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Kithamar #2

by Daniel Abraham, Daniela Orlando (Translator)

Prostřední část monumentální fantasy trilogie od veleúspěšného spoluautora knižního i televizního hitu Expanze.

Kitamar je středisko obchodu a bohatství, prastaré město s dlouhou, krvavou minulostí, v němž se odehrávají životy a přetrvávají příběhy nesčetných tisíců lidí. Toto je ten Garretův…

Garret Levý je dědicem jedné z nejvýznačnějších kitamarských kupeckých rodin. Dráha jeho života byla stanovena dlouho před jeho narozením. Obeznámit se s rodinnou živností, vyženit bohaté příbuzné a v pravý čas zdědit podnik.

Jenže pro Garreta něco takového není žádný život. Jedné noci se po náhodném setkání s tajemnou cizinkou všechno změní. Garret se do ní zamiluje, přestože nezná ani její jméno, a udělá všechno pro to, aby ji znovu našel. Pátrání ho zavede do chodeb a uliček, do nichž je lepší se nevydávat, protože se zde ve stínech skrývají prastaří bohové a v každé uzavřené dohodě nebezpečné ostří.

Cesta, kterou si zvolí, změní nejen dráhu jeho nejbližších, ale i celou budoucnost obyvatel Kitamaru.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic

424 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2023

About the author

Daniel James Abraham, pen names M.L.N. Hanover and James S.A. Corey, is an American novelist, comic book writer, screenwriter, and television producer. He is best known as the author of The Long Price Quartet and The Dagger and the Coin fantasy series, and with Ty Franck, as the co-author of The Expanse series of science fiction novels, written under the joint pseudonym James S.A. Corey.

Reviews

[Allen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy 5 stars. I loved this book and it also made me like Age more. As an Abraham fan already, I know that this slow build is working towards a complex ending and in the meantime, I don't know any author that does real human moments between two people better than Abraham. Nothing can beat Otah and Maati but I found myself really really enjoying Elaine and Garreth much more than Alys.

Full video review closer to release date.

I also loved the guards. All of them. There is a speech by a guard toward the end that I read 3 times because I loved it so much.

I also can't recommend enough going back and listening or reading book 1 while reading this one. Enhanced the whole experience for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC!

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller

[4.5/5 stars!] This is shaping into one of my favorite ongoing series…

…and yet I’d have a hard time recommending it to the masses. It’s an incredibly slow-burn story that requires more patience than most fantasy novels. But it’s also one of the most beautifully written, immersive series I’ve ever read. Every single moment grounds you deeper into the culture or Kithamar, and experiencing this city alongside expertly constructed characters makes me feel like it’s a place I’ve actually been. The author doesn’t hit you over the head with lengthy descriptions of this world but instead let’s you discover it organically through the daily actions of his characters. It’s subtlety is profound.

Another thing I love is the unconventional construction of this series. Each book takes place over the same time span but from different perspectives. Normally whenever I know anything about what’s going to happen in a book, I lose investment, but this seems to be the sole exception! Each bit of new information adds depth to the story as you gradually work closer and closer to the most heated action. While the overarching plot is compelling, the selling point of the series is the deep immersion you get with the characters. All of them make mistakes and have flaws and feel like real people. If you don’t like the character profiles or aren’t totally interested in what they’re working towards, you’re not going to be into the book at all. I, for one, have been completely enamored from the very first page, loving every moment and gushing about it as often as I can.

Recommendations: pick up this series for an exhibition on great character work and a slow-burning plot that draws you deeper into Kithamar with each turned page. I loved it so hard. If you’re not into the characters or what they’re doing from the very beginning, as I was, you might find the pacing a struggle.

Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, Derek, Tonya, Betsy, and Mike! <3

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

Other books you might like:

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The great secret of noble blood is it gives you everything because it costs you everything.”

In my review of the previous book in this series, I have said that Daniel Abraham is a master storyteller. What I mean by this is that not only what the story is about but also how it is told matters, and here, the latter is, at times, perhaps even more important than the former. I always reach for his books when I’m hungry for more than heart-breaking plot twists and sassy banter.

Again, it is a book about a city, a city between worlds and seasons; a living organism of Kithamar. The hungry river is at the heart of the city, and a dark heart, a rotting one. We already know that Kithamar is a monster of a city, so we tread its streets apprehensively. We visited the slum, the poorest and dirties and most unruly quarters of the city before, now we move to the wealthy merchant quarter, and to the palace itself.

“The powerful families of Kithamr shared blood and beds like a vast complicated dance whose ballroom was history”.

The prologue for this installment is nearly identical to how we started before. With only infinitesimal alteration, Daniel Abraham alters the flow of the story. A new set of protagonists takes the stage. A dead man’s daughter- soon a prince herself—and her accidental lover come to the forefront. We saw them on the peripheries of the previous book, but now is a time for their tale. And again, on the surface, it is a mundane story of forbidden love, family politics, and city taxes. And a lost blade.

Essentially, the book is about something that does not make an appearance even once during the novel. And I didn’t mind because as you read, it becomes obvious that the tale is only a pretence to ponder more consequential things:

Is the girl who will soon be a city a spoiled rich brat in search of cheap amusement? Or perhaps a jaded chit not interested in shouldering responsibilities in childish rebellion against the roles she must play. No. She is an epitome of how each of us is at the same time less and more than our social roles make us to be. She is the incarnated desire to own moments that no one else has a claim to, regardless of how silly or insignificant these moments might be. We all have those.

Her lover shows what in our lives is a constant and what can be changed—and how to distinguish between these two, which is a lesson we all need but not all learn. But then again, some things we reject only because we do not want them to be taken away from us. You’d surely see those if you looked back.

“Everything was something more than it appeared.”

Partly an investigative story, partly a bitter-sweet romance, and partly a theological treatise, Blade of Dreams is far from an obvious novel because obvious would be another word for crass. Subtle, deep characterisation is one layer necessary to achieve this effect. The second is virtuoso prose. It’s how Mr Abraham writes that always gets to me: instead of saying that someone is nervous, he will tell us that the protagonist “felt his heart tapping against his chest like it urgently wanted his attention”. Instead of stating that it’s unbearably hot, he will let us know that “the sun lay on shoulders with the weight of an unwelcome hand”. That is exquisite. That’s how the city and its inhabitants truly become alive.

In fact, the writing is so good that some cross-overs with the previous book made me go and read the same scene from a different POV, not because you need to understand but because of the pure genius of how the same thing can be written in two entirely different ways.

If you seek cheap entertainment and thrills, stay away; you will be bored. If—however, you are after a more sophisticated kind of narrative, similar to Bujold Lois Mcmaster, Robert Jackson Bennett or Adrian Tchaikovsky, you will not be disappointed.

Also in the series:

1. Age of Ash ★★★★☆

[Grace Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Video review coming soon for the release date on July 18th! This book was a real win for me!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Video Review: https://youtu.be/8VKj00tz9b0

I really loved the first book Age of Ash, so I was very interested to continue on in this series. The first book reads like a standalone so I shouldn’t have been surprised that this one reads more like a companion. Certainly the story does pull together threads from the first book, but it’s a shift to a new character and focus.

My favourite of this book and this series continues to be the worldbuilding. I love fantasy set in a secondary urban setting so this gritty city really appealed to me. I enjoyed the city's ideas surrounding religious tolerance. It felt rather enlightened.

While I didn't love this one quite as much as the first book, I am still interested in reading more entries in this series.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[Silvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say goodbye to this series. Even though the cast of characters are more engaging in this book compared to the prequel, again the excruciating pace, over description, and lack of plot made me want to skim and skip. This could be a novelette. And I also don't buy the whole plot of love at first bonk that supposedly drove the main characters' action and huge life choices after. So boring. Sorry Dan, I think I will just reread The Dagger and the Coin series, which is much, much more enjoyable in terms of plot, characters, and worldbuilding.

[Maude Br · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars / This was an easy 5-star read for me. I devoured it. I already loved Age of Ash, but Blade of Dream elevated the series in every way.

One of my favorite aspects was the narrative framing—this story unfolds at the same time as the first book, but through the eyes of a completely different set of characters. While Age of Ash explored the slums and the criminal underworld, Blade of Dream shifts the lens to the merchant class and the highborn, adding new layers to Kithamar and making the city feel more alive and vibrant than ever. Some characters come back in interesting way. It was fascinating.

Also, the love story was a huge standout. This isn't romantasy—this is serious, character-driven epic fantasy—but the relationship between Garreth and Elaine was beautifully done. It added emotional depth and a lot of real character growth. Both protagonists are wrestling with who they are versus who the world expects them to be (a classic, but done right), and the fact that they find each other through that struggle made their story all the more powerful.

The supporting cast, especially the “guard family,” offered a perfect example of found family done right. Their dynamic was heartfelt and believable, grounding the more epic moments with emotional realism.

The mystery at the heart of Kithamar expands in fascinating ways here. I was completely drawn into the lore—Abraham has created something truly unique with this series. The city isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right.

As always, the writing is stellar: thoughtful without being overly complex, lyrical but still sharp. Even though it’s a thick book, the prose flows so well that it feels like a quick, immersive read.
I loved every second of it. This book made me even more excited for the third installment. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent, layered fantasy with rich characters and worldbuilding that rewards your attention.

[Queralt✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Abraham can go ahead and start singing that ‘Oops, I did it again’ song because yes, you did it again. Blade of Dream was fantastic. I had high expectations after reading the first book of the series, Age of Ash, even though I had struggled to connect with the main character. This time it was very different in the best possible way.

Something that I found interesting is that I don’t think reading the first book is necessary at all to pick up the second one. Age of Ash, if I were to summarize it very simply, followed a girl from Longhill as she got involved with a political plot against the Prince of Kithamar. At some point, Allys (the girl), bumps into this couple - Garreth and Elaine (the daughter of the Prince himself) - at some point. Blade of Dream is set in the same period of time and the same location (Kithamar), only that this time we follow Garreth and Elaine’s story. And, wow. I struggled with Allys, but I could not get enough of Elaine and Garreth. The story starts slow, you get to know the characters, and then the intrigue and the action start picking up.

Abraham explores different themes in this book: mysteries, cravings, needs, identity, loyalty, love, secrets, divinity, etc. And it’s interesting how he introduces them quietly at first and they start getting louder and louder until they unravel. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it just felt like every step you took with these characters - be it in the wrong or right direction - paid off. It was either a kindness or a lesson.

My biggest highlights from this book are:
1) Seeing this story and comparing it with the first. Wow. The myriad of things that are going on. Allys doesn’t see one side; Garreth/Elaine don’t see the other one; but some people do. Some are involved in the game, and now we as readers are getting to know what this ‘game’ is (I mean, not really, but sort of) and I just need to know (and I swear, the Khahon better be involved in this because I have my own conspiracy theory about what is going on).
2) Theddan. Do I need to say anything else? I love her. Seeing her name on a page made me smile. She’s one of these characters that, if I met in real life, I’d go lesbian for in an instant. (Andomaka is also up there still. Bless her).
3) The writing. THE DIALOGUE. I got SO absorbed in the conversations when I read them. They feel so natural, and organic, and perfect. Like, I keep hearing Ty Franck point out at how Abraham is the one to write speeches in The Expanse and, shit, yes. The number of times I said ‘writing this good should be illegal’ while I read this, seriously. Chef’s kiss.
4) Honestly, I know Abraham wanted this to be a series about a city that felt alive. I’ve read an interview where he says this is not about the characters per se but about Kithamar (hence the name of the series) and he is succeeding 100%. I felt it in this one more than in the first book (for obvious reasons) - Kithamar feels alive and it does come off as if it had a will. Same with the Khahon. I really wonder what will come up in the last book. It’s really cool to read.

I’ll just wrap this up by saying I’m obsessed with the series. I need more. And everybody knows the Khahon is hungry.

Bonus: Here’s me trying to understand and very much failing to understand what was going on:


A few of my favorite bits (only from the latter bits of the book because Adobe decided to delete my highlights, thank you):

“I’m hungry for something, and I don’t know what it is. I want. I want badly, and I don’t know what I want.”

—

“You’re not even vaguely who you were even this time last year. You’re swimming in fast water, and it’s too deep to stand.”

—

“You haunt me. (...). It sounds like something of me haunts you too, and honestly, I find that fucking joyful.”

—

“She’s made a fool of me.”
“And who’s not a fool? Who gets from the birthing chair to the grave with dignity? What prize do the gods hand out to people who never let themselves care about anything enough to be disappointed by the loss? Look around you, Captain. Everyone who laughs at you or cringes away? They’re all thinking of some time when it was them. Some race they ran and came in last, someone they wooed who didn’t want them, some moment of glory they reached for and wound up with an empty hand for the trouble. We’re all fools. Everyone. That’s why we hate fools so much. They’re the echoes of when we were vulnerable in front of the world ourselves, and that’s hard for us to forgive.”

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with the ARC. You’ve made my 2023 way better. (And, obviously, this review was not impacted by the fact I got this for free, I would have read it otherwise).

[Read By Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An massive improvement to me over Age of Ash, which I think was very well written but I really didn't like the character we were following. This book takes place across the same time period, but due to my disinterest in AoA and the time it's been since I've tried it, I didn't catch a single reference to the first book. So it works perfectly well on its own.

Abraham is excellent at making realistic characters and having all their decisions make sense. He is great with dialogue. My failure to connect here is mostly with the plot, which I didn't think gripped me at all until the last third. I will definitely read the third one and will probably do a full series reread before tackling it when it comes out.

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abraham is the real deal for enjoyable mature, non-sensationalist, character-focused high fantasy. This is as good as the first book, covering the same year and events in the city-state of Kithamar, and the weight of history and social class and the light touch of magic is just as engaging through the new set of primary characters featured here. I was right in my guess of one of the main characters for this volume, and also surprised by the second such. The third book, I think, has to feature either the new Prince or, more likely I think, his close guard person, as the core of the year's hidden power struggle slowly reveals its details.

The third and final book, Judge of Worlds, looks to be set for a 2025 release.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave the first book in the Kithamar trilogy, Age of Ash, 3 stars. I was generally reserving judgment. Book 2 reassured me that this trilogy is probably going to be up to Daniel Abraham’s usually high standard. However, I am - with great reluctance - going to say that if you haven’t started the series, you’re probably better off waiting until 3 comes out.

This trilogy has an interesting concept. They all take place within a single city, and each book covers the same year. But each book centers on a different character, giving a wildly differing view of events. And only when we have read all three, are we assured, will we understand the full story. Hence my very cautious optimism after book 1; it was a good book, and told a good story, but it was odd in that the story ended but in a very incomplete way.

Having read book 2, I’ve changed the way I’m understanding this trilogy. The main character of the Kithamar trilogy isn’t a person: it’s the city of Kithamar itself. Each volume (assuming #3 follows the same pattern) tells the story of one person within the city. Put those together, and you get that combination of complete, but not; both books 1 and 2 finished the story of their respective protagonists, but we only got a piece of the meta-story of Kithamar.

For those who read book 1, the main character here is Garreth Left, the city guardsman we see briefly in book 1. There’s a prominent secondary protagonist in Elaine a Sal, daughter to and heir of the Prince of Kithamar. We do see the protagonist of book 1, though only briefly (more or less as much as we see Garreth in book 1). Many of the city-wide events from book 1 are seen here, but with different perspectives. The story of the protagonist of book 1 is only hinted at. I dearly wish I’d reread book 1 before this, because I know I missed a good deal. I definitely plan to do so before book 3.

Regarding what you’re getting in the books more generally: for those who have read Abraham’s other stuff, this has more of the feel of the Long Price Quartet than the Dagger & the Coin or the Expanse. It’s very atmospheric, with a definite melancholy running through it all. It’s a highly experimental book, almost the literary equivalent of a concept album, but it’s a promising one.

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[Jurjen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Abraham does not disappoint. Some of the most consistently fantastic character work in the genre, and every ending is a banger. I would recommend this series to anyone that likes anything. I'm excited to read the last book of the trilogy whenever it comes out!

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5*

Fantastic.

I figured this out with Age of Ash, but Daniel Abraham is a perfect author for me. His focus is primarily on characters that inhabit his fictional world; on their mutual bonds, feelings and that unexplainable thing when they are impulsive, when they do something they know it's not very wise.
And I am entranced. It's not like I don't appreciate the clever magical setting or the exciting plot, but I am truly and deeply hooked when I fall for characters.

Abraham told that his goal for this series was to depict a tumultuous period of Kithamar during the year long reign of Prince Byrn a Sal through perspective of different inhabitants who are, in their own way, involved in the events that would shape its fate.
Everyone has a story. And from slums of Stone the story is shifted to merchant houses of Riverport and Palace Hill.
We saw a glimpse of new character in previous book: he is a young man with bloodied hand who fears for his life. That man is Garreth Leaf, a son of a prominent merchant house who is trapped between duty to his house and his wants, trapped between carefree life of a boy and rationality of mature that's expected of him.
The other main character is Elaine a Sal, the daughter of Prince and his heir who is trapped between her duty and position and her wants and trapped between walls of a palace where the Man who rules it doesn't resemble her father.
Abraham makes a point of the claim that everyone has a story with the fact we are following different characters than Alys and Sammish and they have their own destiny, high stakes and hurt. But, and I liked this even more, it's characters who are in previous book shown to be tepid and superficial to the story. This especially goes for Elaine who was through Andomaka's pov just an easily manipulated girl whose fate she can dictate and ultimately decide. But, Elaine as we know her in Blade of Dream is a very perceptive girl, who allowed herself to be stirred in certain direction, not a mare pawn at all. And yes, we already know the terrible secret of Kithamar rulers, but in this book you actually got to ask how are the people closest to Prince affected. Really, book made a point to show that there is depth to everyone if you care to look.
So, yes, Abraham is all about the characters and it requires patience and attention to details from reader before it accelerates the plot which is around the middle. It seems a lot, bit I appreciated the bricks it laid down beforehand. And yes, there is this persistent trepidation throughout the novel because we have some idea that romance between Garreth and Elaine may not have a happy ending and we only need to see how it plays out. And trust Abraham to have some surprises in the store when it comes to story, even if that's not really his main goal. Since we were left in the dark about what happened at Palace when the fire was started, the story ties into a mystery that was hinted in the first chapter of Age of Ash:
How did it happen? Was it illness or accident, murder or the vengeance of God? How did Byrn a Sal die?

Now that is a loaded question, especially when you got to see more from gods and divine creatures of Kithamar. And, have no doubt, Kithamar is the true main character made alive through these characters who walks its streets and worship different things in their life. They represent various facets of this complex city and they all are, at the same time Kithamar.
I can't wait to see how Abraham ties it all with a glass bead in the final book.
Recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK, and Daniel Abraham for an advanced copy of Blade of Dream. All opinions are my own.

________________________

"In a thin-walled bedroom above a tailor’s shop in Riverport, a young man lies alone on a mattress. His right hand is bandaged, and the wound beneath the cloth throbs. He watches the moon rise over the rooftops, listening with his heart in his throat for footsteps on the creaking floorboards outside his door."

Daniel Abraham said in an interview that "it’s not too much of a spoiler to say that the next book is about the guy with the wounded hand..."
Can't wait. :)

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was disappointing. I found the first book of the series to be rather lackluster in the excitement department, but the characters and Abraham's way with style and prose kept me intrigued enough to finish. I was hoping that the first book would play the familiar role of laying the groundwork and that the second book would kick up the action and the pace a bit. But instead, it did the opposite. Not only is Blade of Dream slower in pace than the first book, but it barely covers any new ground. The first 3/4ths (maybe more) or so of the story covers the same time frame as the first book and most of the same major events, only with new characters. And those characters are not that interesting. They're written well enough and they're fully realized, but for anyone who's read enough fantasy, they are tired archetypes. The rich boy who doesn't want to inherit his father's business and the princess who just wants to be a normal girl. Sigh...
It's not until the very last act that we get some momentum on the nature of the magic and the background lore and the story creeps just a little bit forward. I also enjoyed his style, as usual, and his often insightful dialogue between characters, but that just wasn't enough this time.
I picked this one up at the library and I'll read more of this series if I can find them there as well, but I don't think I'll pay for any more of this series. I think if I could give Abraham a few critiques, it'd be to make his books just a little more messy. Make the characters just a little more uncomfortable. Surprise the readers by really taking things to the next level where they don't expect things to go. The Long Price quartet was definitely my favorite solo Abraham and that series I would recommend to anyone, but since then, I feel like each series is getting progressively less intriguing. (Not including the Expanse, that he co-authored. I do love that series.)
2.5/5

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5. Very little plot. Mostly a lot of slice of life and character development.

I very much like the 2 main characters, but it had been a while since I read the first book and I didn't really remember what the overall plot was. It didn't matter too much since this didn't really seem to deal with that until the final section of the book.

There is very little to make this book a fantasy. It's there, and is probably an underlying driving force, but if you're expecting magical combat or something, you're going to be severely disappointed.

So far this is my least favorite of his fantasy series (I really loved Dagger & Coin), but I still liked it enough to pick up the final book.

[Mark - Shield Anvil · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The great secret of noble blood is it gives you everything because it costs you everything.”

Blade of Dream is one of the best sequels I have ever read. Period. I honestly can’t believe how good this book was, after struggling a bit with book one Age of Ash. The people who have said that Daniel Abraham’s books get better as they go were not lying! The best part about Blade of Dream is that now I really really want to go back and reread Age of Ash… which I never thought I’d actually want to do! Age of Ash was fine, the characters were fine, I gave it a 4/5 last year because overall it worked – but now I can’t stop thinking about these two books, this city and these characters!

“Everyone knows everyone. We’re all trying to destroy each other, and we all have each other’s backs.”

Blade of Dream is told concurrently to that of Age of Ash, however you follow different characters. The main two point of views in this book are from Elaine a Sal and Garreth Left. Elaine is the daughter of Bryn a Sal – who is now the prince of Kithamar! With her father being the most important and powerful person in the city it has left Elaine to grasp at mysteries and secrets that she never knew existed before. Setting up for an amazing and thrilling story. There were moment I just could not put this book down, unlike in Age of Ash where sometimes it felt like a chore to read. Elaine is also superbly written, she feels unique and well fleshed out. I adored her, and she has such a good dynamic with other characters in the book. Especially her cousin Theddan and Garreth.

Moving on to Garreth, he is the eldest son of a well-off merchant family. He has a lot of inherit with the family business, while his two best friends join the city guard. He struggles with the confinement of his life and how it’s supposed to be. Realizing that his future is set up for him since birth, until all of a sudden he meets a certain person who sets him on a totally different path. The way Abraham grows Garreth into a strong and supportive character is incredible. He is strong, loyal and courageous. Someone you definitely want to have in your corner. His development since the beginning is amazing to see.

“But if I did everything the way I was told to, would I be promised a good ending?”

These aren’t the only characters that I feel are well developed. There is a host of supporting characters I really like as well, such as Bryn, Captain Sennit, Theddan and Aunt Thorn. However I don’t want to take up the whole review with their secrets and personalities when you should go read and discover them for yourself. They are all super intriguing and great characters!

The plot of the book expands so much from the first book, getting you more invested with the other parts of the city such as Greenhill and the Palace. The differences in each area are so vast, crazy it’s the same city as in the first book’s slums of Longhill. The craftmanship of this worldbuilding is brilliant and makes the city feel even more fleshed out than it did already, and that was my favorite part about book one. The sense of a living, breathing city has been achieved throughout the entire series so far.

You also learn so much more about the various gods and how they are worshipped. The histories of them and how they came to be… or came to vanish. It’s all so well done. I just want to take a history class on Kithamar and soak in everything there is to know about it.

“I think history is like.. sparring. It’s a kind of fight. You have your blade, the other fellow has his, but it isn’t really about the swords, is it? It’s about patterns. The things that always happen.”

The book has incredible pacing, especially compared to Ash of Ash. I would say the first 10-15% is still a slow burn, simply because we have totally new characters to get used to. Around halfway thru the book it starts to get to a break-neck pace with the mysteries of Kithamar and it doesn’t let you go. The discoveries and pay-offs are grand, and this book does a good job at fulfilling your desire to learn by the end. It answers a good amount of questions, however I just want book three right now and can not wait for it!

5 out of 5 Shields – In my top 3 books I read this year

“We give our lives to the city, you and I. We marry for the city. We bear children for the city. And our family, and our blood. It’s the sacrifice we’re called to, and it’s our duty. But it isn’t everything we are. You have to take the pleasures you can in this life. They won’t be given to you.”

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Orbit, and of course the author for allowing me to read an early copy!

[Adam Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garreth Left is the heir to one of the merchant families of Kithamar, but their economic prospects have become dire. An alliance with a faction outside the city provides salvation, but at a price that Garreth is not willing to pay. Elaine ab-Deniya Nycis a Sal is a princess of the city, the daughter to the heir apparent to the throne. Moving into the palace for the first time, she uncovers mysterious secrets that she should - but cannot - let go. Elaine and Garreth's destines entwine with those of a city watch captain and the ruler of the city's criminal underground, and a tumultuous year continues to turn around the great city of Kithamar.

The Kithamar Trilogy is Daniel Abraham's latest fantasy work. The co-author of the Expanse space opera series and the solo author of the Long Price Quartet and the Dagger and the Coin series, Abraham has long been praised as an author of character-based fantasy with interesting, original worlds and forms of magic. This trilogy takes a new approach, with three books set in the same city at the same time but involving different characters, sort of a fantasy version of Krzysztof Kieslowski's classic Three Colours film trilogy. Each story more or less stands alone but reading the whole trilogy results in greater understanding of the epic events unfolding under the surface: each book has a piece of the puzzle that becomes clear when all three are read.

Balancing this metaplot with the needs of the book at hand can be tricky, and the first book in the triad, Age of Ash, did not always succeed in doing so. It remains an excellent book but there was a greater feeling that you didn't have all the pieces of the puzzle. Blade of Dream is much more successful in crafting a compelling narrative on its own as well as working as part of a broader whole.

The story this time is perhaps a tad more traditional fantasy. Garreth is the young man unsure of his station and ambitions who rebels against the stifling destiny his family want to force on him. Elaine is the noblewoman likewise unsure of her station who has few friends she can trust, as opposed to those who want to take advantage of her station. They are thrust together by circumstances and find a new way forwards, through political intrigue, back-alley stabbings and full-on conflict between the city guard and a criminal organisation. Blade of Dream is literally a "higher" book than Age of Ash, taking place in the mercantile and royal districts whilst Age of Ash was more at home in the downmarket slums.

Blade of Dream certainly works as a far above-average example of a medieval (ish) city-set fantasy, but it's also a powerfully emotional book. Abraham delves into his characters' heads to craft very three-dimensional and interesting protagonists, and what drives and motivates them. I've occasionally mused that Abraham could be the closest author we have to becoming a natural heir of Guy Gavriel Kay, but that feeling is hugely intensified by this book. The traditional fantasy trappings could be dropped altogether and this would still work wonderfully as a character study. But those traditional fantasy trappings are here, and realised well with a compelling mystery and some fascinating worldbuilding.

Blade of Dream (****½) is an improvement on its forebear and marks this trilogy as Abraham's most mature and interesting work yet. The final novel in the trilogy, with the working title Judge of Worlds, is due out next year.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this trilogy's unusual structure, where each book is telling the story of the same year in the city of Kithimar, does have some strengths and some drawbacks. It does mean that for the first part of the book we know more than the characters do about some of the city's secrets, so some of the things they discover that are revelations to them are anticlimactic to the reader. On the other hand, seeing the events from a different perspective does add extra depth as we find out more about some of the events and also some things that were unknown in the first book. Seeing some of the conversations again from a different perspective also makes it clear that sometimes characters can take completely different conclusions from a conversation. The conclusion of the book is particularly strong, partly because the characters in the first book were ignorant about what happens at the end of this one.

While I thought the first book was interesting, I did struggle a bit with some of the characters, particularly Ash's storyline where it was hard to care too much about whether she succeeded or not since what she was trying to do was clearly a bad idea. I did like the characters more in this one, while Elaine and Garreth can be naive or foolish at times they can also be a lot more determined and capable than they appeared in their brief appearances in the first book. I thought there were also a number of good minor characters in this.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for the 2023 PopSugar reading challenge. I'm counting it as "The shortest book on your TBR pile" since I don't really keep a TBR pile so everything I read is both the longest and shortest on my TBR.

This book is... weird. It is the second book of a trilogy and for roughly 75% of its length there was nothing to indicate that this book should not have been published first. The return to the city of Kithamar from the first book goes heavy on one of my great dislikes, treading substantially on the same ground as the previous book just giving the perspective of different characters in different parts of the city during these events that we have already seen happen. It's not just a few scenes where we get to know a couple of new characters and where they were from the climax of the previous book then go running from there. Almost the entire book is a parallel narrative to the first. As a matter of pacing, I get it: The first half of the first book and the first half of this book spliced together probably wouldn't have made a very good book.

Elaine a Sal, the heir to the principality we are introduced to here, in particular spends her whole story slowly discovering what readers of the first book already know, that there is a dark, hungry being that has been ruling by taking over different bodies for centuries, and that it is very mad that its chain of possession of descendants was altered by virtue of an unfaithful sister-in-law giving birth to a son that is not actually related to its current host. We've even already seen Kithamar try to kill Elaine, since that happened in the first book, only there we got the perspective of the assassin who decided she wasn't going to actually kill this other girl.

The first book explored things from the bottom of the social stratum, with two girls who you could certainly call underclass stumbling their own way into this big conspiracy, not really knowing what side they're on or what the other side is. This was filled in with just enough information being provided by the priestess (and cousin to Elaine) who was trying to shepherd the god-like being back into existence. Elaine and Garreth, the two principal characters here, seem like much more typical archetypes - the scion of the merchant family who hates his dad and doesn't really want to take up the family trade (especially when it suddenly requires him to marry a girl he doesn't know), the heir to the throne who is exhausted with living a life where she has very few friends, mostly only people who want to glom on to the future influence she will have.

What is going on with them just isn't as interesting as what was happening in the first book, I thought. Even here you get glimpses of more interesting characters who aren't being focused on. Garreth's younger brother who does end up marrying the girl, elsewhere a guard captain who is fixated on catching who he believes is the most vile criminal in the city even as his guard barracks is saddled with bored and alienated rich boys like Garreth wanting to play at being guards for a while.

I might have appreciated the subtle ways the two books complement one another had I read them one right after the other, but that's mostly not how I read books - especially since I read the first book when it was pretty new because I wanted to support Daniel Abraham, an excellent writer who I have enjoyed through three long series previous to this. I've read a few dozen books between now and then. It was not hard to remember the big climactic moments (the burning of a particular religious brotherhood's complex that merely takes place in the background here) but I'm sure I forgot other things because I've read a lot of words about a lot of other characters in the intervening time.

There is still plenty to enjoy on the level of the technical excellence of the writing, the crafting of sentences and paragraphs that paint a picture of this place that doesn't exist, populated by people who don't exist, how the flowing of a river or the changing of the seasons impact their imaginary place and their imaginary lives. At this kind of thing, Abraham remains fantastic. But I didn't like this one as much as the first book and I'm not sure what to make of the trilogy that is taking shape.

[NekroRider · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75/5

Not as good as book 1, but still another excellent one by Abraham. This is the continuation of the saga of the city of Kithamar. Where the last book felt more about Alys and Sammish and their relationships, this book felt like it widened the scope and gave us more perspective of what's going on, the city as a living entity, and its history. The interesting themes related to our changing individual identities over lifetimes and in our relationships with different people, as well as the complex and shifting identity of the city continued and grew as main themes. What he did with the city and turning it into a character - not just through the god that was/ruled the city but the landscape and neighbourhoods themselves were characters in their own ways. It is an interesting way to see our own cities and their identities, to see our streets and buildings and landscapes as truly living. Shaped by and shaping us.

I didn't connect as much with Garreth and Elaine compared with Alys and Sammish, which was why I rated it a bit lower. But the prose and world building, story and characterisation in general were all still exceptional imo.

[Siavahda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have officially have NO idea where the third book is going to go, and/but I will definitely be reading it. As with book one, I enjoyed the prose more than the story - there's really very little story, although what there is is excellent - but I still couldn't put it down! Abraham continues to be an auto-buy author for me and I don't see that changing.

[Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was by the writer of The Expanse. When are they gonna go to space already??

[Benjamin Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've ever read where the the thing it's named after doesn't even show up once.

[Spenser · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 curious to see if this storytelling format would be better or worse reading them close together. I like this better than the first one.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, I’m on the fence about this book, I liked the characters and the plot, but for some reason this didn’t quite capture me as well as the first book. It was good but not amazing. I think I will read the third book though, to see how it ends

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 - Stars

Last year, our Buddy Read group selected Age of Ash book one of the Kithamar series by Daniel Abraham as a monthly read. This started my second series by Abraham and like the first (The Dagger and the Coin) I rather enjoyed it. As I have been focusing heavily on getting caught up on series, I noticed book two Blade of Dream was released already as well, so I thought I'd dive into this one in early 2025.

The pacing worked well for me. The only real trouble I had was it took me some time to truly recall what had happened to wrap up book one. That and if I'm being honest the first half of Blade of Dream almost seemed like an entirely different story other than still taking place in Kithamar. I didn't feel that connection to book until the second half. Once that happened though, I was dialed in!

I'd also like to admit that I did the audiobook for this one which was narrated by Sean Rohani who is relatively new to me. He did a rather good job though and it didn't take me long to be able to focus on his presentation. Often times I struggle to dial into narrators that I'm not familiar with but Sean's performance had me feeling very comfortable early on.

The world building is one of the stronger aspects to this book and the series in general so far. The connection to the city (as a character) and other characters is very unique to me. Beyond that, there is definitely some magic in this world but the character interactions and the politics of the city and it's different regions and factions seem to take center stage to me.

The character development is also really good in Blade of Dream. To be honest there was definitely a strong Romeo and Juliet type of story with some of our characters. Garreth's arc was really good, and right up my alley. The young man who isn't afraid to branch off from comfortable roots and try to find his own path is always an enjoyable story for me.

Not to take anything away from the Elaine story arc though, as it's also fantastic. As we learn more about her background is when I really started feeling the connection back to book one of this series.

This continues to be a strong series that I am enjoying and will look to continue when the next installment is released.

I would recommend this book and series to readers of fantasy looking for something just a little different perhaps while still giving us some familiar vibes we are used to in traditional fantasy stories and worlds. I haven't read anywhere near all of Abraham's books at this point but I would venture a guess and say if you enjoyed The Dagger and the Coin series like I did, you will probably like this one.

This is by no means a fast paced story so be prepared for plenty of build up. I didn't find the build up over boring and feel like I was slogging at any point which to me means a lot!

[lychee · Rating 4 out of 5]

surprisingly so quite good, weaving into the events of the first book with an entirely new perspective. reading them back-to-back elevates both stories.

[Nick (novelswithnick) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Kithamar trilogy was unexpected in terms of story telling but I am here for it

This book is told over the course of a year in Kithamar just like the first book, however, it primarily focuses on a different set of characters and their roles within this fascinating city. I was unsure at first but this really works, especially when the foundation has already been set in terms of world building

One of my niggles with book 1 was the amount of info dumping, this has been fixed in book 2 with any additional world building being more spread out and to the point. This allowed more focus to be put on the characters which meant I was really invested and connected with them

The character work is done oh so well. The interactions between the characters all seem so natural, their personalities are written in a way that it’s almost like you’re reading about real people, sounds silly but I hope you know what I mean. Different themes are explored amongst them including love, their identities and loyalty which aided their decisions

It’s definitely a slow burn character driven fantasy. The fantastical elements are lacking slightly but I was so invested in these characters and their plot lines that I didn’t mind this. I am excited for book 3 and to spend another year in the hustle and bustle of Kithamar

[Mindy'sBookJourney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy for review through NetGalley.

The Kithamar Trilogy continues it's exploration of the workings of the city of Kithamar through the story of Garreth. Garreth is the heir in a merchant family. He has a set path to an arranged marriage to help his family business. His life is changed forever when he meets a mysterious woman who he can't stop thinking about. This chance meeting will change everything.

The Kithamar Trilogy manages to tell a complex story through the very intimate character study of one person. Age of Ash focused on Alys in the slums of Longhill. This installment focuses on the family demands of more wealthy areas of Kithamar through the story of Garreth. Most of the story is based on a forbidden romance with plenty of intrigue. Then the character's role in a very large scale story is revealed in the last portion of the book. The world building and character development is amazing in this series. Like book one, Blade of Dream is a slow burn plot that becomes so exciting in the end you want to know what will happen next. The stage is set for a great conclusion to the trilogy.

I would recommend this series to fans of fantasy who don't mind a small-scale slow-burn story with a satisfying fast-paced climax.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 / 10 ✪

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Age of Ash was… okaaay.

That’s really the best I could’ve said for it. I found the story a bit dry and meandering, a mixed bag with its characters, and nothing I really related to enough to easily draw me into the tale. When I finally did get immersed in the world—the laboriously crafted Kithamar—I reasonably enjoyed it, though that was a near-thing, even approaching the close.

So when it came to the sequel I was… not terribly optimistic. Didn’t know if I’d continue with the series, if I’m honest. Even after I requested it, the book sat unopened on my kindle, and while I did try to find time for it, I ultimately wouldn’t until after the start of 2024.

Now I’m wishing that I would’ve read it sooner—so that I could’ve read and REREAD it by now.

But here’s the thing: it’s going to be very hard for me to recommend this book, even though it may well be the best book I’ll read this year.

We’ll get into why in a moment. First, let’s set the scene.

—

Everything rose and was lost. Every decision ended the other paths that a different choice would have opened. Including all the lives in which this still might be his home.

—

Garreth Left is a merchant’s son, scion to one of the guild’s most successful families. His life had been built and planned all before he escaped swaddling, with some few caveats left for him to indulge himself on. But what’s clear is his path, where he will build on his parents’ success and lead into the future. Although…

Try as they might, his parents have had a hard run of things lately. And Garreth’s already set-out path has gained a new certainty: marriage to a woman he’s never met and does not love, all to cement a deal that will save his family.

Life to Garreth is not about choice, but duty. And yet one night, an impossible encounter with an equally unavailable woman, and Garreth finds himself in love with a stranger he’ll likely never see again, nor even learn the name of. And yet he is tempted to try. More tempted than he’s ever been by anything.

I think we’ll leave it there.

—

"Mother is trying to make an alliance. Yrith is here to marry you. She's your wife in everything but the ceremony. How would you feel if she were dragging strange men into her bed?"

“Get her some. We'll find out."

—

So, you’ve seen my rating and read (or skimmed) my spiel—you know I loved this book. Now the why.

I always wondered how a story written over three books—all set concurrently—would play out. If done well, it could be a masterpiece, with each volume getting more and more immersive, each revealing minute details you’d have to reread the previous to understand fully. A bit like three people drawing the same map; individually, none would stand out, but when overlaid upon one another, each adding details only noticed by that person, the grander picture would come slowly into focus. Age of Ash was slow, I already said. Though it did tell a complete story. But only here, after Blade of Dream, does the larger scale come into view.

I didn’t relate much to Alys (I’m neither cocksure, nor ambitious), and while I enjoyed Sammish more, I never really got to love her. Garreth and Elaine I fell in love with at the start. Two affluent youngsters, with their futures already laid out before them, set in stone. And yet they feel lost, unsure whether either wants to accept the path that is before them, inevitable or not. They happen upon one another, and it’s like the eye of the storm—only the other is visible, yet that’s all either has eyes for anyway. I’m at a time in my life where nothing is clear, lost in a fog where before their was nothing but clear skies. Not only did this come at the perfect time for me, but I related well to both the characters I was presented with. Neither of which could be said of the first book.

The build was a bit slow, but after the scene was set and I got into it—I was out. Just ran through it. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about reading it. When I wasn’t thinking about reading it, I was dissecting every detail I remembered from Book 1. Heck, I even went back and reread passages from Age of Ash to compare the two events side-by-side. Even now, weeks after I finished it, the story is still at the front of my mind. None of my more recent reads have replaced, or even competed with it. And yet…

I’ve seen a lot of reviews from people who loved the first book, but were less than thrilled with the second. A few that loved both, and a few that were mediocre either way. It’s going to be difficult for me to recommend a book that I know really worked for me because of who I am. Just like I couldn’t recommend the first book—for the exact same reason. I will say that the two work very well together, but I’m still not sure if that’ll be enough to get some of you to approach this series. As I know firsthand, what works for one person may not work well for the next, especially with entries that don’t really share any characters between their pages. Yes, the setting is the same, but the cast has flipped entirely. It’s like turning on the season premier of your favorite show and learning that they’ve decided to go in a different direction, sacked and completely replaced the cast, relocated to a different part of town—though the overarching plot and settings remain the same. It’s the sort of thing that would raise an eyebrow. And lose not a little amount of viewers.

I mean… if you loved the first—maybe you’ll like the second? If you were on the fence—well, maybe you’ll like the second? If you’re intrigued and want to see how it all comes together—yeah, feel encouraged to check out the series. Maybe even read them together, I dunno. But I do know that while I didn’t love the first, I adored the second, and am very much anticipating the release of the third, to see how it all ties together!

TL;DR

I’m not summarizing. You know that I loved the book. If you want to know why, you’ll have to take the long road—sorry.