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The Rain That Makes The River: The Blind Age - Book Two
Nobody in Atlan is who they say they are.
That includes the Priestess Venalia, who has been hiding herself from the world and her god since the events in Llantry. The people sing songs of her, songs full of falsehoods and stolen valour about a woman that she does not recognise.
She is here to learn the name her mother gave her, but the one man who could help her - the Chieftain of the Stitched Banner - has been murdered. His brother moves to take power for himself, to speak to the spirits of his ancestors and fulfil his dream of returning his people to the lands from which they once fled.
The only witness to the murder is Magpie, a dead shell of a woman with many faces and a crippling addiction to arcane narcotics.
Something moves in the walls and beneath the cobbles of the city streets. The Magistress of Atlan has surrounded herself with masked, nameless servants and stays hidden away in her estate, building machines that defy the natural order.
Unable to trust anybody, Venalia finds herself out of her depth in a current that threatens to pull her under if she cannot unravel Atlan’s mysteries in time.
The Rain That Makes The River is the second book in The Blind Age series, and tells a story about the many masks we wear, about pain and memory, and the power of perception, written by a long-time dungeon master with a mind for the kind of high-tension horror-mysteries he loves to run.
That includes the Priestess Venalia, who has been hiding herself from the world and her god since the events in Llantry. The people sing songs of her, songs full of falsehoods and stolen valour about a woman that she does not recognise.
She is here to learn the name her mother gave her, but the one man who could help her - the Chieftain of the Stitched Banner - has been murdered. His brother moves to take power for himself, to speak to the spirits of his ancestors and fulfil his dream of returning his people to the lands from which they once fled.
The only witness to the murder is Magpie, a dead shell of a woman with many faces and a crippling addiction to arcane narcotics.
Something moves in the walls and beneath the cobbles of the city streets. The Magistress of Atlan has surrounded herself with masked, nameless servants and stays hidden away in her estate, building machines that defy the natural order.
Unable to trust anybody, Venalia finds herself out of her depth in a current that threatens to pull her under if she cannot unravel Atlan’s mysteries in time.
The Rain That Makes The River is the second book in The Blind Age series, and tells a story about the many masks we wear, about pain and memory, and the power of perception, written by a long-time dungeon master with a mind for the kind of high-tension horror-mysteries he loves to run.
505 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 12, 2026
The Rain That Makes The River is the sequel to The First Rule of The Blind Age series by Steven William Hannah. Allow me to preface this review with saying that this is the 5th book of Steven's that I've enjoyed and at this point Steven would be one of those so-called auto-buy authors for me no matter what he publishes.
In my review of the first book I've noted that the author shines best when his stories go completely off the rails. Boy, did Book 2 not disappoint in that regard. While I was slightly skeptical of the first installment of The Blind Age, the sequel reminded me why I like reading indies in the first place. Endlessly creative, humorous and full of twists and turns, The Rain That Makes The River is a goldmine of fully realized kernels that grow into fully fledged ideas as soon as you dive in a few chapters.
There is this larger than life feeling of a vast fleshed out world that is much more than a mere backdrop, which is rarer than you would think in indie fantasy. Where majority of authors throw stuff against the wall, tinker with it a bit to make it stick, Steven builds a deliberate botanical garden and showcases enough of the world-building to keep you invested and have you pleading for seconds down the line. The series leans heavily on tabletop tropes, alignments, and mechanics, but also offers something we in the know would call homebrews (custom tailored items/things/monsters within the existing setting) that gleam, bursting with creativity, fully realized in the hands of a skilled Game Master.
Unlike the first book, we also get multiple unique PoVs. My personal favorite was that of Magpie who is deliciously kooky and just the right amount of deranged. Without spoiling anything for future readers, hold on to your hats ladies and gents is all I'll let slip out. This series is going...places! As for the prose: yes, it's pretty seamless—much like the Interloper trilogy—once you grasp the rhythm of the author's writing style. Steven's formatting is somewhat unique and requires a bit of patience, but it is damn worth it for immersion's sake alone.
Verdict? I endorse this book without reservations. Especially to curious souls open to new and warped experiences. Unafraid individuals who enjoy original storytelling and dungeons and dragons-esque shenanigans. If you can't get enough of that at your own table or from your favorite roleplayers, get your fix right here!
Spiraling story of everyday heroism — 4.5/5.0
In my review of the first book I've noted that the author shines best when his stories go completely off the rails. Boy, did Book 2 not disappoint in that regard. While I was slightly skeptical of the first installment of The Blind Age, the sequel reminded me why I like reading indies in the first place. Endlessly creative, humorous and full of twists and turns, The Rain That Makes The River is a goldmine of fully realized kernels that grow into fully fledged ideas as soon as you dive in a few chapters.
There is this larger than life feeling of a vast fleshed out world that is much more than a mere backdrop, which is rarer than you would think in indie fantasy. Where majority of authors throw stuff against the wall, tinker with it a bit to make it stick, Steven builds a deliberate botanical garden and showcases enough of the world-building to keep you invested and have you pleading for seconds down the line. The series leans heavily on tabletop tropes, alignments, and mechanics, but also offers something we in the know would call homebrews (custom tailored items/things/monsters within the existing setting) that gleam, bursting with creativity, fully realized in the hands of a skilled Game Master.
Unlike the first book, we also get multiple unique PoVs. My personal favorite was that of Magpie who is deliciously kooky and just the right amount of deranged. Without spoiling anything for future readers, hold on to your hats ladies and gents is all I'll let slip out. This series is going...places! As for the prose: yes, it's pretty seamless—much like the Interloper trilogy—once you grasp the rhythm of the author's writing style. Steven's formatting is somewhat unique and requires a bit of patience, but it is damn worth it for immersion's sake alone.
Verdict? I endorse this book without reservations. Especially to curious souls open to new and warped experiences. Unafraid individuals who enjoy original storytelling and dungeons and dragons-esque shenanigans. If you can't get enough of that at your own table or from your favorite roleplayers, get your fix right here!
Spiraling story of everyday heroism — 4.5/5.0
April 3, 2026
Steven has done it again and crafted a tale that knocks it out of the park! We follow Venalia yet again as she faces her largest test of resilience yet. I thought The First Rule had a fantastic, otherworldly antagonist in The Choir, but he rachets it up a notch when I didn't think it would be topped.
When I first started the book, I wondered where Steven would be taking this story - we are introduced to some exceptional new characters, namely Magpie and Haki. Venalia is initially tasked with solving a murder, with Magpie being the only witness. But what unfolds is something that I didn't predict - in true Steven fashion, of course.
I honestly believe Steven can stand with some of the best fantasy and sci-fi writers today. This book surpasses the quality of a traditionally published book in terms of its ideas, themes, and prose.
Speaking of prose, Steven writes with a sort of rhythmic, poetry-like structure at times which really works well! His prose effortlessly flows, and he builds such an imaginative world and sense of place. It's just superb.
The way the plot moves forward with Steven's ability to build everything together leads to a story that surpasses your expectations and keeps you hooked.
The themes of true friendship, defying the odds, and coming back to save your people from potential certain death, make for a satisfying tale.
I have read every one of Steven's books, and I suggest you do too!
Awesome book cover art, awesome book.
When I first started the book, I wondered where Steven would be taking this story - we are introduced to some exceptional new characters, namely Magpie and Haki. Venalia is initially tasked with solving a murder, with Magpie being the only witness. But what unfolds is something that I didn't predict - in true Steven fashion, of course.
I honestly believe Steven can stand with some of the best fantasy and sci-fi writers today. This book surpasses the quality of a traditionally published book in terms of its ideas, themes, and prose.
Speaking of prose, Steven writes with a sort of rhythmic, poetry-like structure at times which really works well! His prose effortlessly flows, and he builds such an imaginative world and sense of place. It's just superb.
The way the plot moves forward with Steven's ability to build everything together leads to a story that surpasses your expectations and keeps you hooked.
The themes of true friendship, defying the odds, and coming back to save your people from potential certain death, make for a satisfying tale.
I have read every one of Steven's books, and I suggest you do too!
Awesome book cover art, awesome book.
September 21, 2025
Wow! Steven William Hannah does it again with another excellent cross-genre tale in this sequel to “The First Rule”. This is a fantasy tale with lots of horror elements and a mystery to unravel as well. I love this slipstream of genres.
While Venalia is searching for answers about her ancestry, she is drawn into a murder investigation. This young priestess of the minds eye is a great character and I loved going on another adventure with her. It was nice to explore more of the world and to find out what her people were like.
Magpie is a fantastic new character in this book. I didn’t know what to make of her at first. She has exciting powers and a wonderful story. I enjoyed finding how she connected to the main plot. Lots of emotion in her scenes and I found her arc very moving.
Once again, the author shows virtue, truth, belief, and religious devotion and connection in a deep, beautiful way that I really connected with. There are so many elements of this book that I connected with on a deeply personal level. It’s like the author wrote it just for me! I can’t convey how much I loved this book.
It’s really interesting to learn that the author developed the characters and world through D&D and that he rolls for Venalia during her action scenes. It certainly produces an exciting result!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
While Venalia is searching for answers about her ancestry, she is drawn into a murder investigation. This young priestess of the minds eye is a great character and I loved going on another adventure with her. It was nice to explore more of the world and to find out what her people were like.
Magpie is a fantastic new character in this book. I didn’t know what to make of her at first. She has exciting powers and a wonderful story. I enjoyed finding how she connected to the main plot. Lots of emotion in her scenes and I found her arc very moving.
Once again, the author shows virtue, truth, belief, and religious devotion and connection in a deep, beautiful way that I really connected with. There are so many elements of this book that I connected with on a deeply personal level. It’s like the author wrote it just for me! I can’t convey how much I loved this book.
It’s really interesting to learn that the author developed the characters and world through D&D and that he rolls for Venalia during her action scenes. It certainly produces an exciting result!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews