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Kingdom of Grit #2
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn
The second in an action-packed epic fantasy series: In a world with dragon-fueled magic, master con artist Ardor Benn must infiltrate a centuries-old secret organization to find a missing royal heir.
Ardor Benn saved civilization from imminent destruction, but his efforts brought war to the kingdom. It is believed that the rightful rulers have all been assassinated. However, a young heir might have survived.
An ancient organization known as The Realm is behind the chaos, working from the shadows. Under the anonymity of masks, information is distributed sparingly.
Ard's been hired to infiltrate them, but he's got competition from an old friend. One who's set to prove she's better than the self-proclaimed "Ruse Artist Extraordinaire."
If Ard can't find the heir then his world may again approach ruin. Stopping the complete and utter collapse of civilization is quickly becoming Ard's specialty.
Ardor Benn saved civilization from imminent destruction, but his efforts brought war to the kingdom. It is believed that the rightful rulers have all been assassinated. However, a young heir might have survived.
An ancient organization known as The Realm is behind the chaos, working from the shadows. Under the anonymity of masks, information is distributed sparingly.
Ard's been hired to infiltrate them, but he's got competition from an old friend. One who's set to prove she's better than the self-proclaimed "Ruse Artist Extraordinaire."
If Ard can't find the heir then his world may again approach ruin. Stopping the complete and utter collapse of civilization is quickly becoming Ard's specialty.
704 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2020
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1092 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 7, 2025
Синдромът на втората книга от трилогия рядко прощава!
За съжаление, въпреки че новите приключения на Ардор Бенн са достатъчно интересни, обема на на този текст малко души читателя и пречи да им се насладиш пълноценно. Отделно, в сюжета има няколко левашки несъответствия, които автора е могъл да представи по-умело.
Но определено е доста над средното ниво за епично фентъзи и имам големи надежди за третия, финален роман от серията!
Моята оценка - 3,5*.
За съжаление, въпреки че новите приключения на Ардор Бенн са достатъчно интересни, обема на на този текст малко души читателя и пречи да им се насладиш пълноценно. Отделно, в сюжета има няколко левашки несъответствия, които автора е могъл да представи по-умело.
Но определено е доста над средното ниво за епично фентъзи и имам големи надежди за третия, финален роман от серията!
Моята оценка - 3,5*.
February 26, 2021
How, HOW did he come up with this? HOW IS HE DOING THIS?! I know Tyler, and he's GREAT. Just super nice and funny and talented . . . but at one point toward the end of this book I was like, What kind of brain comes up with something like this?! I did NOT see that coming!
Anyway, long story short: this is some of the best new high fantasy. Truly unique, with lots of magic and humor and action. There are dragons, and explosions, secret societies and cool disguises. This is the second book in the trilogy and I can't wait to get my hands on number three and see how this all comes together. The nice thing, too, is that you could almost read each of these separately. While there are some overarching themes, the first two books have both been about separate schemes that Ardor Benn and his crew have taken on. So this book, even though it is the middle of a trilogy, wasn't just padding to get us to to book three, but a solid story in its own right.
Definitely get on these if you like Brandon Sanderson, Tad Williams, or just a really great story!
Anyway, long story short: this is some of the best new high fantasy. Truly unique, with lots of magic and humor and action. There are dragons, and explosions, secret societies and cool disguises. This is the second book in the trilogy and I can't wait to get my hands on number three and see how this all comes together. The nice thing, too, is that you could almost read each of these separately. While there are some overarching themes, the first two books have both been about separate schemes that Ardor Benn and his crew have taken on. So this book, even though it is the middle of a trilogy, wasn't just padding to get us to to book three, but a solid story in its own right.
Definitely get on these if you like Brandon Sanderson, Tad Williams, or just a really great story!
July 21, 2024
Seemingly stealing the royal regalia, disproving Wayfarist doctrine, becoming a Paladin Visitant, and feeding the beloved crusader monarch to a dragon is enough to kickstart a war.
Ard is hired by the newly widowed Her Majesty to find out whether the current King killed his cousin and twelve year old heir to get himself on the throne.
It seems like the King is being puppeteered by an ancient dangerous organization known as the Realm who operates under the strictest procedures, security, and obscurity.
They'd saved civilization, but now it was tearing itself apart in the aftermath.
Sadly, this didn’t work as well as book one for me.
Of course, the humour is still top-notch, maybe not quite as sharp and natural as book one, but still a joy to read.
"I just thought you might go to Big Man conventions, or something," Ard said. "You know, where you talk about how cold your feet get as they dangle off the end of your bed. And you write letters advocating for higher doorframes?"
"Yeah," Raek said. "And we practice getting things down from the top shelf. It's a real hoot."
We also have a new pov of Portsend who teaches Grit theory at a college. He is hired by the King and the Wayfaring Isles to develop new Grit, something thought impossible.
I have to admit to being slightly bored with his chapters as it is a lot of calculations and experiments and the characters just never felt developed and felt very flat. Just there to show the development of new Grit.
The escapades started to feel repetitive and the shenanigans weren’t as grand and exciting despite this feeling more high stakes at times.
Also, despite the huge length, character work seemed to take a down turn where the other two leads seem to take the roles of his sidekick and his love interest which is disappointing.
"Well, next time, why don't you have Raek be the father of your child?" She stood with her arms folded across her chest.
Raek shrugged. "I already feel like Ard's father half the time."
I think I still would recommend this for a good time, but nothing that will break into new favourites which was a hope after book one.
Bookstagram
Ard is hired by the newly widowed Her Majesty to find out whether the current King killed his cousin and twelve year old heir to get himself on the throne.
It seems like the King is being puppeteered by an ancient dangerous organization known as the Realm who operates under the strictest procedures, security, and obscurity.
They'd saved civilization, but now it was tearing itself apart in the aftermath.
Sadly, this didn’t work as well as book one for me.
Of course, the humour is still top-notch, maybe not quite as sharp and natural as book one, but still a joy to read.
"I just thought you might go to Big Man conventions, or something," Ard said. "You know, where you talk about how cold your feet get as they dangle off the end of your bed. And you write letters advocating for higher doorframes?"
"Yeah," Raek said. "And we practice getting things down from the top shelf. It's a real hoot."
We also have a new pov of Portsend who teaches Grit theory at a college. He is hired by the King and the Wayfaring Isles to develop new Grit, something thought impossible.
I have to admit to being slightly bored with his chapters as it is a lot of calculations and experiments and the characters just never felt developed and felt very flat. Just there to show the development of new Grit.
The escapades started to feel repetitive and the shenanigans weren’t as grand and exciting despite this feeling more high stakes at times.
Also, despite the huge length, character work seemed to take a down turn where the other two leads seem to take the roles of his sidekick and his love interest which is disappointing.
"Well, next time, why don't you have Raek be the father of your child?" She stood with her arms folded across her chest.
Raek shrugged. "I already feel like Ard's father half the time."
I think I still would recommend this for a good time, but nothing that will break into new favourites which was a hope after book one.
Bookstagram
July 22, 2021
These books got all the ingredients of being five star reads. Heists, dragon poop magic, amazing wit and banter, but there's just something that doen't completely click for me. I kept my rating for the first book at 4 stars after reread, but having skimread this one on several places I have to settle for 3 stars...
November 12, 2020
"superb fantasy with a witty if not wise protagonist who will steal your heart and maybe your identity"
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
August 20, 2023
4.5 stars
Not grimdark, not dark and depressing, but a delightfully fun adventure with high stakes. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just leave these hints: civil war, secret societies, missing heir, new Grit, and new insights into the myths and religions of the world.
Most of the characters from the first book make an appearance again: Quarra returns as a major character with briefer appearances by Cinza, Eldrig, and Lindel. Dragons make only a brief appearance.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Some violence and torture; war
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Not grimdark, not dark and depressing, but a delightfully fun adventure with high stakes. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just leave these hints: civil war, secret societies, missing heir, new Grit, and new insights into the myths and religions of the world.
Most of the characters from the first book make an appearance again: Quarra returns as a major character with briefer appearances by Cinza, Eldrig, and Lindel. Dragons make only a brief appearance.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Some violence and torture; war
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
November 10, 2020
The second of this trilogy which it appears is being released as a whole over three months - thus removing my big barrier to reading series in general (is it finished, when will it be finished, will you let a HBO series finish it for you). The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn - which I hugely enjoyed - ended in a bittersweet position for the lead, but the evil king had been vanquished and in theory society was saved! Except, as we see here, bad kings often get replaced by equally bad kings, and petty machinations will ensue to create more crises. The bar for crisis was set pretty high in the first book (the entirety of society being wiped out), and so the stakes have to be equally high here. They are and it just about feels organic. The reintegration of the third member of the gang who walked off in the first book is a little more clunky, but is delightful (and latterly seen to be set up). Basically the scene is set yet again for ridiculous heists, grand productions and the comforting sensation of being taken down a tall tale by someone who knows what they are doing.
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn also picks up the one flaw of the the first book and runs with it - namely the restrictive nature of the magic from grit. This was a substance that, when created and treated would cause measurable, repeatable magical effects. It was good to have these restriction in the arsenal but why weren't people trying to make more, different types. That is one subplot here, which both gives Whitesides something more to play with, and another angle for grand conspiracy. The grand reveal here might not be quite as conceptually out there as in the first book, but still unfolds part of this world that - since we are now happily embedded in - we discover along with the characters and its still quite a discovery. Its a loose overarching storyline - I don't relly know where the final book is going but on the basis of the first two, I am certain it is going to be big.
If you want you fantasy fun, and full of incident, these books are perfect for you. A little bit more effort has gone into broadening the sidekick character here, and the general character work is ancilliary, like the world building, nothing feels forced. These might be archetypes, but there is a lot of kudos in delivering an archetype well (there is a mystery which I don't think will fool any reader but you understand why it fools the less genre savvy characters). These have probably been my discovery of the year, a year where entertainment has trumped anything too deep for me, and this continuation keeps the quality up. Roll on the Last Lies....
[NetGalley ARC]
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn also picks up the one flaw of the the first book and runs with it - namely the restrictive nature of the magic from grit. This was a substance that, when created and treated would cause measurable, repeatable magical effects. It was good to have these restriction in the arsenal but why weren't people trying to make more, different types. That is one subplot here, which both gives Whitesides something more to play with, and another angle for grand conspiracy. The grand reveal here might not be quite as conceptually out there as in the first book, but still unfolds part of this world that - since we are now happily embedded in - we discover along with the characters and its still quite a discovery. Its a loose overarching storyline - I don't relly know where the final book is going but on the basis of the first two, I am certain it is going to be big.
If you want you fantasy fun, and full of incident, these books are perfect for you. A little bit more effort has gone into broadening the sidekick character here, and the general character work is ancilliary, like the world building, nothing feels forced. These might be archetypes, but there is a lot of kudos in delivering an archetype well (there is a mystery which I don't think will fool any reader but you understand why it fools the less genre savvy characters). These have probably been my discovery of the year, a year where entertainment has trumped anything too deep for me, and this continuation keeps the quality up. Roll on the Last Lies....
[NetGalley ARC]
December 17, 2020
The second book in the Ardor Benn series was everything I wanted and hoped for. It had impossible jobs, insurmountable odds, Ardor Benn, Ruse Artist Extraordinaire and his crazy crazy ideas and Quarrah Khai and Raekon to provide some sanity among all the madness.
Quarrah Khai and Ardor Benn’s chemistry was just as amazing or may I say even better than in book one and had me in splits a lot. But what I enjoyed best was the character developments and the world building. We now get a better idea of the stakes in question and I can’t wait to see where the author takes it in book 3. My problems with book one was also addressed in book two and I am one immensely satisfied reader and fan of this series. Cannot wait for book 3 🤩🤩🤩
Quarrah Khai and Ardor Benn’s chemistry was just as amazing or may I say even better than in book one and had me in splits a lot. But what I enjoyed best was the character developments and the world building. We now get a better idea of the stakes in question and I can’t wait to see where the author takes it in book 3. My problems with book one was also addressed in book two and I am one immensely satisfied reader and fan of this series. Cannot wait for book 3 🤩🤩🤩
February 7, 2022
This is a book that takes 700 pages to tell a 300 page story.
January 6, 2021
This is a really good second book in the series. It sets up an interesting secondary storyline while continuing the main narrative and does a great job of making it all come together. And it does not slow down for a second. I continue to recommend this series.
November 3, 2020
If you haven't yet read "The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn" (the first book in this series) then I have no idea what you've been wasting your time on - you could have been having so much fun! "The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn" solidifies the magnificent world-building of Tyler Whitesides, the personalities of the characters (Ard and Raek must be the best double act in fantasy right now), and the story that is pure fun. I can't wait to read book three!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
October 3, 2020
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn is a worthwhile continuation to the wild ride that was The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn.
Okay, where do I start? I always find it hard to review books I liked and I LOVED THIS ONE! The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn had already established my love for all the characters - Ardor Benn, Quarrah Khai and Raekon Dorrel and the sequel made me appreciate them even more. Ardor Benn, our ruse artist extraordinaire is as hilarious as ever. He had me cackling (YES! CACKLING!!) out loud. A funny book might get me to smile. It might even get a chuckle out of me. This one? I was slapping the table, laughing and exclaiming "OH MY GOD" every few minutes. Ardor's penchant for the dramatic coupled with Quarrah's silent, no bullshit attitude makes their interactions a treat to read. Also, can I just say that this book got me to love Quarrah even more? We love a queen who knows her worth.
If I could describe these books I would probably compare them to a mix of Ocean's Eleven and Mission Impossible. But it is not just about the heists. Yes, you do have a bunch of "ruses" or heists sprinkled all throughout the book but there's also the bigger, underlying storyline - that explosive twist at the end - that reveals more of the world and the magic system. The author does an amazing job balancing the heists part of the story and the hilarity, with world-building and character development. Apart from the tiny issue I had with plot armour, this book was flawless!
I can't believe such a brilliantly written book is still so under-hyped and I will be doing all that I can to shove this series in everyone's faces. I highly enjoyed this one and now my wait for the final book in this trilogy begins. Highly recommended!
My rating: 4.5 Stars
Thank you to Orbit and netgalley for blessing me with this e-arc.
Okay, where do I start? I always find it hard to review books I liked and I LOVED THIS ONE! The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn had already established my love for all the characters - Ardor Benn, Quarrah Khai and Raekon Dorrel and the sequel made me appreciate them even more. Ardor Benn, our ruse artist extraordinaire is as hilarious as ever. He had me cackling (YES! CACKLING!!) out loud. A funny book might get me to smile. It might even get a chuckle out of me. This one? I was slapping the table, laughing and exclaiming "OH MY GOD" every few minutes. Ardor's penchant for the dramatic coupled with Quarrah's silent, no bullshit attitude makes their interactions a treat to read. Also, can I just say that this book got me to love Quarrah even more? We love a queen who knows her worth.
If I could describe these books I would probably compare them to a mix of Ocean's Eleven and Mission Impossible. But it is not just about the heists. Yes, you do have a bunch of "ruses" or heists sprinkled all throughout the book but there's also the bigger, underlying storyline - that explosive twist at the end - that reveals more of the world and the magic system. The author does an amazing job balancing the heists part of the story and the hilarity, with world-building and character development. Apart from the tiny issue I had with plot armour, this book was flawless!
I can't believe such a brilliantly written book is still so under-hyped and I will be doing all that I can to shove this series in everyone's faces. I highly enjoyed this one and now my wait for the final book in this trilogy begins. Highly recommended!
My rating: 4.5 Stars
Thank you to Orbit and netgalley for blessing me with this e-arc.
March 12, 2021
I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The second Ardor Benn book is another epic tale of the ruse artist taking on the royal family. The first book saw Ard's efforts depose the current king and save the dragon race (and hence the world). Sadly, the replacement royalty is no better and the Great Chain is now scattered into different, warring islands. Ard finds himself embroiled in a plot to unearth the conspiracy that the new king's dead nephew, and the rightful heir, is not actually dead.
There is also an interesting new subplot where we see a university professor tasked with discovering new Grit types (the world's magic system, whereby different materials once digested and fired by a dragon produce different magical results). This angle, like the industrial/medical revolution is surprisingly thrilling, with additional intrigue as the results become the interests of some unsavoury characters.
Ard and Raek are once again superb and quickly put together a plot to infiltrate a secret criminal underworld and discover the whereabouts of the true king. The secrecy and plotting, and use of the world's magic makes for some excellent exciting passages.
There are the usual twists and turns along the way, as the security measures in place in the secret society make it hard for Ard to progress too quickly.
As with the first book, the true nature of this strange world is unveiled a little more over the course of the book in spectacular fashion.
A wonderful fun read.
The second Ardor Benn book is another epic tale of the ruse artist taking on the royal family. The first book saw Ard's efforts depose the current king and save the dragon race (and hence the world). Sadly, the replacement royalty is no better and the Great Chain is now scattered into different, warring islands. Ard finds himself embroiled in a plot to unearth the conspiracy that the new king's dead nephew, and the rightful heir, is not actually dead.
There is also an interesting new subplot where we see a university professor tasked with discovering new Grit types (the world's magic system, whereby different materials once digested and fired by a dragon produce different magical results). This angle, like the industrial/medical revolution is surprisingly thrilling, with additional intrigue as the results become the interests of some unsavoury characters.
Ard and Raek are once again superb and quickly put together a plot to infiltrate a secret criminal underworld and discover the whereabouts of the true king. The secrecy and plotting, and use of the world's magic makes for some excellent exciting passages.
There are the usual twists and turns along the way, as the security measures in place in the secret society make it hard for Ard to progress too quickly.
As with the first book, the true nature of this strange world is unveiled a little more over the course of the book in spectacular fashion.
A wonderful fun read.
March 16, 2021
4.5/5 stars
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn is an improvement from the first book. Without the need for introductions and set-up, we jump right into the story. In Shattered Realm, the ruse is in infiltrating a secret criminal organization and, although still complex, is not as disjointed or separate as the different parts in book 1. The relationships between characters are also more believable and the dialogue much smoother. The plot takes some truly unexpected turns and the final reveal is satisfying.
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn is an improvement from the first book. Without the need for introductions and set-up, we jump right into the story. In Shattered Realm, the ruse is in infiltrating a secret criminal organization and, although still complex, is not as disjointed or separate as the different parts in book 1. The relationships between characters are also more believable and the dialogue much smoother. The plot takes some truly unexpected turns and the final reveal is satisfying.
November 5, 2020
Thank you to Nazia, Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are mine only.
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn left me wanting more. There's a quote from David Daglish, that on the cover of book 3 mentions about a thief getting involved in a small, but powerful heist to then going to save the world. That's what this series. Let me tell you what it is in a nutshell: A thief that was promised a load of money just to steal a King's crown now becomes involved in things that are bigger than him! Even bigger! I have to say, credit to Tyler for keeping an account of all the history, the organizations, and the complex religious mechanics that he's involved. There's an entire bible of worldbuilding that can be extracted from this.
There weren't enough pastries! :) I loved that about book 1 and Raek eating pastries was my favorite scene. You do occasionally get to see more of them during the pace of the novel. I am still not convinced that Ardor Benn attracts the right women to him, because you can see that during this part of the novel, he's an honorable guy. And he needs a new love interest. Not Quarrah. I don't think their chemistry is going to go anywhere at this point. If Ardor can salvage it. He needs a woman that understands him for what he is. Not what he can be. Big difference. He's not as bad as others think. He's a good man. But good men in this world are treated like prey for the cunning and manipulative people that we think aren't manipulative. The reason I like Ardor is that even though he's a good man, he's smart. He may be innocent sometimes, but he knows how to navigate the slippery tentacles of murky politics. It gives me hope that in a grimdark world that we live in already, here's a Jack Sparrow fella who knows what to do. Regarding Quarrah, she's back and she's kicking ass in style. We already see her intelligence working to her credit, as she does many scenes where she's annoyed by Ardor, and who wouldn't after the climactic ending of book one, but she's back. I think we'll see more of her in book 3. We also get the best new characters in this novel: Gloristar, the Professor and San, and Codley. By the end of this novel, you will feel awesome and yet...you will know what I mean when you get to the ending!
I did find some particular weaknesses concerning worldbuilding. Normally, fantasy novels love to illustrate their history to you. The weaknesses were was that when I found a secret or discovered something, then the worldbuilding would arrive and explain this happened and that happened. For example, a scene in which I won't give too many spoilers talked about an x incident. That x incident was explained, but it could have been explained in a more precise manner. Religion is a notorious subject in this novel, and I would want the publishers to also add a glossary of all the religions: Wayfarisim for one. Of course, this is just a nitpick of mine. I do feel that some parts of the novel did do slow-pacing, and there were some scenes which in the course of the structure of the novel, were repeated a few times. But this novel is fantastic and I will tell you why. The weaknesses are a trifling compared to the excellent details of this novel. The worldbuilding is on par.
This novel? It's full of Action, explosions, Professors, Scientists, Mad Kings, Super-secret Illuminati Style organization trying to do XYZ, and religious secrets being discovered. There are ships, glowing people with paint, need I mention an attack on a house? Also, the Realm is the worst organization ever. The worst. They are stupid, inefficient, horrible, and horrendous. That's pretty much what I give them and their Overseer. Horrible people. Don't under-estimate Ardor Benn and his partner, Raek! That's what Kings, Empires, Evil Secret Organisations did, and look where that ended them! This has some of the best fantasy escapades ever seen. Fantastic stuff. Fantastic dialogue, fantasy writing!
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn left me wanting more. There's a quote from David Daglish, that on the cover of book 3 mentions about a thief getting involved in a small, but powerful heist to then going to save the world. That's what this series. Let me tell you what it is in a nutshell: A thief that was promised a load of money just to steal a King's crown now becomes involved in things that are bigger than him! Even bigger! I have to say, credit to Tyler for keeping an account of all the history, the organizations, and the complex religious mechanics that he's involved. There's an entire bible of worldbuilding that can be extracted from this.
There weren't enough pastries! :) I loved that about book 1 and Raek eating pastries was my favorite scene. You do occasionally get to see more of them during the pace of the novel. I am still not convinced that Ardor Benn attracts the right women to him, because you can see that during this part of the novel, he's an honorable guy. And he needs a new love interest. Not Quarrah. I don't think their chemistry is going to go anywhere at this point. If Ardor can salvage it. He needs a woman that understands him for what he is. Not what he can be. Big difference. He's not as bad as others think. He's a good man. But good men in this world are treated like prey for the cunning and manipulative people that we think aren't manipulative. The reason I like Ardor is that even though he's a good man, he's smart. He may be innocent sometimes, but he knows how to navigate the slippery tentacles of murky politics. It gives me hope that in a grimdark world that we live in already, here's a Jack Sparrow fella who knows what to do. Regarding Quarrah, she's back and she's kicking ass in style. We already see her intelligence working to her credit, as she does many scenes where she's annoyed by Ardor, and who wouldn't after the climactic ending of book one, but she's back. I think we'll see more of her in book 3. We also get the best new characters in this novel: Gloristar, the Professor and San, and Codley. By the end of this novel, you will feel awesome and yet...you will know what I mean when you get to the ending!
I did find some particular weaknesses concerning worldbuilding. Normally, fantasy novels love to illustrate their history to you. The weaknesses were was that when I found a secret or discovered something, then the worldbuilding would arrive and explain this happened and that happened. For example, a scene in which I won't give too many spoilers talked about an x incident. That x incident was explained, but it could have been explained in a more precise manner. Religion is a notorious subject in this novel, and I would want the publishers to also add a glossary of all the religions: Wayfarisim for one. Of course, this is just a nitpick of mine. I do feel that some parts of the novel did do slow-pacing, and there were some scenes which in the course of the structure of the novel, were repeated a few times. But this novel is fantastic and I will tell you why. The weaknesses are a trifling compared to the excellent details of this novel. The worldbuilding is on par.
This novel? It's full of Action, explosions, Professors, Scientists, Mad Kings, Super-secret Illuminati Style organization trying to do XYZ, and religious secrets being discovered. There are ships, glowing people with paint, need I mention an attack on a house? Also, the Realm is the worst organization ever. The worst. They are stupid, inefficient, horrible, and horrendous. That's pretty much what I give them and their Overseer. Horrible people. Don't under-estimate Ardor Benn and his partner, Raek! That's what Kings, Empires, Evil Secret Organisations did, and look where that ended them! This has some of the best fantasy escapades ever seen. Fantastic stuff. Fantastic dialogue, fantasy writing!
September 22, 2022
Era molto buono fino a quasi la fine, ammetto che mi stava piacendo anche più del primo perché nonostante ci fosse sempre una pesantezza di fondo nello stile, avevo trovato più coincisa la storia di base. E, per fortuna, niente rotture di storie d'amore (sì, Quarrah è presente ed è sempre il love interest ma ci si punta di meno).
Però il finale non mi ha convinto per niente.
Da un lato, c'è un deus ex machina che, per quanto interessante dato che continua ad esplorare il mondo e la religione che ne fa parte, è proprio veramente esagerato per essere credibile.
Dall'altro, succede un evento di trama che praticamente rende inutile l'intero plot; non sono una fan di morti a casaccio solo perché la vita è ingiusta o solo per shock values.
E, per terminare, in realtà non c'è nemmeno un vero finale. La parte di Quarrah è identica al libro precedente, questo perché Ardor non è affatto cambiato nonostante tutto, mentre tutto quello che succede praticamente finisce nel mezzo dell'azione.
Leggerò anche il terzo perché ormai ne manca uno e voglio arrivare alla fine, ma reitero il fatto che nonostante la solidità, continui a essere "too much". Probabilmente non era necessaria una triologia, e non con libri così lunghi.
Però il finale non mi ha convinto per niente.
Da un lato, c'è un deus ex machina che, per quanto interessante dato che continua ad esplorare il mondo e la religione che ne fa parte, è proprio veramente esagerato per essere credibile.
Dall'altro, succede un evento di trama che praticamente rende inutile l'intero plot; non sono una fan di morti a casaccio solo perché la vita è ingiusta o solo per shock values.
E, per terminare, in realtà non c'è nemmeno un vero finale. La parte di Quarrah è identica al libro precedente, questo perché Ardor non è affatto cambiato nonostante tutto, mentre tutto quello che succede praticamente finisce nel mezzo dell'azione.
Leggerò anche il terzo perché ormai ne manca uno e voglio arrivare alla fine, ma reitero il fatto che nonostante la solidità, continui a essere "too much". Probabilmente non era necessaria una triologia, e non con libri così lunghi.
January 1, 2021
My first book for 2021 even though I started it last year..woops. A great continuation from book one. Its more of the same. I dont feel like its better or worse. I really enjoy the magic system here with the Grit system. It does expand which makes it even cooler to use. The plotting is great and the world building is fun (especially the secretive Realm organisation). However its the characters and dialgoue which makes this so much fun. The way the two protagonists bounce conversations off eachother is second to none. I guess if you like Sullivans and Lynchs series you'll love this. I saw David Dalglish say on the font cover " its like mission impossible but with fantasy" or something along those lines..I'll have to agree with him
November 27, 2023
I still had a lot of fun with this one, with it keeping my interest for most every page, and I also believe the author had a lot of fun writing this series because it's evident. I want to give it one star more but can't bring myself to do so, with a few too many conveniences to plot and at least one implausible scenario detracting for me — unless I missed something. If you go in without attempting to critically think and just enjoy the ride, it's a good one. When I say this, I'm not talking about the magic system that seems much thought out, but more the scenarios the mc's find themselves in and the extrication. The line-editing is great, prose plain, page count high, but it reads fast. Whitesides does a lot of things well and I will be reading the last, Scooby Doo vibes and all.
December 15, 2023
Con-artist extraordinaire Ardor Benn is back with his best friend and confidant Raekon working under an alias he manages to get a job in locating the only surviving heir to the kingdom who is believed to have survived the recent assassinations of the rightful rulers of the realm. Tasked with locating this heir brings Ardor in the path of old friends, an ancient organization to infiltrate, and a world-ending plot to diffuse.
What I liked:
- fun, deeply fun fantasy that never forgets that even when getting into grim subject matter
- a great cast of main characters who are expanded upon and even added to
- a great story with some absolutely ridiculous ruses
What I didn't like:
- nothing really, I mean it's only real issue is that its a longer book, but it doesn't feel long to read
The best thing I can say about this series so far is it really is the spiritual successor to the lies of locke lamora. If you have given up hope of getting more of those books, then by all means switch to this series as its complete and fun.
What I liked:
- fun, deeply fun fantasy that never forgets that even when getting into grim subject matter
- a great cast of main characters who are expanded upon and even added to
- a great story with some absolutely ridiculous ruses
What I didn't like:
- nothing really, I mean it's only real issue is that its a longer book, but it doesn't feel long to read
The best thing I can say about this series so far is it really is the spiritual successor to the lies of locke lamora. If you have given up hope of getting more of those books, then by all means switch to this series as its complete and fun.
April 18, 2021
This was a fun sequel, which I enjoyed almost as much as the first book in the series - however, I knew that the ending would have to be totally spectacular to live up to the ending of the first book (no spoilers!) and in my view, while there were some awesome twists, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. The rest of the book, however, was what I had come to expect after the first book - snark, banter, unique magic, DRAGONS - it was what I expected (and wanted) so I enjoyed it for that. I also sped through it pretty quickly, which is rare nowadays!
February 6, 2025
Bang up fucking job Lorry or whatever the fuck your name was😤
Another absolutely insane installment that you’ll either hate or love, and more likely hate. Fortunately for you I have thrown objectivity outside the window the minute I got to chapter 5 in book 1🫡
ITS JUST SO FUN😤 feels like it feeds into your brain rot but it’s 700 pages long so it doesn’t count as brain rot🫡
Another absolutely insane installment that you’ll either hate or love, and more likely hate. Fortunately for you I have thrown objectivity outside the window the minute I got to chapter 5 in book 1🫡
ITS JUST SO FUN😤 feels like it feeds into your brain rot but it’s 700 pages long so it doesn’t count as brain rot🫡
February 23, 2024
Hugely enjoyable fantasy adventure. Imagine Game of Thrones does Ocean’s Eleven. Tyler Whitesides inventively complicates the plot, the setting is richly realised and the characters utterly credible. Immense fun.
April 6, 2021
Even better than the first book. I love these messed up characters so much, and the world and magic system is fascinating.
July 8, 2022
What did just happen here?! It was WILD. I can’t believe I enjoyed it more than the first book. After that ending, I’m diving right into the next one.
September 29, 2022
C- 7
A - 7
W - 8
P - 7
I - 7
L - 5
E - 6
Rating: 6.71 / 3 stars
A - 7
W - 8
P - 7
I - 7
L - 5
E - 6
Rating: 6.71 / 3 stars
June 26, 2023
Bättre än den första!
December 21, 2021
Just as good, or maybe even a bit better than the first.
Mistaken for a private inspector, Ardor and Raek infiltrate a secret criminal organization looking for the rightful king. On another plot track, Quarrah is forced to join the same criminal organization to search for Ardor. On a third thread, new discoveries are being made in the science of Grit. All this and a world war, too.
Plenty of twists and turns, close calls and quick thinking, and surprising revelations about life, religion, and the origin of everything in the Great Chain. Even so, many questions still remain for the third and final book.
Mistaken for a private inspector, Ardor and Raek infiltrate a secret criminal organization looking for the rightful king. On another plot track, Quarrah is forced to join the same criminal organization to search for Ardor. On a third thread, new discoveries are being made in the science of Grit. All this and a world war, too.
Plenty of twists and turns, close calls and quick thinking, and surprising revelations about life, religion, and the origin of everything in the Great Chain. Even so, many questions still remain for the third and final book.
February 29, 2024
Even better than part one. The characters are more grown up in this book, the magic system develops in an intriguing but consistent way and I really enjoyed the POVs and how they came together. As in book one, the action scenes are amazing, giving suspense, speed but also a very nice sense of space, leaving the reader very well oriented and knowing what's going on, even if the whole thing is literally going up in flames. Looking forward to part three!
January 11, 2021
3.5/5. It was a good story and I liked it more than the first book. Its not quite as complicated as the first book but there are details in the plot that require you to pay attention and remember them, if you don't and you're the type of person that picks apart details but don't write things down your going to go back and forth a couple times to make sure that the information given is correct. The book is somewhat slow at first, your introduced to the changes that have occurred since the last book. I don't mind a slow build up as there was bound to be changes after everything that happened last time and I liked that those things were addressed. Ardor Benn hasn't really changed since the past book, he's still flashy and stealing things but having to lie low having become even more infamous then he had been in the first book. It takes longer for Quarrah Khai to arrive on scene but I liked her more this time around then Ardor Benn. Both are interesting characters but hers seemed to be more action oriented. We also get some new characters as well some that turned out to be unexpectedly interesting and it was nice to have the odd chapter that was neither Quarrah or Ardor-centric. The ending chapters were very unexpected and I'm curious to see what will happen with the big discovery at the end and what will happen to Gloristar and others who, I suspect, will eventually become like her. I'm definitely interested in reading the next book.
September 10, 2021
Picking up where the previous book left off, The Shattered Realms of Ardor Benn largely once again centers on Ardor and his friend Raek. In fact, much of what worked well in The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn worked well here again: a clever primary character, a unique magic system, and high stakes. It’s safe to say that if you loved the first book (which we did) you will probably love this one as well.
The main story takes a very different direction here, and as a result focused much more on other supporting characters. (Sadly, Elbrig and Cinza were far less involved.) In fact, there is a mysterious element to this book regarding the characters as both Ardor and Quarrah sneak into a secret organization, albeit unaware of the other’s involvement.
An aspect of this book that I appreciated was the nature of Raek’s new addiction (as a result of the circumstances that happened in the previous book). As is the nature of many addictions, the path toward recovery is often filled with healing and progress as well as relapse and setback. I felt this was portrayed in a realistic way, adding to the complexity of the story.
My son and I read this together and plan to jump right into the third book next. Again, this was a great book and we definitely recommend it. 4.6 stars out of 5. (Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. Our opinion was not influenced by this.)
The main story takes a very different direction here, and as a result focused much more on other supporting characters. (Sadly, Elbrig and Cinza were far less involved.) In fact, there is a mysterious element to this book regarding the characters as both Ardor and Quarrah sneak into a secret organization, albeit unaware of the other’s involvement.
An aspect of this book that I appreciated was the nature of Raek’s new addiction (as a result of the circumstances that happened in the previous book). As is the nature of many addictions, the path toward recovery is often filled with healing and progress as well as relapse and setback. I felt this was portrayed in a realistic way, adding to the complexity of the story.
My son and I read this together and plan to jump right into the third book next. Again, this was a great book and we definitely recommend it. 4.6 stars out of 5. (Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. Our opinion was not influenced by this.)
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