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The Grave of Empires #2
Ten Arrows of Iron
The second novel in an epic fantasy trilogy that follows an unforgettable outcast mage caught between two warring empires.
Sal the Cacophony-outlaw, outcast, outnumbered-destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.
When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.
For more from Sam Sykes, check
The Grave of Empires:
Seven Blades in Black
Ten Arrows of Iron
Bring Down
The City Stained Red
The Mortal Tally
God's Last Breath
The Affinity for Steel
Tome of the Undergates
Black Halo
The Skybound Sea
Sal the Cacophony-outlaw, outcast, outnumbered-destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.
When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself.
For more from Sam Sykes, check
The Grave of Empires:
Seven Blades in Black
Ten Arrows of Iron
Bring Down
The City Stained Red
The Mortal Tally
God's Last Breath
The Affinity for Steel
Tome of the Undergates
Black Halo
The Skybound Sea
720 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2020
296 people are currently reading
3024 people want to read
About the author
Sam Sykes
90 books1,213 followersSam Sykes is the author of Tome Of The Undergates, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage. Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
September 30, 2022
Totally immersive--a nice blend of deep/anguished/exultant emotionality and hilarity, with a lot of action, and quite a bit of violence and gore.
November 17, 2020
I loved it! 😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
get-away
May 9, 2024TW: mentions of sexual misconduct
it has come to my attention that due to sexual misconduct this author has been dropped by his publisher. Because of this I will no longer be reading or reviewing any of his works. I know that many readers are capable of separating art from artist however I personally do not feel comfortable with continuing to read this series or any of his other works in the future.
i will also be taking my review for the first book down. the only reason i am writing this under this book is in the hopes of spreading knowledge so that all readers are fully aware of who the author is and what he has done and will then be able to make an educated decision about how they personally want to proceed in the future.
I also just want to make it abundantly clear that if this book/series/other works by this author mean something to you and are close to your heart; I am in no way telling you to throw them away. I just wanted to state my point of view in the hopes of reaching others who would find this knowledge valuable. So to restate you are allowed to like this series I can't tell you what to do and I am happy if this series has brought joy and comfort to you.
Thanks!
it has come to my attention that due to sexual misconduct this author has been dropped by his publisher. Because of this I will no longer be reading or reviewing any of his works. I know that many readers are capable of separating art from artist however I personally do not feel comfortable with continuing to read this series or any of his other works in the future.
i will also be taking my review for the first book down. the only reason i am writing this under this book is in the hopes of spreading knowledge so that all readers are fully aware of who the author is and what he has done and will then be able to make an educated decision about how they personally want to proceed in the future.
I also just want to make it abundantly clear that if this book/series/other works by this author mean something to you and are close to your heart; I am in no way telling you to throw them away. I just wanted to state my point of view in the hopes of reaching others who would find this knowledge valuable. So to restate you are allowed to like this series I can't tell you what to do and I am happy if this series has brought joy and comfort to you.
Thanks!
January 7, 2024
Ten Arrows of Iron was my most anticipated book of this year. I loved Seven Blades in Black and I couldn't wait to see what Sal will do next. And though this installment is quite different than the first, more serious I would say, it doesn't disappoint and I loved it.
I would say that the sequel was the same level of quality as the first book, but more detailed and there were things I liked better. And some things I liked less.
What I liked better:
- the worldbuilding - it's wider than in previous book; we find out more not only about mages, but technology and alchemy as well. I love how Sykes takes some popular ideas and combine them in something truly original;
- characters - there's more interesting and likeable characters ( my favourite being Agne, but I liked Yiria and Urda as well) who I hope we'll see in the next book. There's also a good development of Sal and Liette, especially Sal, whose consciene is gettin louder and I loved that we could see her softer side not only in her inner monologue but also in what she did; oh, and there's Cacophony - a talking gun who is a little scary I have to admit.
- the romance - I think that is actually the highlight of this book. While I loved both Sal and Liette in Seven Blades, I thought that Sal didn't deserve Liette's love and that it would be good if they broke apart forever. I no longer think that, in this book Sal definitely makes up for treating Liette bad and we can see that they both love each other truly. They are probably my favourite couple for now.
What I liked less:
- it's not that actually I liked it less, but there was some inconsistences concerning Sal's backstory. We don't see Jindu, who was supposed to be Sal's first great love and instead she is chasing another lover, who, as it happens, she loved more than Jindu. It seems like she said two separate back stories in every book actually.
It irked me a lot, but then I let it slide, considering that what we see is what Sal says, and then there's question: how reliable narrator Sal is? And maybe we'll get some asnwers in the last book.
Anyway, I loved the book and I can't wait for the last part of the trilogy to come out.
I would say that the sequel was the same level of quality as the first book, but more detailed and there were things I liked better. And some things I liked less.
What I liked better:
- the worldbuilding - it's wider than in previous book; we find out more not only about mages, but technology and alchemy as well. I love how Sykes takes some popular ideas and combine them in something truly original;
- characters - there's more interesting and likeable characters ( my favourite being Agne, but I liked Yiria and Urda as well) who I hope we'll see in the next book. There's also a good development of Sal and Liette, especially Sal, whose consciene is gettin louder and I loved that we could see her softer side not only in her inner monologue but also in what she did; oh, and there's Cacophony - a talking gun who is a little scary I have to admit.
- the romance - I think that is actually the highlight of this book. While I loved both Sal and Liette in Seven Blades, I thought that Sal didn't deserve Liette's love and that it would be good if they broke apart forever. I no longer think that, in this book Sal definitely makes up for treating Liette bad and we can see that they both love each other truly. They are probably my favourite couple for now.
What I liked less:
- it's not that actually I liked it less, but there was some inconsistences concerning Sal's backstory. We don't see Jindu, who was supposed to be Sal's first great love and instead she is chasing another lover, who, as it happens, she loved more than Jindu. It seems like she said two separate back stories in every book actually.
It irked me a lot, but then I let it slide, considering that what we see is what Sal says, and then there's question: how reliable narrator Sal is? And maybe we'll get some asnwers in the last book.
Anyway, I loved the book and I can't wait for the last part of the trilogy to come out.
August 14, 2020
2.5 stars. A little below average, still enjoyable.
So this was another super long book that could've been a lot shorter without losing quality.
I still can't really get into the writing, it's just so bloated with monologues and descriptions that try to sound badass but fall completely flat to me. I understand there are some people that love the writing style and find it hilarious, but for me it just simply doesn't work and made getting through the book a chore at times.
And the fight scenes continue to be... extremely long for no reason, and lacking any sort of urgency that would make them engaging. Also they are SO repetitive, holy crap, even more than the first book every single fight here follows a formula: Sal is fighting someone, they get the upper hand, she is injured and about to die, and someone sweeps in to save her. Rinse and repeat. Again, and again, and again.
This strips the story of its conflict and tension. What's the point of Sal dueling another mage if I know she's just gonna get injured, nearly die, and be saved by someone else at the very end? The fights are very anime-like in the sense that they have more flashy moves than they have substance or variety.
Sure, there are some cool moments and badass showdowns, but it just feels so flat and eclipsed by the conveniences of the rest of the action sequences.
This book really suffers from the same thing the first one did: the fight scenes are boring. And for a story that relies so heavily on action and battles... that's not a great thing, especially considering the myriad of powers and magic guns that we have to deal with. It should be an extremely fun book with even better fights... but it's not, and for me the fault falls on the writing style.
Then there's the overall themes of the book... which are what, exactly? I feel like Ten Arrows of Iron is trying to be a thing that it's not. It gave me the impression this was a book about broken people that are compelled to keep doing bad things because they don't know how to stop, but it's also a book about forgiveness? And moving on? Except no, it's still a book about revenge... but Revenge Is Bad and We Should All Be Good... But wait no Revenge Is Necessary??
Like I'm sure Sam Syke was trying to make a complex book with all these questions, but in reality I have no idea what this book was even about.
At least the first book knew what it was: a revenge story with a protagonist so stuck in her ways she hurt everyone around her. Sure, that's fine. This book simply doesn't know what it's trying to be. A heist? A story about moving on and healing? Or still a story about revenge?
Not to mention there isn't any real antagonist in this book. Sure, we have some people that we need to fight, and some other people that we need to kill... But all those Big Bads we had in book 1? That Big Boss we fought at the end? Gone. The mini-antagonists are boring and flat, and they have the exact same motives for doing what they're doing. Not even ONE interesting antagonist, not even ONE that's important for me to keep them in mind, nope, just these random people that want to kill Sal.
And I hate to say this but this book doesn't feel like a sequel. It feels like another standalone, just like SBiB felt like a standalone. None of the events of the first book are mentioned in any sort of depth, there are no repercussions for what happened there, nor there is any sort of payoff other than some threads connecting the two books together at the end. But that's it.
And this story feels like a huuuuuuge retcon from the first one. Who the hell is Darrishana? How come she's so important to Sal but was never mentioned in book one? Did I miss that? What about Jindu? He was such a core part of Sal's character and he gets... three or four passing mentions? What?? I understand Sal has always had a list of 30 something people, but why did she focus on only seven in the first book, if everyone seems to have been equally important, other than Jindu and Vraki?
The timeline is also something of a mess, I don't know if it's me and I'm stupid but I genuinely can't tell when some of the things in Sal's past happened or how long has it been. Considering this book relies heavily on Sal's past... yeah, that's not so great either.
This is so frustrating, I really wanted to love this book, wanted to love this trilogy, it has literally everything I love but I cannot for the life of me get past these flaws in order to fully enjoy the story.
If I thought the characters were flat in the first book, other than Sal and Liette... boy oh boy, are they flat in this one too! The cast feels recycled, all characters I've read about in this same story, none of them with enough agency or substance of their own for me to care about them.
There's also Not Enough Liette but that's just the biased me speaking. I did like her role in the book and her scenes, I think she got some more development and learned more about her and who she is outside the role of love interest.
Sal turns up the self-deprecating and maybe-funny monologues up to eleven. She cannot have a conversation with anyone without going on internal rants about how her life is so rough and how the life of the Vagrants should not be romanticized and about how the world is shitty... Like we get it, no need to hammer in on that over and over again.
Then there's the group of... "friends" that Sal picks up along the way. The author didn't bother to flesh them out even though he had 700 pages to do it so why should I talk about them?
On some of the few positive thoughts that I had about this book: It does have its funny moments, and I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue. The worldbuilding is interesting and consistent (at least something is). Some action scenes ARE interesting (a shame they are few and far between). Sal is, despite everything, a character that I'm interested in reading about and I like her voice most of the time. And Liette is a marvel.
But... that's it. That's all the praise I can give. The plot is straightforward and feels disconnected from the first entry on the trilogy, the book itself is overly long for no reason, the writing takes forever to get to the point, the characters are flat and the action scenes are recycled and not very imaginative. Sometimes the book is funny, sometimes it's boring... but it's never really engaging.
Could've been shorter, could've been a lot, lot better too.
So this was another super long book that could've been a lot shorter without losing quality.
I still can't really get into the writing, it's just so bloated with monologues and descriptions that try to sound badass but fall completely flat to me. I understand there are some people that love the writing style and find it hilarious, but for me it just simply doesn't work and made getting through the book a chore at times.
And the fight scenes continue to be... extremely long for no reason, and lacking any sort of urgency that would make them engaging. Also they are SO repetitive, holy crap, even more than the first book every single fight here follows a formula: Sal is fighting someone, they get the upper hand, she is injured and about to die, and someone sweeps in to save her. Rinse and repeat. Again, and again, and again.
This strips the story of its conflict and tension. What's the point of Sal dueling another mage if I know she's just gonna get injured, nearly die, and be saved by someone else at the very end? The fights are very anime-like in the sense that they have more flashy moves than they have substance or variety.
Sure, there are some cool moments and badass showdowns, but it just feels so flat and eclipsed by the conveniences of the rest of the action sequences.
This book really suffers from the same thing the first one did: the fight scenes are boring. And for a story that relies so heavily on action and battles... that's not a great thing, especially considering the myriad of powers and magic guns that we have to deal with. It should be an extremely fun book with even better fights... but it's not, and for me the fault falls on the writing style.
Then there's the overall themes of the book... which are what, exactly? I feel like Ten Arrows of Iron is trying to be a thing that it's not. It gave me the impression this was a book about broken people that are compelled to keep doing bad things because they don't know how to stop, but it's also a book about forgiveness? And moving on? Except no, it's still a book about revenge... but Revenge Is Bad and We Should All Be Good... But wait no Revenge Is Necessary??
Like I'm sure Sam Syke was trying to make a complex book with all these questions, but in reality I have no idea what this book was even about.
At least the first book knew what it was: a revenge story with a protagonist so stuck in her ways she hurt everyone around her. Sure, that's fine. This book simply doesn't know what it's trying to be. A heist? A story about moving on and healing? Or still a story about revenge?
Not to mention there isn't any real antagonist in this book. Sure, we have some people that we need to fight, and some other people that we need to kill... But all those Big Bads we had in book 1? That Big Boss we fought at the end? Gone. The mini-antagonists are boring and flat, and they have the exact same motives for doing what they're doing. Not even ONE interesting antagonist, not even ONE that's important for me to keep them in mind, nope, just these random people that want to kill Sal.
And I hate to say this but this book doesn't feel like a sequel. It feels like another standalone, just like SBiB felt like a standalone. None of the events of the first book are mentioned in any sort of depth, there are no repercussions for what happened there, nor there is any sort of payoff other than some threads connecting the two books together at the end. But that's it.
And this story feels like a huuuuuuge retcon from the first one. Who the hell is Darrishana? How come she's so important to Sal but was never mentioned in book one? Did I miss that? What about Jindu? He was such a core part of Sal's character and he gets... three or four passing mentions? What?? I understand Sal has always had a list of 30 something people, but why did she focus on only seven in the first book, if everyone seems to have been equally important, other than Jindu and Vraki?
The timeline is also something of a mess, I don't know if it's me and I'm stupid but I genuinely can't tell when some of the things in Sal's past happened or how long has it been. Considering this book relies heavily on Sal's past... yeah, that's not so great either.
This is so frustrating, I really wanted to love this book, wanted to love this trilogy, it has literally everything I love but I cannot for the life of me get past these flaws in order to fully enjoy the story.
If I thought the characters were flat in the first book, other than Sal and Liette... boy oh boy, are they flat in this one too! The cast feels recycled, all characters I've read about in this same story, none of them with enough agency or substance of their own for me to care about them.
There's also Not Enough Liette but that's just the biased me speaking. I did like her role in the book and her scenes, I think she got some more development and learned more about her and who she is outside the role of love interest.
Sal turns up the self-deprecating and maybe-funny monologues up to eleven. She cannot have a conversation with anyone without going on internal rants about how her life is so rough and how the life of the Vagrants should not be romanticized and about how the world is shitty... Like we get it, no need to hammer in on that over and over again.
Then there's the group of... "friends" that Sal picks up along the way. The author didn't bother to flesh them out even though he had 700 pages to do it so why should I talk about them?
On some of the few positive thoughts that I had about this book: It does have its funny moments, and I laughed out loud at some of the dialogue. The worldbuilding is interesting and consistent (at least something is). Some action scenes ARE interesting (a shame they are few and far between). Sal is, despite everything, a character that I'm interested in reading about and I like her voice most of the time. And Liette is a marvel.
But... that's it. That's all the praise I can give. The plot is straightforward and feels disconnected from the first entry on the trilogy, the book itself is overly long for no reason, the writing takes forever to get to the point, the characters are flat and the action scenes are recycled and not very imaginative. Sometimes the book is funny, sometimes it's boring... but it's never really engaging.
Could've been shorter, could've been a lot, lot better too.
September 24, 2020
Never let it be said that Sal the Cacophony doesn't tell a great story.
December 9, 2020
Goodreads decided to completely erase any trace of me reading this book.
Thanks Goodreads, really.
*3.5 stars
Thanks Goodreads, really.
*3.5 stars
April 19, 2021
Сто звезд из пяти.
RTC
RTC
August 28, 2020
Wow. A second book as good as the first? Madness. I loved this return to Sal and all her ridiculousness. I was hooked from the first pages. Well done.
September 23, 2020
This was so fantastic! I was completely hooked immediately, no second book slump at all!
September 18, 2020
I really loved Seven Blades in Black, so I just had to dive right into Ten Arrows of Iron. I’m not a pushy guy, but holy shit people, read these books!! Imaginative, poetic, badass, and surprisingly poignant. Sal the Cacophony’s excursions will leave you starstruck and begging for the next installment.
Content-wise, there’s a slightly different feel to this than the original. We know Sal now, or at least have an idea of why she acts the way she does. She is complex, and grey, and so ridiculously real. I could read about her adventures across The Scar indefinitely, she is that likable.
Absurdly enough, in the midst of awesomeness like ‘TEN THOUSAND YEARS,’ Twenty-Two Dead Roses in a Chipped Porcelain Vase, otherworldly entities, giant birds, mage fire, power armor, and a plethora of other badass-itude, I find myself most invested in the romance?? It’s entirely unexpected and before I even knew it, I didn’t care about the revenge or the factions or the war, half as much as I did about Sal and Liette. Please do not hurt them.
That all being said, I found Ten Arrows of Iron to be ever so slightly weaker than the previous installment. I think the ragtag bunch of supporting characters were nice additions, but couldn’t get invested in Jero or Two Lonely Old Men. Sal meditates on her state of being just a little too long for me. Some characters kind of just disappear from scenes during dialogue sections. There’s this amazing variety of avian beasts and still a dragon pops up out of nowhere (fuck dragons). Minor nitpick stuff.
So yea, incredible book, effortlessly readable and full of dark humor, page-turning action, and satisfying twists. The last 300 pages were goddamn magnificent. I haven’t read any of Sykes’ other works but I will have to bump them up the TBR if they’re all as good as these two have been. I can’t wait for the finale. 4.7/5 for eres va atali, I used to fly.
Content-wise, there’s a slightly different feel to this than the original. We know Sal now, or at least have an idea of why she acts the way she does. She is complex, and grey, and so ridiculously real. I could read about her adventures across The Scar indefinitely, she is that likable.
Absurdly enough, in the midst of awesomeness like ‘TEN THOUSAND YEARS,’ Twenty-Two Dead Roses in a Chipped Porcelain Vase, otherworldly entities, giant birds, mage fire, power armor, and a plethora of other badass-itude, I find myself most invested in the romance?? It’s entirely unexpected and before I even knew it, I didn’t care about the revenge or the factions or the war, half as much as I did about Sal and Liette. Please do not hurt them.
That all being said, I found Ten Arrows of Iron to be ever so slightly weaker than the previous installment. I think the ragtag bunch of supporting characters were nice additions, but couldn’t get invested in Jero or Two Lonely Old Men. Sal meditates on her state of being just a little too long for me. Some characters kind of just disappear from scenes during dialogue sections. There’s this amazing variety of avian beasts and still a dragon pops up out of nowhere (fuck dragons). Minor nitpick stuff.
So yea, incredible book, effortlessly readable and full of dark humor, page-turning action, and satisfying twists. The last 300 pages were goddamn magnificent. I haven’t read any of Sykes’ other works but I will have to bump them up the TBR if they’re all as good as these two have been. I can’t wait for the finale. 4.7/5 for eres va atali, I used to fly.
October 5, 2020
4.5
Not without its flaws (notably the shift from Jindu to Darrish and a weird left turn in the last third...Scraths?), but thoroughly enjoyable. Loved Sal's development. Agne was the best new character by far. Can't wait for the third one!
Not without its flaws (notably the shift from Jindu to Darrish and a weird left turn in the last third...Scraths?), but thoroughly enjoyable. Loved Sal's development. Agne was the best new character by far. Can't wait for the third one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
I knew I was going to like this the second I saw Liette on the cover.
Okay, so yes, there are some continuity issues between the first and second book - mainly, I feel Darrish should have been mentioned in the first book if there was really this much history there, and also where in the world is Jindu? Not that I ever especially enjoyed the character of Jindu. To be honest, Darrish was far more interesting. And her barter made me cry.
Even with this problem of switching the evil ex-lover, which is admittedly a little bothersome, I could deal because I LOVED this novel. Even more than the first. The character growth, the expansion of themes, the EPIC battle, the new characters, the further exploration of magic and barters, the love between Liette and Sal!!!
I can't wait to get back to the Scar. MORE PLEASE.
Okay, so yes, there are some continuity issues between the first and second book - mainly, I feel Darrish should have been mentioned in the first book if there was really this much history there, and also where in the world is Jindu? Not that I ever especially enjoyed the character of Jindu. To be honest, Darrish was far more interesting. And her barter made me cry.
Even with this problem of switching the evil ex-lover, which is admittedly a little bothersome, I could deal because I LOVED this novel. Even more than the first. The character growth, the expansion of themes, the EPIC battle, the new characters, the further exploration of magic and barters, the love between Liette and Sal!!!
I can't wait to get back to the Scar. MORE PLEASE.
May 12, 2023
DNF ing this series goddamn this book has terrible pacing and I don’t care about the main romance and blah blah blah it’s a fine book but it’s taken me over 10 days to get thru less than half which is abysmal. I am simply not motivated to read this book. This book does not motivate me to pick it up and frankly I had to drag myself a little thru the last book.
September 20, 2023
4.5
Buch 2 war definitiv besser als das erste! Brutal, actionreich und frustrierend zugleich.
Buch 2 war definitiv besser als das erste! Brutal, actionreich und frustrierend zugleich.
December 19, 2020
Sam Sykes is not as in favor today as he was a year ago, for external reasons. His books however remain equally enjoyable, at least as far as the Grave of Empires, and I, are concerned.
What this second novel in the series lacks in novelty, it makes up for in backstory for its main protagonist. We get to hear more about how Sal fell from the literal heights she used to soar and became this bitter, messed up desperado with the crazy gun. This succeeds somewhat, I think, in making her more relatable - less a cartoonish force of destruction and more of a really damaged person. What was hinted at in the first book, is explored in the second one. A handful of the secondary characters similarly get a more in-depth treatment, which is quite welcome.
But beyond that the writing is still largely dominated by the action and the quips which are its intended selling points. It is not for everyone and probably should be consumed with moderation, but it is good at what it does. The magic remains very interesting, and the addition of airships as battlegrounds puts a nice spin on the action in a good chunk of the book. I have to take one star off because in the real world so much snark can get grating - again, consume in small installments and/or in the right frame of mind. I think this puts it at a high 3.5 stars, which I am going to round up because the cover art is really good!
What this second novel in the series lacks in novelty, it makes up for in backstory for its main protagonist. We get to hear more about how Sal fell from the literal heights she used to soar and became this bitter, messed up desperado with the crazy gun. This succeeds somewhat, I think, in making her more relatable - less a cartoonish force of destruction and more of a really damaged person. What was hinted at in the first book, is explored in the second one. A handful of the secondary characters similarly get a more in-depth treatment, which is quite welcome.
But beyond that the writing is still largely dominated by the action and the quips which are its intended selling points. It is not for everyone and probably should be consumed with moderation, but it is good at what it does. The magic remains very interesting, and the addition of airships as battlegrounds puts a nice spin on the action in a good chunk of the book. I have to take one star off because in the real world so much snark can get grating - again, consume in small installments and/or in the right frame of mind. I think this puts it at a high 3.5 stars, which I am going to round up because the cover art is really good!
Want to read
December 17, 2019DATEMELO, ORA. LO VOGLIO. NE HO BISOGNO.
August 15, 2020
What an amazing return to The Scar. Sal the Cacophony returns in a new adventure dealing with the war that has been in a stalemate for a while now. Brought in on a heist like mission to try and steal a relic from The Revolutionaries, Sal is given a chance to finish what she started, a complete list of where everyone that wronged her before, locations and all. She cant help but join on with a rag tag group of Vagrants and thieves, and like always, where she goes, destruction is sure to follow.
This book was so good. Bringing more to the world lore, making me want to get more. So many new revelations that seemed to answer some questions from the first book but of course set up new ones for the sequel. I cant wait to see where this series goes, I do hope the next book isnt the last one. Too many trilogies, let the series breath with more tales.
This book was so good. Bringing more to the world lore, making me want to get more. So many new revelations that seemed to answer some questions from the first book but of course set up new ones for the sequel. I cant wait to see where this series goes, I do hope the next book isnt the last one. Too many trilogies, let the series breath with more tales.
December 19, 2020
This has taken me awhile to get through as its the xmas rush. Also it just isnt all that engaging. I also felt like it was 150-200pages too long, just like the previous novel. Sal is still the best thing about the book, but I was never hooked like I can be with other characters
August 28, 2020
This is a weak follow up. I still enjoy the world the author has created, but the writing on this one is not up to the same standard. Feels like editors were not involved.
August 30, 2020
While I enjoyed most of the book, the last third consisted of almost endless consecutive fight scenes interspersed with interminable emo conversations.
July 29, 2022
Ten Arrows of Iron, The Grave of Empires Book 2
Author: Sam Sykes
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publishing Date: 2020
Pgs: 701
Dewey: F SYK
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Sal the Cacophony -- outlaw, outcast, outnumbered -- destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.
When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Science Fantasy
Fantasy
Swords and Sorcery
Dystopia
Horror
Post Apocalypse
War
Why this book:
Cause I loved the first one.
_________________________________________
The Page 100 Test:
√ ◄ - good to go.
$ ◄ - this is money.
⸮ ◄ - the sarcasm is strong with this one.
∞ ◄ - read on.
ᕦ(ò_óˇ) ◄ - strong
ᕦ(ò_ó)ᕤ ◄ - stronger
The Feel:
Sykes writing is immersive.
Favorite Character:
Sal the Cacophony is an asshole. God, I love her. I can hear Sal the Cacophony's voice. it's gruff and world-weary. It's like this writing plugs directly into my audio-visual cortex. I love it. “To hear the stories, Sal the Cacophony was a woman whose very appearance made the wind hold its breath and birds flee from the sky. they spoke of a woman hard as the blade she carried who came out of the dark and carried fire in her hands, wearing her Vagrant tattoos like they were armor and her scars like trophies, striding across the land and leaving ashes and screams in her wake.”
Favorite Scene:
The "yeah, like that." scene is greatness.
"Holy shit," he whispered, "is that the xxxcking Caco... " I pulled the trigger.
Darrishana's last scene with Sal.
Favorite Quote:
The dedication: For every reader who still carries scars.
Woof. Hit us where we live.
I rounded a corner. And hell came with me.
Favorite Concept:
A skymage who calls hurricanes and focused the power around a spear is pretty awesome. Hurricane spear would make a great RPG weapon.
Uhm Moments:
Sal the Cacophony is a hot mess. I keep thinking she's too badassed for that to happen. Then, I remember, ah...yeah, that's right.
Missed Opportunity:
Wish the crash of the airship had been a bigger scene. Course with flashbacks we may get back to it. Especially since all Sal The Cacophony stories seem to be told in flashback. Reminds me of the final scene in The Mechanic: Resurrection.
Dreamcasting:
My brain keeps thinking of a transgender Keanu playing Sal the Cacophony...and no that my brain has done that I keep seeing Sindra as Carie Anne Moss. Maybe not actually Keanu, but someone similar in demeanor.
Who could be a female Clint Eastwood? Not Eastwood today. Spaghetti Western Clint Eastwood.
Tilda Swinton as Sal. Wow.
Charlize Theron as Agne the Hammer.
The Poker Game/DND Table:
Sal would be awesome to play poker with. The twins too. …Agne too.
Movies and Television:
There are scenes in this that would be great in a movie. The WTF scene when the Giant whatever the hell that is that the Havenites made came crashing through the window.
Soundtrack:
Too Late For Love - Def Leppard
_________________________________________
Pacing:
The pace is incredible. This is a page turner.
Last Page Sound:
Sal being Sal she should've shot Two Lonely Old Men after she finished her wine and then walked away. I loved this book.
Author Assessment:
Love his work.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Reread Pile:
I’d say that when I finish the next book in the trilogy I should re-read it.
=======================================
Author: Sam Sykes
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publishing Date: 2020
Pgs: 701
Dewey: F SYK
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
Sal the Cacophony -- outlaw, outcast, outnumbered -- destroys all that she loves. Her lover lost and cities burned in her wake, all she has left is her magical gun and her all-consuming quest for revenge against those who stole her power and took the sky from her.
When the roguish agent of a mysterious patron offers her the chance to participate in a heist to steal an incredible power from the famed airship fleet, the Ten Arrows, she finds a new purpose. But a plot to save the world by bringing down empires swiftly escalates into a conspiracy of magic and vengeance that threatens to burn everything to ash, including herself
_________________________________________
Genre:
Science Fiction
Science Fantasy
Fantasy
Swords and Sorcery
Dystopia
Horror
Post Apocalypse
War
Why this book:
Cause I loved the first one.
_________________________________________
The Page 100 Test:
√ ◄ - good to go.
$ ◄ - this is money.
⸮ ◄ - the sarcasm is strong with this one.
∞ ◄ - read on.
ᕦ(ò_óˇ) ◄ - strong
ᕦ(ò_ó)ᕤ ◄ - stronger
The Feel:
Sykes writing is immersive.
Favorite Character:
Sal the Cacophony is an asshole. God, I love her. I can hear Sal the Cacophony's voice. it's gruff and world-weary. It's like this writing plugs directly into my audio-visual cortex. I love it. “To hear the stories, Sal the Cacophony was a woman whose very appearance made the wind hold its breath and birds flee from the sky. they spoke of a woman hard as the blade she carried who came out of the dark and carried fire in her hands, wearing her Vagrant tattoos like they were armor and her scars like trophies, striding across the land and leaving ashes and screams in her wake.”
Favorite Scene:
The "yeah, like that." scene is greatness.
"Holy shit," he whispered, "is that the xxxcking Caco... " I pulled the trigger.
Darrishana's last scene with Sal.
Favorite Quote:
The dedication: For every reader who still carries scars.
Woof. Hit us where we live.
I rounded a corner. And hell came with me.
Favorite Concept:
A skymage who calls hurricanes and focused the power around a spear is pretty awesome. Hurricane spear would make a great RPG weapon.
Uhm Moments:
Sal the Cacophony is a hot mess. I keep thinking she's too badassed for that to happen. Then, I remember, ah...yeah, that's right.
Missed Opportunity:
Wish the crash of the airship had been a bigger scene. Course with flashbacks we may get back to it. Especially since all Sal The Cacophony stories seem to be told in flashback. Reminds me of the final scene in The Mechanic: Resurrection.
Dreamcasting:
My brain keeps thinking of a transgender Keanu playing Sal the Cacophony...and no that my brain has done that I keep seeing Sindra as Carie Anne Moss. Maybe not actually Keanu, but someone similar in demeanor.
Who could be a female Clint Eastwood? Not Eastwood today. Spaghetti Western Clint Eastwood.
Tilda Swinton as Sal. Wow.
Charlize Theron as Agne the Hammer.
The Poker Game/DND Table:
Sal would be awesome to play poker with. The twins too. …Agne too.
Movies and Television:
There are scenes in this that would be great in a movie. The WTF scene when the Giant whatever the hell that is that the Havenites made came crashing through the window.
Soundtrack:
Too Late For Love - Def Leppard
_________________________________________
Pacing:
The pace is incredible. This is a page turner.
Last Page Sound:
Sal being Sal she should've shot Two Lonely Old Men after she finished her wine and then walked away. I loved this book.
Author Assessment:
Love his work.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Reread Pile:
I’d say that when I finish the next book in the trilogy I should re-read it.
=======================================
December 7, 2021
"Dziesięć żelaznych strzał" to kontynuacja powieści "Siedem czarnych mieczy", która mnie oczarowała każdym swoim aspektem 😍 Druga część również mi się podobała, chociaż chyba nieco mniej.
Tym razem również akcja jest podzielona na dwa tory - teraźniejszość i bliska przeszłość - wydarzenia, które odprowadziły do obecnej sytuacji. Przyzwyczaiłam się już do tego typu narracji, więc dobrze mi się czytało w ten sposób rozłożoną fabułę.
Cieszę się z możliwości śledzenia kolejnych losów Sal, która jest taka jak poprzednio - impulsywna, dąży do zemsty, cyniczna, czasem się trochę przechwala, czasem wychodzi na zewnątrz to, że wewnątrz jest nieco pogubiona, ale nie sposób się przy niej nudzić.
W książce poza akcją, ciekawymi dialogami i pewną dawką humoru wyjątkowo wyróżnia się (jak dla mnie) klimat tej historii i tego świata.
Autor przeprowadza nas przez różne ciekawe lokacje, które bardzo wyraźnie zadziałały na moją wyobraźnię. Było bardzo różnorodnie i nastrojowo, a niektóre miejsca z tej książki na długo zapiszą się w mojej pamięci.
W tym tomie pojawia się również sporo nowych pomysłów i wiele z nich było naprawdę ciekawych, jednak niektóre wydały mi się trochę zbyt przekombinowane. Nie brakowało jednak epickich pojedynków i scen, które wzbudziły we mnie silne emocje. Tego było zdecydowanie więcej 🥰
W tym tomie prowadzone zostały nowe postacie, które bardzo polubiłam. Nie od samego początku, ale czytelnik przeżywa z nimi wystarczająco dużo przygód, by w pewien sposób się z nimi zżyć.
Uwielbiam jak kreacje bohaterów są zupełnie różne i tak jest też tutaj, każdy z nich od razu zapada w pamięć. Tutaj jest właśnie tak, każda z postaci jest inna i ma wyraźny charakter.
Podobało mi się również to, że wśród istotnych bohaterów przeważają postaci kobiece, co w książkach fantasy jakie czytam nie zdarza się często. Każda z bohaterek jest inna, lecz nie można odmówić im siły, zawziętości czy głębi charakteru.
Drugi tom przygód Sal Kakofonii jest nieco dłuższy niż pierwszy i również sporo się w nim dzieje, chociaż mam wrażenie, że niektóre fragmenty były zbyt rozwlekłe i mogły być sporo krótsze. Było kilka przestojów, które nieszczególnie mi się podobały.
Nie mniej książkę czytałam z dużym zainteresowaniem i czerpałam z niej wiele przyjemności. Najbardziej podobał mi się klimat i styl tej powieści, jest tu sporo przemocy, wulgaryzmów, magii i akcji.
Cieszę się, ze miałam możliwość przeczytać tę książkę teraz, gdy niedawno skończyłam tom pierwszy. Pozwoliło mi to pełniej zanurzyć się w tym świecie. Sal jest postacią interesującą, której losy bardzo mnie zaangażowały.
Tym razem również akcja jest podzielona na dwa tory - teraźniejszość i bliska przeszłość - wydarzenia, które odprowadziły do obecnej sytuacji. Przyzwyczaiłam się już do tego typu narracji, więc dobrze mi się czytało w ten sposób rozłożoną fabułę.
Cieszę się z możliwości śledzenia kolejnych losów Sal, która jest taka jak poprzednio - impulsywna, dąży do zemsty, cyniczna, czasem się trochę przechwala, czasem wychodzi na zewnątrz to, że wewnątrz jest nieco pogubiona, ale nie sposób się przy niej nudzić.
W książce poza akcją, ciekawymi dialogami i pewną dawką humoru wyjątkowo wyróżnia się (jak dla mnie) klimat tej historii i tego świata.
Autor przeprowadza nas przez różne ciekawe lokacje, które bardzo wyraźnie zadziałały na moją wyobraźnię. Było bardzo różnorodnie i nastrojowo, a niektóre miejsca z tej książki na długo zapiszą się w mojej pamięci.
W tym tomie pojawia się również sporo nowych pomysłów i wiele z nich było naprawdę ciekawych, jednak niektóre wydały mi się trochę zbyt przekombinowane. Nie brakowało jednak epickich pojedynków i scen, które wzbudziły we mnie silne emocje. Tego było zdecydowanie więcej 🥰
W tym tomie prowadzone zostały nowe postacie, które bardzo polubiłam. Nie od samego początku, ale czytelnik przeżywa z nimi wystarczająco dużo przygód, by w pewien sposób się z nimi zżyć.
Uwielbiam jak kreacje bohaterów są zupełnie różne i tak jest też tutaj, każdy z nich od razu zapada w pamięć. Tutaj jest właśnie tak, każda z postaci jest inna i ma wyraźny charakter.
Podobało mi się również to, że wśród istotnych bohaterów przeważają postaci kobiece, co w książkach fantasy jakie czytam nie zdarza się często. Każda z bohaterek jest inna, lecz nie można odmówić im siły, zawziętości czy głębi charakteru.
Drugi tom przygód Sal Kakofonii jest nieco dłuższy niż pierwszy i również sporo się w nim dzieje, chociaż mam wrażenie, że niektóre fragmenty były zbyt rozwlekłe i mogły być sporo krótsze. Było kilka przestojów, które nieszczególnie mi się podobały.
Nie mniej książkę czytałam z dużym zainteresowaniem i czerpałam z niej wiele przyjemności. Najbardziej podobał mi się klimat i styl tej powieści, jest tu sporo przemocy, wulgaryzmów, magii i akcji.
Cieszę się, ze miałam możliwość przeczytać tę książkę teraz, gdy niedawno skończyłam tom pierwszy. Pozwoliło mi to pełniej zanurzyć się w tym świecie. Sal jest postacią interesującą, której losy bardzo mnie zaangażowały.
December 12, 2020
Absolutely epic. This follow up to Seven Blades in Black just goes to a whole other level. I wasn't sure where this story would go after Blades, but this just went places that were shocking, brutal, funny, super-stabby, heart-wrenching and so, so satisfying. After Sal, Liette and Cavric split up, Sal moves on to continue her search for the names on the list, and her search brings her into an eclectic group of new characters on a world-altering mission. These new characters are just fantastic, especially Agne and Urda, and the events that unfold on this new mission will leave you breathless, shocked. laughing and amazed at how it all flows so seamlessly together. I loved the glimpses into Salazanca's past and Sal's internal monologue is just as hilarious, tender, raunchy and raw as you would hope it would be. This book so exceeded my expectations and if you loved the first book, you will not be disappointed in this part of Sal's journey. So looking forward to how all of this resolves in the last book of the series. Sal has become one of my favorite female protagonists and this series is definitely at the top of the list.
"Behind me, I had only ashes. Before me, I had nothing but the list. Nothing but the people in the dark who needed to die for what they did. Nothing but scars and names that had to answer for them.
Nothing but revenge.
And him.
I walked to the door, pushed it open, and together we went out to get it."
"Behind me, I had only ashes. Before me, I had nothing but the list. Nothing but the people in the dark who needed to die for what they did. Nothing but scars and names that had to answer for them.
Nothing but revenge.
And him.
I walked to the door, pushed it open, and together we went out to get it."
August 16, 2023
There were several aspects of this book that I liked more than Seven Blades in Black, but there were also a few things that didn't work quite as well for me. This doesn't feel like a 'book 2' as much as a parallel 'book 1.' We pick up sometime after the events of the first story, but all the character relationships that we explored are either reset, or never mentioned at all. New characters are introduced that by all accounts should have been included in book one. The revenge plot doesn't make much progress, and we spend an incredible amount of time in Sal's head, hearing about what a terrible person she is.
I continue to love the world of this series. It is bleak, bloody, yet fun to explore. The story takes a major shift in this installment, and I am looking forward to see how it wraps up in book three. My favorite thing is following Sal as a main character. She is a walking disaster, completely irreverent, and as morally grey as they come; but I love her enough to hope she'll get her shit together for a proper redemption arc.
I continue to love the world of this series. It is bleak, bloody, yet fun to explore. The story takes a major shift in this installment, and I am looking forward to see how it wraps up in book three. My favorite thing is following Sal as a main character. She is a walking disaster, completely irreverent, and as morally grey as they come; but I love her enough to hope she'll get her shit together for a proper redemption arc.
September 22, 2021
472. That is the number of pages I would rather have read. Cut out 200 pages worth and this would have been a 4.5 star sequel. My gripes are simple: Not enough Agne. Sal's humor has been grating. So too are the repetitive use of phrases. More Agne. Where is Liette's backstory? Darrish felt like a late addition to the series and I wish we could have seen a lot more of her (where she's from, more on her magic, her relationships with Sal and Liette). Oh, and MOAR AGNE!!!
In general, though, I thought this was a good follow up. Sal is growing as a character. Don't get me wrong, she's still a stubborn ass, but she's learning that killing isn't always the answer, nor is it as satisfying as leaving them kneeling pathetically in the dust (great scene!). I never thought we'd get here, but it seems like Sal is entertaining adding the word "forgiveness" to her vocabulary.
In general, though, I thought this was a good follow up. Sal is growing as a character. Don't get me wrong, she's still a stubborn ass, but she's learning that killing isn't always the answer, nor is it as satisfying as leaving them kneeling pathetically in the dust (great scene!). I never thought we'd get here, but it seems like Sal is entertaining adding the word "forgiveness" to her vocabulary.
Read
July 15, 2024DNF - I picked up the first two books in this series for $1 at my library. Sykes was on my wishlist so it was a hard deal to pass up.
I gave the first book two stars. Its chief fault for me was that it was boring. Forgivable if I liked the protagonist and/or was interested in the story but neither pertained in this case.
The first book was just interesting enough that I started this second volume & I gave it a bit more than a hundred pages but I had to admit eventually that I didn’t want to go on.
So, back to the library or a thrift store when I get around to it…
Of course, I don’t want to dictate what others read but this one just wasn’t for me.
I gave the first book two stars. Its chief fault for me was that it was boring. Forgivable if I liked the protagonist and/or was interested in the story but neither pertained in this case.
The first book was just interesting enough that I started this second volume & I gave it a bit more than a hundred pages but I had to admit eventually that I didn’t want to go on.
So, back to the library or a thrift store when I get around to it…
Of course, I don’t want to dictate what others read but this one just wasn’t for me.
July 12, 2025
I love all the characters in this book. They're all unique people with layers and histories, and most of them have me laughing out loud either at or with them. Even the villains, who aren't so much evil people usually, but self righteous, arrogant twats, I love to hate.
The magic is wild and devastating. The land just trying to survive the insane people that walk it.
I don't always (or usually) agree with Sal's choices, but I'm always, always rooting for her to come out the other side of whatever conflict still breathing well enough to crack a joke that any self respecting teenage boy would laugh at.
The magic is wild and devastating. The land just trying to survive the insane people that walk it.
I don't always (or usually) agree with Sal's choices, but I'm always, always rooting for her to come out the other side of whatever conflict still breathing well enough to crack a joke that any self respecting teenage boy would laugh at.
August 27, 2020
If you loved the first book of Gentlemen Bastards and then sorta went "meh" on book 2 thats sorta the feeling with Grave of Empires #2. Its an adventure, a con but its sooooo very angsty, doubt ridden, but we'll kill everyone anyway and pre-lament cause we know we'll never actually lament and we should be lamenting the fact that we won't lament cause its all so sad. Yeah, I almost abandoned it. Almost. In the end I still wanted to see what would happen with Sal even she was on the same track as Sandman Slim and getting all maudlin for 95% of the book.
March 29, 2025
I don't even have words. I binged this one in another full day too. Dear Scions this is an incredible world and such compelling characters. The frame narrative gave me just enough to keep me wondering what the hell led to this end state, I will never not get emotional over Sal and Liette having emotions they refuse to talk to each other about while simultaneously being ride or die, and the ending of this was clear as a mirror in my mind's eye.
I think I'm going to become deranged about this series now. Sal the FUCKING Cacophony, ladies and germs.
I think I'm going to become deranged about this series now. Sal the FUCKING Cacophony, ladies and germs.
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