in and consequently unique. It also gave more time to flesh out our main characters and the major factions in Laria. Particularly the Disciples of Life and Flame who go on to play important roles in the story. On the other hand, the slow start did lead to some tire-spinning once our stories again converge on the central location of the story. Another faction and various new villains had to be introduced which led to some repetitive scenes (how many times did they get kicked out of the temple of Earth or explore the tunnels?). But, with the pieces now in place the rest of the book was non-stop action, and it was awesome. I won’t go into specific spoilers, but we finally start to learn more about Mekan and his goals as well as how he is similar yet in conflict with another deity.
In the first book, I felt that Yala was the weakest of the three central characters which was a little bit of a drag given she is the MC. In TT, her relationship to Mekan is more fleshed out, it is dark, gory and awesome. But otherwise, I feel like Yala largely stays the course as a character. She is stoic and takes everything in stride which makes her come across as quite aloof and since we aren’t in her head she feels emotionless at times. Even with Mekan constantly fucking with her, she feels rather static and reactive as a character. Niema and Kelan continued to grow in my approximation. Niema having gone on a long and arduous quest returns home to find it isn’t as she remembered. She had changed and her home remained the same. She must reconcile this and make bold moves to strike out on her own. This has a massive payoff in the later part of the book. Kelan also must challenge his happy-go-lucky, foot in his mouth ways. He is given more responsibility and failure to rise to them leads to the death of people he cares for. And, taking a stand even when people don’t believe him also leads to more death. As such, he must contend with the consequences of his actions.
I felt the writing was slightly improved over the first book. The slower pace allowed for more exposition that I felt was a little lacking in the first book and like the first book the writing really shone when it came to the action scenes. They were fast paced and brutal whilst still being easy to follow.
Overall, I thought that Traitor’s Tome was a step up from Death’s Disciple. It fleshed out the world and its history making it feel more unique and lived in. The pacing was a little patchy at the start but found its feet. I’m still not Yala’s #1 fan but Niema and Kelan are great. The action was visceral, and the magic system tied to their deities is super fun. Solid 3.75-4 stars for me, I intend to keep reading on with the series.
Whilst the events of this book follow directly on from the last, it takes some time for the story to find its footing. The first book tells a well-wrapped story without a direct thread to lead into this book. The connection is certainly there, but, vaguer and it took a good deal of effort to build-on and connect to the previous story. This made the first ~40% of the book significantly slower than the previous book which had its positives and negatives. This gave plenty of time to build on the magic system and its connection to the world’s deities which was my favourite part of the first book. I said in my review of the first book the world felt a little generic outside of the magic system, but this further exploration fleshed out the world for me and made it feel more lived in and consequently unique. It also gave more time to flesh out our main characters and the major factions in Laria. Particularly the Disciples of Life and Flame who go on to play important roles in the story. On the other hand, the slow start did lead to some tire-spinning once our stories again converge on the central location of the story. Another faction and various new villains had to be introduced which led to some repetitive scenes (how many times did they get kicked out of the temple of Earth or explore the tunnels?). But, with the pieces now in place the rest of the book was non-stop action, and it was awesome. I won’t go into specific spoilers, but we finally start to learn more about Mekan and his goals as well as how he is similar yet in conflict with another deity.
In the first book, I felt that Yala was the weakest of the three central characters which was a little bit of a drag given she is the MC. In TT, her relationship to Mekan is more fleshed out, it is dark, gory and awesome. But otherwise, I feel like Yala largely stays the course as a character. She is stoic and takes everything in stride which makes her come across as quite aloof and since we aren’t in her head she feels emotionless at times. Even with Mekan constantly fucking with her, she feels rather static and reactive as a character. Niema and Kelan continued to grow in my approximation. Niema having gone on a long and arduous quest returns home to find it isn’t as she remembered. She had changed and her home remained the same. She must reconcile this and make bold moves to strike out on her own. This has a massive payoff in the later part of the book. Kelan also must challenge his happy-go-lucky, foot in his mouth ways. He is given more responsibility and failure to rise to them leads to the death of people he cares for. And, taking a stand even when people don’t believe him also leads to more death. As such, he must contend with the consequences of his actions.
I felt the writing was slightly improved over the first book. The slower pace allowed for more exposition that I felt was a little lacking in the first book and like the first book the writing really shone when it came to the action scenes. They were fast paced and brutal whilst still being easy to follow.
Overall, I thought that Traitor’s Tome was a step up from Death’s Disciple. It fleshed out the world and its history making it feel more unique and lived in. The pacing was a little patchy at the start but found its feet. I’m still not Yala’s #1 fan but Niema and Kelan are great. The action was visceral, and the magic system tied to their deities is super fun. Solid 3.75-4 stars for me, I intend to keep reading on with the series.
April 7, 2024
I absolutely loved this! Not surprising really considering how much I loved Death's Disciple!
Like the first book, the action never let up. Once you started, you really didn't want to put the book down!
I loved being reunited with Yala, Kalen and Neima! With the way things started between them (in Book 1), it was so good to see the friendship grow between them.
I can't wait for Book 3!
Oh, and can I just make a mention of the cover?! How awesome is it?! Not just this one, but the one for Book 1 too! Absolutely stunning!
Like the first book, the action never let up. Once you started, you really didn't want to put the book down!
I loved being reunited with Yala, Kalen and Neima! With the way things started between them (in Book 1), it was so good to see the friendship grow between them.
I can't wait for Book 3!
Oh, and can I just make a mention of the cover?! How awesome is it?! Not just this one, but the one for Book 1 too! Absolutely stunning!
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