Winterfinding

Ascendant Realms #2

by Daniel Casey

Winterfinding, book two of the Ascendant Realms series, picks up after where Adversaries Together left off.

After defeating the pirate mercenary Asa Salda, Avery Roth leaves his new allies and goes north to deliver to his elders-the mysterious Caretakers-the orphaned child Colm. Meanwhile, Jena Char erases any traces of the group to prevent or stall any further bounty hunters.

Wynne Landis has gone to the seat of the world's dominate religion, The Cathedral in the city of Sulecin, in the hopes of negotiating an end the siege of his home city of Rikonen. His daughter Fery stays by the side of the fallen paladin Goshen Staad, the mercenary Declan Rainway, and the priestess Kira Ambrose as they discover more about who is pursuing them and why.

All the while, the Seven Spires has amassed an army set to conquer Rikonen with The Cathedral's blessing. But before it can set out on its war path, intrigue unsettles The Cathedral as word arrives of an armada from the far southern nation of Lappala. Do they want war? Trade? Or something else?

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Daniel Casey has a MFA in Creative Writing-Poetry from the University of Notre Dame. He currently lives in Baltimore, MD.

Reviews

[Michelle Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first book in the series. Easier to follow the story now that I have a better sense of the strange and intriguing world that Daniel Casey has created. Interesting story twists and excellent character development. It is worth getting a paper copy of the books in this series, especially the first Adversaries Together, because you will need to flip back to maps frequently at the start.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this follow-up to ADVERSARIES TOGETHER, which situates itself nicely into the genre of magic-free fantasy, we dive deeper into the world of Syr Nebra and its ensemble cast of priestesses, warriors, noblemen, and adventurers. WINTERFINDING, like the first volume, exhibits its strengths through rich dialogue, which carries most of the action and information. And like the first volume, this book is about character interaction, politics, stratagem, and subterfuge, rather than sword-swinging and ass-kicking (though there's some of that, as well). In WINTERFINDING, we're reunited with plenty of familiar faces such as Jena, Fery, Kira, Declan, and Colm, and introduced to many new characters populating the sprawling land united, in part, by one great sea. And there's still The Blockade looming, as well as the new mysterious presence of an enormous fleet on the sea.

Overall, a solid followup and one that's sure to engage fans of the first volume.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Ascendant Realms series picks up where the first one ended. This is an easier read as I got to know the main characters in Adversaries Together. The story has a pleasant flow, it is a gripping story with interesting characters and new challenges. There were some typos in the ARC, they are presumably corrected by now.

With Winterfinding, Daniel Casey has created a great sequel to the quite thrilling fantasy series Ascendant Realms, with characters to like and/or to detest. The story still comprises several plot lines - it is easier to follow, this time; characters leave enough room for the readers' imagination; sufficient depth, nicely woven situations and interesting interactions. I enjoyed Jena's part in this book - she's an awesome character. Winterfinding drew me in; I'm hooked - looking forward to reading book three in the series. This is for you if you like fantasy (different clans, adversaries, dialogues).

A very promising fantasy series.