A Dance of Burning Blades

Invoker Trilogy #2

by M.H. Ayinde

War rages on in the second heart-pounding novel in M. H. Ayinde’s relentless epic fantasy series The Invoker Trilogy, a sweeping epic of revenge and rebellion set in a richly drawn world of warring clans and ancestor magic.

A DANCE OF RAGE. A DANCE OF RUIN. A DANCE OF BURNING BLADES.

Tension simmers across the Nine Lands. In the capital, the people of Lordsgrave seethe with resentment after the horrors of the greyblood attack. Clan Adatali is in open rebellion against the king, and as war in the Feverlands rages on, a humble tree feller—who looks a lot like missing invoker Jinao Mizito—has not forgotten the promise he made to avenge his brother.

Meanwhile, in the shadows, the king’s daughter Lyela continues to move her pieces across the board. Can the people of the Nine Lands reclaim their stolen history and unlock the secrets that have been kept from them for centuries?

Praise for the Invoker

“The exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of the year.” —Tasha Suri

“A truly excellent debut.” —James Islington

“Ayinde is a master storyteller.” —Andrea Stewart

The Invoker Trilogy
A Song of Legends Lost
A Dance of Burning Blades

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Mythology, LGBT, Epic

Audible Audio

First published August 11, 2026

About the author

Modupe H. Ayinde is the Sunday Times bestselling author of epic fantasy novel A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST (Orbit UK/Saga Press) and is an Ignyte, Locus, and British Fantasy Award finalist. Her short fiction has appeared in FIYAH Literary Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and elsewhere, and she was the 2021 winner of the Future Worlds Prize. She is a runner, a lapsed martial artist, and a screen time enthusiast. She lives in London with three generations of her family and their Studio Ghibli obsession.
Find her on Bluesky / Instagram / TikTok as @mhayinde

Reviews

[M.H. Ayinde]

Please go here for content warnings.
https://www.mhayinde.com/trigger-warn...

What to expect in Book 2 of The Invoker Trilogy:

* Battles. A lot of battles.
* Old faces, new faces, and faces that... change.
* A smattering of body horror. A smattering of psychological horror.
* Plants that are not quite plants and might be sentient.
* Even MOAR plucky underdogs.
* THE POWER OF AUNTIES.
* #BadDads
* Warrior monks.
* Cat AND dog.

This is a longer, darker, and slightly more violent book. Thank you to those of you who are continuing this journey with me, and to those who take the time to rate / leave a review. It really is the privilege of a lifetime to be able to share this world.

Modupe
x

[Jaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️Un second tome qui confirme à nouveau le talent de cette autrice. Cette trilogie ce n’est pas juste une fantaisie épique mais une représentation violente et à peine imagée de la réalité de notre société.
L’autrice dénonce l’impérialisme, le colonialisme ainsi que l’endoctrinement religieux avec une plume brillante. Elle met en lumière le drama de l’effacement des cultures au profit de celle de l’élite. Ici on ne parle pas juste des cultures noires, mais aussi asiatiques, Aztec, et encore bien d’autres.
La construction du récit est fascinante, on ne s’ennuie tout simplement jamais. Tous les points de vue apportent une nouvelle perspective à un but commun qui est de montrer que la réponse à l’oppression est toujours collective même si elle se crée par des destins individuels.
J’ai encore une fois adoré et j’ai hâte de découvrir le troisième tome.

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

A Dance of Burning Blades is the second book in the epic science fantasy series The Invoker, written by M. H. Ayinde and published by Orbit Books. An absolutely brilliant sequel at the level of the previous instalment, A Song of Legends Lost, which continues building over the foundations that were previously laid, with a creative worldbuilding that is expanded, especially regarding the Greybloods and the ancient tech, serving as the perfect tapestry for an epic story about the importance of communities, the fight against the established system and the own identity.

Tension continues high across the Nine Lands. The truth regarding Invoker abilities and how it has been kept has sparked rebellion across the continent; Clan Adatali make their stand against the power system established by the king and his clan. Meanwhile, Lordsgrave still seethes with resentment after the horrors unleashed by the greyblood attack; a story that continues ramping up the stakes while it slowly unfurls many of the secrets about the Nine Lands' history and how the ancient tech works.

In particular, while all the character arcs are brilliant, there are two that shine with their own light. First of all, we still have Temi Baker, struggling to protect her family and her community by extension, trying to keep them safe, healthy, being dragged into the politics of other groups and her own bond with the ancestor; and Jinao Mizito's journey will be one that, despite he's being pushed to the limit of his mind, will also reveal a lot about how the Greybloods live and how they also form communities like us.
The rest of the arcs in A Dance Of Burning Blades paint an epic story, answering some of the questions that were already asked in the prequel, especially regarding the past of the Nine Lands, but also set the table for the third book.

While the worldbuilding was already memorable in the previous book, Ayinde goes a step further in this one: partly due to the already laid foundations, but also going deeper into the heart of the Nine Lands.
Despite this book being a chonker, it never felt too long; the pacing is pretty much on the spot, and the jump between POVs helps keep your interest high at all times.

A Dance of Burning Blades is simply excellent; a sequel that builds over what A Song of Legends Lost already created, reinforcing that epic science fantasy vibes on a story that doesn't forget about the individual characters. Can't wait to see what M. H. Ayinde has cooked with the third book!

[BookishlySonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Finally a second book of a series that doesn’t disappoint me!

Ayinde has created a world that pulses with energy, populated by characters that feel like real people and I am OBSESSED.

A Song of Legends Lost set the stage and A Dance of Burning Blades expanded and, in a moment that made me scream “I was right” subverted prior knowledge in the best possible way. Although I did think that a certain epilogue chapter in ASoLL meant we would be getting a full fledged POV in ADoBB and was sad when that ended up not being the case. While several compelling characters are introduced or become more prominent in the story my favorites continue to be Jinao and Temi. A revelation in Temi’s arc was unexpected and yet it made so much sense and I felt dumbfounded I hadn’t seen it coming.

I will say that if the shifting POV’s in ASoLL frustrated you, you’ll be downright pissed with this book because it shifts with every chapter. I normally can read multiple books at once but I had to lock in and only focus on this one so I wouldn’t lose the narrative thread.

I am genuinely in awe of the breadth of the world found in these pages. Thank you to Saga Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Azrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I received a copy of the book from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, blood, injury, gore, body horror, torture/mutilation, murder, death, child death, war, kidnapping confinement, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, suicidal ideation, PTSD, grief, classism, colonialism, alcohol, vomit
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An absolutely brilliant sequel, A Dance of Burning Blades truly exceeded my expectations after the phenomenal debut that was A Song of Legends Lost.

The ever present threat of the Greybloods has kept tensions high across the Nine Lands however, the recent unrest in Lordsgrave as well as the slow unfurling of the truth with regards to Invoker abilities has sparked further rebellion across the continent, including inter-Clan conflicts as Clan Adatali make their stand against the lies and manipulative power system of Clan Ahiki.

The tensions just keep ramping up, the stakes get even more brutal, there are more sacrifices and betrayals. Ayinde exceptionally builds on the themes of identity, community and making a stand against colonial indoctrination and I was wholly invested in all of the POVs so was flying through this chunky tome.

Alongside the more political ‘power vs the people’ side of things I loved how the much more personal stakes were still so fundamental to the overarching story. We further explore how both the family dynamics that the lead characters are each a part of as well as the relationships they have with the different entities that they are bonded to shape them and steer their individual journeys.

Each perspective allows us to glean more information with regards to the ancestral magic, the techwork and all the lore that is at the heart of the series and as their arcs continue to meticulously come together, we get a wider picture of the history and knowledge of the world and how it has all been weaponised and continues to be for control.

The layers to the worldbuilding already amazed me in the first book but the way Ayinde has expanded and interwoven it with all the scheming that is going on just blew me away.

Epic fantasy fans you are truly missing out if you haven’t checked out this series yet, get on it!!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second entry in the Invoker trilogy, we are thrust back into the Nine Lands, where the various Clans continue to be threatened by the Greybloods, even as said Clans grapple for power amongst each other. (Side note: If you don’t have time to reread the first book, “A Song of Legends Lost”, the author has generously provided a summary of it, which you can find at the beginning of this book, or at her website here: https://www.mhayinde.com/asoll-summary).

I enjoyed being in this world again, but it was a little more difficult for me to keep track of the different storylines this time, although it got easier as I remembered who’s who. Ayinde’s worldbuilding continues to impress, and I was excited to learn more about the lore, politics, and WHY everyone is fighting.

The overarching theme here is colonialism, and the author does a wonderful job of illustrating the immense harm that comes from people taking over lands that are not their own. Ayinde makes this hard subject not only more readable by putting it in a fantasy, but she also *educates* the reader. If you come away from this thinking, “That was a great fantasy book!”, and then you forget all about it, you’re missing the point. You should be ruminating on the real world applications long after you turn the final page. In fact, the Invoker trilogy reminds me of “Blood Over Bright Haven” by M.L. Wang, in the way the latter caused me to take a hard look at racism, sexism and injustice in both today’s society and the societies of the past. I love when fantasy books make you think.

“A Dance of Burning Blades” is almost 100 pages longer than the first book, at 688 pages compared to 592, so it’s a long one. However, if you’ve read any of Brandon Sanderson’s “The Stormlight Archives” series, the page count won’t faze you at all (Book 5 of Sanderson’s series, “Wind And Truth”, is a whopping 1344 pages!!).

The Invoker trilogy is worth your time. Do yourself a favor and check it out!

4.5 stars, rounded up.

(P.S. The author has left a comment on the Goodreads page for “A Dance of Burning Blades”, and she gives a link to where she’s listed all of the trigger warnings at: https://www.mhayinde.com/trigger-warn... so if you’d like to know what you’re getting into before diving in, I encourage you to go read it.)

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Book.Dragon.Page1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story took me a while to get back into but once that finally happend I remembered why I liked the first book so much. The characters are complicated and I still adore everything about the ancesters. I really like that we learn a lot more about that in this book. Every secret makes me more curious and those epilogues!

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group Uk for the advance copy. All my opinions are my own.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

A recap of the 1st book at the beginning ? Feeling blessed ✨

4,5 ⭐
And here I thought that 2nd books better than 1st one were a myth.

[Tya C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Song of Legends Lost is the best fantasy book I’ve ever read, and the sequel did not disappoint!

Firstly, I loved that we got a section in the beginning of the book that reminded us of what happened in the previous book! I wish more sequels did the same.

Now, this book did take me a little time to get into. I feel like part one of the book did a lot of building. But, from part two throughout the whole book, it was INTENSE! There were so many exciting things going on, however, it was done in a way where you never got overwhelmed with the different storylines. But, this book had me STRESSED! The battles had me on the edge of my seat. I was so scared reading them because I was not prepared for how intense they would get! But, I loved every minute of it. The villains really stepped it up in this book as well. The villains had ME scared from the safety of being beyond the page. And when I tell you these characters went THROUGH it! I teared up several times, so have tissues ready.

A glimpse into the notes I took while reading:

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME??????😭😭😭”

“Oh my god man😭😭😭”

“oh my god bruh stop hurting me like this”

“I ask again, why are you doing this to me???”

Let’s also talk about how this book connected to me on a deeper level as well. First of all, this story illustrates colonialism perfectly. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. But, this book connects heavily with everything I believe spiritually: our connection to our ancestors, the power of dance & song, and the power of speaking names. So, even though this book is very entertaining, it’s also deep in other ways.

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy books, especially ones with diverse worlds; intense battles; and characters you can actually feel. I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy to come out!

Thank you to Saga Press & NetGalley for this review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Adam Kutzner · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHH I LOVED THIS ONE

It gripped me from the start and I truly couldnt put it down over the last few days. It was such a good read and again, theres so much happening but it all seems to flow so well.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series!!!! Thank you Illumicrate for making another SE, PLEASE continue to do so with the last book in the trilogy. I'm so excited to finish it!!!!

[Cassandra Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I actually liked this book better then the fist one. I dont know why I was thinking we would get more answers in this book. I feel like so much happened but yet so much didnt. This series is definitely an Epic Fantasy. If you read book one and were on the fence about this one I would at least give this one a shot before deciding.

[Stephanie Davy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book was my fave read last year. This is now not only my fave read this year, but my fave book ever! I didn’t want it to end and kept trying to read more slowly, which was a feat in itself. Marvellous.

[Batya’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in absolute awe of this masterpiece. Truly the most original, complex, global SFF I’ve ever read. Proper RTC when I find the words to do it justice!

[Ryan Bartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed A Dance of Burning Blades. There are so many moving parts in this follow up to A Song of Legends Lost with great pacing. Everything feels so much more high stakes and felt invested and curious with each of the storylines. I’m really looking forward to the final installment to thing unique and engaging series!

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the new war in the Feverlands, the people of the Nine Lands are increasingly getting angrier living under the king's rule. Things are steadily getting more out of control as more people discover their stolen history, and they can't help but think they'll finally be able to rule themselves again.
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4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars
TW: Graphic Torture, Classism and Familial Abuse
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OMG, I was so surprised I was approved for this arc?? My Netgalley ratio is absolutely awful, but I was so curious after A Song of Legends Lost that I still put in a request. And it was approved!! So, thank you guys so much!

Okay, back to the actual review
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I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than the previous one. I was hooked throughout and finished it in less than a week! I just really enjoyed how the overarching plot unraveled and the characters.

Unlike the previous book, most of the POVs were working towards their own specific goals with only a small layer of overlap between Morayo and Boleo (they were both actively trying to solve the same threat). I did like how they all were dealing with the same mystery of trying to learn their history and how a lot of the solutions to their current problems tied back to them losing their history/violent colonialism and the lack of knowledge.

This time around, I really enjoyed all the POVs. I liked Boleo and him desperately trying to figure out a way to win against impossible odds and trying to figure out how/why things worked the way they did. Morayo also wanted to figure out the best way to help, but he also had his own plotline about figuring out his place in the family and desperately trying to prove his worth. Jinao is trying to hunt down the Bairneater and ends up increasingly worse situations. It was fascinating being in Runt's head as she desperately worked to fit herself into her father's life and her slow realization of what was happening. Temi, just like in the previous book, is my favorite. I loved seeing her work to protect her family in any way she could. I really do like where her character is going. I can't figure out if Vunaji wants to help or if he's after his own ends. I like how morally grey he is tho and his dynamic with Temi. I don't know if it's because I read book 1 as an audiobook, and the voice the narrator did for him was really hot.

I really like how Ayinde used Lyela's POV as interludes between different parts, and I liked how they added to the worldbuilding.

I really love the parallelism between Temi and Runt. They had so similar of backgrounds/histories but went different ways. I was so excited that they finally met, and I really liked how Runt compared her family to Temi's. I really would've loved more time spent with them, however. It was essentially summed up in a paragraph, and I would've loved seeing another perspective looking in on the Bakers. I get why that wasn't the case because a lot was happening, and there's a bunch of POVs.

The worldbuilding was so interesting, and I loved seeing more and more of it. After the reveal in the previous book, I was able to work out most of it, but I liked how it wasn't straight sci-fi and incorporated a lot of fantasy elements.

I liked how fast-paced it was, and there really wasn't any moment that dragged? Tho I was startled to realize 2 years have passed by the end of it. It makes sense but still a little unexpected.

Overall, it's a really exciting sequel, and I can't wait for the next one! I'm going to preorder a copy of the physical and hunt down a copy of A Song of Legends Lost.

[H.Z. Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group and M. H. Ayinde for the ARC!

I had to sit and digest everything that happened in the sequel to A Song of Legends Lost as Ayinde did not pull on any punches with this incredible sequel. The second instalment of the Invoker Trilogy increases the stakes as we see the incredible world of the Nine Lands expand and further chaos threaten the cast of beloved characters. The summary below will contain spoilers for book one! Stop reading now if you have not read A Song of Legends Lost!

We follow Temi as she roils in the aftermath of the attack in Lordsgrave and explores her bond with the chained man further. Runt as she tries to settle into her new family life after finding her father and releasing the Cloister. Jinao who hunts the Bairneater for revenge for his mother and brother. Father Boleo as he fights alongside Warlord Daloya as they oppose the King, and Morayo as he finds his feet within Clan Adatali.

This sequel does not suffer from the sequel curse and I would go as far as to say that I loved this one more than ASOLL! A gorgeous story, with each chapter leaving you wanting more. I could not put this book down. Ayinde writes with such beautiful prose and suspense with worldbuilding like no other. Temi is still my favourite character and I cannot wait to see where her story goes in the third installment of this series. Runt, oh Ayinde, you really did not hold back there. I also found myself having a soft spot for Jinao as we follow him into the world of the Greybloods. What an incredible sequel. I cannot wait for Book 3!

Once again, the epilogues to this book have me in a chokehold and will be stirring in my mind until the next book arrives. If you are looking for a truly epic fantasy series then please pick up the Invoker Trilogy by M. H. Ayinde!

[Cian · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO much better than the first book!! It’s a Shrek 2 vs Shrek 1 level glow up

There was still so goddamn much going on in this book tho. Like this one guy has to into the woods to chop down a bunch of trees but then he becomes part robot, and then this other bitch has little blue people living inside of her, and then this other dude has a group of nuns that he feeds off their blood to make a spirit prison. Like my god!!

But somehow the author makes it all work and I gobbled this book up yummy!!!

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 spirit prison nun stars

[Bradley Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 of The Invoker Trilogy absolutely exceeded all expectations. Ayinde is going to be a force in the fantasy genre for a long time if she is putting out novels of this magnitude at the beginning of her career.

The world she has crafted is epic, original, and highly ambitious. The second installment builds upon its predecessor and continues to turn up the heat with every chapter. I love these characters, and those I didn’t love in book one, are becoming favorites in book two. The character development is 👌🏻. If you love high fantasy please go check out this series. It deserves ALL the hype. Cannot wait for the conclusion!

Follow me on Instagram @bradsunreliablereviews

[Cate]

Maybe I will return to it once the last book is out and I’ll reread both books. I just can’t connect to the characters or comprehend the plot. I don’t why, I just started skimming through it and that’s when I know I should stop reading it.

I’m sure it’s a good book, and the plot is really intriguing and the worldbuilding as well, but it’s not for me atm.

[Phoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. What a breakneck sequel - Exciting, inventive, blending sci-fi and epic fantasy with layers of worldbuilding and mysteries slowly revealed along with magic systems I’ve never encountered before. So riveting I didn’t mind being constantly confused (I think this is intentional).

[Lanie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

With everything happening Temi's family decides it's time to leave Nine Lords, it seems everyone is to get them and while it would hurt to leave Temi knows she needs to protect her family. However, she does decide to leave them a gift, working with Vunaji they develop a votive that will clean the whole of the river Ae, that way even if the family is no longer there to give them individual votives the people she loves will still be safe. Unfortunately, there is an unexpected side effect and while the water certainly runs clean, Temi has accidentally released the very spirit of the river itself, something the Monks will not tolerate for long.

Jinao has escaped into a war camp, playing as a lowblood by the name of Janzen, determined to kill the Bairneater, the greyblood that took so much from him. The curse that has kept him from invoking is making everything that much harder though, he certainly can't go after the Baineater without being able to call upon his ancestors, but he can't just leave the warcamp either. In what appears to be a turn of luck for him one of the other lowbloods he now calls from takes him to a spirit witch who may be able to break the curse, unfortunatley whatever the spirit witch does while breaking the curse brings the greybloods straight to him and he becomes a captive of the Woodsmaiden.

The south has erupted in open rebellion, Daloya revealing to all of his people that Clan Ahiki has been lying to them for ages, that anyone can Invoke. The Ahiki respond immediately forcing both Boleo and Morayo to find some way to protect their people and their city.

In the meantime The Cloistered have made their move. While the Clans fight amongst one another and against the greybloods, they begin to take over thousands of souls with no one the wiser.

OMG this was absolutely amazing! Much like the last book I just don't even know where to start because we find out so much, like so much in this one that my mind is just reeling from the larger implications. And yet, at the same time, at the same time the last epilogue at the end of the book (yeah there are three epilogues guys!) added a new layer of WTF IS GOING ON!? not to mention WHO IS SHE!?, and OMG SHOULDN'T HE BE DEAD!? To be fair though much like FF X I have learned that no one in this series really dies perse, they just shuffle off to a different portion of the mortal coil. Also, pay attention to every character because the gods (or I suppose the ancestors in the case only know when it turns out that one side character you ignored in book one was actually super freaking important...maybe). That all said I am going to try to keep this very much in some semblance of order, there is simply so much overlap here and some people know some super important things and others don't with overlapping timelines and like I said it's a lot, but a good a lot!

So I suppose I'll start with I hate Runt's father with every fiber of my being and I hope when he eventually gets his (because he has too) it is absolutely brutal. I think by now we all know that the necklace Runt's dad gave her connects her to the Cloistered, what they actually are though and what their purpose is, other than chaos and utter destruction I am still not sure. But because any dad who would just take off and leave his family destitute while belonging to one of the richest families in the city he is basically just using Runt who he deigns to at least finally name Ohemah in this book. He is a run of the mill narcissist until you realize he is also just a tad bit insane. He is my favorite type of bad guy, the one who thinks he's the smartest in the room, who is the farthest thing from it and I look forward to watching him burn. And hopefully it's Ohemah who starts the fire because what he does to that poor girl throughout this whole book is not okay.

My respect for Jinao grew leaps and bounds in this book. Like leaps and bounds. He ends up stuck in a rock and a hard place, discovering that hey the greybloods weren't necessarily evil (what they are though I am not going to go into because it's a huge spoiler and while I think many readers may have clued into this into the first book I'm just going to say they are and aren't what most people probably think) but thanks to centuries of Ahiki bs the possibility of even creating the tiniest of bridge between them and the humans seems slim to none, which is really sad considering what Jinao goes through. Which is a freaking a lot (yes the word a lot will be used a ton in this review) the Woodsmaiden is far more cracked than we even saw in the first book and she essentially tortures him for weeks. However, and I almost feel bad saying this, it contributes greatly to his character growth. He becomes his own person not attached to his Clan name or his Mom or his brother's or anything else and I enjoyed seeing that.

Finally, Morayo and Boleo I will discuss together, because if these two morons had worked together from the beginning and listened to Kipteni, who I owe a huge apology too, they wouldn't have had half the problems they did in this book. Boleo is the smartest guy in the room, most of the time, and that's his biggest problem. He relies on himself so much that he ignores sound advice from those around him Kipteni, especially. Morayo is simply well Morayo, he's got chip on his shoulder that doesn't let him see the forest for the trees. They are both incredibly myopic in their own ways, however, if both had just simply stopped and listened to each other they would have probably figured out the big picture far faster than they did. Each of them had information the other needed but were too busy going off on their own tangents. This doesn't end well for Boleo which makes me incredibly sad because for all of that he is still one of my favorite characters.

Finally, in terms of characters, Temi and Vunaji. First of all, I don't think it's messed up that I want to ship them in the least. Even though he's dead, for probably centuries, and kind of a jerk most of the time. Don't care they have some good chemistry, which is probably why they bonded. Anyhoo, they don't figure as much into this one as the first book except to add to the world itself which is incredibly important in this book. We also find out part of how and why the spirit witch shackled them together although just enough to be frustrated that we didn't learn it all. Which is fine to be honest because like I said this book was a lot.

Alright, I think that's it for the characters. Moving on.

This world for as small as it is geographically, because it really seems very small is my gods so large and so complicated with a history that goes back millennia that I am genuinely surprised that Ayinde was able to fit it into just three books. I am going to use a Final Fantasy comparison here because hey it inspired her. Think of Spira, it's not really that big, a handful of islands, a couple of major cities but that's it. And yet this really tiny place has one of the most complicated, most messed up theocracies probably ever created. That's how I picture this world, and yet it's more. Final Fantasy had to fit into a handful of hours that allowed for gameplay that included grinding, side quests etc. This is just straight story which means Ayinde has the time to really flesh it out and flesh it out she does in this book. It's not just that the Ahiki are oppressors, it's how they carried out their oppression that is truly appalling and yet quite familiar. The Ahiki have taken the Clans own histories and warped it against them, literally rewriting their memories of who they are, how they came to be, and even how they worshipped their ancestors. The more you find out about how the world was before the more you infuriated you become. Especially when we find out what the underplane is and how it works or when Morayo has an epiphany and realizes that his ancestors aren't dogs to call but partners, people who do actually care for him and his people. All of this is told through just some of the most exceptional world building I have come across; it is all intertwined in the personal narrative of each of these characters. We learn their history of not just their people but their world with them and it is a bit heartbreaking given the circumstances.

And one last time; that was a freaking lot! But honestly, for those who read this series can write a quick review of it more power to them. Every time I think of something from it I discover a new aspect that I simply had not thought of while reading it. This is a brilliant series, Ayinde pulled off a masterful book two (not an easy feat) by giving us just enough information to know that we know absolutely nothing. I cannot wait for book three!

Also, I will be doing an interview with Ayinde in conjunction with this review! So please keep an eye out for that!!

As always thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eArc!

[Siavahda · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

Highlights

~OH YOU THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH THE MIC-DROPS DID YOU
~YOU THOUGHT VERY WRONG
~brace for tears
~it gets worse
~(it gets better)

:spoilers for A Song of Legends Lost ahead!:

I wasn’t very worried that this trilogy was going to have a second-book-slump, but going in, I did think that I now had a good enough grasp of What Is Really Going On Here that there would be no more screaming-into-a-pillow moments, like there were reading book one.

YEAH.

ABOUT THAT.

Friends, I had to get a new pillow: I shredded the original one as an outlet for ALL MY FEELS.

IT’S SO MUCH BIGGER AND BETTER AND WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT!

(‘Worse’ as in, what the bad guys are doing is even worse than what we thought/knew they were doing! Not worse as in written worse. Ye gods, no!)

I truly don’t know where to start. I kind of think, if you read Song of Legends Lost, you really don’t need me to convince you to pick up the sequel. You already know how vivid the characters are, how intricate the worldbuilding, how thoroughly Ayinde likes to flip the tables on us. What is there for me to say, except assure you that second-book-syndrome is so absolutely not a concern here???

‘Now. Tell me: how are you able to connect to multiple strata of the underplane simultaneously?’

‘Pardon?’

‘How–‘ The (spoiler) sighed. ‘How is your spirit…able to perceive so much of the ancestral realm?’

This series continues to be my favourite example of ‘technology misunderstood as magic’. Possibly because it’s not just technology: there are elements I can only call magical woven through the worldbuilding as well. We learn a lot more about the Ancestral Realm in this book, and I absolutely adored what Ayinde’s come up with there, the different ‘strata’ and how they originate, what populates each one. Spirits (as in, beings that were never human) and human souls seem to objectively exist, alongside what the cast of the book know as ‘techwork’. It keeps us on our toes: just like in book one, it’s a mistake to start believing that you know what’s going on with the worldbuilding. If you think you can see how all the pieces fit together – no, no you cannot. Ayinde clearly delights in seducing genre-savvy readers into a false sense of security, laying just enough red herrings, or framing clues in just such a way, as to make us think oh, sure, I know where this is going. I know what this has to be. That makes sense.

WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG. It is so much BIGGER and WEIRDER and MORE COMPLICATED than you think! It is pure hubris to believe otherwise.

And once again – just like in Song of Legends Lost – the puzzle pieces are scattered throughout the different plotlines. Information extremely relevant to Temi’s storyline pops up with Boleo; and knowledge Boleo urgently needs is discovered by Jinao. You have to be on your toes, paying close attention, to gather all the bullets for this Chekhov’s gun – especially because so many of them come up so casually, with the prose and narrative actively working to treat them as asides, meaningless details. The truth about the Feverlands! The origins of (some of?) the greybloods!! The trading partners!!! All of these things are HUGE, and every one of them came across as passing asides, completely unimportant (or just plain gibberish) to the character we’re with at the time.

They’re easy to miss, because there’s so much going on. Ewo City, where Boleo and new POV character Morayo are, is preparing for war against the royal clan, and spends most of the book under siege or facing combat; Jinao is pretending to be a random nobody, a conscript in the king’s army, and ends up going further into the Feverlands than maybe any human ever has; Runt’s finally been claimed by her father, who is not nearly the hero she wants to believe he is; and Temi’s district comes to a boiling point when a spirit indifferent to the priests appears in the river. I admit I found the opening a little slow, but by the time I was a quarter of the way into Dance I couldn’t put it down for a second. There is absolutely no chill to this book! If you think a chapter is chill, reread it, because you’ve missed the grenade-like implications of something, the sneaky, blithe revelation that was almost in the background, the hint that something is ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS WTF.

Honestly, that applies to the characters, too. Every POV character – which includes most of the ones from Song – undergoes a great deal of growth in this book, sometimes in surprising directions. Some characters are completely broken; others lose themselves to the roles they’re playing, or think they’re playing. Ayinde does really clever things with names – Jinao starts the book being referred to as Janzen, even within his own inner monologue, and the physical and psychological journey he goes through before reclaiming his birth name is intense, to say the least. Runt finally gets a name of her own, which ought to be a kind of bestowing of personhood, a mark that she belongs to the capital-f Family she found at the end of the previous book – but that’s not the direction her arc goes in at all. And of course, there’s the name ‘Vunaji’, which Boleo and co believe belongs to one spirit, when actually it refers to the one Bonded to Temi, and wow is that mix-up going to cost them.

Maybe it’s not at all surprising that names matter so much, though; this has always been a story about ancestry, cultural inheritance, family. Names are an enormous part of that (remember the Batide, all of whom have multiple names, and can summon the ancestors who had those names before them?) The reveal that the Scathed were in fact humanity was one of the biggest reveals of the previous book – and in a lot of ways, this is a trilogy about the people of the Nine Lands reclaiming that knowledge, wanting back the inheritance that is deservedly theirs. Everything traces back to that, to the Ahikis destroying the Scathed and leaving the Scathed’s descendants ignorant and poor and struggling with all the problems their ancestors solved. Dance continues to trace the domino effect of that ancient travesty/tragedy, the repercussions that present-day people – like our cast! – are still dealing with. These wounds might be ancient, but they haven’t healed: how can they, when so much, maybe even all, of the suffering in the Nine Lands could be magicked away in seconds by the ‘techwork’ the Ahikis have made Forbidden? When modern war crimes keep gouging the wounds deeper, at every chance the Ahikis get?

Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!

[Emboldened · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for the advanced e-book of A Dance of Burning Blades by M. H. Ayinde in exchange for an honest review.
Five stars. Easily.

Let me start by saying that A Song of Legends Lost's ending had me in an absolute chokehold. I spent days after finishing book one staring at my mental conspiracy board like a detective in a crime procedural, trying to connect every single thread. I was mad I had to wait for answers, which is how I knew I was completely hooked. A Dance of Burning Blades picks up with a quick recap that I honestly appreciated because—real talk—I didn't care about every character equally in book one. I knew they mattered to the plot, but my heart belonged to Temi and Jinao. Even Runt got under my skin despite her absolutely boneheaded choices in the last third of the first book. But that opening chapter? It pulls you right back in, reminding you why these systems of oppression matter and why you fell in love with these characters to begin with.

The writing is gorgeous. Strong, sharp, with quick bursts of humor that catch you off guard in the best way. And as always, I love the diversity here. Ayinde is comfortable recognizing sexual orientations, pronouns, and different identities, all woven in naturally. Representation matters, and it makes all the difference in this series. This book deepens everything introduced in book one. We get more context on the Nine Lands and the scathe, more hints about the apocalypse and the massive monarchy cover-up that followed. The way Ayinde explores how colonizers operate is razor-sharp and chilling: "They did not make us forget, Jinao. They simply changed what we remembered. That is what they do. Reduce us. Twist and twist the past until it is not completely gone, but until what we remember is quite different."

That's the insidious part, it's not erasure, it's replacement. "That's what conquerors do–take the beliefs of the conquered and twist them into something they can claim is theirs; something they can control." It's a theme that runs through every political maneuver, every clan tension, every attempt to keep people disconnected from their own power.
Because that's the real threat, isn't it? The book makes it clear that "wherever there is power, there are those who seek to control. People like me are a threat to those in power. And so they seek to control us." The oppressive systems in this world aren't just background; they're actively working to keep people small, scared, and separated from their histories. "It is all to distract us - to prevent us from seeing the truth."

But here's where the ancestor magic becomes revolutionary. The characters are fighting to reclaim something deeper than just political freedom; they're reconnecting to "the entirety of our past. We may not know it, but the connection is still there. Sometimes it comes out like this, in something so exquisitely beautiful you know it flows from a place beyond our ability." That reclamation of culture, of power that's been suppressed and twisted, is what makes this series so compelling.
Ayinde does something really impressive here: she blends sci-fi and fantasy so seamlessly that, as someone who does not typically read sci-fi, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Complicated family ties, cultural reclamation, and rogue assassins.

And just when I thought my head would explode trying to keep up with all the action, Ayinde throws in the mystery surrounding the death of Temi's brother and the true Vujani. It was such a nice touch—adding these layered mysteries on top of everything else happening kept me completely hooked, even when there was already so much going on.
The pacing is propulsive without losing the emotional core. The book juggles a huge cast and multiple POVs, and somehow every character feels distinct and necessary, not just the main crew, but side characters whose quiet choices reshape the entire world. The political intrigue, clan tensions, and battle scenes are vivid and cinematic, but they're always rooted in grief, loyalty, and the brutal question of what you're willing to sacrifice for freedom.

The last third moves fast and hits hard. I got emotional more than once. And that epilogue? A gut punch that recontextualizes so much of what came before. I'm still thinking about it. There are so many moving parts building toward what I can only imagine will be an explosive finale in book three, and I'm already a ball of anxiety waiting for it.

This is exactly what I want from a second book in a trilogy: bigger, sharper, and more devastating in the best possible way. The worldbuilding expands in fascinating directions, the stakes skyrocket, and somehow Ayinde makes you care even more deeply about everyone involved.

If you loved book one, you need this. If you're looking for epic fantasy rooted in ancestor magic, revolution, and history that feels both massive and intimately personal, you need this. I'll be first in line for book three, probably vibrating with anticipation the entire time.

[Lanie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

With everything happening Temi's family decides it's time to leave Nine Lords, it seems everyone is to get them and while it would hurt to leave Temi knows she needs to protect her family. However, she does decide to leave them a gift, working with Vunaji they develop a votive that will clean the whole of the river Ae, that way even if the family is no longer there to give them individual votives the people she loves will still be safe. Unfortunately, there is an unexpected side effect and while the water certainly runs clean, Temi has accidentally released the very spirit of the river itself, something the Monks will not tolerate for long.

Jinao has escaped into a war camp, playing as a lowblood by the name of Janzen, determined to kill the Bairneater, the greyblood that took so much from him. The curse that has kept him from invoking is making everything that much harder though, he certainly can't go after the Baineater without being able to call upon his ancestors, but he can't just leave the warcamp either. In what appears to be a turn of luck for him one of the other lowbloods he now calls from takes him to a spirit witch who may be able to break the curse, unfortunatley whatever the spirit witch does while breaking the curse brings the greybloods straight to him and he becomes a captive of the Woodsmaiden.

The south has erupted in open rebellion, Daloya revealing to all of his people that Clan Ahiki has been lying to them for ages, that anyone can Invoke. The Ahiki respond immediately forcing both Boleo and Morayo to find some way to protect their people and their city.

In the meantime The Cloistered have made their move. While the Clans fight amongst one another and against the greybloods, they begin to take over thousands of souls with no one the wiser.

OMG this was absolutely amazing! Much like the last book I just don't even know where to start because we find out so much, like so much in this one that my mind is just reeling from the larger implications. And yet, at the same time, at the same time the last epilogue at the end of the book (yeah there are three epilogues guys!) added a new layer of WTF IS GOING ON!? not to mention WHO IS SHE!?, and OMG SHOULDN'T HE BE DEAD!? To be fair though much like FF X I have learned that no one in this series really dies perse, they just shuffle off to a different portion of the mortal coil. Also, pay attention to every character because the gods (or I suppose the ancestors in the case only know when it turns out that one side character you ignored in book one was actually super freaking important...maybe). That all said I am going to try to keep this very much in some semblance of order, there is simply so much overlap here and some people know some super important things and others don't with overlapping timelines and like I said it's a lot, but a good a lot!

So I suppose I'll start with I hate Runt's father with every fiber of my being and I hope when he eventually gets his (because he has too) it is absolutely brutal. I think by now we all know that the necklace Runt's dad gave her connects her to the Cloistered, what they actually are though and what their purpose is, other than chaos and utter destruction I am still not sure. But because any dad who would just take off and leave his family destitute while belonging to one of the richest families in the city he is basically just using Runt who he deigns to at least finally name Ohemah in this book. He is a run of the mill narcissist until you realize he is also just a tad bit insane. He is my favorite type of bad guy, the one who thinks he's the smartest in the room, who is the farthest thing from it and I look forward to watching him burn. And hopefully it's Ohemah who starts the fire because what he does to that poor girl throughout this whole book is not okay.

My respect for Jinao grew leaps and bounds in this book. Like leaps and bounds. He ends up stuck in a rock and a hard place, discovering that hey the greybloods weren't necessarily evil (what they are though I am not going to go into because it's a huge spoiler and while I think many readers may have clued into this into the first book I'm just going to say they are and aren't what most people probably think) but thanks to centuries of Ahiki bs the possibility of even creating the tiniest of bridge between them and the humans seems slim to none, which is really sad considering what Jinao goes through. Which is a freaking a lot (yes the word a lot will be used a ton in this review) the Woodsmaiden is far more cracked than we even saw in the first book and she essentially tortures him for weeks. However, and I almost feel bad saying this, it contributes greatly to his character growth. He becomes his own person not attached to his Clan name or his Mom or his brother's or anything else and I enjoyed seeing that.

Finally, Morayo and Boleo I will discuss together, because if these two morons had worked together from the beginning and listened to Kipteni, who I owe a huge apology too, they wouldn't have had half the problems they did in this book. Boleo is the smartest guy in the room, most of the time, and that's his biggest problem. He relies on himself so much that he ignores sound advice from those around him Kipteni, especially. Morayo is simply well Morayo, he's got chip on his shoulder that doesn't let him see the forest for the trees. They are both incredibly myopic in their own ways, however, if both had just simply stopped and listened to each other they would have probably figured out the big picture far faster than they did. Each of them had information the other needed but were too busy going off on their own tangents. This doesn't end well for Boleo which makes me incredibly sad because for all of that he is still one of my favorite characters.

Finally, in terms of characters, Temi and Vunaji. First of all, I don't think it's messed up that I want to ship them in the least. Even though he's dead, for probably centuries, and kind of a jerk most of the time. Don't care they have some good chemistry, which is probably why they bonded. Anyhoo, they don't figure as much into this one as the first book except to add to the world itself which is incredibly important in this book. We also find out part of how and why the spirit witch shackled them together although just enough to be frustrated that we didn't learn it all. Which is fine to be honest because like I said this book was a lot.

Alright, I think that's it for the characters. Moving on.

This world for as small as it is geographically, because it really seems very small is my gods so large and so complicated with a history that goes back millennia that I am genuinely surprised that Ayinde was able to fit it into just three books. I am going to use a Final Fantasy comparison here because hey it inspired her. Think of Spira, it's not really that big, a handful of islands, a couple of major cities but that's it. And yet this really tiny place has one of the most complicated, most messed up theocracies probably ever created. That's how I picture this world, and yet it's more. Final Fantasy had to fit into a handful of hours that allowed for gameplay that included grinding, side quests etc. This is just straight story which means Ayinde has the time to really flesh it out and flesh it out she does in this book. It's not just that the Ahiki are oppressors, it's how they carried out their oppression that is truly appalling and yet quite familiar. The Ahiki have taken the Clans own histories and warped it against them, literally rewriting their memories of who they are, how they came to be, and even how they worshipped their ancestors. The more you find out about how the world was before the more you infuriated you become. Especially when we find out what the underplane is and how it works or when Morayo has an epiphany and realizes that his ancestors aren't dogs to call but partners, people who do actually care for him and his people. All of this is told through just some of the most exceptional world building I have come across; it is all intertwined in the personal narrative of each of these characters. We learn their history of not just their people but their world with them and it is a bit heartbreaking given the circumstances.

And one last time; that was a freaking lot! But honestly, for those who read this series can write a quick review of it more power to them. Every time I think of something from it I discover a new aspect that I simply had not thought of while reading it. This is a brilliant series, Ayinde pulled off a masterful book two (not an easy feat) by giving us just enough information to know that we know absolutely nothing. I cannot wait for book three!

Also, I will be doing an interview with Ayinde in conjunction with this review! So please keep an eye out for that!!

As always thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eArc!

[Mystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brain, my soul, my very consciousness feels awed, a little overwhelmed, and just amazed at all M.H. Ayinde just filled me up with.

A Dance of Burning Blades (DBB) is undoubtedly a full 5 stars for me. The pages held mystery, betrayal, villains who do not know they are horrendous, hidden family histories, and conspiracies that made me wonder about us humans right now.

(Oh, full disclosure: this book is not a standalone. You must-read book 1 first, and these two books must be read in order.)

Both books in this Invoker series are what I like to call thickies. The first book was close to 600 pages, and this one is over 600. The reading is not complicated, nor is it overly simplistic or crammed with unnecessary details. These books will, however, absorb you and disappear you completely into the Nine Lands, with their intricate plots and devastating twists.

That said, I need other readers to understand that Ayinde uses every page to her advantage. Your brain is going to be swirling at a thousand miles per minute.

Whew! But so worth it!

A Dance of Burning Blades is told from multiple points of view, giving readers a 360-degree perspective of what is happening. There were times I wanted to scream at a character because I knew what was happening elsewhere and they were unknowingly walking into trouble. And other times I wanted two characters to see through the wall between them and just be friends!

Describing this book as a rich tapestry feels like an understatement, as the world we thought we knew in book 1 expanded exponentially in a way I did not expect. I cannot tell you how! So you have to read it and see for yourself, but expect your mind to be blown. The creativity here, the imagination, kept me operating on two levels while I read. Part of me focused on the expanding plot, and the other going, ‘Wow, what a world?!’ What else is she about to work into this story?!

This series is a feast for readers of epic fantasy. It reminded me of Game of Thrones in scope and detail, as well as Lord of the Rings. To me, A Dance of Burning Blades was at that level of depth, plot, and world-building. A BIPOC version of those, and yet to me, contained multitudes more because of the new, let me say, ‘levels’ Ayinde worked into it. With Thrones and Rings, I always felt that there was more that was left unsaid; by comparison, Ayinde is leaving nothing unsaid here.

Her epilogues, of course, shattered me, just as in book 1. I feel full, though. There is a deep sense of satisfaction with how this book unfolded. Many questions were answered, alongside revelations that satiated the ‘how did they do this’ puzzles of book 1.

Just like last year, I will be haunted by the thoughts of what will be in the next of this Invoker series. It will be worth it. I know that as an absolute truth.

Start this series, if you have not already; expect weight, depth, and a story that consumes you. This is not a popcorn read. This is an epic, multitiered fantasy feast of reading that will leave you satisfied but undone.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and S&S/Saga Press for providing a copy of this novel!

While I enjoyed this book, I didn't like it as much as A Song of Legends Lost. I feel like there weren't as many revelations in this book. Even though the characters were learning information, it was typically something that another character already knew. So we, the reader, didn't really get to learn a lot of new information. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the book was repetitive, but it was pretty much just different characters learning the same information over and over. We did get some interesting reveals at the very end, but it's odd that we didn't really learn anything new until the very end of the book.
I mostly liked the characters. We only had one throughline character, Boleo, and his narrative was probably my least favorite. Followed shortly thereafter by Morayo. I personally just wasn't a big fan of what was going on in their narratives. Character-wise, Morayo is honestly fine, but I don't really like Boleo. If I remember correctly, I didn't really like Boleo that much in book one either, but he plays a bigger role in this installment. All the other characters were great though.
I had mixed feels about Runt/Ohemah in the last book, but really liked her in this one. I do not remember specifically what it was I didn't like about her, but according to my book 1 review, I found her decision frustrating. I didn't feel that way at all this time. I also really liked both Temi and Janzen/Jinao.
While we didn't really get to learn a lot of new information about the world or the Ahiki clan, a lot still happened in this novel. Mostly bad things, unfortunately. It was pretty much just watching bad thing after bad thing after bad thing happen to each of the main cast. Some of these stories were more interesting than others. I was really invested in Runt/Ohemah's story. It was the most daunting because of the cloistered and Chedu family. Of all the narratives, I found hers the most engaging. While we didn't really learn anything new, I liked the building suspense. I was also quite interested in Janzen/Jinao's story, well... at least the second half. The first half of his story was pretty much just seeing him get tortured over and over again and I was not a fan. However, I really liked the second half though, as it focused more on Janzen/Jinao learning more about the Greybloods. We, the reader, don't really get to learn new information, but I still liked seeing Janzen/Jinao's emotional journey. While I liked Temi, he story wasn't really that interesting. Mostly just bad things happening over and over. Pretty much the main theme here is that most of these narratives were interesting, but we don't really learn that much new information.
I did enjoy this book and like the characters (mostly), but I was disappointed by the lack of new information. Oh well though, I feel like a lot of 2nd books are mostly just there to set up the finale, and I would say this book fits into that category. Not my favorite, but I'm still looking forward to reading book 3.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note: This is the second book in the Invoker Trilogy, so there may be slight spoilers for the first book, A Song of Legends Lost.

In A Dance of Burning Blades, the second book in M.H. Ayinde's Invoker Trilogy, the people of Lordsgrave are still reeling from the Greyblood attack. In Ewo, Clan Adatali is in open rebellion against the king, while the King's war in the Feverlands continues. There, we find Jinao in hiding but still tracking down the Bairneater.

Where the first book focused on setting up our characters, their motivations, and the larger world, this sequel takes everything that was established and starts moving the pieces around. And, perhaps most importantly, we start getting some very revealing answers.

I was blown away by A Song of Legends Lost. As an epic fantasy debut, it impressed me with its ambitious worldbuilding, characters, and the absolutely fascinating sci-fi twist woven into the fantasy and its lore. But somehow, A Dance of Burning Blades managed to blow me away even more.

This book takes a much closer look at the lore and begins answering some of the questions that have been lingering since the first book. At the same time, our characters continue moving in very different directions, and I was completely hooked watching everything unfold. Despite the longer page count, I never felt like the story was dragging. There was so much happening, and I was constantly invested in where these characters were going next.

One of my favorite things about this sequel was seeing how some of the characters changed for me. There were characters from the first book that I didn't particularly love and this book had me finding myself rooting for them. I love when a series can make me rethink my feelings about a character rather than simply keeping everyone in the same place.

And I still absolutely love the sci-fi twist to everything. The way Ayinde continues blending these elements into what initially feels like a traditional epic fantasy is one of my favorite things about this series. The more we learn about the lore, the more fascinating that combination becomes, and I am so invested in seeing where she takes it.

A Dance of Burning Blades builds on everything the first book established and expands it in some really exciting ways. The answers, the character development, the shifting perspectives, and the continued expansion of the world all kept me completely hooked. And then the book starts leading us toward some epic scenes that had me absolutely glued to the page.

I am honestly so blown away by these first two books and by M.H. Ayinde's writing. If this is what the first two books are giving us, I cannot wait to see what she has waiting for us in the third book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mystie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brain, my soul, my very consciousness feels awed, a little overwhelmed, and just amazed at all M.H. Ayinde just filled me up with.

A Dance of Burning Blades (DBB) is undoubtedly a full 5 stars for me. The pages held mystery, betrayal, villains who do not know they are horrendous, hidden family histories, and conspiracies that made me wonder about us humans right now.

(Oh, full disclosure: this book is not a standalone. You must-read book 1 first, and these two books must be read in order.)

Both books in this Invoker series are what I like to call thickies. The first book was close to 600 pages, and this one is over 600. The reading is not complicated, nor is it overly simplistic or crammed with unnecessary details. These books will, however, absorb you and disappear you completely into the Nine Lands, with their intricate plots and devastating twists.

That said, I need other readers to understand that Ayinde uses every page to her advantage. Your brain is going to be swirling at a thousand miles per minute.

Whew! But so worth it!

A Dance of Burning Blades is told from multiple points of view, giving readers a 360-degree perspective of what is happening. There were times I wanted to scream at a character because I knew what was happening elsewhere and they were unknowingly walking into trouble. And other times I wanted two characters to see through the wall between them and just be friends!

Describing this book as a rich tapestry feels like an understatement, as the world we thought we knew in book 1 expanded exponentially in a way I did not expect. I cannot tell you how! So you have to read it and see for yourself, but expect your mind to be blown. The creativity here, the imagination, kept me operating on two levels while I read. Part of me focused on the expanding plot, and the other going, ‘Wow, what a world?!’ What else is she about to work into this story?!

This series is a feast for readers of epic fantasy. It reminded me of Game of Thrones in scope and detail, as well as Lord of the Rings. To me, A Dance of Burning Blades was at that level of depth, plot, and world-building. A BIPOC version of those, and yet to me, contained multitudes more because of the new, let me say, ‘levels’ Ayinde worked into it. With Thrones and Rings, I always felt that there was more that was left unsaid; by comparison, Ayinde is leaving nothing unsaid here.

Her epilogues, of course, shattered me, just as in book 1. I feel full, though. There is a deep sense of satisfaction with how this book unfolded. Many questions were answered, alongside revelations that satiated the ‘how did they do this’ puzzles of book 1.

Just like last year, I will be haunted by the thoughts of what will be in the next of this Invoker series. It will be worth it. I know that as an absolute truth.

Start this series, if you have not already; expect weight, depth, and a story that consumes you. This is not a popcorn read. This is an epic, multitiered fantasy feast of reading that will leave you satisfied but undone.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big shoutout to the author for putting a nice summary at the start of what happened in book 1 (and for each character too). That helped a ton but it still took me a little to catch-up and remember stuff as I read (but that’s the woes of epic fantasy I suppose lol).

I don’t even know how to do this book or this series justice in a review, especially trying to keep it non-spoilers as possible. However, I 100% recommend reading the first book if you’re reading this review and haven’t yet. It’s the epitome of epic fantasy. A female POC author who has created such a culturally rich world with politics, religion, a magic system, and of course an epic sized conflict.

Anyways… I was so glad to be back with these characters, and it’s amazing how good of a job the author continues to do with such a multitude of POVs. I remember feeling sooo impatient after finishing book 1 because I needed answers, that epilogue had been CRAZY. There was so much going on yet it was all interesting and meaningful for an overarching plot/conflict.

‘A Dance of Burning Blades’ continues with the in-depth world building, separate character plot-lines bound to converge, and a very intricate plot. I couldn’t believe how everything ended up being connected as you wound your way through book 1, so to see things continue to unfold here was really cool. The whole time it had left me in awe how the author pulled it off so tactfully, I was left guessing and trying to figure things out for myself from context clues!! There’s high stakes and author does not pull punches, this emotionally devastated me a lotttt.

I also find it impressive how even though there 5 main POVs we follow and some additional, they all seem important and are distinct. I can just tell this is going to come together as we see where things are connected or have had cause and effect. The characters continue to be imperfect and or morally ambiguous, you love and dislike them at times but they’re what allow this book (for me) to be so immersive. There’s exceptional amount of growth or regression and heartbreak with them, and sometimes their negative traits affect the story. (I can imagine if you loved book 1, you’ll love this. I know fantasy of this scale can feel daunting)

I am reeling over what’s going to be the fates of these characters. I love the commentary that lines the pages of this book— so much is tackled here: socioeconomics and their impacts, religious orders and technology, conquerors keeping the people in the dark and always in turmoil, family and ancestral bonds… and so much more.

Can’t wait for book 3!

*ARC courtesy of netgalley, however I did purchase my own copy via Illumicrate*

[Paul Mcguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Saga Press and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

Last year when I read A Song of Legends Lost by MH Ayinde, it blew me away with the quality of writing and how well everything came together for a debut. I have been screaming about it non stop and requested the arc of the sequel the first chance I got. I was floored to get accepted but didn't read it right away because I don't want the wait for the last book to be too long. Thankfully there is a recap at the start.

I was immediately blown away by the prolog and chapter 1 with how they started things off with a bang. Sadly this frantic pacing does not stick around but the rest of the book is still just as well crafted as the first book. This is a series for those who love detailed world building. Like the first book it is broken into four parts and slowly builds before convergence happens in the last part. This is the style Steven Erikson uses for the Malazan Books as well.

What made it stand out was how the multiple points of view overlapped and the characters meet. We learn a lot more about the realm of the ancestors and the power of tech work. But both are still mysterious enough that we don't learn all the details. This has the typical trope of one character losing his power for a while and having to find a way to recover it and the action isn't always the easiest to follow. But I still really connected with the characters and their journey.

I could also see the parallels with the various areas of the world that are currently facing an occupying force, from ICE invading American cities to the war between Israel and Palestine. Many characters live in a similar pressure cooker as communities mix fear and anger with those trying to oppress them. This is described masterfully in chapter 1 as Ayinde describes an anger simmering beneath the surface of the town where Temi and Runt live.

This is a dark brutal world and the war seems never ending. The power of the en invokers to channel ancestral spirits makes it stand out. Many characters have access to this power but still feel like ordinary folk with access to this power trying to get by and provide for their families. The book ends with three intense epilogs that wrap things up and set the stage for the third and final book. A Dance of Burning Blades lives up to the first book and should not be missed.