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The Long War #2
The Dark Blood
In the court of every city in the lands of Ro, a sorceress sits. And in the minds of that city's people, each sorceress weaves a song. She and her sisters sing of the liberation of the land, the taming of the highland tribes, and the birth of a precious new the children of a dead god.
Of course, they do not sing of the death of young Prince Christophe at the hands of that god. Particularly as his replacement dances so well to their tune.
Yet all songs have an end. An ending speeded when the assassin Rham Jas Rami accepts a commission from Bromvy Black Guard, traitor duke of Canarn.
The rebellion of Ro has begun...
Please Great care has been taken to make sure this ebook is both beautiful and highly functional.
Of course, they do not sing of the death of young Prince Christophe at the hands of that god. Particularly as his replacement dances so well to their tune.
Yet all songs have an end. An ending speeded when the assassin Rham Jas Rami accepts a commission from Bromvy Black Guard, traitor duke of Canarn.
The rebellion of Ro has begun...
Please Great care has been taken to make sure this ebook is both beautiful and highly functional.
513 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2014
About the author
A.J. Smith
8 books312 followersWriting is the only thing I do that doesn't make me feel like I should be doing something else.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 18, 2024
This series definitely deserves more acclaim!
April 12, 2019
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
The Long War series is an epic fantasy/dark fantasy quadrilogy which deals with courtroom intrigue, politics, magic and gods in a world similar to ours but set during the medieval period. It consists of the following books: The Black Guard, The Dark Blood, The Red Prince and The World Raven. These four books have a complexity and style that is a mix of George R.R. Martin and Steven Eriksson with a dash of H. P. Lovecraft.
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
The Long War series is an epic fantasy/dark fantasy quadrilogy which deals with courtroom intrigue, politics, magic and gods in a world similar to ours but set during the medieval period. It consists of the following books: The Black Guard, The Dark Blood, The Red Prince and The World Raven. These four books have a complexity and style that is a mix of George R.R. Martin and Steven Eriksson with a dash of H. P. Lovecraft.
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
April 17, 2017
This is the Long War and battles on many fronts is what you shall receive! And you know what the beauty of this book is? It delivers all of the battles and fight scenes in the most gripping, visual and easy to follow manner. Have you ever read an action scene in a book and felt completely lost, thinking, who’s kicking who again, and sorry-what-what? Simple is best and Smith executes on setting the scenes to a T. Often I found myself admiring a sentence here and there, that just put the cherry on top of the whole delivery. Logical, yet unexpected little touches added to character behaviors that made a setting just perfect. It was beautiful, says she with a tear in her eye! I see gems of genius in this writing and if I was a cat I would be purring my content during reading.
‘Don’t run,’ growled Oleff, ‘we wanna be friends.’ He punctuated the last word by burying his axe in the skull of one of the feeling men.
That’s right! In this fantasy book (series) men don’t fight by waving magic wands, they fight with axes and swords and fists. OK, maybe there is a bit of ‘magic’ but it’s mostly close combat and when you’ve come to care about the characters, you’re standing there with them, splitting heads and roaring defiance, rebel and loyalty to their land and people. So much blood was spilled and so many battles were had and, here’s another great thing about this book, NONE of what happened felt like it wasn’t necessary in the plot. None. It was all necessary, following the logical progress of the Long War and I got to go to new places and meet some new characters.
Anywhooo… now that the cat is out of the bag as to what the Seven Sisters are planning, our main characters find themselves separated across the lands fighting different forces towards the same goal. The outlook is bleak to say the least- the Seven Sisters are really good at doing what they do. I mean, they have kings and clerics drooling at their feet like hungry puppies. Luckily though, some of my favorite characters are meant for bigger things. They are exemplars. They are unique and they have a role to play in the Long War. And I’ll be damned if some of them die in this series, I’ll be major pissed! hehehe…
The Dark Blood will have you fight side by side with Utha the Ghost, Al Hasim and the Wraiths, admire the resilience and certain powers of Rham Jas, feel loyalty towards Halla the Summer Wolf. The book will make you feel victorious and saddened, it will make you want to ‘high five’ Fallon and Vladimir. It will make you wish you were Alahan as he witnesses Timon the berserker ‘communicate’ with trolls. The Dokkalfar, forest-dwellers, culture is expanded on nicely as well and I still find them so completely fascinating. So, basically, you’ll not only get an action-packed, fully gripping tale, you’ll also get different cultures, people and beliefs. Any fantasy fan could appreciate that.
Throughout the war and death and hardships, The Dark Blood doesn’t forget that it needs to give more than just testosterone-filled pissing contests and, you know, fighting the evil. The companionships and banter in between our most loved characters continue.
‘Okay, I’m still afraid of you,’ the forger reluctantly conceded.
‘Excellent,’ said Rham Jas, with a wide grin. ‘All is right in the world again.’
‘Fuck you, Rham Jas,’ spat the man of Leith. ‘I’m going to sleep. Wake me up when you’re less of an arsehole.’
‘You’ll be an old man, Kale,’ replied Rham Jas, with a boyish chuckle.
What really made me happy was the fact that some character development saw a few of the men truly question the foundations of their beliefs. Sure, it plays into progressing the plot, but when twists are delivered at the right time, they hardly seem like the author is trying to ‘save where this is going‘.
And- you know how we love characters and we hate characters? It took me reading The Dark Blood to realize that love&hate have been such shallow feelings I have felt for characters in the past. Reading this book opened me to a new feeling I can have towards a character: respect.
It’s easy to dole out love with sympathy. It’s easy to feel hate and disgust. But respect? Like in real life, it has to be earned and somehow, Smith managed to get it just right. Maybe it’s the consistency that shows in the characters, or maybe it’s the fact that there’s no ‘yeah, but- no, but‘ easy way out when it came to making decisions… I know that Rham Jas is a cheeky fecker, I know that Utha can be a grumpy pain, but they had principles! And, if there is one thing I value most, it’s bloody principles.
Randall could just make out the bastards laughing as they hurriedly left the roadway, but the last sound he heard before he passed out was Utha saying, ‘You die when I die, not a second before.’
Overall– the ugliness of war is in full swing in this book, with the customary gruesome acts. It’s tough and it’ll grate against the nerve but a thousand something pages into the series, one could say, I have taken residence in this world and intend to stick it with the characters until the end. Oh… just stop, like, I’m shivering here trying to imagine how book #3 is going to deliver. All those new little storylines breaking fresh glimpses into lands yet unexplored while at the same time challenging beliefs and solidly helping along with some character development. Excitement times infinity would be an understatement.
‘Don’t run,’ growled Oleff, ‘we wanna be friends.’ He punctuated the last word by burying his axe in the skull of one of the feeling men.
That’s right! In this fantasy book (series) men don’t fight by waving magic wands, they fight with axes and swords and fists. OK, maybe there is a bit of ‘magic’ but it’s mostly close combat and when you’ve come to care about the characters, you’re standing there with them, splitting heads and roaring defiance, rebel and loyalty to their land and people. So much blood was spilled and so many battles were had and, here’s another great thing about this book, NONE of what happened felt like it wasn’t necessary in the plot. None. It was all necessary, following the logical progress of the Long War and I got to go to new places and meet some new characters.
Anywhooo… now that the cat is out of the bag as to what the Seven Sisters are planning, our main characters find themselves separated across the lands fighting different forces towards the same goal. The outlook is bleak to say the least- the Seven Sisters are really good at doing what they do. I mean, they have kings and clerics drooling at their feet like hungry puppies. Luckily though, some of my favorite characters are meant for bigger things. They are exemplars. They are unique and they have a role to play in the Long War. And I’ll be damned if some of them die in this series, I’ll be major pissed! hehehe…
The Dark Blood will have you fight side by side with Utha the Ghost, Al Hasim and the Wraiths, admire the resilience and certain powers of Rham Jas, feel loyalty towards Halla the Summer Wolf. The book will make you feel victorious and saddened, it will make you want to ‘high five’ Fallon and Vladimir. It will make you wish you were Alahan as he witnesses Timon the berserker ‘communicate’ with trolls. The Dokkalfar, forest-dwellers, culture is expanded on nicely as well and I still find them so completely fascinating. So, basically, you’ll not only get an action-packed, fully gripping tale, you’ll also get different cultures, people and beliefs. Any fantasy fan could appreciate that.
Throughout the war and death and hardships, The Dark Blood doesn’t forget that it needs to give more than just testosterone-filled pissing contests and, you know, fighting the evil. The companionships and banter in between our most loved characters continue.
‘Okay, I’m still afraid of you,’ the forger reluctantly conceded.
‘Excellent,’ said Rham Jas, with a wide grin. ‘All is right in the world again.’
‘Fuck you, Rham Jas,’ spat the man of Leith. ‘I’m going to sleep. Wake me up when you’re less of an arsehole.’
‘You’ll be an old man, Kale,’ replied Rham Jas, with a boyish chuckle.
What really made me happy was the fact that some character development saw a few of the men truly question the foundations of their beliefs. Sure, it plays into progressing the plot, but when twists are delivered at the right time, they hardly seem like the author is trying to ‘save where this is going‘.
And- you know how we love characters and we hate characters? It took me reading The Dark Blood to realize that love&hate have been such shallow feelings I have felt for characters in the past. Reading this book opened me to a new feeling I can have towards a character: respect.
It’s easy to dole out love with sympathy. It’s easy to feel hate and disgust. But respect? Like in real life, it has to be earned and somehow, Smith managed to get it just right. Maybe it’s the consistency that shows in the characters, or maybe it’s the fact that there’s no ‘yeah, but- no, but‘ easy way out when it came to making decisions… I know that Rham Jas is a cheeky fecker, I know that Utha can be a grumpy pain, but they had principles! And, if there is one thing I value most, it’s bloody principles.
Randall could just make out the bastards laughing as they hurriedly left the roadway, but the last sound he heard before he passed out was Utha saying, ‘You die when I die, not a second before.’
Overall– the ugliness of war is in full swing in this book, with the customary gruesome acts. It’s tough and it’ll grate against the nerve but a thousand something pages into the series, one could say, I have taken residence in this world and intend to stick it with the characters until the end. Oh… just stop, like, I’m shivering here trying to imagine how book #3 is going to deliver. All those new little storylines breaking fresh glimpses into lands yet unexplored while at the same time challenging beliefs and solidly helping along with some character development. Excitement times infinity would be an understatement.
December 12, 2023
An ancient war all but forgotten. Devout entrench & prepare for an ominous return. The defiant, the old blood & long past allegiances emerge in deadly opposition.
Enchantresses, warriors, assassins, trolls, shapeshifters, kraken & GIANT spiders.
C’mon what more could you want?
There is a rich deep lore here. A mysterious past history of these lands.
The characters are just so fantastic. Brutal action and lots of it. Great chemistry between characters too.
Already has become one of my all time favourites and I’m ONLY half way through this series.
So friggin good. Whoo hoo!
Enchantresses, warriors, assassins, trolls, shapeshifters, kraken & GIANT spiders.
C’mon what more could you want?
There is a rich deep lore here. A mysterious past history of these lands.
The characters are just so fantastic. Brutal action and lots of it. Great chemistry between characters too.
Already has become one of my all time favourites and I’m ONLY half way through this series.
So friggin good. Whoo hoo!
October 30, 2016
Outstanding.
This book really built on everything established in the opener and ran with it extremely well. I could have easily breezed through this in a few days if i had more time.
Anyone who is a fan of epic/grimdark/sword n sorcery fantasy, get into this series (it is also completed now too)
This book really built on everything established in the opener and ran with it extremely well. I could have easily breezed through this in a few days if i had more time.
Anyone who is a fan of epic/grimdark/sword n sorcery fantasy, get into this series (it is also completed now too)
October 19, 2019
The Dark Blood is the most exciting and engaging fantasy I've read in a long time. This series is exactly what I've been searching for and I can't believe there is not more hype and fanfare surrounding it. The world is vibrant and detailed, and the lore is fantastical and mysterious in all the right ways. The Dark Blood delivered exactly what I wanted and expected after reading the previous book (The Black Guard). This book is action-packed and contains compelling characters aplenty. I flew through this book and I can't wait to finish the series. I am also very happy the Chronicles of the Long War is complete, given that some of the most popular fantasy series right now are not... and with no end in sight. A.J. Smith, if you can see this.... THANK YOU FOR FINISHING THIS SERIES!!!!!!
October 21, 2023
This is such a fantastic book and great sequal to Black Guard. I get a Gerald the Witcher vibe off of Rham Jas and Utha the Shadow is such a legend.
If you love the Game of Thrones series, John Gwyenne's the Faithful and the Fallen series, the A.J. Smith's Chronicles of the Long War is an absolute must read!!
If you love the Game of Thrones series, John Gwyenne's the Faithful and the Fallen series, the A.J. Smith's Chronicles of the Long War is an absolute must read!!
September 14, 2017
Holy shit
A.j smith is brilliant. The long war series is getting better and better with each book and I really can't wait to read the next one the red prince.
Where to start mmmm Well at times I got slightly bored with a few chapters and that's why I gave it 4* and not 5*. Overall Though I really enjoyed ploughing through this book, there was plenty of action and violence which I always love to read. The relationships between the characters has developed well also it was nice to see some of the characters I like evolving as the book went on. A small amount of the future story has been revealed which has me really intrigued about what is going to happen next.
The red prince that has been mentioned makes me smile and worries me at the same time as well as I don't know where he will fit into the sceme of things. Utha had a lot revealed about his future in this book and now I am excited for the next part and excited to find out what happens with my favourite characters.
This book was brutal and funny with good action and had me confused and awestruck at times, other than the slow chapters this was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be moving on to the next book.
A.j smith is brilliant. The long war series is getting better and better with each book and I really can't wait to read the next one the red prince.
Where to start mmmm Well at times I got slightly bored with a few chapters and that's why I gave it 4* and not 5*. Overall Though I really enjoyed ploughing through this book, there was plenty of action and violence which I always love to read. The relationships between the characters has developed well also it was nice to see some of the characters I like evolving as the book went on. A small amount of the future story has been revealed which has me really intrigued about what is going to happen next.
The red prince that has been mentioned makes me smile and worries me at the same time as well as I don't know where he will fit into the sceme of things. Utha had a lot revealed about his future in this book and now I am excited for the next part and excited to find out what happens with my favourite characters.
This book was brutal and funny with good action and had me confused and awestruck at times, other than the slow chapters this was a really enjoyable read and I will definitely be moving on to the next book.
August 12, 2025
Why do the characters puff out their cheeks so often? It sounds so fucking stupid.
Also it makes me think they all walk around looking like Pob.
Also it makes me think they all walk around looking like Pob.
February 1, 2020
The continuation of the Long War series jumps straight in where the action of the first book left off. This is definitely a story in the middle of an arc - it mostly about progressing the characters along their respective journeys. Fortunately, their journeys are all great fun!
The world building in this book series is phenomenal - a really fleshed out and fully realized world with a complex interaction between the various peoples and nations, a full mythology and a real sense of history.
This second book sees the individual characters develop. Whilst the first book was pretty ruthless at killing off key characters this one is a bit more gentle and allows the read to bond with them a bit more. New POVs are introduced so the cast of characters is growing quite sizeable!
The action is pretty continuous. We are in the middle of a war after all. Seemingly major events can sometimes pass really fast, but this only serves to heighten the sense of scope and scale to an impressive level.
An excellent mid series book and I can’t wait to see where the Long War goes next.
The world building in this book series is phenomenal - a really fleshed out and fully realized world with a complex interaction between the various peoples and nations, a full mythology and a real sense of history.
This second book sees the individual characters develop. Whilst the first book was pretty ruthless at killing off key characters this one is a bit more gentle and allows the read to bond with them a bit more. New POVs are introduced so the cast of characters is growing quite sizeable!
The action is pretty continuous. We are in the middle of a war after all. Seemingly major events can sometimes pass really fast, but this only serves to heighten the sense of scope and scale to an impressive level.
An excellent mid series book and I can’t wait to see where the Long War goes next.
May 4, 2018
Dark Blood is the continuing battle of the citizens of Ranen, Ro and Dokkalfar against the Karesian Witches. This book focuses on Rham Jas Rami, the Kirin Assassin who have the Dark Blood and the only person to eliminate Saara the Mistress of Pain. Bromvy the Black Guard and a few of the characters from the first book took a bit of a backseat for this novel continues its world building process. Alahan Teardrop, heir to the throne of Fredricksand is going to need an ally in Halla Summer Wolf to defeat the traitorous Rulag Ursa, Lord Of Jarvik. What became of Al Hasim? Will Dalian, the Thief Taker ever see his Son again? Can’t wait for the next installment. Will Utha the Ghost and Randall of Darkwald be successful of their journey to Far Karesia? The Long War is an adventurous, imaginatively written and A.J. Smith simply one of the Authors to follow.
March 10, 2020
My only issue, and it's a me problem, remembering all the character names. Lol. The author however has given them all great personalities so I knew who they were once they were introduced back into the story.
How will this end?! Still additional players to come!! So much war!!!
How will this end?! Still additional players to come!! So much war!!!
July 25, 2014
despite occasional flashes of interest, the novel is sub-mediocre and I am done with the series; the writing verges on bad and laughable on many occasions and the storyline is just cliche after cliche including the main villains being a few ultra-seductive magical women whom men find literally irresistible so they take over the minds of the most important movers and shakers from various places - kings, generals, knights, clerics and of course all men - except of course for the immune main character who is on a mission to kill them and root them out before they are replaced (once one of the 7 is killed another is trained magically to take her place); other stuff happens too but that's the main thread, the 7 super villain-sorceresses wanting to raise the dark god of lust and seducing/killing as many men, women, children and non-human sentients as needed for that; became truly yucky after a while
- note that volume 1 had some of this stuff but it was far more muted and more of "background" noise with the main action being about other stuff (the fight for Ro Canaarn mainly and the fate of the 2 heirs), but in this volume the big picture storyline comes to the forefront and that is the one above which is truly yucky; here is an early taste of this:
"Rham Jas smiled as he remembered the other advantage the tree had given him – he was the only man alive who could strike at the Seven Sisters. Men had tried, but without exception had been unable to raise a hand or fire an arrow. The enchantresses of Karesia were all but unkillable and, according to the forest-dwelling Dokkalfar, they were planning to exploit their invulnerability to raise the malevolent Forest Giant of pleasure and blood: the Dead God."
- note that volume 1 had some of this stuff but it was far more muted and more of "background" noise with the main action being about other stuff (the fight for Ro Canaarn mainly and the fate of the 2 heirs), but in this volume the big picture storyline comes to the forefront and that is the one above which is truly yucky; here is an early taste of this:
"Rham Jas smiled as he remembered the other advantage the tree had given him – he was the only man alive who could strike at the Seven Sisters. Men had tried, but without exception had been unable to raise a hand or fire an arrow. The enchantresses of Karesia were all but unkillable and, according to the forest-dwelling Dokkalfar, they were planning to exploit their invulnerability to raise the malevolent Forest Giant of pleasure and blood: the Dead God."
March 18, 2015
Review
I was (am) a big fan of A J Smiths debut novel, while it’s not a perfect fantasy book, it was cleverly written (a little on the epic side) …well read my Review.
Writing a review for an author is also even more of a pleasure when you meet the author and you find out they are genuinely a really nice person. (if you get a chance to go to the next Goldsboro books Fantasy in the Court you really must)
So how does book 2 measure up? if I’m honest its significantly stronger than book 1, the author seems to have taken his licks from the book one reviews (and there were a few, a fair few uncalled for) but channeled the feedback and energy into a tremendous second book.
There is a significant clarification to the plot, the protagonists and the overall plot. What had in book one slowed the flow and i think led to confusion for some readers has been solidified into a much tighter defined intense story, answering many of the questions outstanding from book one.
I feel the author has been channeling his inner GRR Martin, the world and over all plot is wide-ranging, with a large cast, of which no character is safe. The characters are also on the real side, there are dark personalities, frailties, flaws, all of which making up real people, for me a very GRRM character building trait. Book 2 continues its narrowing of focus with the characters, giving a much more defined group for the reader to follow than book one, which was as much an intro into the authors mind and world building as it was telling the story.
As second books go it’s a great triumph of writing and shows there is much more to come from the new voice in fantasy.
(Parm)
I was (am) a big fan of A J Smiths debut novel, while it’s not a perfect fantasy book, it was cleverly written (a little on the epic side) …well read my Review.
Writing a review for an author is also even more of a pleasure when you meet the author and you find out they are genuinely a really nice person. (if you get a chance to go to the next Goldsboro books Fantasy in the Court you really must)
So how does book 2 measure up? if I’m honest its significantly stronger than book 1, the author seems to have taken his licks from the book one reviews (and there were a few, a fair few uncalled for) but channeled the feedback and energy into a tremendous second book.
There is a significant clarification to the plot, the protagonists and the overall plot. What had in book one slowed the flow and i think led to confusion for some readers has been solidified into a much tighter defined intense story, answering many of the questions outstanding from book one.
I feel the author has been channeling his inner GRR Martin, the world and over all plot is wide-ranging, with a large cast, of which no character is safe. The characters are also on the real side, there are dark personalities, frailties, flaws, all of which making up real people, for me a very GRRM character building trait. Book 2 continues its narrowing of focus with the characters, giving a much more defined group for the reader to follow than book one, which was as much an intro into the authors mind and world building as it was telling the story.
As second books go it’s a great triumph of writing and shows there is much more to come from the new voice in fantasy.
(Parm)
December 17, 2015
Lots of mysterious but cool characters and races. It's really going back epic and deep in this book. I wouldn't call it horror in any way though, just occasionally horrific fantasy.
January 1, 2024
Once again, this book rocked my world! Last read of 2023 and I already can't wait for the first book of 2024 which is of course, The Red Prince. Especially with one of my boys being in danger, I need to get to him ASAP!
This is not going to be as coherent a review as the first book because I'm already wasting my time writing a review when I could have been reading the third book already!
Okay, so, to sum things up, a lot of things happened in this book as well. There was never a moment of idleness. I feel so sorry for all these soldiers of the Long War. They must be so tired~ 🥺
The Seven Sisters are as hateful as ever, Rham Jas (my poor baby) plays quite a big role in this book (I suspect the title is referring to him), and Al Hasim (my other baby) is hurt. Again. God, I NEED to know he's going to be alright and reunited with Bronwyn!!
The writing is as blunt and direct as before. If you're looking for beautiful prose, this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for a well-constructed story with an amazing array of characters, you've hit jackpot. I really do believe that the author spent more than a decade coming up with The Long War Chronicles (as stated on the very first page), because this is a story written with love, passion and care. And I truly appreciate every letter of it!
This is not going to be as coherent a review as the first book because I'm already wasting my time writing a review when I could have been reading the third book already!
Okay, so, to sum things up, a lot of things happened in this book as well. There was never a moment of idleness. I feel so sorry for all these soldiers of the Long War. They must be so tired~ 🥺
The Seven Sisters are as hateful as ever, Rham Jas (my poor baby) plays quite a big role in this book (I suspect the title is referring to him), and Al Hasim (my other baby) is hurt. Again. God, I NEED to know he's going to be alright and reunited with Bronwyn!!
The writing is as blunt and direct as before. If you're looking for beautiful prose, this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for a well-constructed story with an amazing array of characters, you've hit jackpot. I really do believe that the author spent more than a decade coming up with The Long War Chronicles (as stated on the very first page), because this is a story written with love, passion and care. And I truly appreciate every letter of it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2019
Okay, we've got a winner here.
When I read Book 1 of the series, I was inrigued, but kinda sceptical how much mileage Smith can pull out of the Long War.
After reading Book 2 and the prologue for 3, the answer appears to be "a whole lot". There is A LOT that happens here. Less eldritch Lovecraft, more GRRM savage cruelty of men, but the plot moves like ASoIaF with all everything but the plot cut out. This might not work for some, since there's not a whole lot of character development in most PoVs, but I found the crisp pacing moving characters along plot lines and delivering impressive moments of epic action at a steady pace a worthy substitute. There's a good deal of world-building sprinkled in, and promises of much more epic to come.
One thing that may seem a bit off-putting is how contemporary everyone's language is, including slang and contractions. Some may find themselves put off by that. I ignored it and enjoyed the ride. The story of the Long War is picking up steam, and I desperately wanna see where it goes next.
When I read Book 1 of the series, I was inrigued, but kinda sceptical how much mileage Smith can pull out of the Long War.
After reading Book 2 and the prologue for 3, the answer appears to be "a whole lot". There is A LOT that happens here. Less eldritch Lovecraft, more GRRM savage cruelty of men, but the plot moves like ASoIaF with all everything but the plot cut out. This might not work for some, since there's not a whole lot of character development in most PoVs, but I found the crisp pacing moving characters along plot lines and delivering impressive moments of epic action at a steady pace a worthy substitute. There's a good deal of world-building sprinkled in, and promises of much more epic to come.
One thing that may seem a bit off-putting is how contemporary everyone's language is, including slang and contractions. Some may find themselves put off by that. I ignored it and enjoyed the ride. The story of the Long War is picking up steam, and I desperately wanna see where it goes next.
November 10, 2022
This series just isn't for me. I find the dialogue and interaction between characters to be awkward and clumsy and sometimes ridiculous. People just don't speak and react in this way and I found it to be a major distraction. The pacing is slow mainly because there are too many different POV chapters. In short, not much happens to advance the story. Not every character needs a POV. And for those reasons I'm out.
December 14, 2017
I found this one more interesting than the first book. Actually, now looking forward to the 3rd book.
June 12, 2025
beeeem melhor que o primeiro. Ação até demais, mas fluido.
August 8, 2014
Firstly, I have been looking forward to this book since around this time last year. I think that may have been a bit of the problem I had when I actual was able to read it. I built up my expectations from the first book, believing that it would at least be as good as the first one or hopefully better. Quite sadly, I didn't like this book nearly as much as I liked the first one. A large part of why I couldn't find myself as interested was the characters that this book focused on and what they were up to. I'm honestly not at all fond of Randall or Utha and Rham Jas gets old when he takes up what felt like 1/3 of the book. I found myself craving some Bromvy, but he is in the book for all of ten seconds and does absolutely nothing. I still liked Halla, but her parts weren't as interesting and dramatic as in the first book.
Some of the repetitive language and terms became slightly irritating as well. A few repetitions I let go, but when you refer to the assassin five times in a page, it takes me out of the story and completely ruins the flow.
Overall, this felt more like a first book than the first one did. Everything was being set up for future books, but very little of consequence actually happened. It wasn't a bad book, and there were good parts, but it was nothing I would recommend to others or re-read myself. I'm still looking forward to the next book because everything's all set up, so there can't be anymore boring parts about Dokkalfar going around picking up all the main characters. I hope.
Some of the repetitive language and terms became slightly irritating as well. A few repetitions I let go, but when you refer to the assassin five times in a page, it takes me out of the story and completely ruins the flow.
Overall, this felt more like a first book than the first one did. Everything was being set up for future books, but very little of consequence actually happened. It wasn't a bad book, and there were good parts, but it was nothing I would recommend to others or re-read myself. I'm still looking forward to the next book because everything's all set up, so there can't be anymore boring parts about Dokkalfar going around picking up all the main characters. I hope.
August 8, 2014
The writing in this book is more polished and the characters become more defined. The bigger picture (the long war) is more to the fore. A great book, my only quibble is that it feels like part 2 rather than a complete story in it's own right. Still I can't wait for no.3 to see what happens next.
April 17, 2015
Wonderfully exciting! A.J.’s second novel in the series was a tremendous improvement over the first. Events seem less forced and coincidental, characters that I felt no affinity for have suddenly become important to me, and finally it feels that the action is more intense. Nothing but good to say and I eagerly await the next book.
August 10, 2020
Great follow up to the first book and it sets up a lot of potential for the next book. I must say this second book has made me a huge fan of the character Halla Summer Wolf, what a strong female character! It was hard to stop reading sometimes and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next. I can't wait to start the next book!
July 26, 2014
A book to be savoured which is exactly what I did.
May 27, 2015
4 1/2 stars. Really starting to enjoy the series and in this one, you get to know the characters more, unlike the first one. Looking forward to part 3.
January 23, 2016
I have a list of authors that I like more any than any other authors. A. J. Smith is on this list.
June 7, 2018
Straight down the middle 50%. Like a gave the first book.
This ISNT a bad book. It is a typical fantasy book, with typical characters and the like. It reads as a fantasy book, doesn't feel derivative of LOTR or GoT, but doesn't move far past what you would expect in or from a fantasy book.
There are parts of the book that would elevate it past 50%, but other parts drag it back down.
Positives, a couple of good characters, Rham is a character that Smith seems to have fun writing as well as Utha.
There is some good action in it.
The mythology and the sections that describe that ancient beings that once inhabited the world is deep and well realised, I enjoyed learning about the history of this world and how old everything was. Also the concepts of beings that are older than time and where their residences are, is very well described.
However, its is very simply written, there isn't any flare to the writing. Not everyone can an Abercrombie, but in this book it is very much the case of the character being described as 'angry' or 'happy'. Also there are stretches where it is just telling you about a person, or place, without actually showing you. One chapter begins with a character breakdown of three people, and that's it for character development. Also there is a lot of telling you that a character is good at being a swordsman or axeman.
Because it is plain language being used, safe almost, without much vulgarity or gross descriptions, when action happens it doesn't feel tense. Also when Smith decides to have something like this in his writing it is jarring. Its like having a YA novel with swearing, or the Famous Five describing in detail the gruesome murder of someone. It doesn't work.
Also a few times somebody can do something that hasn't been mentioned or established before, or there is a character 'revelation' or 'twist' that happens that doesn't feel earned or is in there just for the sake of being there. Like a man who can regrown entire limbs or a character that can now suddenly an conveniently turn into animals because reasons.
All in all this is a book that averages itself out, for every positive there are a couple of negatives.
This ISNT a bad book. It is a typical fantasy book, with typical characters and the like. It reads as a fantasy book, doesn't feel derivative of LOTR or GoT, but doesn't move far past what you would expect in or from a fantasy book.
There are parts of the book that would elevate it past 50%, but other parts drag it back down.
Positives, a couple of good characters, Rham is a character that Smith seems to have fun writing as well as Utha.
There is some good action in it.
The mythology and the sections that describe that ancient beings that once inhabited the world is deep and well realised, I enjoyed learning about the history of this world and how old everything was. Also the concepts of beings that are older than time and where their residences are, is very well described.
However, its is very simply written, there isn't any flare to the writing. Not everyone can an Abercrombie, but in this book it is very much the case of the character being described as 'angry' or 'happy'. Also there are stretches where it is just telling you about a person, or place, without actually showing you. One chapter begins with a character breakdown of three people, and that's it for character development. Also there is a lot of telling you that a character is good at being a swordsman or axeman.
Because it is plain language being used, safe almost, without much vulgarity or gross descriptions, when action happens it doesn't feel tense. Also when Smith decides to have something like this in his writing it is jarring. Its like having a YA novel with swearing, or the Famous Five describing in detail the gruesome murder of someone. It doesn't work.
Also a few times somebody can do something that hasn't been mentioned or established before, or there is a character 'revelation' or 'twist' that happens that doesn't feel earned or is in there just for the sake of being there. Like a man who can regrown entire limbs or a character that can now suddenly an conveniently turn into animals because reasons.
All in all this is a book that averages itself out, for every positive there are a couple of negatives.
September 14, 2018
Taking up where the first book in the series left things, this book continues to weave a thrilling web of storylines. The motivations of most of the characters gets a lot clearer and yet there are several moments of surprising plot twists. The character development is pretty great, and even seemingly secondary ones are fleshed out in an engaging style. There are new fantasy elements as well - strange and intriguing creatures and their interactions with main characters for instance - that add great value. However, unlike the first book (where the story focused on the sacking of Canarn), there wasn't really a story from start to finish - this book clearly serves as one setting the scene for bigger events to come. At first, it seemed to be about Rham Jas's mission, but that remains incomplete, and on a cliffhanger. That said, I did thoroughly enjoy reading individual chapters of different story lines in the different cities. The descriptions of battles, wars, single combat and military strategy continues to be impressive. I can't wait to read the sequels and resolve several cliffhangers. :)
June 21, 2021
The first book in this series was a breath of fresh air. A new world, multiple cultures, high-intensity plot. But while reading this sequel I just felt tired, and didn't care enough about the characters anymore.And the world itself is grating on me. Too much like Avatar with a church nation, Arab nation, viking nation. The sections about the Gods also didn't add to the story.
Part of my problem here is the grimdarky nature of the story, absent of humor and a clear direction of hope. There isn't a Mordor to drop the ring into. I think the number of POV also hampered my enjoyment by slowing the plot significantly. If I don't see any connection between POV characters in book 2 the series feels disconnected. The author writes solid prose and I will keep track of them in the future to see their next project and give it a try.
Part of my problem here is the grimdarky nature of the story, absent of humor and a clear direction of hope. There isn't a Mordor to drop the ring into. I think the number of POV also hampered my enjoyment by slowing the plot significantly. If I don't see any connection between POV characters in book 2 the series feels disconnected. The author writes solid prose and I will keep track of them in the future to see their next project and give it a try.
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