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The Silent Gods #2
Master Artificer
The fabulous sequel to 2019's hit debut novel: Master of Sorrows.
Annev has avoided one fate. But a darker path may still claim him . . .
After surviving the destruction of Chaenbalu, new mysteries and greater threats await Annev and his friends in the capital city of Luqura. As they navigate the city’s perilous streets, Annev searches for a way to control his nascent magic and remove the cursed artifact now fused to his body.
But what might removing it cost him?
As Annev grapples with his magic, Fyn joins forces with old enemies and new allies, waging a secret war against Luqura’s corrupt guilds in the hopes of forging his own criminal empire. Deep in the Brakewood, Myjun is learning new skills of her own as apprentice to Oyru, the shadow assassin who attacked the village of Chaenbalu – but the power of revenge comes at a daunting price. And back in Chaenbalu itself, left for dead in the Academy’s ruins, Kenton seeks salvation in the only place he can: the power hoarded in the Vault of Damnation . . .
Annev has avoided one fate. But a darker path may still claim him . . .
After surviving the destruction of Chaenbalu, new mysteries and greater threats await Annev and his friends in the capital city of Luqura. As they navigate the city’s perilous streets, Annev searches for a way to control his nascent magic and remove the cursed artifact now fused to his body.
But what might removing it cost him?
As Annev grapples with his magic, Fyn joins forces with old enemies and new allies, waging a secret war against Luqura’s corrupt guilds in the hopes of forging his own criminal empire. Deep in the Brakewood, Myjun is learning new skills of her own as apprentice to Oyru, the shadow assassin who attacked the village of Chaenbalu – but the power of revenge comes at a daunting price. And back in Chaenbalu itself, left for dead in the Academy’s ruins, Kenton seeks salvation in the only place he can: the power hoarded in the Vault of Damnation . . .
866 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2021
134 people are currently reading
3492 people want to read
About the author
Justin Call
6 books512 followersJustin T. Call graduated from Harvard University in 2012 with an ALM in Literature and Creative Writing. He has studied fantasy literature for over two decades and is the author of Master of Sorrows and Master Artificer, Books 1 and 2 of The Silent Gods tetralogy. Justin is also the CEO of Broomstick Monkey Games and co-designer of the games Imperial Harvest, Royal Strawberries, Royal Scum, and 8 Kingdoms. He currently lives in Cedar City, Utah and teaches English composition and creative writing at Southern Utah University.
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May 18, 2021
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ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
Master Artificer is an epic, super detailed, and ambitious grimdark sequel to Master of Sorrows.
First of all, do not expect Master Artificer to be another accessible and easy-to-read epic fantasy novel like Master of Sorrows. I’ve seen the glimpses of the ambitions and world-building that Call planned for the series in Master of Sorrows, and even then, I didn’t predict that the changes would be this drastic. There’s no point in dilly-dallying by saying that this is morally grey or borderline closing to grimdark; The Silent Gods is now a grimdark series, simple as that. Honestly speaking, I wanted to give this novel a much higher rating because some aspects were utterly impressive. But unfortunately, some parts didn’t click with me.
Master Artificer is the second book in The Silent Gods quartet by Justin Call, it begins immediately after the climax of Master of Sorrows, and this is a much bigger and complex installment in every possible way. Master Artificer actually made the predecessor looked like it’s a 400 pages prologue, and this is the REAL first book of the series. I won’t lie, I have mixed feelings regarding this book, and I’ll start with the parts that I loved first. I can’t even begin to say how amazed I am by what Call did regarding the world-building on the series. From the varieties of magic systems, the training montages, the destructive powers, the meddling gods, the multiple worlds, the multiple realms, the magical artifacts, sentient swords, dream walking, mind walking, prophecies, and so many more; there’s a LOT of world-building details to learn in this sequel. I mean it, practically every element you usually encounter in epic fantasy is here. And I also loved the storytelling decision to make this installment a more complex and mature story compared to its predecessor. The mix of real-life languages found in the terminologies and phrasing like nakama (friend in Japanese), tabibito (traveler in Japanese), somnumbra (Somnus means sleep in Latin; umbra means shadow) were ad nice touch, too. Admittedly, I didn’t understand why Oyru needs to speak Japanese, but oh well, I liked his character.
In Master of Sorrows, we follow the story exclusively through Annev’s POV; that’s not the case here. There’s more than six POV to follow now, and surprisingly, my favorite POV characters were ones that I never expected: Myjun, Kenton, and Oyru. The best comparison to this expansion that I can think of is Blood Song and its sequel, Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan. By doing this, Call was able to tell a storyline with a bigger scope. However, the admirable world-building and heightened complexity sparked new problems to the overall quality of the narrative for me.
The inclusion of many new character’s POV chapters ended up being a double-edged blade. Master Artificer is a big book; it’s almost 900 pages long in hardcover format, and it’s crazy that I didn’t feel invested in any of the main characters now. I get it; The Silent Gods has been advertised as a series about Annev’s journey towards becoming a Dark Lord. Because of this, it is highly possible that it’s intentional for Annev to become unlikable. I appreciate that he’s trying to forge his own path, but his self-justifications for all his own actions were weak, and I couldn’t empathize with him at all. The only character’s POV I enjoyed reading, as I said, were Kenton, Myjun, and Oyru’s chapters.
Call is definitely one ambitious author, and the intricate world-building he put here will most likely play a huge part in the next book. Unfortunately, for this particular novel, the focus on world-building was a bit too much. I personally found that the world-building details he employed ended up bringing down his other strengths as a storyteller. The breathtaking pacing of the first book is missing here; it took me 9 days to finish this book, and I never felt compelled to pick it up whenever I put it down. The character’s development progressed too little to my liking, especially for a book this huge. Some dialogues were also repetitive—the arguments between Annev and Reeve were so dumb, and they revolved around “You knew, why won’t you tell me!?” countered with “Of course I knew. But I won’t tell you. Because you won’t like it.” And the last thing that absolutely didn’t click with me was Fyn’s chapters that started appearing in the second half of the novel. I honestly believe this novel would benefit a LOT from having his chapters completely removed; I get that Call is developing his character for future installments. But Fyn’s chapters felt thoroughly uninteresting, boring, and disjointed from the other characters. Note that I don’t mind detailed world-building, but it must not hurt characterizations and pacing. And this, unfortunately—from my perspective—happened in this book.
I know I’m being incredibly critical, but I want to clarify that I enjoyed this book. My main issue with Master Artificer, to put it simply, is that it felt like a 900 pages transitional/preparation novel for the rest of the series to shine. Plus, the ending of Master Artificer didn’t feel satisfying to read. To me, the ending felt like the end of a normal chapter; I would’ve preferred a conclusive or at least downright brutal cliffhanger than what’s put here. If you’re reading this review, please don’t let a 3.5 stars rating from me discourage you from trying this series. A lot of readers, so far, have praised this book highly, and I’m undoubtedly in the minority with my opinion. It seems to me like the second half of The Silent Gods series will be brilliant. Ambitious and detailed world-building is great, but never at the expense of characterizations and emotions. I sincerely hope Call will start connecting the threads between characters and all the detailed world-building in the next book.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe.
ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
Master Artificer is an epic, super detailed, and ambitious grimdark sequel to Master of Sorrows.
First of all, do not expect Master Artificer to be another accessible and easy-to-read epic fantasy novel like Master of Sorrows. I’ve seen the glimpses of the ambitions and world-building that Call planned for the series in Master of Sorrows, and even then, I didn’t predict that the changes would be this drastic. There’s no point in dilly-dallying by saying that this is morally grey or borderline closing to grimdark; The Silent Gods is now a grimdark series, simple as that. Honestly speaking, I wanted to give this novel a much higher rating because some aspects were utterly impressive. But unfortunately, some parts didn’t click with me.
“He was full of contradictions, yet he burned with the fierce determination to forge his own path—to never become another’s tool or take another’s life unless both necessity and his conscience required it.”
Master Artificer is the second book in The Silent Gods quartet by Justin Call, it begins immediately after the climax of Master of Sorrows, and this is a much bigger and complex installment in every possible way. Master Artificer actually made the predecessor looked like it’s a 400 pages prologue, and this is the REAL first book of the series. I won’t lie, I have mixed feelings regarding this book, and I’ll start with the parts that I loved first. I can’t even begin to say how amazed I am by what Call did regarding the world-building on the series. From the varieties of magic systems, the training montages, the destructive powers, the meddling gods, the multiple worlds, the multiple realms, the magical artifacts, sentient swords, dream walking, mind walking, prophecies, and so many more; there’s a LOT of world-building details to learn in this sequel. I mean it, practically every element you usually encounter in epic fantasy is here. And I also loved the storytelling decision to make this installment a more complex and mature story compared to its predecessor. The mix of real-life languages found in the terminologies and phrasing like nakama (friend in Japanese), tabibito (traveler in Japanese), somnumbra (Somnus means sleep in Latin; umbra means shadow) were ad nice touch, too. Admittedly, I didn’t understand why Oyru needs to speak Japanese, but oh well, I liked his character.
“Sometimes you have to make hard choices. You have to accept that, no matter what you do, some people may die—and sometimes those people are your friends—and the best thing you can do is help the person in front of you.”
In Master of Sorrows, we follow the story exclusively through Annev’s POV; that’s not the case here. There’s more than six POV to follow now, and surprisingly, my favorite POV characters were ones that I never expected: Myjun, Kenton, and Oyru. The best comparison to this expansion that I can think of is Blood Song and its sequel, Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan. By doing this, Call was able to tell a storyline with a bigger scope. However, the admirable world-building and heightened complexity sparked new problems to the overall quality of the narrative for me.
The inclusion of many new character’s POV chapters ended up being a double-edged blade. Master Artificer is a big book; it’s almost 900 pages long in hardcover format, and it’s crazy that I didn’t feel invested in any of the main characters now. I get it; The Silent Gods has been advertised as a series about Annev’s journey towards becoming a Dark Lord. Because of this, it is highly possible that it’s intentional for Annev to become unlikable. I appreciate that he’s trying to forge his own path, but his self-justifications for all his own actions were weak, and I couldn’t empathize with him at all. The only character’s POV I enjoyed reading, as I said, were Kenton, Myjun, and Oyru’s chapters.
“Any other choice meant someone was influencing his actions, and that he was acting on incomplete information. It meant someone was manipulating him. He wanted to know the truth, to know all the forces that challenged him, and then take his chance.”
Call is definitely one ambitious author, and the intricate world-building he put here will most likely play a huge part in the next book. Unfortunately, for this particular novel, the focus on world-building was a bit too much. I personally found that the world-building details he employed ended up bringing down his other strengths as a storyteller. The breathtaking pacing of the first book is missing here; it took me 9 days to finish this book, and I never felt compelled to pick it up whenever I put it down. The character’s development progressed too little to my liking, especially for a book this huge. Some dialogues were also repetitive—the arguments between Annev and Reeve were so dumb, and they revolved around “You knew, why won’t you tell me!?” countered with “Of course I knew. But I won’t tell you. Because you won’t like it.” And the last thing that absolutely didn’t click with me was Fyn’s chapters that started appearing in the second half of the novel. I honestly believe this novel would benefit a LOT from having his chapters completely removed; I get that Call is developing his character for future installments. But Fyn’s chapters felt thoroughly uninteresting, boring, and disjointed from the other characters. Note that I don’t mind detailed world-building, but it must not hurt characterizations and pacing. And this, unfortunately—from my perspective—happened in this book.
“Growing stronger means testing our limits. It means sacrificing our weaker parts in exchange for something greater.”
I know I’m being incredibly critical, but I want to clarify that I enjoyed this book. My main issue with Master Artificer, to put it simply, is that it felt like a 900 pages transitional/preparation novel for the rest of the series to shine. Plus, the ending of Master Artificer didn’t feel satisfying to read. To me, the ending felt like the end of a normal chapter; I would’ve preferred a conclusive or at least downright brutal cliffhanger than what’s put here. If you’re reading this review, please don’t let a 3.5 stars rating from me discourage you from trying this series. A lot of readers, so far, have praised this book highly, and I’m undoubtedly in the minority with my opinion. It seems to me like the second half of The Silent Gods series will be brilliant. Ambitious and detailed world-building is great, but never at the expense of characterizations and emotions. I sincerely hope Call will start connecting the threads between characters and all the detailed world-building in the next book.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping) | The Broken Binding (Use my code: NOVELNOTIONS121 for discount!)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Sarah, Seth, Shaad, Summer, Wendy, Zoe.
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January 24, 2021MASTER ARTIFICER, BOOK 2 OF THE SILENT GODS
This was a difficult book to write because I had so much that I had plotted and hoped to squeeze into the second novel in the series, but I was still immensely pleased with what I accomplished. This was also challenging since I had years and years to write my debut, but barely a year to write its sequel – but I did it!
For those that are interested in the writer's thoughts about their own books, I'll tell you that my primary goals in Book 2 were to elevate the world building (showing more people and places), the magic system (illustrating how other forms of magic function in Luquatra), and the characters (giving POVs from characters other than the protagonist and showing how each of those characters evolves over the course of the books). I think I delivered on all of that, particularly since readers get to see several new cities, new kingdoms, and even an alternate plane of reality. You'll see lots of new magic, and you'll get to better know certain supporting characters from Book 1 and watch them mature in unique and specific ways. You also get to see the protagonist Annev de Breth discover how to use his own magic, and you get the first major turn as Annev shifts from being a hero and becomes ... something much darker.
I'll also take this opportunity to remind readers that The Silent Gods is a coming-of-age story for a hero who is actually the series' Dark Lord (I've made no secret of this), and while we don't get a lot of that in Book 1 (because Annev is still a mostly heroic, immature teen), Book 2 challenges him in new ways that force him down that darker path. For some readers, this may sour the taste of the series (and to them I can only say ... I tried to warn you very early on). For others, this will be exactly the sort of stuff they were hoping to see in Book 1 (and to them I say "patience is rewarded").
I won't say more (because spoilers), but I hope folks really enjoy the resolution to this second book despite having left a few threads open for Book 3. If I were permitted to write books as long as those in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, perhaps I would have given readers another 300 pages of action, climax, and resolution ... but I think you'll agree that I've done you right with the 800+ pages you're getting. It's more than 50% longer than Book 1, and the major and minor characters have some fantastic character arcs. And while my general preference would be not to have any major cliffhangers, you might discover that the mood of the cliffhangers I've included is very similar to the feeling one gets after watching The Empire Strikes Back: things are bleak for just about everyone ... but you've been given enough light to see how the characters and the story are going to move forward – and hopefully that's a good plug for when Master of the Fallen releases in 2022.
If you enjoyed Master of Sorrows and want to read its sequel, I encourage you to preorder Master Artificer right now (it will be released May 2021). And if you read and enjoyed either of those two books, please leave a review here on Goodreads for other folks and let them know what you enjoyed or are looking forward to. I try to read all my reviews because I think it's important to know how people are responding to the books I write, but I'll only comment if the review is positive so feel free to be critical without the author calling you out (I'm just grateful folks are reading my books and are passionate enough about them to discuss the writing with others).
Cheers and be kind to one another.
-Justin T Call
This was a difficult book to write because I had so much that I had plotted and hoped to squeeze into the second novel in the series, but I was still immensely pleased with what I accomplished. This was also challenging since I had years and years to write my debut, but barely a year to write its sequel – but I did it!
For those that are interested in the writer's thoughts about their own books, I'll tell you that my primary goals in Book 2 were to elevate the world building (showing more people and places), the magic system (illustrating how other forms of magic function in Luquatra), and the characters (giving POVs from characters other than the protagonist and showing how each of those characters evolves over the course of the books). I think I delivered on all of that, particularly since readers get to see several new cities, new kingdoms, and even an alternate plane of reality. You'll see lots of new magic, and you'll get to better know certain supporting characters from Book 1 and watch them mature in unique and specific ways. You also get to see the protagonist Annev de Breth discover how to use his own magic, and you get the first major turn as Annev shifts from being a hero and becomes ... something much darker.
I'll also take this opportunity to remind readers that The Silent Gods is a coming-of-age story for a hero who is actually the series' Dark Lord (I've made no secret of this), and while we don't get a lot of that in Book 1 (because Annev is still a mostly heroic, immature teen), Book 2 challenges him in new ways that force him down that darker path. For some readers, this may sour the taste of the series (and to them I can only say ... I tried to warn you very early on). For others, this will be exactly the sort of stuff they were hoping to see in Book 1 (and to them I say "patience is rewarded").
I won't say more (because spoilers), but I hope folks really enjoy the resolution to this second book despite having left a few threads open for Book 3. If I were permitted to write books as long as those in Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, perhaps I would have given readers another 300 pages of action, climax, and resolution ... but I think you'll agree that I've done you right with the 800+ pages you're getting. It's more than 50% longer than Book 1, and the major and minor characters have some fantastic character arcs. And while my general preference would be not to have any major cliffhangers, you might discover that the mood of the cliffhangers I've included is very similar to the feeling one gets after watching The Empire Strikes Back: things are bleak for just about everyone ... but you've been given enough light to see how the characters and the story are going to move forward – and hopefully that's a good plug for when Master of the Fallen releases in 2022.
If you enjoyed Master of Sorrows and want to read its sequel, I encourage you to preorder Master Artificer right now (it will be released May 2021). And if you read and enjoyed either of those two books, please leave a review here on Goodreads for other folks and let them know what you enjoyed or are looking forward to. I try to read all my reviews because I think it's important to know how people are responding to the books I write, but I'll only comment if the review is positive so feel free to be critical without the author calling you out (I'm just grateful folks are reading my books and are passionate enough about them to discuss the writing with others).
Cheers and be kind to one another.
-Justin T Call
May 18, 2021
For those who are unfamiliar with Master of Sorrows, Justin Call's first book in his The Silent Gods series, it hit the fantasy scene like a shot in 2019 and showed exactly just how EPIC epic fantasy could be when written with passion and guts. It was one of my favorite reads that year with its huge dose of magic, ancient prophesies, and evil gods that make up much of what I love in a meaty fantasy tome. And the writing was just top notch, with a depth of narrative and characterization that compelled you to find an isolated quiet place to read and ignore the outside world for a while.
I was extremely excited to be able to obtain a pre-ARC of the sequel, especially so since the book isn't officially out until May of 2021. So getting my hands on this book roughly six months early was awesome and I couldn't wait to jump in. Oh just a heads-up, this is a huge book both in story content and page count, weighing in at just under 900 pages. But don't let the page count intimidate you, because the action and intrigue are such that it never felt like an overly long story to me. The alternating viewpoint chapters also make it easier to digest as the narrative continually changes and keeps everything fresh as you follow all of the intersecting story lines.
It is so difficult for me to find the words to encapsulate just how much I enjoyed MASTER ARTIFICER and what a pleasure it was to experience it for the three or four weeks that we spent together. There are certain books that you don't want to part with because they were just so darn fantastic. This was one of those that stayed with me and left quite an impression. What is it that made it such a superior read you ask? Bear with me and I will attempt to give you some of the exceptional things that might make you want to fast track this series to the top of your TBR.
First, the characters, which I just touched on briefly with the alternating viewpoints. Unlike Master of Sorrows, this books takes more time with the other characters in this story and it really helped elevate it in my opinion. No longer does Annev take up the majority of the spotlight. Although he is still an incredibly important character, it was nice to also experience a significant portion of the story get advanced through the eyes of Kenton and Myjun. It is doubly effective seeing as how the major conflict in this book primarily centers around the three of them so we get an up close and personal view of the drama that takes place. Everybody seems to want to kill Annev for their own reason and it was both funny in a way and also cool in that the tension is ramped up to DEFCON 1 the entire time. Anyway, I really enjoyed having the secondary characters fleshed out more and getting their own face time, so kudos to Justin Call for giving them more of a voice this time around.
The next thing that made this a stellar follow up for me is it is reeeeally dark. Being predictable is thankfully not one of Justin Call's many attributes, in fact quite the opposite. This story takes a decidedly dreary turn for the brutal and macabre, so if you have a weak stomach, read with your eyes closed. But in all seriousness, the characters face some violent and twisted stuff, mostly brought about by the various nasty gods and demigods who are pulling the strings by various means. If you like badass magic and sorcery, MASTER ARTIFICER will blow you away with some of the craziest unearthly and morbidly fantastic artifacts than you can handle! Justin has definitely stepped up his game immensely in book two and he's taking no prisoners with the magic system.
I'll just mention one more enjoyable aspect to avoid having this review almost match the length of the book itself. I touched on it in my brief comment about Master of Sorrows, and that is the brilliant writing that is so tight that it enables the story to flow from one scene to the next with zero lulls or clunkiness. I thought that the first book was a fabulous story but (and this is no slight to that book) MASTER ARTIFICER outdid it in many different areas and catapults this series into an absolute must read for every single fan of the genre.
Justin Call knocked on the door and introduced himself to the fantasy world with book one, but with MASTER ARTIFICER he kicks down the door, grabs us by the throat, and demands our undivided attention. I for one am happy to give it!
I was extremely excited to be able to obtain a pre-ARC of the sequel, especially so since the book isn't officially out until May of 2021. So getting my hands on this book roughly six months early was awesome and I couldn't wait to jump in. Oh just a heads-up, this is a huge book both in story content and page count, weighing in at just under 900 pages. But don't let the page count intimidate you, because the action and intrigue are such that it never felt like an overly long story to me. The alternating viewpoint chapters also make it easier to digest as the narrative continually changes and keeps everything fresh as you follow all of the intersecting story lines.
It is so difficult for me to find the words to encapsulate just how much I enjoyed MASTER ARTIFICER and what a pleasure it was to experience it for the three or four weeks that we spent together. There are certain books that you don't want to part with because they were just so darn fantastic. This was one of those that stayed with me and left quite an impression. What is it that made it such a superior read you ask? Bear with me and I will attempt to give you some of the exceptional things that might make you want to fast track this series to the top of your TBR.
First, the characters, which I just touched on briefly with the alternating viewpoints. Unlike Master of Sorrows, this books takes more time with the other characters in this story and it really helped elevate it in my opinion. No longer does Annev take up the majority of the spotlight. Although he is still an incredibly important character, it was nice to also experience a significant portion of the story get advanced through the eyes of Kenton and Myjun. It is doubly effective seeing as how the major conflict in this book primarily centers around the three of them so we get an up close and personal view of the drama that takes place. Everybody seems to want to kill Annev for their own reason and it was both funny in a way and also cool in that the tension is ramped up to DEFCON 1 the entire time. Anyway, I really enjoyed having the secondary characters fleshed out more and getting their own face time, so kudos to Justin Call for giving them more of a voice this time around.
The next thing that made this a stellar follow up for me is it is reeeeally dark. Being predictable is thankfully not one of Justin Call's many attributes, in fact quite the opposite. This story takes a decidedly dreary turn for the brutal and macabre, so if you have a weak stomach, read with your eyes closed. But in all seriousness, the characters face some violent and twisted stuff, mostly brought about by the various nasty gods and demigods who are pulling the strings by various means. If you like badass magic and sorcery, MASTER ARTIFICER will blow you away with some of the craziest unearthly and morbidly fantastic artifacts than you can handle! Justin has definitely stepped up his game immensely in book two and he's taking no prisoners with the magic system.
I'll just mention one more enjoyable aspect to avoid having this review almost match the length of the book itself. I touched on it in my brief comment about Master of Sorrows, and that is the brilliant writing that is so tight that it enables the story to flow from one scene to the next with zero lulls or clunkiness. I thought that the first book was a fabulous story but (and this is no slight to that book) MASTER ARTIFICER outdid it in many different areas and catapults this series into an absolute must read for every single fan of the genre.
Justin Call knocked on the door and introduced himself to the fantasy world with book one, but with MASTER ARTIFICER he kicks down the door, grabs us by the throat, and demands our undivided attention. I for one am happy to give it!
December 1, 2020
The first thing that jumped out at me about Master Artificer was the color of its cover. Black, I thought. Interesting choice. This was only the second book of a planned tetralogy, and there’s rumblings of twelve full books in mind for the series. Master of Sorrows was the introduction to the saga of Anneviog de Breth, a relatively innocuous start to his story as we spend just four days of his life in his hidden forest village. It is heavily implied that Annev’s life is headed down a dark path with many difficult decisions ahead, and I thought it was a bit premature to go with a black cover tone this early on. Shouldn’t this be saved for a bit later in the story? Book one has an Eye of the World feel with a Sandersonian magic system – relatively lighter fare on the scale of how modern dark fantasy is measured in recent years. How dark can book two really get?
Well.
Dark, my friends. Really, really dark.
If Master of Sorrows lit the match for Annev's path forward, Master Artificer sets the whole forest aflame.
This book is really three novels in one. There’s Annev’s crew, trying to do right by the world, struggling to gain knowledge and protect their own in a constant battle against those trying to destroy them. The second story is centered around a returning character who forms and uneasy alliance with a group of rogues to emancipate a city reeking of corruption through any means necessary. The third story goes dark, figuratively and literally, continuing the epilogue of Master of Sorrows and dragging the reader through worlds of shadow and violence, horror and revenge, and much, much worse.
There is a huge cast of vivid, multi-layered characters that enrich this saga in a strikingly cohesive fashion; it feels like there is less of a small group of main characters rather than an entire cast of players evenly contributing toward the advancement of the massive, overarching chronicle. It is a true group effort from across all cities and peoples involved that helps to earn the label of ‘great world-building.’ There are no rules to the amount of POVs leading the fray. Some claim large chunks of the narrative, others are one-shots. But they all serve the purpose of building a towering behemoth of a story, a magnificent foundation of a living, breathing world with contributions from all those involved. While some books with such a large cast might sacrifice nuance for the sake of driving the plot forward, Call ensures that even the minor supporting characters were complex, flawed, and relatable in their actions.
The character work is finely balanced with large story events that make the book difficult to put down -- *deep breath* -- prophecies, magical ability manifestations, monster hunting, political machinations, town rebellions, ancient religious lore interpretations, monk trials, a lizard supervillain, dimension-hopping shadow assassins, street rogue gangsters, fleshmetal monsters, memory chopping, demon hunting, dream walking, gods wars, 462 types of hybrid dualist mages, and so many damn magical items that there’s a magical item to keep track of all the damn magical items there are. And believe it or not, there are countless other revelations and explorations keep the excitement level high from start to finish.
There was a bit of a lull during one storyline – a whodunit mystery was given a lot more pages to resolve than I felt necessary – but that was quickly overshadowed by the multitude of concurrent threads being woven just outside the doors of that particular story line.
There were a couple of instances where I felt the story bit off a bit more than it could chew, at least from a reader’s perspective. It’s clear to me that Call has an extremely detailed, well-developed plan of where things are and where he wants everything to go, and those blueprints are undoubtedly going to cost a lot to print out at Kinko’s. But in some cases, Call teased out a few too many names and ide-as with little explanation that became difficult to keep track of. This continued through to the end point of the story. There is little precedent when I felt a 900+ page book ended too early, but this book checked that box. There was early reason to believe that some pre-planned, major events would have been addressed in this book, but we were left hung out to dry before we came close to addressing most of them. Perhaps I’m greedy with how much further along the story I wanted to get, but now it looks like we have the map of how the final two books might play out.
Call does manage to leave us with some tantalizing cliffhangers that left me genuinely angry that I’m going to have to wait a couple of years before finding out what happens next, so that’s as good a praise as I can think of for an author. It’s a testament to Call’s ability to take such a small, self-contained story of four days in the life of a small-town boy in a tucked-away forest into a world-encompassing series of events over the course of one book that brings to light how much control Call has over his massive body of work, as well as his talent to mold it into a format that appeals to the reader’s sense of adventure and wonder.
If Master of Sorrows established a fresh new mark on modern epic fantasy, then Master Artificer carves a brightly burning glyph that will attract a bigger and bigger following for years to come. I can say through experience that there are numerous mysteries and rewards to unpack upon re-reads of these books. There’s more than enough content to establish a fan base of theorists, linguists, fan fic writers, artists, game designers and forum posters, which should flourish as Annev’s story continues to unfold in the years ahead. Call has created a rare blend of story innovation, authentic characters, and a finely-crafted, diverse world that elevates the bar of what epic fantasy can achieve.
9.3 / 10
Well.
Dark, my friends. Really, really dark.
If Master of Sorrows lit the match for Annev's path forward, Master Artificer sets the whole forest aflame.
This book is really three novels in one. There’s Annev’s crew, trying to do right by the world, struggling to gain knowledge and protect their own in a constant battle against those trying to destroy them. The second story is centered around a returning character who forms and uneasy alliance with a group of rogues to emancipate a city reeking of corruption through any means necessary. The third story goes dark, figuratively and literally, continuing the epilogue of Master of Sorrows and dragging the reader through worlds of shadow and violence, horror and revenge, and much, much worse.
There is a huge cast of vivid, multi-layered characters that enrich this saga in a strikingly cohesive fashion; it feels like there is less of a small group of main characters rather than an entire cast of players evenly contributing toward the advancement of the massive, overarching chronicle. It is a true group effort from across all cities and peoples involved that helps to earn the label of ‘great world-building.’ There are no rules to the amount of POVs leading the fray. Some claim large chunks of the narrative, others are one-shots. But they all serve the purpose of building a towering behemoth of a story, a magnificent foundation of a living, breathing world with contributions from all those involved. While some books with such a large cast might sacrifice nuance for the sake of driving the plot forward, Call ensures that even the minor supporting characters were complex, flawed, and relatable in their actions.
The character work is finely balanced with large story events that make the book difficult to put down -- *deep breath* -- prophecies, magical ability manifestations, monster hunting, political machinations, town rebellions, ancient religious lore interpretations, monk trials, a lizard supervillain, dimension-hopping shadow assassins, street rogue gangsters, fleshmetal monsters, memory chopping, demon hunting, dream walking, gods wars, 462 types of hybrid dualist mages, and so many damn magical items that there’s a magical item to keep track of all the damn magical items there are. And believe it or not, there are countless other revelations and explorations keep the excitement level high from start to finish.
There was a bit of a lull during one storyline – a whodunit mystery was given a lot more pages to resolve than I felt necessary – but that was quickly overshadowed by the multitude of concurrent threads being woven just outside the doors of that particular story line.
There were a couple of instances where I felt the story bit off a bit more than it could chew, at least from a reader’s perspective. It’s clear to me that Call has an extremely detailed, well-developed plan of where things are and where he wants everything to go, and those blueprints are undoubtedly going to cost a lot to print out at Kinko’s. But in some cases, Call teased out a few too many names and ide-as with little explanation that became difficult to keep track of. This continued through to the end point of the story. There is little precedent when I felt a 900+ page book ended too early, but this book checked that box. There was early reason to believe that some pre-planned, major events would have been addressed in this book, but we were left hung out to dry before we came close to addressing most of them. Perhaps I’m greedy with how much further along the story I wanted to get, but now it looks like we have the map of how the final two books might play out.
Call does manage to leave us with some tantalizing cliffhangers that left me genuinely angry that I’m going to have to wait a couple of years before finding out what happens next, so that’s as good a praise as I can think of for an author. It’s a testament to Call’s ability to take such a small, self-contained story of four days in the life of a small-town boy in a tucked-away forest into a world-encompassing series of events over the course of one book that brings to light how much control Call has over his massive body of work, as well as his talent to mold it into a format that appeals to the reader’s sense of adventure and wonder.
If Master of Sorrows established a fresh new mark on modern epic fantasy, then Master Artificer carves a brightly burning glyph that will attract a bigger and bigger following for years to come. I can say through experience that there are numerous mysteries and rewards to unpack upon re-reads of these books. There’s more than enough content to establish a fan base of theorists, linguists, fan fic writers, artists, game designers and forum posters, which should flourish as Annev’s story continues to unfold in the years ahead. Call has created a rare blend of story innovation, authentic characters, and a finely-crafted, diverse world that elevates the bar of what epic fantasy can achieve.
9.3 / 10
March 10, 2022
So disappointing
I read Master of Sorrows in August 2021 and loved it! I thought the pacing of the first book was fantastic, and I felt attached to the characters. I was therefore looking forward to continuing this series – especially after seeing that Master Artificer had a better rating on Goodreads than Master of Sorrows. So what did I think?
Let me start by saying that Justin Call is probably one of the most ambitious fantasy authors I’ve encountered. The scale and the complexity of the Master Artificer is truly jaw-dropping! This world is filled with incredibly intricate magic systems, lore and history! This series has prophecies, gods, magical artefacts, different realms, and so much more! To create a cohesive world that includes many layers is incredibly challenging. Master Artificer definitely feels like a more mature story than Master of Sorrows. If you are a reader who LOVES complex world-building and high stakes, this book should be right up your alley!
However, the world-building is also what destroyed my enjoyment of this book. Call is trying to cover a lot of ground in Master Artificer and is therefore focusing heavily on explaining how everything works. However, the relentless focus on world-building was way too much for my taste. It felt like almost every chapter was trying to explain how a new artefact worked or how the magic system worked or examining the different realms. I am probably exaggerating, but it felt like 40% of the dialogue focused on world-building. In my opinion, when reading a fantasy book, the characters and the plot should be at the forefront – not the world-building. The intense focus on world-building also made me not feel as invested in the characters. I couldn’t get invested in the characters when they focused so much on understanding the world.
I am a fan of intricate world-building, but there is a delicate balance between having insufficient or lavish world-building. One of my all-time favourite series, Mistborn, has a complex magic system. However, you don’t need to fully understand how the magic system works to enjoy the Mistborn series. If you want to geek out over all the details in the magic system, you can. However, you can also enjoy seeing people fight or travel without understanding precisely what is going on. When it comes to Master Artificer, it truly feels like you are lost if you don’t grasp all the details. I lost interest in the world-building approx. halfway through, which led me to feel confused and uninterested in the second half of the book.
That being said, I did enjoy following some of the characters. My favourite character is definitely Annev. It is fascinating seeing how Annev is trying to fight his inner demons and how he struggles with his identity.
Master Artificer was one of my most anticipated books to read in 2022, and unfortunately, it has already become one of my most disappointing reads of 2022. I wanted to love this book since I was so invested in the story after reading Master of Sorrows. However, the intense focus on world-building made me uninterested in the characters and the overall plot. I have not decided if I will continue this series, but it is a soft DNF for now.
3 / 5 stars
I read Master of Sorrows in August 2021 and loved it! I thought the pacing of the first book was fantastic, and I felt attached to the characters. I was therefore looking forward to continuing this series – especially after seeing that Master Artificer had a better rating on Goodreads than Master of Sorrows. So what did I think?
Let me start by saying that Justin Call is probably one of the most ambitious fantasy authors I’ve encountered. The scale and the complexity of the Master Artificer is truly jaw-dropping! This world is filled with incredibly intricate magic systems, lore and history! This series has prophecies, gods, magical artefacts, different realms, and so much more! To create a cohesive world that includes many layers is incredibly challenging. Master Artificer definitely feels like a more mature story than Master of Sorrows. If you are a reader who LOVES complex world-building and high stakes, this book should be right up your alley!
However, the world-building is also what destroyed my enjoyment of this book. Call is trying to cover a lot of ground in Master Artificer and is therefore focusing heavily on explaining how everything works. However, the relentless focus on world-building was way too much for my taste. It felt like almost every chapter was trying to explain how a new artefact worked or how the magic system worked or examining the different realms. I am probably exaggerating, but it felt like 40% of the dialogue focused on world-building. In my opinion, when reading a fantasy book, the characters and the plot should be at the forefront – not the world-building. The intense focus on world-building also made me not feel as invested in the characters. I couldn’t get invested in the characters when they focused so much on understanding the world.
I am a fan of intricate world-building, but there is a delicate balance between having insufficient or lavish world-building. One of my all-time favourite series, Mistborn, has a complex magic system. However, you don’t need to fully understand how the magic system works to enjoy the Mistborn series. If you want to geek out over all the details in the magic system, you can. However, you can also enjoy seeing people fight or travel without understanding precisely what is going on. When it comes to Master Artificer, it truly feels like you are lost if you don’t grasp all the details. I lost interest in the world-building approx. halfway through, which led me to feel confused and uninterested in the second half of the book.
That being said, I did enjoy following some of the characters. My favourite character is definitely Annev. It is fascinating seeing how Annev is trying to fight his inner demons and how he struggles with his identity.
Master Artificer was one of my most anticipated books to read in 2022, and unfortunately, it has already become one of my most disappointing reads of 2022. I wanted to love this book since I was so invested in the story after reading Master of Sorrows. However, the intense focus on world-building made me uninterested in the characters and the overall plot. I have not decided if I will continue this series, but it is a soft DNF for now.
3 / 5 stars
January 30, 2021
With Master Artificer, Justin Call takes everything that made his debut so utterly amazing and cranks it up to the next level. He’s created a world so real that it’s hard to believe it comes out of his imagination, and yet he never lets the stage overwhelm the tautness of the plot as we journey along with Annev down his dark, dark path. And somehow, Call keeps the tension building and building until you can’t take any more — and then he turns up the heat even more. If you love losing yourself in a story full of monsters, gods and some dark magic that feels so real, you’ll think you can cast a few spells yourself, this book — this series — is for you.
Move over Sanderson, there’s a new master story-teller in town (and I’m just a little bit jealous.)
Move over Sanderson, there’s a new master story-teller in town (and I’m just a little bit jealous.)
November 9, 2021
A bit long in places but I think that’s just cos there was some characters I wasn’t so interested in. But even that changed for some of them.
Crappy place to end lol - can’t wait for the next one!
Very interesting magic systems
Crappy place to end lol - can’t wait for the next one!
Very interesting magic systems
June 23, 2021
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Review: 5 Stars
I’ve been looking forward to this sequel ever since I finished Master of Sorrows. I really loved the first book and was very excited to continue the series. Master Artificer is a truly epic tale. I had no idea that the sequel was going to be over 800 pages, but I actually found it to be a pretty quick read despite it’s large size. I was really impressed with the way this book expanded upon all the elements presented in the first installment.
Master Artificer is a character driven book, but that doesn’t mean that it’s slow paced of that there isn’t tons of action. While the first book focused mainly on Annev, this installment adds Myjun and Kenton’s points of view. You follow all three characters on their journeys, but Annev is still at the center of the plot. I really enjoyed getting to know Kenton and Myjun more, but the chapters from Annev’s point of view were my favorite.
From the beginning of the series the reader know that this is a villain origin story and that really starts to become clear throughout the course of this second installment. Annev’s character arc was amazing. You can really understand how he has changed from a kind hearted boy into a more cold and calculating man. The change comes on so slowly that it feels so real and I still found myself rooting for a character that really should be unlikable. Annev’s character arc was definitely one of my favorite aspects of this novel.
The world building was incredible. There was a lot introduced in the first book, but this installment really expanded upon the magic system. Part of the book takes place at a magical school so as the characters are learning magic the readers get to find out how it all works. The magic system is really unique and has so much possibility. It’s a very complex magic system, but the reader gets to absorb it piece by piece so it isn’t overwhelming. A lot of this book focuses on world building and it’s just so cool and so well done.
The plot is hard to summarize because this is an epic novel and a lot happens. There are multiple plot lines and characters to follow, and while the plot lines don’t meet by the end of this installment, you can see that they will. The writing is fast paced for the majority of the novel and I tore through this tome a lot faster than I expected to. The action scenes are written so well and had me on the edge of my seat over and over. I really enjoyed following these characters on their respective journeys, but the character development is really what makes this book so incredible.
Master Artificer is an incredibly well done epic fantasy novel. It’s over 800 pages, but I tore through it pretty fast and loved every minute of it, so don’t let the length intimidate you. This is an action packed book and it has a pretty fast pace, but it was the world building and the character development that really took this book to the next level. Justin T Call is a great new voice in fantasy and I can’t wait to see where he takes this series next. If you love epic fantasy and are looking for something comparable to the character development in Name of the Wind or the magic system of Mistborn, then I recommend you check this series out.
Review: 5 Stars
I’ve been looking forward to this sequel ever since I finished Master of Sorrows. I really loved the first book and was very excited to continue the series. Master Artificer is a truly epic tale. I had no idea that the sequel was going to be over 800 pages, but I actually found it to be a pretty quick read despite it’s large size. I was really impressed with the way this book expanded upon all the elements presented in the first installment.
Master Artificer is a character driven book, but that doesn’t mean that it’s slow paced of that there isn’t tons of action. While the first book focused mainly on Annev, this installment adds Myjun and Kenton’s points of view. You follow all three characters on their journeys, but Annev is still at the center of the plot. I really enjoyed getting to know Kenton and Myjun more, but the chapters from Annev’s point of view were my favorite.
From the beginning of the series the reader know that this is a villain origin story and that really starts to become clear throughout the course of this second installment. Annev’s character arc was amazing. You can really understand how he has changed from a kind hearted boy into a more cold and calculating man. The change comes on so slowly that it feels so real and I still found myself rooting for a character that really should be unlikable. Annev’s character arc was definitely one of my favorite aspects of this novel.
The world building was incredible. There was a lot introduced in the first book, but this installment really expanded upon the magic system. Part of the book takes place at a magical school so as the characters are learning magic the readers get to find out how it all works. The magic system is really unique and has so much possibility. It’s a very complex magic system, but the reader gets to absorb it piece by piece so it isn’t overwhelming. A lot of this book focuses on world building and it’s just so cool and so well done.
The plot is hard to summarize because this is an epic novel and a lot happens. There are multiple plot lines and characters to follow, and while the plot lines don’t meet by the end of this installment, you can see that they will. The writing is fast paced for the majority of the novel and I tore through this tome a lot faster than I expected to. The action scenes are written so well and had me on the edge of my seat over and over. I really enjoyed following these characters on their respective journeys, but the character development is really what makes this book so incredible.
Master Artificer is an incredibly well done epic fantasy novel. It’s over 800 pages, but I tore through it pretty fast and loved every minute of it, so don’t let the length intimidate you. This is an action packed book and it has a pretty fast pace, but it was the world building and the character development that really took this book to the next level. Justin T Call is a great new voice in fantasy and I can’t wait to see where he takes this series next. If you love epic fantasy and are looking for something comparable to the character development in Name of the Wind or the magic system of Mistborn, then I recommend you check this series out.
March 1, 2021
Following his epic masterpiece Master of Sorrows, Justin Call once again shows his readers how fantasy classics are born with the next installment in the series, Master Artificer.
Firstly, let me describe the world that Master of Sorrows and Master Artificer takes place in. It is a world of old gods and new, great vengeance and power, and a Master of Sorrows, Anneviog de Breth also known as Annev. Throughout the first novel, we discover what it means to be a Master of Sorrows and what that means for Anneviog's future. Initially, Annev worked as a deacon at a school that trained thieves to go out into the world and steal magical items. The school then hoarded and hid away those magical items from the world. In Annev's world, anyone being caught having or using magic is flayed and stoned, and it is the greatest of sins to have the magical gift. Annev lives with and serves a man named Sodar; Sodar is a father figure to Annev and helps hide Annev's magical gifts from the world with his own magic.
Annev's school is challenging. Only the best will pass the tests and become someone called an avatar. But, as one can imagine, it is not easy balancing the public half, avatar trainee and rule-follower with the secret half, magic-user, and possibly as a destined hero. That is the crux of the first book.
The second book starts up right at the close of the first. We have Annev and company looking upon the wrecked ruins of their home school and, in many ways, their lives. Annev has many choices ahead of him to make. Immediately there is a tonal shift in the setting and writing of the second book—the first book has a lightness to the prose and worldbuilding. Annev has an innocence that permeates the first half of the first book. But that innocence was destroyed in the destruction of his school and life. Annev was innocent until circumstances dictated that he start making tough choices. The second book is after Annev has made choices that he cannot come back from. He is no longer naive, and as the story progresses and the book gets darker and more complex, you will see just how far Annev will go.
I come from a deep and abiding love for the world of Grimdark books. So, I am familiar with morally grey characters making repugnant choices for the right or wrong reasons. Grimdark has profoundly flawed and complex characters but a slightly different tone than Rothfuss, Sanderson, or Jordan's classic type fantasy. Master of Sorrows read much more like the stories from the contemporaries mentioned above. However, Master Artificer laughs in villain at this.
We are well and truly into grimdark territory here. Master Artificer is about Annev's future and what it will hold. Everyone seems to want to either kill him or control him. Annev is not having any of it. At the same time, the people who Annev cares about are all forging paths themselves. Each one plays a part in Annev's future in some way.
The question becomes, is Annev a good guy or a villain? Because every story needs a villain. But on what side does Annev fall? Or are we at the point that there are no sides, just grayness and a series of choices done for seemingly right reasons? It is getting harder and harder to tell, especially after the final third of the Master Artificer, where things get tremendously dark. I am talking torture with hooks, flaying, and exsanguination. The lightness of book one is now and truly dead, blood-splattered and decaying, and Annev stands upon a proverbial knife's edge covered in blood. You know that scene in Star Wars where Anakin Skywalker kills the children because he is well and truly dark; you know that feeling you got as a viewer, yeah? That is the feeling I had for the last third of the novel.
As of the Eye of the World Series, The Silent Gods series thus far is not only about Annev as the main protagonist, but of those who play supporting roles in his life. Whether they friend or foes. So in that, it is many books rolled into one. Any of the stories featured could be their own series themselves. Fin's arc is especially fantastic and should be a series in its own right. Fin's plotting to take down the crooked guilds that by waging a secret war against Luqura's corrupt guilds in the hopes of forging his own criminal empire is phenomenal.
I enjoyed the detailed characters and plotting revolving around all of the characters, but it does make for one chonker of a book. Master Artificer is just shy of 900 pages, and it makes good use of the time and covers a lot of ground. Call is continually moving us through the various stories, you can tell as a reader how detailed a world he has created, and he has concrete goals and pathways for all his characters. Although, I have to admit to getting lost a time or two. A lot is going on with these characters. And, much like the Wheel of Time, I am going to need to start plotting out character arcs to keep track.
Also, in a very Call like fashion, we are left with some serious cliffhangers. Many fantasy novels have mini-arcs that sit within the primary story arc. Master Artificer has a few of those; a large section behaves as a detective mystery of a sort. But even with the little bits of resolution we get as readers, none of it is satisfying, and it is evident that these arcs are but small morsels to tide over the reader. Most if not all of the plotting of this book is in service to the Major multi-book character arc of Annev in one way or another. So, after 900 pages and the immensity of this story, I wanted more. I was not satisfied, but in the best possible way, and that says a lot.
Master Artificer has taken the fantasy rulebook, beat it with a bat, and then set it on fire. The tonal shift from the first book to the second is staggering, yet Call makes it work. He drags you along with Annev into the muck and mire, and you want to be there. You want to know what will happen with the characters, and when Call dispenses a tidbit to us readers, we cheer heartily or are appalled to the marrow of our bones. Justin Call is quickly establishing himself to be the new force in the fantasy world and a contemporary to some of our best living fantasy writers. His books will find a home amongst the great fantasy series of our time and be poured over for years to come. It is an exciting thing to see as a reader. A new classic is unfolding before our eyes.
Firstly, let me describe the world that Master of Sorrows and Master Artificer takes place in. It is a world of old gods and new, great vengeance and power, and a Master of Sorrows, Anneviog de Breth also known as Annev. Throughout the first novel, we discover what it means to be a Master of Sorrows and what that means for Anneviog's future. Initially, Annev worked as a deacon at a school that trained thieves to go out into the world and steal magical items. The school then hoarded and hid away those magical items from the world. In Annev's world, anyone being caught having or using magic is flayed and stoned, and it is the greatest of sins to have the magical gift. Annev lives with and serves a man named Sodar; Sodar is a father figure to Annev and helps hide Annev's magical gifts from the world with his own magic.
Annev's school is challenging. Only the best will pass the tests and become someone called an avatar. But, as one can imagine, it is not easy balancing the public half, avatar trainee and rule-follower with the secret half, magic-user, and possibly as a destined hero. That is the crux of the first book.
The second book starts up right at the close of the first. We have Annev and company looking upon the wrecked ruins of their home school and, in many ways, their lives. Annev has many choices ahead of him to make. Immediately there is a tonal shift in the setting and writing of the second book—the first book has a lightness to the prose and worldbuilding. Annev has an innocence that permeates the first half of the first book. But that innocence was destroyed in the destruction of his school and life. Annev was innocent until circumstances dictated that he start making tough choices. The second book is after Annev has made choices that he cannot come back from. He is no longer naive, and as the story progresses and the book gets darker and more complex, you will see just how far Annev will go.
I come from a deep and abiding love for the world of Grimdark books. So, I am familiar with morally grey characters making repugnant choices for the right or wrong reasons. Grimdark has profoundly flawed and complex characters but a slightly different tone than Rothfuss, Sanderson, or Jordan's classic type fantasy. Master of Sorrows read much more like the stories from the contemporaries mentioned above. However, Master Artificer laughs in villain at this.
We are well and truly into grimdark territory here. Master Artificer is about Annev's future and what it will hold. Everyone seems to want to either kill him or control him. Annev is not having any of it. At the same time, the people who Annev cares about are all forging paths themselves. Each one plays a part in Annev's future in some way.
The question becomes, is Annev a good guy or a villain? Because every story needs a villain. But on what side does Annev fall? Or are we at the point that there are no sides, just grayness and a series of choices done for seemingly right reasons? It is getting harder and harder to tell, especially after the final third of the Master Artificer, where things get tremendously dark. I am talking torture with hooks, flaying, and exsanguination. The lightness of book one is now and truly dead, blood-splattered and decaying, and Annev stands upon a proverbial knife's edge covered in blood. You know that scene in Star Wars where Anakin Skywalker kills the children because he is well and truly dark; you know that feeling you got as a viewer, yeah? That is the feeling I had for the last third of the novel.
As of the Eye of the World Series, The Silent Gods series thus far is not only about Annev as the main protagonist, but of those who play supporting roles in his life. Whether they friend or foes. So in that, it is many books rolled into one. Any of the stories featured could be their own series themselves. Fin's arc is especially fantastic and should be a series in its own right. Fin's plotting to take down the crooked guilds that by waging a secret war against Luqura's corrupt guilds in the hopes of forging his own criminal empire is phenomenal.
I enjoyed the detailed characters and plotting revolving around all of the characters, but it does make for one chonker of a book. Master Artificer is just shy of 900 pages, and it makes good use of the time and covers a lot of ground. Call is continually moving us through the various stories, you can tell as a reader how detailed a world he has created, and he has concrete goals and pathways for all his characters. Although, I have to admit to getting lost a time or two. A lot is going on with these characters. And, much like the Wheel of Time, I am going to need to start plotting out character arcs to keep track.
Also, in a very Call like fashion, we are left with some serious cliffhangers. Many fantasy novels have mini-arcs that sit within the primary story arc. Master Artificer has a few of those; a large section behaves as a detective mystery of a sort. But even with the little bits of resolution we get as readers, none of it is satisfying, and it is evident that these arcs are but small morsels to tide over the reader. Most if not all of the plotting of this book is in service to the Major multi-book character arc of Annev in one way or another. So, after 900 pages and the immensity of this story, I wanted more. I was not satisfied, but in the best possible way, and that says a lot.
Master Artificer has taken the fantasy rulebook, beat it with a bat, and then set it on fire. The tonal shift from the first book to the second is staggering, yet Call makes it work. He drags you along with Annev into the muck and mire, and you want to be there. You want to know what will happen with the characters, and when Call dispenses a tidbit to us readers, we cheer heartily or are appalled to the marrow of our bones. Justin Call is quickly establishing himself to be the new force in the fantasy world and a contemporary to some of our best living fantasy writers. His books will find a home amongst the great fantasy series of our time and be poured over for years to come. It is an exciting thing to see as a reader. A new classic is unfolding before our eyes.
April 30, 2021
1) Master of Sorrows ★★★★★
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an e-ARC of one of my most anticipated 2021 releases. This doesn't affect my rating or my review. All opinions are my own.
Considering I gave five stars to the first book, I don't think it's necessary to say I had high hopes and expectations for this second installment of The Silent Gods series. The author delivered an amazing debut in 2019 with Master of Sorrows and I was hooked by this new voice in high fantasy. Master Artificer is an example of how writing a second book that will keep your readers invested in the story and the characters while surprising them. It delivers everything I could have expected, but also what I didn't expect. The author definitely seems to have the storyline and character's development already created in his mind and knows what he wants to do and where he plans to take us.
The writing is still as great, and the world-building and magic system reach another level. It's huge and ambitious, but while some authors are too ambitious and get burned, Justin Call knows exactly what he's doing here. There's no just telling instead of showing how it works, no info-dumping, none of the things that ruin an interesting idea. Everything lines up and is tied together: the world-building, the magic system, the character's development, the different POVs.
While the first book was dark, this one is definitely darker which I expected since the first book. The author told us since the beginning that the hero will become the Dark Lord of the series. It's done slowly, the author is easing us into this progression that we find natural instead of writing a dramatic turn of events where we watch the hero succumb to darkness by the end of the first book or right at the beginning of the second one. The length of this book is sufficient for me: yes, we want to know what will happen in the third book, but I think more could have been too much. This way, we get to truly appreciate what happens in this novel (and there's a lot). The ending isn't what I call a cliffhanger either, so while I'm very excited and impatient to read the third book, I'm also more than satisfied by what Master Artificer delivered.
If you enjoyed Master of Sorrows, definitely be ready for Master Artificer in May! If you haven't read Master of Sorrows, you still have time to do so until May because you're really missing out.
Master Artificer will be released on May 18, 2021.
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an e-ARC of one of my most anticipated 2021 releases. This doesn't affect my rating or my review. All opinions are my own.
Considering I gave five stars to the first book, I don't think it's necessary to say I had high hopes and expectations for this second installment of The Silent Gods series. The author delivered an amazing debut in 2019 with Master of Sorrows and I was hooked by this new voice in high fantasy. Master Artificer is an example of how writing a second book that will keep your readers invested in the story and the characters while surprising them. It delivers everything I could have expected, but also what I didn't expect. The author definitely seems to have the storyline and character's development already created in his mind and knows what he wants to do and where he plans to take us.
The writing is still as great, and the world-building and magic system reach another level. It's huge and ambitious, but while some authors are too ambitious and get burned, Justin Call knows exactly what he's doing here. There's no just telling instead of showing how it works, no info-dumping, none of the things that ruin an interesting idea. Everything lines up and is tied together: the world-building, the magic system, the character's development, the different POVs.
While the first book was dark, this one is definitely darker which I expected since the first book. The author told us since the beginning that the hero will become the Dark Lord of the series. It's done slowly, the author is easing us into this progression that we find natural instead of writing a dramatic turn of events where we watch the hero succumb to darkness by the end of the first book or right at the beginning of the second one. The length of this book is sufficient for me: yes, we want to know what will happen in the third book, but I think more could have been too much. This way, we get to truly appreciate what happens in this novel (and there's a lot). The ending isn't what I call a cliffhanger either, so while I'm very excited and impatient to read the third book, I'm also more than satisfied by what Master Artificer delivered.
If you enjoyed Master of Sorrows, definitely be ready for Master Artificer in May! If you haven't read Master of Sorrows, you still have time to do so until May because you're really missing out.
Master Artificer will be released on May 18, 2021.
March 8, 2021
ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Master Artificer is a bigger and bolder sequel in every way possible; Call has taken The Silent Gods to new heights with an explosion of lore, worldbuilding and compellingly darker characterisation.
The one thing I have to say about this sequel was that I did not expect such a dramatic shift in the tone of the story. Call's debut, Master of Sorrows, was as close to a modern take of a classic coming-of-age story as it could be. It reminded me of The Belgariad with a main protagonist that was at the centre of a prophecy involving the old gods. Except in this case, our 'hero' was supposedly destined to become the future dark lord.
This was a remarkably compelling way to modernise the typical heroic arc of classic fantasy stories. The first book of this tetralogy focussed on introducing the readers to this would-be dark lord, Ainnevog de Breth or better known as Annev, as he was in training to become an Avatar of the Academy in the hidden village of Chaenbalu. The Academy's sole purpose for existing was to locate and retrieve magical artifacts for their safekeeping. Almost a paradox for a boy whose destiny is intertwined with dark magic. Much was revealed about the Academy and its Masters as the intense climax of Master of Sorrows came about, and even more so in Master Artificer which exploded with so much worldbuilding content that my mind went into hyperdrive.
The complexity and intricacy of the narrative increased significantly as the lore and history of the world which was merely teased at before came to the forefront. The magic system is expansive, complex and well thought-out as it even evolves through time - just check out the appendix at the back of the book and you'll know what I mean - it's truly fascinating and a lot to take in. As with a world with such deep history and reverence for the gods, there were also many factions and secret groups of differing religious beliefs and agendas to keep track of. How Call kept all these together was simply astounding. I won't even attempt to explain or summarise it in my own words as it will only be an epic fail on my part. After all, Call spent over 15 years developing its mythology, I'm just a mere passenger on this wondrous journey and adventure through a new and intricate world.
With the sheer amount of worldbuilding required to really get into the meat of things, it becomes apparent that Call had to perform a difficult balancing act in this sequel. On top of that, the character viewpoints also increased from the sole perspective of Annev to several others, which explained why this sequel is a much bigger book. As much as I delighted in discovering more about the world, the introduction of the additional viewpoint characters did take me a while to feel engaged and invested in their stories. Fortunately, these were not new characters but those we've already met in the first book, so at least I knew them and their relevance to Annev's story.
Two of these viewpoints, Kenton and Myjun, were the antagonists to Annev's arc. While I wouldn't exactly call it a problem, I had a hard time getting into their chapters due to two reasons. Firstly, I didn't like them and secondly, there's so much darkness in their arcs which were filled with so much rage, hatred and pain as both of them had to deal with the consequences of their actions. Make no mistake though, I do recognise and appreciate that having their viewpoints adds to the richness of the overall story even though I didn't enjoy it half as much as I did for the others.
Speaking of the other viewpoints, Annev's development was of course the highlight of the book. I'm probably not the only reader of the first book to think that Annev doesn't seem to embody much "dark lord-ness" in him. Well, let's just that Master Artificer made a very compelling argument that sometimes it doesn't take an evil person to do dark things all in the name of stopping those who hurt the ones you love. In short, Annev's character arc became even more riveting as he gradually comes to his own in wielding his own brand of unorthodox magic, and the series has taken a turn to become really, really dark. Let me just put it out there that this book contained some very disturbing scenes.
Master Artificer is a big book, and content wise it seemed even bigger because of the incredible amount of exposition and character development in it. Here we come to the crux of my only real gripe and that there wasn't any solid plot resolution at the end of so many pages. It felt like a transitional book that was building the foundations of the story that is to come, and one should be prepared to treat it as such. I believe if I knew about this going into the book, I might be able to enjoy it more and just take the time to absorb all that it did have to offer, which was a lot.
I have to commend Call for his audacity in writing such a bold sequel with its dramatic shift in narrative tone, and in so deftly handling the exposition of such complex and intricate worldbuilding. I'm definitely all-in for the ride as The Silent Gods has all the makings and promise of something extraordinary.
You can pre-order the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Independent Bookstores | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
Master Artificer is a bigger and bolder sequel in every way possible; Call has taken The Silent Gods to new heights with an explosion of lore, worldbuilding and compellingly darker characterisation.
The one thing I have to say about this sequel was that I did not expect such a dramatic shift in the tone of the story. Call's debut, Master of Sorrows, was as close to a modern take of a classic coming-of-age story as it could be. It reminded me of The Belgariad with a main protagonist that was at the centre of a prophecy involving the old gods. Except in this case, our 'hero' was supposedly destined to become the future dark lord.
This was a remarkably compelling way to modernise the typical heroic arc of classic fantasy stories. The first book of this tetralogy focussed on introducing the readers to this would-be dark lord, Ainnevog de Breth or better known as Annev, as he was in training to become an Avatar of the Academy in the hidden village of Chaenbalu. The Academy's sole purpose for existing was to locate and retrieve magical artifacts for their safekeeping. Almost a paradox for a boy whose destiny is intertwined with dark magic. Much was revealed about the Academy and its Masters as the intense climax of Master of Sorrows came about, and even more so in Master Artificer which exploded with so much worldbuilding content that my mind went into hyperdrive.
The complexity and intricacy of the narrative increased significantly as the lore and history of the world which was merely teased at before came to the forefront. The magic system is expansive, complex and well thought-out as it even evolves through time - just check out the appendix at the back of the book and you'll know what I mean - it's truly fascinating and a lot to take in. As with a world with such deep history and reverence for the gods, there were also many factions and secret groups of differing religious beliefs and agendas to keep track of. How Call kept all these together was simply astounding. I won't even attempt to explain or summarise it in my own words as it will only be an epic fail on my part. After all, Call spent over 15 years developing its mythology, I'm just a mere passenger on this wondrous journey and adventure through a new and intricate world.
With the sheer amount of worldbuilding required to really get into the meat of things, it becomes apparent that Call had to perform a difficult balancing act in this sequel. On top of that, the character viewpoints also increased from the sole perspective of Annev to several others, which explained why this sequel is a much bigger book. As much as I delighted in discovering more about the world, the introduction of the additional viewpoint characters did take me a while to feel engaged and invested in their stories. Fortunately, these were not new characters but those we've already met in the first book, so at least I knew them and their relevance to Annev's story.
Two of these viewpoints, Kenton and Myjun, were the antagonists to Annev's arc. While I wouldn't exactly call it a problem, I had a hard time getting into their chapters due to two reasons. Firstly, I didn't like them and secondly, there's so much darkness in their arcs which were filled with so much rage, hatred and pain as both of them had to deal with the consequences of their actions. Make no mistake though, I do recognise and appreciate that having their viewpoints adds to the richness of the overall story even though I didn't enjoy it half as much as I did for the others.
Speaking of the other viewpoints, Annev's development was of course the highlight of the book. I'm probably not the only reader of the first book to think that Annev doesn't seem to embody much "dark lord-ness" in him. Well, let's just that Master Artificer made a very compelling argument that sometimes it doesn't take an evil person to do dark things all in the name of stopping those who hurt the ones you love. In short, Annev's character arc became even more riveting as he gradually comes to his own in wielding his own brand of unorthodox magic, and the series has taken a turn to become really, really dark. Let me just put it out there that this book contained some very disturbing scenes.
Master Artificer is a big book, and content wise it seemed even bigger because of the incredible amount of exposition and character development in it. Here we come to the crux of my only real gripe and that there wasn't any solid plot resolution at the end of so many pages. It felt like a transitional book that was building the foundations of the story that is to come, and one should be prepared to treat it as such. I believe if I knew about this going into the book, I might be able to enjoy it more and just take the time to absorb all that it did have to offer, which was a lot.
I have to commend Call for his audacity in writing such a bold sequel with its dramatic shift in narrative tone, and in so deftly handling the exposition of such complex and intricate worldbuilding. I'm definitely all-in for the ride as The Silent Gods has all the makings and promise of something extraordinary.
You can pre-order the book from Book Depository (Free Shipping) | Bookshop.Org (Support Independent Bookstores | Amazon US | Amazon UK
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
June 24, 2021
Brain shreddingly good. Full review to come.
October 5, 2021
3,5-4 stars
Gonna keep this short because when I first tried copying this review from the document, I accidentally clicked “paste” instead of “copy” when the whole text was marked. And when I tried clicking the arrow to move back a step to get the text back, I clicked the wrong arrow which made me leave the document all together (using word on onedrive). When I go to restore it in history, the version onedrive decided to list was the version I wrote last night. Not the thing I wrote today. And yes I did click the option "show changes". Nothing I did would show the text I had written. Only the old one and the thing I accidentally replaced the new one with.
Book two in the Silent Gods series. Takes place hours after Master of Sorrows ended. We’re leaving Chaenbalu, and going out into the world. I don’t know if it was because it took me so long finishing it, but it did not need to be 870 pages long. Lots of stuff could have been condensed, because sometimes it did drag. Also, wasn't too fond of the ending. It was anti-climactic and didn't feel like a proper ending. It kinda just ended. Would have also said cliff-hangery but it lacked the tension and punch a cliff-hanger usually, or should, come with. There was a build-up to an event, which I had expected to happen by the end of the book, but as closer that I got to the end, I realise it would not happen. It was just moving on from book one and building for the next books. While stuff do happen in this book, it got smacked with a huge middle-book syndrome.
But this book gets lots darker than Sorrows. While Sorrows was dark it still kept a little innocence. Artificer takes big adult steps and it’s lovely. It made several POV’s bearable to read. Yes, we’re now into multi-POV territory. I did not like most of them. . I was both pleased and also eeeegh about Annev’s darker route. Mostly because it didn’t always flow very smooth to me. But I do like me some dark Annev.
Gonna keep this short because when I first tried copying this review from the document, I accidentally clicked “paste” instead of “copy” when the whole text was marked. And when I tried clicking the arrow to move back a step to get the text back, I clicked the wrong arrow which made me leave the document all together (using word on onedrive). When I go to restore it in history, the version onedrive decided to list was the version I wrote last night. Not the thing I wrote today. And yes I did click the option "show changes". Nothing I did would show the text I had written. Only the old one and the thing I accidentally replaced the new one with.
Book two in the Silent Gods series. Takes place hours after Master of Sorrows ended. We’re leaving Chaenbalu, and going out into the world. I don’t know if it was because it took me so long finishing it, but it did not need to be 870 pages long. Lots of stuff could have been condensed, because sometimes it did drag. Also, wasn't too fond of the ending. It was anti-climactic and didn't feel like a proper ending. It kinda just ended. Would have also said cliff-hangery but it lacked the tension and punch a cliff-hanger usually, or should, come with. There was a build-up to an event, which I had expected to happen by the end of the book, but as closer that I got to the end, I realise it would not happen. It was just moving on from book one and building for the next books. While stuff do happen in this book, it got smacked with a huge middle-book syndrome.
But this book gets lots darker than Sorrows. While Sorrows was dark it still kept a little innocence. Artificer takes big adult steps and it’s lovely. It made several POV’s bearable to read. Yes, we’re now into multi-POV territory. I did not like most of them. . I was both pleased and also eeeegh about Annev’s darker route. Mostly because it didn’t always flow very smooth to me. But I do like me some dark Annev.
December 29, 2023
A Stunning sequel to Master of Sorrows...
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me an E-Arc and this review is definitely not biased because of it. Its solely based on my experience with this book.
Master Artificer picks up immediately after the events of the first book. Unlike the previous entry Annev's storyline isn't the sole focus of this book though he is the main focus. In this book we follows 4 different storyline and 4 major POVs (I.e) Annev, Myjun, Kenton and Fyn. My favorite among them is Annev. Especially the last 300 or so pages, the decisions he made and actions he took were unpredictable at the same time relatable to the character.
This book checks all the boxes that requires for a perfect sequel.
1) Top notch world building (Different planes of existence)
2) Well thought out magic system (like 462 kinds of mages in total but don't worry you won't get confused)
3) All main characters were fleshed out nicely
4) Steadier phase, never felt too slow or too rushed and steadily builts up the tension
5) Infodumps were done gradually that it never felt boring
6) Foreshadowing and unpredictable reveals
This book surprised me in many ways like how the prophecies played out and the ending. Oh my, it did NOT end the way I thought it would and I'm glad that the author did the ending this way. This book sets up nicely for book 3 which i can't wait to read. But keep in mind though this book is a whole lot bloodier and darker than the first book which is definitely what the author aimed for.
Only problem I had after finishing this book is that the third book is not out yet. This book ends in a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the next book immediately.
Simply put, this book is really really good and I can't wait for the sequel.
First of all a huge thanks to the author for providing me an E-Arc and this review is definitely not biased because of it. Its solely based on my experience with this book.
Master Artificer picks up immediately after the events of the first book. Unlike the previous entry Annev's storyline isn't the sole focus of this book though he is the main focus. In this book we follows 4 different storyline and 4 major POVs (I.e) Annev, Myjun, Kenton and Fyn. My favorite among them is Annev. Especially the last 300 or so pages, the decisions he made and actions he took were unpredictable at the same time relatable to the character.
This book checks all the boxes that requires for a perfect sequel.
1) Top notch world building (Different planes of existence)
2) Well thought out magic system (like 462 kinds of mages in total but don't worry you won't get confused)
3) All main characters were fleshed out nicely
4) Steadier phase, never felt too slow or too rushed and steadily builts up the tension
5) Infodumps were done gradually that it never felt boring
6) Foreshadowing and unpredictable reveals
This book surprised me in many ways like how the prophecies played out and the ending. Oh my, it did NOT end the way I thought it would and I'm glad that the author did the ending this way. This book sets up nicely for book 3 which i can't wait to read. But keep in mind though this book is a whole lot bloodier and darker than the first book which is definitely what the author aimed for.
Only problem I had after finishing this book is that the third book is not out yet. This book ends in a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the next book immediately.
Simply put, this book is really really good and I can't wait for the sequel.
December 31, 2021
Master Artificer took a contained coming-of-age story and transformed it into one of the most ambitious fantasy series I’ve ever read. If you expect nothing else going into this book, expect world-building in a league of its own, with an entire world of cultures, creatures, magic, and history.
This quote, from Oyru, the Shadow Reborn and Myjun’s demonic mentor, is a perfect representation of what this story has become.
“In a mad world, we cling to a single virtue so we can excuse the other atrocities we allow ourselves to commit.”
The promise of Annev becoming the dark lord gave Master of Sorrows a fascinating overtone as we saw his self-sacrifice and good deeds. In Master Artificer, the good deeds are replaced, and, yet, Annev continues to convince himself that he is not a bad person, setting the stage for his future transition. The characterization throughout the story was an absolute highlight for me.
The one thing I did struggle with at first was the pacing. Compared to the straightforward story in Master of Sorrows, this book exploded in scope, and thus the story itself split out into many complex branches, forcing a slow ramp up. It really wasn’t until about 30% in that I became fully invested, which is a lot for a 1,000 page book. That said, I’m so glad I read this, because I have a feeling it will become one of my favorite series of all time.
Master Artificer is a story of such stunning scope, that you must read it to understand. I’m unbelievably excited to see where this story goes.
This quote, from Oyru, the Shadow Reborn and Myjun’s demonic mentor, is a perfect representation of what this story has become.
“In a mad world, we cling to a single virtue so we can excuse the other atrocities we allow ourselves to commit.”
The promise of Annev becoming the dark lord gave Master of Sorrows a fascinating overtone as we saw his self-sacrifice and good deeds. In Master Artificer, the good deeds are replaced, and, yet, Annev continues to convince himself that he is not a bad person, setting the stage for his future transition. The characterization throughout the story was an absolute highlight for me.
The one thing I did struggle with at first was the pacing. Compared to the straightforward story in Master of Sorrows, this book exploded in scope, and thus the story itself split out into many complex branches, forcing a slow ramp up. It really wasn’t until about 30% in that I became fully invested, which is a lot for a 1,000 page book. That said, I’m so glad I read this, because I have a feeling it will become one of my favorite series of all time.
Master Artificer is a story of such stunning scope, that you must read it to understand. I’m unbelievably excited to see where this story goes.
January 5, 2022
[8.60/10]
When I'm reading The Silent Gods I keep getting the feeling that it's going to be one of those slow-burn popular series. I really hope that in a couple of years time, perhaps when we're closer to the release of the final book, that this series blows up because it deserves it just for the pure amount of effort that Call has put into the world building alone. It's honestly astounding, complex, exciting and a little hard to follow at times, but it's the kind of fantasy world building where there is absolutely something for everyone. It's like a 900 page long menu of everything any high fantasy reader could possibly want.
Where the first book kind of reminded me of The Name of the Wind meets Vita Nostra, this one weirdly reminded me of Iron Gold and Dark Age. Obviously not the sci-fi elements of the Red Rising series, but more so the expansion of the world, the multi-POVs, the much darker tone, the variations in setting, the nearly-note-perfect pacing. I loved how distinct all the POVs were and, something that was a complete surprise to me, I absolutely adored following Myjun in this book. It was a surprise because I wasn't super fond of the way she had been portrayed in Master of Sorrows, but Call more than makes up for it in Master Artificer - her story constantly drew me in and made me question everything I thought I knew about the direction this series is heading in. That being said, I also really got a kick out of Annev spiralling into much darker territory - a lot of the things he did were born out of desperation and he thought he was coming from a good place but it won't be a stretch to see how he could potentially become a Dark Lord. I also really loved how Kenton's POV was written with more of an antagonist tone, but the grey areas surrounding this whole story means that Kenton could actually end up the good guy.
Some of my favourite scenes to read in the whole book were the training scenes with Annev and his friends. It felt like a nice callback to the first book and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time because Call had created this really excellent atmosphere of mistrust. The trials were so fun and made me love Titus even more!
Finally, huge thanks to Call and his publisher for including a summary of the first book at the beginning of this one. I have a feeling this story is only going to get more intricate and in-depth so I'm hoping that's a recurring thing for future books too! When I received this book, there was a letter included from Call that had something written on it in invisible ink, which apparently is revealed under UV lighting. I don't have any UV lighting but I'm extremely tempted to buy a bulb because it is slowly killing me not knowing what is written there.
When I'm reading The Silent Gods I keep getting the feeling that it's going to be one of those slow-burn popular series. I really hope that in a couple of years time, perhaps when we're closer to the release of the final book, that this series blows up because it deserves it just for the pure amount of effort that Call has put into the world building alone. It's honestly astounding, complex, exciting and a little hard to follow at times, but it's the kind of fantasy world building where there is absolutely something for everyone. It's like a 900 page long menu of everything any high fantasy reader could possibly want.
Where the first book kind of reminded me of The Name of the Wind meets Vita Nostra, this one weirdly reminded me of Iron Gold and Dark Age. Obviously not the sci-fi elements of the Red Rising series, but more so the expansion of the world, the multi-POVs, the much darker tone, the variations in setting, the nearly-note-perfect pacing. I loved how distinct all the POVs were and, something that was a complete surprise to me, I absolutely adored following Myjun in this book. It was a surprise because I wasn't super fond of the way she had been portrayed in Master of Sorrows, but Call more than makes up for it in Master Artificer - her story constantly drew me in and made me question everything I thought I knew about the direction this series is heading in. That being said, I also really got a kick out of Annev spiralling into much darker territory - a lot of the things he did were born out of desperation and he thought he was coming from a good place but it won't be a stretch to see how he could potentially become a Dark Lord. I also really loved how Kenton's POV was written with more of an antagonist tone, but the grey areas surrounding this whole story means that Kenton could actually end up the good guy.
Some of my favourite scenes to read in the whole book were the training scenes with Annev and his friends. It felt like a nice callback to the first book and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time because Call had created this really excellent atmosphere of mistrust. The trials were so fun and made me love Titus even more!
Finally, huge thanks to Call and his publisher for including a summary of the first book at the beginning of this one. I have a feeling this story is only going to get more intricate and in-depth so I'm hoping that's a recurring thing for future books too! When I received this book, there was a letter included from Call that had something written on it in invisible ink, which apparently is revealed under UV lighting. I don't have any UV lighting but I'm extremely tempted to buy a bulb because it is slowly killing me not knowing what is written there.
November 21, 2022
The book continues to introduce readers to the anti-hero Annev.
Plot. Rating 3
I liked the plot less than the plot of the first book, despite the fact that I prefer to read books with several storylines. The reason for this is the large number of pages devoted to the training of the main characters. Training and self-study is present in the lines of Annev, Kenton, Myjun. At the same time, the characters constantly discovered new magical skills in themselves, becoming more and more powerful, which significantly reduced my interest in them.
Fyn's storyline separates too late and plays a minor role.
As a result, the plot slowed down considerably. The huge book only slightly advanced the main plot in the final third.
Characters. Rating 3
The change in the nature and goals of Annev is shown gradually and in detail. The other two main characters are similar and remain more static as they have a monotonous plot. The fourth POV appears late, keeping his behavior from the first book.
The secondary characters are varied. Although there are colorful figures among them, the elaboration of most of the characters did not seem very good to me.
There are also few positive characters left in the book.
Dialogues. Rating 3
The second book preserved and perhaps strengthened the explanation of magic, magical artifacts and various worldbuilding in dialogues. In my opinion it makes the characters look less natural.
Writing style. Rating 4
There are excellent descriptions of exotic and strange places in the text, such as in the Myjun storyline. The book would have been easy to read, but the constant and lengthy explanations of magic, magical artifacts, and the powers behind them slowed down reading.
Worldbuilding. Rating 4
I think the book will appeal to fans of high fantasy. I do not remember other books with such density and variety of the author's fantasy in the field of magic and the magical world order. On the one hand, I liked to explore various original and sophisticated fictions, but on the other hand, I like more realistic and down to earth books. For example, there are few ordinary people on the pages of the book and almost all the main and secondary characters use magic.
Conclusion. Overall rating 3
The second book in the series greatly increases the amount of magic, and I think it doesn't make the characters better and the story more compelling.
Plot. Rating 3
I liked the plot less than the plot of the first book, despite the fact that I prefer to read books with several storylines. The reason for this is the large number of pages devoted to the training of the main characters. Training and self-study is present in the lines of Annev, Kenton, Myjun. At the same time, the characters constantly discovered new magical skills in themselves, becoming more and more powerful, which significantly reduced my interest in them.
Fyn's storyline separates too late and plays a minor role.
As a result, the plot slowed down considerably. The huge book only slightly advanced the main plot in the final third.
Characters. Rating 3
The change in the nature and goals of Annev is shown gradually and in detail. The other two main characters are similar and remain more static as they have a monotonous plot. The fourth POV appears late, keeping his behavior from the first book.
The secondary characters are varied. Although there are colorful figures among them, the elaboration of most of the characters did not seem very good to me.
There are also few positive characters left in the book.
Dialogues. Rating 3
The second book preserved and perhaps strengthened the explanation of magic, magical artifacts and various worldbuilding in dialogues. In my opinion it makes the characters look less natural.
Writing style. Rating 4
There are excellent descriptions of exotic and strange places in the text, such as in the Myjun storyline. The book would have been easy to read, but the constant and lengthy explanations of magic, magical artifacts, and the powers behind them slowed down reading.
Worldbuilding. Rating 4
I think the book will appeal to fans of high fantasy. I do not remember other books with such density and variety of the author's fantasy in the field of magic and the magical world order. On the one hand, I liked to explore various original and sophisticated fictions, but on the other hand, I like more realistic and down to earth books. For example, there are few ordinary people on the pages of the book and almost all the main and secondary characters use magic.
Conclusion. Overall rating 3
The second book in the series greatly increases the amount of magic, and I think it doesn't make the characters better and the story more compelling.
June 2, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Justin Travis Call for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All opinions are still honest and my own.
Okay, so I did not see really ANY of that coming.
This is more likely a 4.5/5 rounded down, as it was better in my opinion than Master of Sorrows. The world building in this second installment was insane (in a good way), still a tad confusing if you are up reading on your kindle app at 3am, but so freaking good. This world expanded exponentially from the base we are given in book one and that gradual growth is something I LOVE in a series.
We shift gears in the way the story is told as well. Where in Master of Sorrows we see the story only through Annev's eyes and he is our primary focus, now we get to see what is happening from multiple POV's, which if you have followed my reviews for a bit you know this is a huge LOVE for me as well. I love getting to step away from the obvious MC and bond with other characters. Those other characters end up being my favorites so more time with them is always a win. In this case it is Fyn...yeah in Master of Sorrows, I would have never predicted that. Fyn is by far my favorite, and I want so much more from his side of things.
My only criticism here is that for a time, this got so complicated that I was a bit lost. It ended up coming together for me eventually. With that being said, I read this on Kindle, which does not make the appendix as easily accessible as a physical book does and that probably would have helped.
This was such a good follow up to master of Sorrows and I am thoroughly impressed by it. Well done Mr. Call, can't wait for the next one!
Okay, so I did not see really ANY of that coming.
This is more likely a 4.5/5 rounded down, as it was better in my opinion than Master of Sorrows. The world building in this second installment was insane (in a good way), still a tad confusing if you are up reading on your kindle app at 3am, but so freaking good. This world expanded exponentially from the base we are given in book one and that gradual growth is something I LOVE in a series.
We shift gears in the way the story is told as well. Where in Master of Sorrows we see the story only through Annev's eyes and he is our primary focus, now we get to see what is happening from multiple POV's, which if you have followed my reviews for a bit you know this is a huge LOVE for me as well. I love getting to step away from the obvious MC and bond with other characters. Those other characters end up being my favorites so more time with them is always a win. In this case it is Fyn...yeah in Master of Sorrows, I would have never predicted that. Fyn is by far my favorite, and I want so much more from his side of things.
My only criticism here is that for a time, this got so complicated that I was a bit lost. It ended up coming together for me eventually. With that being said, I read this on Kindle, which does not make the appendix as easily accessible as a physical book does and that probably would have helped.
This was such a good follow up to master of Sorrows and I am thoroughly impressed by it. Well done Mr. Call, can't wait for the next one!
May 24, 2021
Master Artificer was completely different from what I was expecting, especially compared to the first book, Master of Sorrows. This book is dark. Really dark. The grimdark sub-genre is finally growing on me now, which is why I absolutely loved this book! I love the premise of the overall series and this book is setting it up amazingly. I loved Annev's story and the general theme of whether fate is set in stone or whether it can be changed was very interesting. I also liked the other POV chapters, particularly Kenton. I like revenge tales and I love reading about characters that are in revenge mode and that's the case for both Kenton and Myjun. They're extremely bitter and full of rage, and this made their stories very disturbing and unsettling. Aside from the characters though, the most amazing things about this book are the lore, magic and the worldbuilding. They are insanely complex and rich. Things could get very confusing, but it was easier to just go with it and learn slowly as the story went on. It's definitely useful to study the appendix though. This book got me completely hooked into the world and the characters, and I'm confident the later books are only going to get more detailed and intricate. I think this is for sure one of my new favorites!
July 22, 2021
I'm rounding up to a 5, cause the imagination and writing deserves it. For me though, it's more of a 4 to 4.5, due to my inability to keep up with all the info that this segment has tried to pack into my pea brain. Old gods, younger gods, (with all those crazy names and then there's their nicknames), a whole slew of abominations, members of damnation, witches, magic systems, artifacts that do all the special little goodies to get our characters out of trouble or in to trouble. I listened to the great Peter Kenny narrate again, which I totally loved (even with 29 hours), but did have to keep going back and re-listen at times. (Not a story you can multitask with, just too much going on.) So, I'll probably do a kindle read of it, before installment 3 comes out.
The story picks up where the first left off, in the ruins of Chaenbalu, where the few survivors band together leaving the only life they have known behind, unknowing that they are not all that survives.
As the journey progresses, the classmates branch out in different directions, with their lives taking on new meaning from their original goal of being Avatars.
Annev's POV isn't the only one concentrated on here. Myjun, Oyru, Kenton, Fyn, Titus and Theron all have interesting stories to tell, adding to the mystery of where this is all headed.
I won't go in to all that happens to these characters (that's what you need to find out for yourself), but I must say this is an extraordinary tale of magic and myth, that I'll reread and await the next installment.
The story picks up where the first left off, in the ruins of Chaenbalu, where the few survivors band together leaving the only life they have known behind, unknowing that they are not all that survives.
As the journey progresses, the classmates branch out in different directions, with their lives taking on new meaning from their original goal of being Avatars.
Annev's POV isn't the only one concentrated on here. Myjun, Oyru, Kenton, Fyn, Titus and Theron all have interesting stories to tell, adding to the mystery of where this is all headed.
I won't go in to all that happens to these characters (that's what you need to find out for yourself), but I must say this is an extraordinary tale of magic and myth, that I'll reread and await the next installment.
September 25, 2023
I give this book 5 stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Take a young boy and destroy his innocence.
Take what he loves and destroy that also, the choices Annev .. makes from that point forward will be decided in this book 2!
Book 2 starts with the aftermath of a point of no return. No more is the young naïve little boy as the pages turn the darker the chapter’s . Darkness and torture that would even make Clive Barker smile
If you can think of Anakin Skywalker the scene we’re he was killing the Younglings and the look on his face of the darkness that flows through Anakin, very similar for Annev in the later pages of this book!
There’s more to say for the best thing to do just pick up the book and read it can’t wait for book 3 but that ain’t coming out till April of next year.
You’re gonna love this!! It’s like taking All the good things and twisting it to the extremes, while you salivate. And you want more!
Take a young boy and destroy his innocence.
Take what he loves and destroy that also, the choices Annev .. makes from that point forward will be decided in this book 2!
Book 2 starts with the aftermath of a point of no return. No more is the young naïve little boy as the pages turn the darker the chapter’s . Darkness and torture that would even make Clive Barker smile
If you can think of Anakin Skywalker the scene we’re he was killing the Younglings and the look on his face of the darkness that flows through Anakin, very similar for Annev in the later pages of this book!
There’s more to say for the best thing to do just pick up the book and read it can’t wait for book 3 but that ain’t coming out till April of next year.
You’re gonna love this!! It’s like taking All the good things and twisting it to the extremes, while you salivate. And you want more!
July 27, 2022
This is how you write a sequel. Second book syndrome who? Not this book that’s for sure.
I don’t even know what to write. I already loved book one. Though it fell a little short of my 5 star prediction. This one just exceeded the first in every way and it was already so good.
In this one the group of characters we met in book one are all going on their separate journeys. So much character development and growth. Annev. My sweet bean, we get to see your wicked side, Fyn we get to see your well hidden softer side. I’m in love and obsessed with these characters. We flit around many different perspectives in this one as most of the characters are in different places. But honestly I loved every POV. All the storylines have my interest. I’m really in love with the world and the story. I can’t wait to see how things will play out in future books. We see a lot of darkness from all our characters and I’m totally here for it.
This book is super long at nearly 900 pages. But I absolutely flew through it. The pacing was perfect for me. Every time I finished a chapter I was hit with the “just one more”. This is exactly what I want in a fantasy book/series.
Book three can’t come soon enough.
I don’t even know what to write. I already loved book one. Though it fell a little short of my 5 star prediction. This one just exceeded the first in every way and it was already so good.
In this one the group of characters we met in book one are all going on their separate journeys. So much character development and growth. Annev. My sweet bean, we get to see your wicked side, Fyn we get to see your well hidden softer side. I’m in love and obsessed with these characters. We flit around many different perspectives in this one as most of the characters are in different places. But honestly I loved every POV. All the storylines have my interest. I’m really in love with the world and the story. I can’t wait to see how things will play out in future books. We see a lot of darkness from all our characters and I’m totally here for it.
This book is super long at nearly 900 pages. But I absolutely flew through it. The pacing was perfect for me. Every time I finished a chapter I was hit with the “just one more”. This is exactly what I want in a fantasy book/series.
Book three can’t come soon enough.
January 18, 2021
ARC provided by Justin Call. All opinions are mine and freely given.
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"Find a way, or make one."
01-18: 'Master Artificer' by Justin T. Call is the second book in The Silent Gods series that debuted last year. It also happens to be one of my most highly anticipated releases for 2021.. so you can imagine how thrilled I was when Justin was kind enough to let me read it early.
At this point in the story, Annev and his friends are amongst the few survivors of of Chaenbalu.. their childhood home. Having grown up there in the isolation of the academy with the Masters, they were raised to have a hatred and distrust of magic. Groomed to become 'Avatars,' successful students would go on missions to retrieve powerful magical artifacts so they could be locked away in an underground vault, but all that's behind them as the vault and the academy itself lie in ruins.
Book two hits the ground running and never lets up. The small band of friends leave their village behind, traveling along perilous routes to even more dangerous cities. While trying to evade all those who hunt him, either to destroy him entirely or possess him and wield him as a tool of their own, Annev struggles to come to grips with his new circumstances and mourn the loss of his mentor.
"I am a monster. I am gilded death. The shadow's knife. Demon apprentice. Servant of Keos."
I was a bit slow reading this book because it's a monster of a tome, but in such great ways. Sitting at over 850 pages in length, it's a page-turner throughout. Call is a modern high fantasy master.. our very own Master of Epic Tales. The novel is incredibly dense, and by that I mean.. every 50 pages I read.. felt like 100 pages of information, yet it was never boring. There were no unnecessary, uninteresting passages.. every piece felt critical to story or character development and I had to force myself to put the book down when other obligations would arise.
When I read the first book, 'Master of Sorrows,' last year.. I was blown away by the author's skill. Frankly, I believe he's the best modern high fantasy writer of our time. There's a cohesiveness between all of his plot points that flows like water, leaving no space unfilled. They're intricately woven into a seamless story of hope and betrayal.
In this second installment, Call expands on an already vast internal mythos built within his fantasy world. Here and there, occasional extracts appear regarding the gods that influence the every day lives of our characters. Ancient gods who.. eons prior.. set into motion a seemingly irreversible chain of events and young gods, still manipulating their followers in an attempt to grasp more power of their own.
"And with such ease doth man defy the Gods by hoarding pow'r in golden rings and rods. Then turning 'gainst the Gods he cries: I rule myself and see with opened eyes."
Likewise, if there's a larger.. more in-depth magical system anywhere, I haven't run across it. But the best thing about all this deep world-building is how well placed it all is. There aren't pages filled with massive downloads of information, rather.. the grand details are sprinkled throughout the books and I expect that will continue into the third. Call never gives the reader too much to ingest. He gives us just enough to feel as if we're kept right on the verge of fullness.. and that lends itself beautifully to the way Annev and his friends must feel as the truth continues to open itself up to them. Almost overwhelmed and still just hungry enough to keep wanting more.
The side-effect of this arguably perfect approach for me is that it makes the story feel relatable, despite its fantastical setting. I'm so invested in every one of the.. even remotely.. morally salvageable characters that I'm constantly concerned about someone and think 90% of them are just misunderstood.
Mind you, the story is brutal at times.. emotionally destructive and physically violent. The author isn't afraid to drive the reader to fondness for a character, then to shatter them with some horrible turn of events. Even if you can see it coming, it's not enough to prepare for the moment.. because it's done with such expertise.
"We are already monsters.. and now our bodies match our hearts."
I could talk about this book for another dozen paragraphs and it wouldn't be enough to convey the excellence held within the pages of this story. I can only implore you.. to read it for yourself. I loved it so much that I needed a few days just to ponder all that had happened before even writing a review. I feel safe in saying, while Call certainly has a few well-established peers.. there isn't a single author out there that's better.
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December 28, 2021
Narrator Performance: 5 stars
Overall rating: ️4.5 stars
29 hours and 34 minutes. What a whale of an audiobook! After reading Master of Sorrows last month, I knew I couldn’t wait long to dive into the sequel. The series is billed as the backstory of a villain, where we see an evil God reincarnated coming to accept who he is to become. But I would argue that it's the story of several fabulous dark characters on a crash course for domination. This sequel gives us some serious bada** character developments.
We of course learn more about Annev as he develops from a student into a master, a child into a man, a human into a god. But Myjun just may be my favorite evil woman hell bent on revenge, her story is insanely fabulous. I loved how much detail we got about her growing into her evil powers. We get great progression of all of the side characters and can begin to envision how they will all come together in the end.
This is fantasy superbly written with villains as gratifying as those in LOTR or ASOIAF, if you like that kind of thing... and I do!!
Overall rating: ️4.5 stars
29 hours and 34 minutes. What a whale of an audiobook! After reading Master of Sorrows last month, I knew I couldn’t wait long to dive into the sequel. The series is billed as the backstory of a villain, where we see an evil God reincarnated coming to accept who he is to become. But I would argue that it's the story of several fabulous dark characters on a crash course for domination. This sequel gives us some serious bada** character developments.
We of course learn more about Annev as he develops from a student into a master, a child into a man, a human into a god. But Myjun just may be my favorite evil woman hell bent on revenge, her story is insanely fabulous. I loved how much detail we got about her growing into her evil powers. We get great progression of all of the side characters and can begin to envision how they will all come together in the end.
This is fantasy superbly written with villains as gratifying as those in LOTR or ASOIAF, if you like that kind of thing... and I do!!
March 12, 2022
This book was huge and very intimidating but because I decided this was gonna be a series I have to catch up on this year, I managed to get through it. But I guess I wasn’t expecting the turn it took. One, it’s way too dark than I thought it would be. I never pick up grimdark because I just can’t handle it and this one took a deep turn into that territory. There was so much world building, with different realms and magic systems, gods and artifacts that I got quite a bit confused. I also wasn’t sure whom to root for because I liked Annev a lot in book 1 but I didn’t feel the same here anymore. It was overall an ok book, but it was too long for what actually happened. And I don’t think I’ll continue the series because it’s definitely only gonna get darker.
April 27, 2023
This series is just brilliant and highly underrated.
June 13, 2022
I didn't love this one as much as I loved book one but it was more or less entirely because I just could not stand one of the POV characters.
Still, I wasn't going to let that stop me from finishing this one, and Peter Kenny is an amazing narrator. So, even hearing parts about characters I don't like wasn't bad, and after a while that character became less and less annoying and so I'm glad that I didn't give up because of a character.
Wondering where this series is going to go from here. We will see!
Still, I wasn't going to let that stop me from finishing this one, and Peter Kenny is an amazing narrator. So, even hearing parts about characters I don't like wasn't bad, and after a while that character became less and less annoying and so I'm glad that I didn't give up because of a character.
Wondering where this series is going to go from here. We will see!
July 22, 2022
If you haven't heard of this series do yourself a favor and read it!
June 20, 2023
Actual rating: 4.5 (the same after reread)
We can confirmed I still preferred book 1 but man it was actually a better sequel than I remembered. I’m just still not really into the multiple povs.
We can confirmed I still preferred book 1 but man it was actually a better sequel than I remembered. I’m just still not really into the multiple povs.
October 25, 2022
Definitely liked this installment even more and was happy for the added multiple POV’s!
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