We Lie With Death

The Reborn Empire #2

by Devin Madson

The empire has fallen and another rises in its place in the action-packed sequel to We Ride the Storm, Devin Madson's brutal and breathtaking epic fantasy.

Into Kisia's conquered north, a Levanti empire is born.

Loyal to the new emperor, Dishiva e'Jaroven must tread the line between building a new life and clinging to the old. But his next choice will challenge all she thinks she knows and everything she wants to believe.

Now empress of nothing, Miko is more determined than ever to claim her empire, yet as her hunt for allies grows increasingly desperate, she may learn too late that power lies not in names but in people.

Abandoned by the Second Swords, Rah must choose a new path. Will honor be his salvation, or lead to his destruction?

Sold to the Witchdoctor, Cassandra's only chance of freedom is in his hands, but when her fate becomes inextricably linked to Empress Hana, her true nature could condemn them both.

THERE IS NO CALM AFTER THE STORM

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Audiobook

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2021

About the author

Devin Madson is an Aurealis Award-winning fantasy author from Australia. After some sucky teenage years, she gave up reality and is now a dual-wielding rogue who works through every tiny side-quest and always ends up too over-powered for the final boss. Anything but zen, Devin subsists on tea and chocolate and so much fried zucchini she ought to have turned into one by now. Her fantasy novels come in all shades of grey and are populated with characters of questionable morals and a liking for witty banter.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review

There is no calm after the storm, Devin Madson has crafted a sequel rich with wonderful character developments and illuminating revelations.

It’s been roughly seven months since I finished reading We Ride the Storm. Ever since I finished it, We Lie With Death instantly became one of my most anticipated books of 2019. Considering the unreasonably high expectations I had for this book, I honestly think that it’s truly praise-worthy that Madson was able to create another novel that repeatedly grabbed my attention. Before I begin my review, I would like to first inform everyone that there’s a “Story So Far” and a Characters List section at the beginning of the book that will help refresh your memories of the first book.

We Lie With Death is the second book in The Reborn Empire quartet by Devin Madson. The story takes place immediately from where the last book left off and I found it to be more character-driven than before. We Ride the Storm has shown the raging war that came upon Kisia, We Lie With Death built upon that tension by developing the characters and expanding the world-building through gripping revelations and resonating themes. I loved reading the clash of culture between Levanti and Kisia. The conflicts between them really portrayed the difficulty in unity between different cultures; they feel applicable to our world.

“A lesson we all ought to remember. There is only one person responsible for your actions and that is yourself.”

The first book also established a strong mystery surrounding the character Leo Villius. We don’t have to wait any longer because a huge chunk of the mysteries has been revealed in this book. I’m seriously happy with the way Madson unveiled the background of Leo; not only it was brilliant, but the revelations also sparked my excitement to read the sequel of this novel as soon as possible. Madson keeps up her efficient and effective storytelling narrative in many ways but it was the most evident in the way she revealed the secrets of the Villius’s family gradually; making sure readers always have something to look forward to within each chapter and beyond the last page of this novel. What made all the mysteries and revelations even more incredible was the way it all subtly connects all the way back to Madson's first trilogy. I’ve said this before, reading The Vengeance Trilogy is not a requirement to enjoy this series, but it would be beneficial. I was constantly gratified by the Easter Eggs I found; even more so in this book. The Easter Eggs this time were provided mostly in Cassandra’s chapters; which was a huge step up from the previous book. The information regarding Overincarnation, the Laroth family, Saki, Empaths, and the souls will have extra weight only if you’ve read The Vengeance Trilogy.

“They had wanted to break our spirit, but they had failed. Levanti could be beaten, tortured, killed, but not broken. Never broken.”

Characters once again stole the spotlights. In my opinion, the greatest changes that Madson imbued into this book was the addition of another POV character: Dishiva e’javoren. I won’t lie, it took me a bit of time to warm up to Dishiva. It wasn't because her POV was badly written, I was just too curious about reading Rah, Cassandra, and Miko’s story that I felt Dishiva’s to be distracting at first. However, the second half of the book changed my early impression of Dishiva completely. Dishiva’s story ended up becoming as good as the other three, possibly even better due to the superbly written camaraderie, mystery, and thrilling elements contained in her POV. Ironically, Rah, who was one of my favorite POV character from the first book ended up becoming the least interesting here. It felt like his character is stuck in the same place mentally since his first appearance; he received the least development compared to the other main characters. It’s very rare for me to find a fantasy series with a majority of female main characters that are badass and easy to root for without needing the phrases “she’s unlike any other woman,” to emphasize. But they’re here. I have mixed feelings on Hana’s POV from Madson’s first trilogy, that’s not the case here because I immensely enjoyed reading the female POV’s of this series; they’re spectacularly developed and all of them have a very distinctive voice to their compelling narrative.

“When you’ve lived out of the world as long as I have you realize how foolish such things as titles and gold are. You begin to measure wealth in knowledge and respect instead.”

Excluding the few minor issues I encountered, the rest of the book was as amazing as its predecessor. We Lie With Death is a fantastic sequel that delivered a fast-paced war story packed with exhilaration, shifting alliances, and unpredictable turn of events. This is the sixth book by Devin Madson that I've read and reviewed; none of them received anything below 4 stars. I'm confident that it's only a matter of time before Madson becomes the next indie success story. You might as well give this series a go as soon as possible. If you're still not sure about this series, this book features a savage head-chopping barbarian babysitting a whimpering dog. Need I say more? The wait for We Lie With Death was worth it, and now I proceed to my next wait for the third book of the series.

Sidenote:
I'm truly honored to be featured in the acknowledgment of this book! :')

Official release date: March 28, 2019

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished copy provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review!

We Ride the Storm ★★★★ 1/4
We Lie with Death ★★★

I need to start this review by explaining a few things about why you should take it with a pinch of salt: I read the first book last year in June, I was planning to read this one sooner when it was released but I wasn’t in the mood for the second book and I wanted to give it a fair chance so I kept putting the reading off till this month. In addition to that I should make it clear that I wasn’t in the best place mentally when I read this one which may have affected my enjoyment of it. That being said, I tried picking up another book and I did not have the same problem with it so I know for sure, part of the problem was from the book itself.

I tried to look for summaries online but wasn’t very successful, I am not generally a re-reader and that’s why I think recaps are such life-savers for both authors and their readers. This book had a “The Story so far” section at the beginning which made me excited but not for long because it was only a page and a half long and didn’t really help me remember the story well. I think book one was complex enough to deserve a longer summary!

Now the story is written from multiple POVs as in book 1 but this time we have 3 instead of 4. I think the POVS were more balanced in the first book and here, I found myself mostly interested in Cassandra’s POV and less so in the other point of views. I think the prose is still very good and the main reason which made me push through this novel.

The characters are okay, But I did not want okay, I wanted more and I never got that. I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed it more if I read it closer to book 1 but it is too late for that now! There is also a characters glossary at the beginning which was a wonderful thing and I don’t think I would have understood anything without it. I don’t remember the characters well from book 1 but I remember I enjoyed them more in that book.

The world-building is still not extensive but I do love the traditions, the different cultures and the reincarnation thing explained in this book. I think the magic system is one of the things that improved in this book!

The pacing was slow, and I did not feel that much was happening, there was a lot of traveling and a lot of running around which made me feel bored for a good portion of the book. I believe it should not have been that long!

Summary: Unfortunately, I expected more of the book but to be fair I relied on the recap provided at the beginning and it was not enough. (I read more than +100 books in between the two books so most of the details just evaporated from my head) The prose is still great but I wanted more from the plot and the characters. I don’t know what will I do with the rest of the series, I may wait till all the book are published and then read it from the beginning once again. I don’t have a decision yet but I am gonna wait and see!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devin Madson’s We Ride the Storm was one of the most welcome surprises of 2018. By now, Madson has firmly established herself as an Aurealis Award-winning epic fantasy mogul, but it wasn’t until WRtS started catching fire among a few fellow bloggers that I decided to give this series a shot. This turned out to be a great decision, as I quickly became lost in a richly detailed world with generations of lore spanning multiple empires. I have been eagerly awaiting the next book in the series and even dove into a prequel novella to learn more about the history of this expansive world. So, I am thrilled to share that We Lie with Death, book two of the Reborn Empire trilogy, successfully ramps up the series’ tension and intrigue while providing plenty of answers to some burning questions that have been brewing since this world’s inception.

There are several distinguishing aspects of Madson’s writing that are once again on full display in We Lie with Death. We add a new POV as Dishiva’s role is expanded, and we now cycle through four viewpoints throughout the story. Every chapter carries substantial weight; each passage is like a short story unto itself. The novel is steeped in symbolism, as the onslaught of the much-ballyhooed rain season stimulates constant change and growth. The name of the Reborn Empire itself has taken on a double meaning; the empire is being restructured and reborn, but it also references the various reincarnated souls and their growing importance to the saga.

Although Rah is immersed in a strange new land, he remains stubborn to the point of naiveté. His story remains compelling due to his constant struggle to protect his fellow clansmen from the evils of enslavement and the temptations of abandoning their long-held values. Yet Rah’s story is also frustrating due to his refusal to allow himself or his people a chance to adapt to a new way of life. Rah’s chapters once again feel like the backbone of the story, as his journey comes full circle in this volume – both figuratively and literally.

“A God. Of death. He rides with us. We are branded in his name that he may always know our sacrifice. We are the Swords that hunt so your hands may be clean. We are the Swords that kill so your soul may be light. We are the Swords that die so you may live.”

Miko is also running out of options, friends, and safe spaces. She is an Empress without a kingdom and all her alliances are in question, so we see her get paired up with some very unlikely companions. Her story is unpredictable, tense, and quite often amusing. Madson instills dark comedy into some of the more harrowing events of the story, and the situational humor that lies just below the stress and violence is both welcome and refreshing.

This mix of humor and horror also carries over to my personal favorite character, Cassandra, the assassin whore who got a two-for-one deal in the Souls department. Her cliffhanger from the end of We Ride the Storm was a corker, and her story rattled around in my head the most during the interim months. I’m happy to report that Cass’s story not only features some incredible character pairings, but also kicks open the door & revealing what she really is, and the truth behind many lingering mysteries. I was genuinely surprised at how much we learned about how souls and religions truly work in this world, and what its implications are for the future. (Hint: big.)

“I had only ever been proud of a job well done, my entire worth connected to the pleasure and death of others. Perhaps it was time to be proud of something else.”

As much as I enjoyed the story, there were a couple of observations I noted in comparison to the first book of the trilogy. There’s a fair bit less action in WLwD, but there is much more intrigue, and as stated above, ANSWERS. Lots and lots of them. Some were even cleverly foreshadowed yet flew right by me at the time. Also, while Dishiva is a necessary POV to allow the reader to witness important scenes, her characterization felt a bit too close to Rah’s to entirely distinguish her on her own merits. Nevertheless, her chapters were some of the most exciting, especially towards the finale, and she wins this book’s coveted How Can You Leave Us Like This? Cliffhanger Award .

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention one the most interesting, suave, and charismatic minor characters I’ve ever encountered in print, fiction or otherwise. The brave and brilliant soldier Swiff is a man of few words – too few, I’d say – but his impact on the story is nothing short of earth-shattering. Never have I fallen so hard and so fast for a character that exudes the essence of wit, personifies the heart of grace, and devastates all admirers across such a small measure of pages. I applaud Madson’s boldness and ingenuity in creating such a memorable character that is sure to rock the foundations of literature itself.

We Lie with Death elevates the Reborn Empire trilogy to new heights, amply raising the stakes for its characters without losing sight of its underlying themes of identity and societal acceptance. Madson writes with a powerful narrative voice that continues to resonate after the last pages are turned. Fans of prolific world-building and the clashing of discordant cultures will find a lot to enjoy with this series, one of my recent favorites.

8.5 / 10

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, completely unbiased review. Or, I gave it my best shot.

On sale March 28th.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5/5

With a richly immersive setting and complex characters, second book in The Reborn Empire series wraps readers in a dark and gritty tale. As far as dark epic fantasy goes, We Lie with Death checks all the boxes. It presents readers with a world so vivid and featuring complex religious and racial divides, it will satisfy genre’s most discriminate enthusiasts. I don’t count myself as one and yet I felt utterly engrossed in the events. 

We Lie with Death expands and deepens the world Madson created. Where We Ride the Storm focused closely on three protagonists, the sequel introduces a new character’s point of view, adding another dimension to the events. I needed time to warm up to Dishiva e’Jaroven, Captain of the Second Swords of Jaroven, but once I did her chapters kept me glued to the pages. Not only does she have an interesting backstory and engaging voice, but she also sheds some light on Dom Leo’s dark secrets and Gideon’s machinations. 

Leo’s presence added a lot of colour and dark humour to the pages of WRTS and most readers took him for a charming, if slightly creepy and eccentric character. It turns out he has a nefarious agenda and he will stop at nothing to make it happen. New reveals surprised me and moved the story in an exciting direction. Prepare for clever twists that will make your jaw drop and nod in appreciation of Madson’s plotting skills.

Rah and Miko’s arcs intertwine as they spend a significant part of the book together. Their thorny relation changes and turns into something interesting, but not cheaply predictable. They come from radically different cultures and the clash is inevitable as showed in scenes where Rah tries to honour deceased by cutting their heads. Miko doesn’t appreciate it - where Rah sees his duty, she sees barbarity. And yet, forced by the events they have to learn to trust each other despite their differences and language barrier. 

Ultimately though, it’s Cassandra Marius’ arc I find most exciting. Madson explains her unique talents and explores them in a darkly humorous way. Let’s just say the unfortunate turn of events will force Cassandra and Empress Han to form an unlikely alliance and their caustic head-to-head lightens dark themes their chapters explore. Cassandra remains my favourite character and I doubt it’ll change.

Along with her remarkable world building, Madson introduces rich supporting characters that are deftly drawn into both the battles and the layered political intrigue. She packs plenty of twists into the story. Though some revelations are predictable, most reveals and unique “magic” system elevate the story above most contemporary dark fantasy. Another great strength of the Reborn Empire series is its exploration of faith, religion, and how those in power adhere and abuse both. 

If it stumbles somewhere, it’s only with pacing. While I admire writers able to create complex mythology and detailed world as a reader I prefer creative minimalism and don’t enjoy all the details. I could live without them. And I would have even more fun.

The last thing that needs mentioning is the quality of the ebook production. Just look at the cover and the font - it looks spectacular. And it doesn’t end here. Each character has its own sigil printed in the beginning of his/her chapter. The book opens with the list of characters and a summary of the key events of the first book allowing the reader to refresh the memories.

I think We Lie with Death is a brilliant sequel. I recommend it to fantasy fans seeking their next dark epic fantasy fix.

ARC through Fantasy Book Critic

[Jon Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Release day!

Reviews for sequels don't need to be long and drawn out. If you liked the first book, you'll love this one. If you loved the first book chances are you're already planning on reading this one. Do it, as soon as you get the opportunity. Madson knocks it out of the park..again. Well done.

I am very thankful to the author for providing me with an ARC and I can't wait to buy the physical copy to add to my collection.

[Terrible Timy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Queen's Book Asylum!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Orbit in exchange of an honest review.

“What is justice if not an idea?” she said. “What is freedom if not an idea? What is culture if not an idea? If you do not fight for it then someone can take it from you. Can take your way of life. Your freedom. Are those things not worth fighting for?”

Events pick up right where they were left off at the end of We Ride the Storm. Miko is forced to fled and find allies to get back Kisia’s throne with her faithful General on her side. Rah leaves the forming Levanti Empire behind after refusing to bow down to Gideon, trying to figure out where he should go. Cassandra finally meets the Witchdoctor, but not exactly the way she planned. Actually, nothing happens the way she planned. In We Lie With Death a fourth POV character joins the others: Dishiva e’Jaroen, who decides to stay with Gideon and help him build the Levanti Empire and keep him safe, even from himself if needed.

I’ll try not to go too much into details regarding the plot, as this is a book you have to discover for yourself. There are so many layers to We Lie With Death that it’s hard to talk about them all without some accidental spoilers. But I’ll try anyway. One of the strengths of Madson‘s book – s we know from book 1 – is her characters. We Lie With Death is purely character driven and hoo boy, it’s hard not to root for at least one of them.

My favorite remains to be Cassandra, whose person is surrounded by mystery. Rest assured, we’ll get a few answers and a bit of explanation of how reincarnation of a soul works for example, or why does Cassandra have a company in Her. And hers is the honor to reveal one big twist which will leave your jaw hanging open. Seriously, I did not see that coming and it also makes Dishiva’s troubles muuuuch more interesting. Not that they weren’t to begin with. But back to Cassandra for a minute. Like it or not her fate is entwined with Empress Hana’s and they have to work together in order to have a chance of survival. One of my favorite parts of this plotline was the house they are delivered to by the Witchdoctor. It has a huge tree in the middle of it and the way Madson described it, makes me want to live in it – after some rebuilding and cleaning, that is. On second thought, it would be a total pain to keep that house up. Anyway. Cassandra keeps finding herself in impossible situations and forced to work closely with others. For someone who prefers to work alone, this is not a fun situation. But fear not, she is still her dirty-mouthed, strong-headed, loud self as always.

Dishiva. I already liked her in We Ride the Storm, and I was really happy to see her getting her own chapters. As one of Gideon’s trusted people, her job is to take care of the safety of Gideon, as the head of the guard. There is a certain someone who, despite Dishiva’s warning, gets close to Gideon while he tries to make his dream of a free Levanti Empire come true. In We Lie With Death, we get to glimpse at Gideon’s pretty complex situation and wonder how aware he is of certain things around himself. Dishiva tries her best to warn him though. Her “reward” for her troubles is being sent for taking care of some problems which just leads Dishiva deeper into politics and her consciousness. Dealing with problems and fulfilling orders seem to be simple enough, but what she doesn’t see coming is that she’ll start questioning her own loyalty and find herself conflicted. My favorite part about her plotline was the way the mystery slowly unfurled around her, made me think I was reading a crime novel – the better kind might I add. It’s amazing, how Madson can wave so many tropes and genres into one novel.

Rah finds himself in a position where he is forced to make an unusual ally and accept some hard truths about himself and the expectations some of the Levanti sets for him. The question is, what does Rah want? Keep living in exile, go home or fight against/for Gideon and his dreams of an Empire? Or something else?

“In darkness you cease to exist as solitude wears your soul to a stub, but nothing could erode the truth in my heart.”

Miko was my least favorite character in We Ride the Storm, but she started to grow on me this time around. She is no longer the spoiled princess who tries to play the adults’ game. Now she has to find her own way to claim her throne and find allies to fight against the Levanti. What she didn’t expect is that she has to fight for the support of her own people and find a way to make a deal with Jie.

One of my favorite things about We Lie With Death is the way the cultures collide with each other. Levanti and Kisian are forced to get closer to each other and learn about the other’s customs, sometimes adapting to them. It’s interesting to see how people can understand, furthermore form a bond with each other without speaking a common language. Also to experience how one’s opinion about a character changes when seeing them through a different character’s eyes. The biggest achievement from Madson is that while I usually don’t like too much traveling in books, she made me not to care about that at all because I was just so engrossed in the characters’ story as it unfurled before my eyes.

If I liked We Ride the Storm, I’m sure as hell loved We Lie With Death. All the POV characters have their distinct voices and you can’t help but turn the pages in your need to learn what happens next. This is that kind of book which makes you promise yourself you’ll only read one more chapter. Let me spare you of lying to yourself: you won’t be able to stop. Every chapter ends in a mini climax urging you to read on. By the end, you won’t be able to contain your feelings and probably will curse Devin Madson by leaving you hanging, waiting for the next book like a drug addict waits for the next shot. Or Stiff, if we are talking about Cassandra.

We Lie With Death is cleverly written, intricate and addictive, merging genres like it’s the most natural thing in the world while handling topics with a sensitivity that shows Madson’s genius. If you didn’t read We Ride the Storm yet, start it now because you don’t want to miss out on We Lie With Death!

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know what they say after a storm? It clears the air, but there was no calm after the storm in We Lie with Death. The world building is once again rich and brutal and I was once again delighted to see characters taking their own paths, accepting the hand that fate had dealt them and becoming all the stronger for it. I only very recently finished reading We Ride the Storm and the first thing I did was request the next book in the series on netgalley, thankfully the book gods granted my request and here I am basking in the glory of the empire of Kisia.

I was hesitant and on edge before diving into this book not because I thought it was going to be an awful experience but because I had built up my expectations to be unnaturally high. We’ve all been there; you love a book so much that you daren’t believe that a sequel could even match the high you’ve just been taken on. Well, Madson doesn’t disappoint…I don’t think its possible that the author can write a bad book. The magic, the elegance and the culture immediately whisks you off into lands unknown. Its impossible to fight it.

Oh, and the biggest plus point that I personally feel has been missing from fantasy books…THE STORY SO FAR. A recap, yes…FINALLY!

We Lie with Death carries on immediately after We Ride the Storm and the brakes aren’t applied through-out the book. The action is like a shovel to the face and doesn’t stop for a breath, not even for a minute. The characterisation is stronger, the personalities coming through to the reader in 8k definition. I fell harder for characters than I even thought possible and I was the biggest cheerleader mainly for Rah( Boy does he know how to get into trouble)! The reader gets more of an understanding about the conflicts between cultures. The cracks appearing between Levanti and the Kisians. The power of politics is never too far away from the fray and you can almost feel sorry for some of the characters (ALMOST)!

We Lie with Death is a masterpiece in storytelling and having that ability to know when the perfect time is to drop those bombshells. I didn’t know whether to pull my hair out or scream for joy at some of them but then that’s the intense mastery portrayed by Madson. The plot surrounding Cassandra is growing thicker by the page and my greedy little fingers couldn’t turn the pages quick enough; I wanted to learn more about souls, reincarnation and overincarnation. It just added so much more depth to the narrative.

We Lie with Death has an atmospheric sense of place. An absolute treat from a superbly unique voice in fantasy.

[Jordan (Forever Lost in Literature) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic installment!

Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

When I read We Ride the Storm last year, I had no idea how much I would end up loving it or that it would become the start of a new trilogy that I would be endlessly anticipating as it continues to be released. We Lie With Death is an intricate, gritty, richly developed, and highly satisfying follow-up that I sincerely enjoyed and cannot recommend enough to others to pick up. The mixture of racial tension, political intrigue, religious strife, and many other thematic elements were developed even more in this installment and allowed the plot to be propelled even further.

Before I even read the first page of the book, Madson managed to exceed my expectation by including a "the story so far" recap and detailed character list that I always immensely appreciate in fantasy books. This is the perfect way to refresh your memory before diving into the sequel, as it was short but filled with just enough information to catch your up on the biggest details from the first book.

We Lie With Death has a much different pace than We Ride the Storm, but it somehow managed to be just as captivating and exciting as the first book. The pacing this time around felt a bit slower, a bit more plotting, and more complex and unpredictable than before. There were a lot of mysteries introduced in the first book that were further explored or answered in this book in ways that I never saw coming and that have left satisfied with what I know, but still yearning to know more in future books.

The characters remained some of the most compelling components of the story. We continue to follow Rah, Miko, and Cassandra, as well as the newest addition, Dishiva. I didn't expect to have a new POV from Dishiva, but I ended up feeling extremely grateful to have it and follow things from her station in the story. Cassandra and Miko remain two incredibly compelling characters who are both exceptionally strong in their own unique ways. They are also both rather cunning, but aren't without faults or the ability to make mistakes or false judgments. Rah continued to be a fascinating character to follow as well, though I feel he had slightly less development than his female counterparts. His journey is still fascinating to follow and I liked seeing how he handles all of his life circumstances, but he just didn't seem as changed as the others.

This book also allowed us to explore some new locations of the world created by Madson, which I found rather exciting, and I also liked meeting some new characters, such as the Witchdoctor, as well as becoming reacquainted with old ones, such as Empress Hana. I felt that there was a lot more to delve deeper into regarding religions, tensions between various peoples, and individual characters themselves that has turned this into an even more complex and page-turning story.

One of the best things about Madson's writing is her ability to mix serious themes and tones with humor and a somewhat more lighthearted-narrative at times. Don't get me wrong--this is not a lighthearted story, but it is one that has a great balance of darkness and violence with moments that help to keep things more entertaining and realistic. As I mentioned above, the pacing is slower than the first book, but it's still not a slow pace. There is more plotting and discussions and revelations, but there's also plenty of action to keep things moving forward.

As a quick side note, I'd like to note that this book was initially scheduled to be release on March 28th, 2019, but it has been (temporarily) pushed back. I do not have an updated publication date, but don't let that stop you from starting this series and looking forward to the sequel's release! It is absolutely worth it.

Overall, I've given We Lie With Death a well-deserved five stars!

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed We Ride the Storm and don’t know why it took me so long to get to We Lie With Death, but I definitely enjoyed this one as well. Book one was a new experience for me, as it is a first-person story but from three different points of view, and I’m used to such stories being in the third person.

Here, we get that again, but with more characters. As a result, I think I really benefitted from listening to the audiobook for this as there were different voice actors for each character.

It was a good story, and a good continuation of the series that has really built my desire to continue. It takes everything from book one and builds on it, so for the most part, everything is bigger, bolder, and better.

Initially, when I found out that there were going to be additional POV characters, I was unsure. I didn't see enough in those characters in book one to interest me in them, but getting more of them here, we obviously get to know them a lot better, and I ended up really appreciating them.

[Steve Kimmins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is showing every sign of being a truly great epic. The first volume, We Ride the Storm, was one of my favourites from last year. This second volume certainly continues in good style.
Edit - I initially thought the series a trilogy but I’m told it’s a quartet so the review is modified to accommodate that!

The four leading characters who featured in #1 continue each with their own chapter headings, plus one new POV, another Levanti captain.

There were times when I was reading this book where I could feel it’s a second volume in a series. It doesn’t have the dynasty shattering events and battles of #1. The world building, and the back stories of all the parties had been completed in #1.
In this volume everyone is getting used to the new landscape after the drama of #1, new rulers and alliances, albeit unstably fashioned. But I’m fine with this breather, where everyone is taking stock of the situation. It’s the same with each POV, all of them a bit out of place, unsure what their roles or ambitions should be. They even wander around the countries involved in the conflict a little aimlessly. In general that worked fine as for most of the POVs it allowed them to determine new targets for themselves which will no doubt lead to an epic #3.
Maybe for Rah, the Levanti captain, the arch traditionalist in his nomadic people and a favourite in #1, I felt he hadn’t grown as much as I’d hoped, so I lost a little enthusiasm for his thread in the story. Cassandra’s story had the potential to be very confusing given the ‘body swapping’ that goes on, but in the end I didn’t have trouble following it!
It’s a fantasy low on the supernatural, aside from some body swapping, but where it is present, with the creepy Leo, it did add a nice mystery to the story.

It’s all well set up for #3, which I’m looking forward to.

Probably because of my love of the world building stages in excellent fantasy series this volume didn’t enthral me quite as much as #1, so 4.5* rather than 5. All the same, if #3 lives up to expectations this looks like it’s going to be a top class fantasy series.

[Rosalyn Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in December 2018 I read We Ride The Storm, the first book in The Reborn Empire series by Devin Madson and I LOVED it. It was my book of 2018. Fast-forward to December 2019 and I finished the second book, We Lie With Death, and also massively enjoyed it!

This second novel picks up soon after the first one ends. The empire of Kisia has been conquered by the Levanti, and they’re settling in. The new emperor, Gideon, is doing his best to keep his Levanti people together while also attempting to get the conquered Kisians on side by adopting some of their practices. The Chiltaens are licking their wounds back in their country, and there’s one person who is back in Kisia – even though they already died… The Kisians are reeling from the invasion, and different factions are plotting their revenge.

The story is told from four point of view characters. The captain Dishiva is loyal to Gideon, but also to her roots. The Levanti are horse people who ride in herds across the plains. So, the niceties and etiquette of the Kisians is a complete contrast to what she knows. She’s suspicious about the back-from-the-dead person who Gideon seems to favour, but every effort she makes to uncover the truth is thwarted. This makes her even more wary of their intentions and more determined to discover what secrets this resurrected person is keeping.

We also hear again from Rah e’Torin, the banished captain of the Second Swords. He upholds the Levanti honour code to the bitter end, and that has got him into some trouble with the new emperor. He’s cast out from the herd and must find his way again – is he what the Levanti need in Kisia or should he head back to the plains? He pairs up with an unlikely ally and spends a lot of time with a dog in the rain pondering what he should do next.

The ousted Kisian empress Miko is in hiding, she’s attempting to gather allies to her to retake her throne. But getting anywhere in the Kisian rain is a bit of a nightmare – and then people she thinks she can trust, betray her – or die. She knows who she needs, but he’s inconvenienced in the new emperor’s dungeons.

And lastly, we hear again from Chiltaen whore and assassin Cassandra – my favourite! – who is now in the care of a Witchdoctor who is studying Cassandra’s strange ability. Cassandra wants the second voice out of her head, but discovers the alternative could be worse, much worse. She ends up partnering with the last person you’d imagine she’d end up with and their adventures – often at crossed purposes – is fun to witness.

I love the writing style of this author. I got swept along in each of the narratives and could read for hours without tiring. The imagery is vivid and unique and the turn of phrase of the Levanti is distinctive. The dialogue naturally flows and the internal dialogue of each character is authentic.

Although I really enjoyed this, I didn’t quite love it as much as book one. I found Dishiva’s narrative a little slow and Rah and Miko both spend a lot of time floundering in the rain (there’s a lot of rain in this book!) on long journeys. Cassandra was the only character who, for me, had lots of action and intrigue and interesting twists.

So, although the pace wasn’t as fast as book one, it’s still a brilliant read and I can’t wait for book three. This is a great read for those who love Asian-inspired fantasy, grittier reads with multiple POV characters and beautifully crafted prose.

This review and more on my blog www.rosalynkelly.co.uk/blog
* I received a review copy from the author

[Terrible Timy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The review was originally posted on RockStarlit BookAsylum!

I've got an ARC from Devin Madson in exchange of an honest review.

“Alive one moment, dead the next, the weight of each individual soul upon the world as fleeting as a daylight sparrow.”

Events pick up right after they were left off at the end of We Ride the Storm. Miko is forced to fled and find allies to get back Kisia's throne with her faithful General on her side. Rah leaves the forming Levanti Empire behind after refusing to bow down to Gideon, trying to figure out where he should go. Cassandra finally meets the Witchdoctor, but not exactly the way she planned. Actually, nothing happens the way she planned. In We Lie With Death a fourth POV character joins to the others: Dishiva e'Jaroen, who decides to stay with Gideon and help him build the Levanti Empire and keep him safe, even from himself if needed.

I usually give a little summary about the plot, but this time I'm trying to avoid it, as this is a book you have to discover for yourself. There are so many layers to We Lie With Death that it's hard to talk about them all without some accidental spoilers. But I'll try anyway. One of the strenghts of Madson's book is her characters. We Lie With Death is purely character driven an hoo boy, it's hard not to root at least for one of them.

My favorite remains to be Cassandra, whose person is surrounded by mystery. Rest assured, we'll get a few answers and a bit of explaination of how reincarnation of a soul works for example, or why does Cassandra has a company in Her. And hers is the honour to reveal one big twist which will leave your jaw hang open. Seriously, I did not see that coming and it also makes Dishiva's troubles muuuuch more interesting. Not that they weren't to begin with. But back to Cassandra for a minute. Like it or not her fate is entwined with Empress Hana's and they have to work together in order to have a chance of survival. One of my favorite parts of this plotline was the house they are delivered to by the Witchdoctor. It has a huge tree in the middle of it and the way Madson described it, makes me want to live in it - after some rebuilding and cleaning, that is. I sometimes found a bit hard to follow the explanations about the souls and I still not entirely sure I understand how Cassandra's "problem" works, but at least good old Cassandra was her usual self fighting, not giving up when she wants something and not hiding her opinion. 

Dishiva. I already liked her in We Ride the Storm, and I was really happy to see her getting her own chapters. As one of Gideon trusted people, her job is to take care of the safety of Gideon, as the head of the guard. There is a certain someone who despite Dishiva's warning gets close to Gideon while he tries to make his dream of a free Levanti Empire come true. He is so occupied with his plans and ambitions, that doesn't heeds Dishiva's warnings. Instead, after several "incidents" happening around her, Gideon sends her to deal with a camp of deserters as well as Koi - which a Kisian army led by Jie - or as Emperor Kin the second as he is called now - and his grandfather, Odayama. But what she doesn't see coming is that she'll start questioning her own loyalty and find herself conflicted when she steps into that camp. My favorite part about her plotline was the way the mystery slowly unfurled around her, made me think I was reading a crime novel - the better kind might I add. It's amazing, how Madson can wave so many tropes and genres into one novel.

Rah finds himself in a position where he is forced to make an unusual allie and accept some hard truths about himself and the expectations some of the Levanti sets for him. The question is, what does Rah want? Still live in exile, go home or fight against Gideon and his dreams of an Empire? Just a quoute which gives back Rah's personality:

"In darkness you cease to exist as solitude wears your soul to a stub, but nothing could erode the truth in my heart."

Miko was my least favorite character in We Ride the Storm, but she started to grow on me this time around. She is no longer the spoiled princess who tries to play the adult's game. Now she has to find her own way to claim her throne and find allies to fight against the Levanti. What she didn't expect is that she has to fight for the support of her own people and find a way to make a deal with Jie. 

One of my favorite things about We Lie With Death is the way the cultures collide with each other. Levanti and Kisian are forced to get closer to each other and learn about the other's custom, sometimes adapting to them. It's interesting to see how people can understand furthermore form a bond between each other without speaking a common language. It's interesting to experience how one's opinion about a character changes when seeing them through a different character's eyes than before. 

If I liked We Ride the Storm, I'm sure as hell loved We Lie With Death. All the POV characters have their distinct voices and you can't help but turn the pages in your need to learn what happens next. This is that kind of book which makes you promise yourself you'll only read one more chapter. Let me spare you to lie to yourself: you won't be able to stop. Every chapter ends in mini climax urging you to read on. By the end you won't be able to contain your feelings and probably will curse Devin Madson by leaving you hanging, waiting for the next book like a drug addict waits for the next shot. We Lie With Death is cleverly written, intricate and addictive, merging genres like it's the most natural thing in the world, while handling topics with a sensitivity that shows Madson's genius. If you didn't read We Ride the Storm yet, start it now, because you don't want to miss We Lie With Death!

[Izzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We Lie with Death was a decent sequel, but after absolutely adoring the first book, We Ride the Storm, and rating it five stars, I admit I was left a little disappointed. For the first half or so of the book, I was just pretty bored. Eventually, the threads started to come together and the book redeemed itself, and so I gave it three stars.

I'm hoping that this was just a case of middle-book syndrome, and so I'm still eagerly awaiting the final instalment of this trilogy later in the year!

[Iryna *Book and Sword*]

The cover is amazing!

I don't know how I fell out of the loop and missed this book being a thing so soon, but I'm here for it. Well, I'm here for Cassandra, so she better not disappoint! Just a month to wait, I can manage.
Right?

My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
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[Juliano Dutra · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20%. Had some problems with de plot and even prose on the first book, but i liked the how the characters traits when they were initially introduced.
I thought that, after their passivity in the first book, they could make more pragmatic decisions for their actions and goals, but .... Nothing happens and they just whine that no one acts as they think they should.
I believe that good authors can make the books interesting, even when the characters have their means of action restricted, as an example: the attempt to extract meaning and what is their role from then on...
A pity, because the Audiobook narrators are excellent !!!

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Devin Madson's writing. Her world building and politics are of epic proportions. I love the mixture of paranormal and game of thrones. I enjoyed this one perhaps a tad bit more than the first, and that's saying a lot.

Less than 2 weeks until the 3rd books comes out. I'm stoked!

[L'ours inculte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Devin Madson a démarré sa trilogie The reborn empire avec We ride the storm. C’est un roman classique mais efficace, une fantasy épique dans un univers d’inspiration asiatique, avec des personnages complexes. On retrouve donc Rah, Miko, Cassandra et une nouvelle arrivée dans We lie with death. Préparez-vous, ça va décoiffer très très lentement.

L’empire est tombé après l’invasion de Kisia par les Chiltaens, mais la fin du tome précédent nous a réservé une belle surprise (donc, spoiler sur le tome 1, attention). Ce sont les Levanti qui se sont retournés contre leurs maîtres et ont pris le contrôle de la capitale. Gideon s’est proclamé empereur, Rah est emprisonné, Miko l’héritière du trône a réussi à s’enfuir et maintenant il faut recoller les morceaux et consolider cet équilibre précaire. Cassandra, de son côté, a toujours un léger problème de personnalités multiples, et elle est désormais entre les mains du Witchdoctor, un espèce de docteur maboule qui trifouille l’âme des gens, et très intéressé par la double-âme de l’assassine. Nous découvrons dans ce second tome un nouveau point de vue qui suit Dishiva e’Jaroven, une capitaine Levanti restée fidèle à Gideon mais qui va vouloir élucider certains mystères dans l’entourage de l’empereur. Surtout lorsqu’un certain Leo se ramène tranquillement aux portes de la cité, pimpant malgré sa décapitation récente.

Après la fin du premier tome, je pensais que la série était lancée, et que le tome 2 ne serait que guerroyage et coups de poignards dans le dos, mais noooooon. Ce second tome est tout mou. Au début j’ai trouvé ça dommage, mais en fait, ce n’est pas tant un défaut que ça, le rythme est lent, y’a pas de grandes bataille, mais on se laisse facilement embarquer (malgré pas mal d’aller-retours qui n’aboutissent pas à grand chose). We lie with death repose essentiellement sur les trajectoires et le développement de ses personnages, et sur l’approfondissement des mystères qui planent un peu partout. Avec les perspectives de Cassandra et Dishiva on va creuser pas mal les questions d’âmes et de réincarnations, et on essaye d’expliquer l’énigme de Leo, ce personnage louche qui traine partout et manipule tout le monde. Miko et Rah vont passer un peu de temps ensemble, cette collaboration met en évidence toute la subtilité des points de vue et des allégeance dans cette histoire.

J’ai beaucoup aimé les perspectives de chaque personnage qui sont tout sauf manichéennes, aucun n’est aveuglément fidèle à sa faction, tous remettent en question les agissements de leur camp, de leur chef, et globalement la dynamique de cette guerre. C’est à un tel point qu’on a parfois du mal à comprendre qui bosse avec qui, entre les Kisian qui sont alliés aux Levanti, les Kisian qui veulent reprendre le pays, ceux qui veulent capturer Miko mais pas tous pour la même raison. Les personnages essayent globalement de concilier leurs actions, leur morale, et les circonstances un peu bordéliques. Rah est toujours un exemple frappant de ce conflit interne, il veut retrouver les valeurs de son peuple mais se refuse à tout plaquer pour rentrer chez lui. Il est partagé entre son honneur, les traditions de son peuple, son affection pour Gideon qui est son mentor, et sa volonté de justice.

Mais petit à petit se dégage la menace de ce personnage omniscient, cette idole religieuse réincarnée qui apparait comme un stratège manipulateur. Et tous nos protagonistes essayent d’en savoir plus sur ce marionnettiste qui joue sur plusieurs tableaux, et semble impossible à tuer. Ce personnage est génial parce qu’il apparait comme tellement indéboulonnable qu’il suscite le désespoir, comment lutter contre un immortel omnipotent ? C’est aussi quelque-chose que j’ai beaucoup aimé, la manière dont le livre découvre ce mystère sur pattes par plusieurs perspectives, amenant parfois plus de questions que de réponses, mais avec ce petit sourire en coin. T’as vraiment envie de lui foutre des baffes à celui-là !

We lie with death est un tome 2 très tranquille du point de vue du rythme, mais qui arrive à capter le lecteur grâce à des personnages complexes qui se débattent dans une situation incontrôlable. C’est essentiellement du développement de personnages et le déroulement d’une intrigue mystérieuse à tiroirs, on explore un empire en ruines dont tout le monde cherche à reprendre le contrôle, chacun pour des motivations différentes mais valables. Je lirai le tome 3 avec plaisir pour suivre ces personnages dans leurs quêtes !

https://ours-inculte.fr/we-lie-with-d...

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This is a solid follow up in the Reborn Empire fantasy series. I appreciated that was more worldbuilding and character development in this second volume.

The series continues to be easy to follow with a narrative that moves along at a good pace. I thought this book was a good balance between politics and battle. This series still has not completely pulled me in but I'm still curious enough to see where it's going. 

I would recommend these booke to readers looking for an underhyped series. However you must start back at the beginning with We Ride the Storm.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[JJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a bloody, exhilarating sequel that puts the screws to our MCs - facing new allies and old enemies. This book I thought was a bit heavier on the politics, and I loved it for it.

Definitely recommend this series. Excited to pick up book 3!

[Amanda J Spedding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant next instalment of the Reborn Empire. Stakes are raised, battles rage on personal and empiric fronts, and a new voice has been added to the storytelling who may just turn out to be my favourite.

Madson's prose is beautiful and brutal, the political machinations pulling no punches, but always there are the characters whose tales you can't help but invest in... and that's the true art of storytelling.

The sigils for each of the narrators are incredible pieces of art, and such a unique way to introduce each voice.

Cannot recommend enough.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review is here, on my blog!~

Well, this one picks up pretty much where We Ride the Storm left off. The Kisian Empire is fractured, with the Levanti claiming a good chunk of it, and Miko Ts’ai attempting to claim the other, with pushback.

Rah e’Torin has been exiled from the rest of the Levanti and left pretty much to die, but runs into some trouble which ends up leaving him with an unexpected companion.

Cassandra is stuck with Empress Hana, who has been sold along with her to the Witchdoctor who wants to do experiments on her. At the same time, he is the only one who can free her from her… affliction, so she’s willing to tolerate them. Her and the empress end up becoming fairly close due to their circumstances as well.

And we see part of this story from the POV of Dishiva e’Jaroven as well, who is the new Commander of the Imperial Guard. She is guarding the new Emperor from threats coming from inside, while also keeping an eye on one Dom Leo Villius, the son of the Chiltean Hieromonk, who has showed up quite unexpectedly, considering the state he was left in after the conquest of the Empire.

I love love loved this story, as it answered some of the questions that I had been left with in book one, not the least of which is what exactly Cassandra’s affliction is, and how it can be used. We do find out more about that in this volume, and I thought it was fantastic. I ended up really latching onto Dishiva, despite her being kind of new, and rooted for her to win the day.

I also really enjoyed Rah’s adventures in this one, even more so than in the first book. He is sent out on his own in this one, and we get to see how he fares without his Swords behind him. He is a very honorable man, and feels a bit as if he is the only Levanti with any honor left. When he runs into his new companion, I wasn’t expecting them to stick together as long as they did, but I found myself loving the relationship between them all the same. I have feelings about this, and I hope they are resolved in some way.

And Cassandra… oh Cassandra. I wasn’t sure what I thought of her portion of the story when it started, but when her and Hana got closer together, I’ll admit that I was hooked! She’s so crass in a way that I can relate to. She knows what she wants and she’ll fight to get it, and the dynamic between her and Hana was awesome, because one is very proper (as an Empress should probably be) and one is very, very not. This is on top of the voice that lives in Cassandra’s head throwing Her 2 cents in from time to time.

But, the big winner here in terms of characters that I didn’t know whether to admire or loathe or… maybe a bit of both I think? (???) is Dom Leo Villius. Wow. Just… Damn, my dude.

This was such a hard book to put down. The world is vivid and easy for me to imagine. The plot rolls right along at a rather brisk pace, and I found myself making time at work and while eating to read snippets of it, because I just could not tear myself away. Still just as well written as the first volume, this one continues the story in a way that satisfied and yet left me wanting more. It twisted, it turned, it constantly left me surprised and excited to pick it up and read more.

Fantastic read! More more more more more, pls!

Thanks to the author for the review copy! :)

[L'encre de la magie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avis Lecture 🧐 📖 "We Lie with Death", The Reborn Empire tome 2, Devin Madson 🏯

Sept mois déjà que j'ai lu le tome 1 et la novella : "In Shadow we fall" (d'ailleurs sublime au passage ! 💕). J'avais beaucoup aimé la tension que l'autrice instille tout au long de son récit, ça et surtout les personnages ! 🤩

On est dans un univers de Fantasy Asiatique, avec de riches et complexes intrigues politiques et notamment religieuses dans ce tome 2, ce qui n'est pas pour me déplaire !
Aux trois points de vue principaux s'ajoute un 4eme, qui bien qu'il ne soit pas mon préféré, ajoute tout de même un peu de rebondissements. J'ai retrouvé avec plaisir Miko, notre impératrice et surtout... Surtout Cassandra, notre courtisane assassine ! Je trouve ce personnage extrêmement fou. Et bien que tout ses passages n'aient pas été faciles à suivre (je rappelle que le personnage est habitée par une double personnalité-pour ne pas vous spoiler 😜), je me suis régalé dans ses chapitres ! 💕

Par contre si le tome 1 avait été prenant et rapidement, ici l'autrice prend son temps. Ce n'est pas forcément négatif, mais ça peut expliquer pourquoi j'ai mis ma lecture en pause (ça et l'arrivée de Katherine Addison dans ma PAL 😂).
Ceci dit, cette lenteur permet d'approfondir nos personnages et les voir évoluer également. Et pour le coup ce tome se révèle très riche, sans compter le cliffhanger de malade 😂
Au delà de l'évolution de nos personnages, ces lenteurs nous permettent aussi de plonger aux cœurs des intrigues et nous offre également son lot de révélations... Notamment concernant le titre de la série 🤩👍

Le tome 3 est delà dans ma PAL, le 4eme sort tout bientôt... J'ai donc hâte de poursuivre mes lectures 😁

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com

This one starts off almost immediately after the events of We Ride the Storm. Miko is on the run, her empire shattered into fragments. Rah is also on the run, after refusing to bow to the Levanti Emperor who conquered part of Kisia. Cassandra has been sold to the Witchdoctor, and finds herself in his custody with Emperess Hana, being experimented on. Cassandra's willing to just go along with it, because the Witchdoctor may be the only person in the world that can help her get rid of the extra voice in her head. We also get POV chapters from Dishiva e'Jaroven, the commander of the new Levanti Emperor's Imperial Guard. She's doing her new job to the best of her ability, but there are some pretty shady shenanigans going on, and it's up to her to figure out who is murdering pilgrims coming into the city. I really latched onto Dishiva and her story. It was really compelling, and I found myself reading on well past bedtime just to get more of it.

Cassandra and Hana are like polar opposites. One is very proper, like an empress should be, and the other is very not-proper, as an assassin/prostitute would probably be. Nevertheless, the relationship between Hana and Cassandra grew on me, because they both decide to make the best of their situation and just roll with whatever comes their way.

Rah finds himself with a new companion on his flight from the Levanti Emperor's dungeon. I really enjoyed how the relationship between them developed, especially considering that there is a good chunk of their journey together in which they don't speak the same language.

I loved this book just as much the second time as I did the first. Maybe a little more! The story was basically the same as I remembered, but all the same it felt fresh and new. It was fantastically written, and the pacing was nice and brisk and had me reading into the wee hours. There were bits that I had forgotten that surprised me yet again. I'd also forgotten the big reveal nearer to the end, and so I found myself asking the same question I had the first time around: what's in the box? What indeed, We Lie With Death. What indeed.

This was a great addition to a great series and I cannot wait to get We Cry for Blood into my eyes. If you haven't had a chance to read We Ride the Storm, run don't walk. This was a fantastic follow-up!

Thanks to the author, as well as Orbit via NetGalley for the review copy!

[Birte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering my feelings for the first book have cooled quite a bit but I already owned the sequels I was apprehensive because the characters in the first book were so aggravating that it took the fun out of reading the book for me.

But in this I actually enjoyed the story and the characters way more. They stuck to their principles and their actions made sense to me even if I really disliked it. Also we got more interaction between the POVs and interwove storylines, which was fun.

There also were a lot of revelations and some small nods to the "Vengeance" trilogy, which I would not have minded more of. And the revelations were interesting especially with the overarching plot. So, all in all this was a great improvement to the first book. There was a kind of romantic thing going on, which I disliked immensely though.

[Janelle Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in this series, We Ride the Storm, was on of my favorite reads in 2019. I eagerly looked forward to this follow-up, and it was everything I wanted it to be.

The story picks up almost immediately after the previous book ended. It follows the POV from the previous characters - Rah, Cassandra, and Miko - and adds a new POV with Dishiva, one of my personal favorite characters from the previous book. I was pleasantly surprised that we got a look into her world, and it expands the story in unique ways. Cassandra, however, still remains my favorite character. There are questions answered in this story that were left unanswered by the first book, and mysteries are revealed in utterly satisfying ways.

The characters remain a strong point in this author's writing. There voices are unique, so you always know who you are following. Their character arcs are well done. Miko is on the run, with no solid place to land and followed by her trusty general. She must find allies to help her win her empire back, but who can she trust? She tries to stay hidden from her enemies, and is joined by Rah through happenstance. Rah's character arc remains consistent. He is unwilling to change his Levanti ways, like his brother Gideon has, who has declared himself Emperor of the new combined Empire. Rah is unbending and brittle, stubbornly refusing to give up his identity, and it has far-reaching effects. There is something admirable about his stubbornness, though it does get him into trouble. Cassandra has been sold to a Witchdoctor, who performs experiments on her to try and learn all he can about She, who is living in Cassandra's body. Just who is this She? How expansive are Cassandra's dual souls? Who actually belongs in control of Cassandra's body? Who was there first? I must say, Cassandra's chapters remained my favorites, because time after time, Madson manages to make the unveiling of the mystery utterly captivating, dragging the reader along with some bread crumbs, and making each new reveal so satisfying. Dishiva has been made the head of Emperor Gideon's bodyguards. She's caught up in the political machinations of this new Empire, and is torn between her loyalty to Gideon and her loyalty to the old Levanti ways. Which will win out?

The worldbuilding is, much like the first book, spot on. The magic is unique, especially concerning Cassandra. And the interweaving of politics, cultures, action, moral dilemmas, interpersonal relationships, and character development once again left me in awe. Madson has created an immersive reader experience, one that you don't often find so seamlessly.

A huge 5/5 stars. Do yourself a favor and pick up this series. You won't be disappointed.

*This review originally published on Booknest.eu*

[Cerviallacarica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75

Secondo libro della tetralogia che riprende subito dopo il casino del primo.
Qui i vari personaggi devono stabilizzarsi dopo il suddetto casino, quindi c'è un approfondimento di ognuno di loro in relazione al nuovo ordine delle cose.
Li vediamo interagire, ragionare sul futuro e sul passato mentre vivono un presente tutto nuovo e pieno di incertezze.
Ho amato tutto e ho amato la calma che si prende l'autrice per esplorare tutte le dinamiche, la politica, l'implicazione di ogni azione e il gioco del muori sempre protagonista.
Alcune rivelazioni del sistema magico sono da impazzire e non vedo l'ora di scoprire tutto.

[Vigasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid continuation that deserves all the stars :)

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hooooly shoot. What a novel.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023: my impressions did not change much after re-reading. i really like the worldbuilding here, especially everything about Levante people and their customs

2021: really like: the political intrigue, most of the characters and their grayness, the slow burn (awww), the magic elements, no infodumping
could be better: there are some chapters or just pages that are too slow and a bit boring. I'm also not that interested in Cassandra's storyline, waiting for it to become related to the others

overall: really entertained by this series, starting 3rd book

[Alan Baxter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel to We Ride The Storm. Intrigue and backstabbing, action and mayhem, all set in a wonderfully realised world with complex, compelling characters. Get on this series, folks, it’s great.