A Fool's Hope: Book Two

The Last War #2

by Mike Shackle

War takes everything.

From Tinnstra, it took her family and thrust her into a conflict she wanted only to avoid. Now her queen's sole protector, she must give everything she has left to keep Zorique safe.

It has taken just as much from Jia's revolutionaries. Dren and Jax - battered, tortured, once enemies themselves - now must hold strong against their bruised invaders, the Egril.

For the enemy intends to wipe Jia from the map. They may have lost a battle, but they are coming back. And if Tinnstra and her allies hope to survive, Jia's heroes will need to be ready when they do.

The sequel to the darkly fantastic WE ARE THE DEAD: with more unflinching action, A FOOL'S HOPE sees Jia's revolutionaries dig in their heels as they learn that wars aren't won in a day.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Dark

553 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 3, 2020

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

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ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

A Fool’s Hope wonderfully surprised me; it is one of the finest middle installment I’ve ever read.

Alright, it is frankly unbelievable and ridiculous that many fantasy readers haven’t started reading this trilogy yet. I finished reading We Are the Dead earlier this year, and I was amazed by it already. A Fool’s Hope, the second book in The Last War trilogy by Mike Shackle, somehow managed to exceeded over its predecessor in every possible way.

“That’s the point. The problem when you think you’re an invincible fighting force is that you stop learning, evolving. It makes you predictable. Then the Egril showed us that we were only too beatable. We stopped being afraid of anyone. We stopped growing as warriors.”

The story in A Fool’s Hope starts immediately from where the first book ended, and it revolves around the Jia’s continuous war and revolution against the Egril. I’m genuinely impressed by Shackle’s storytelling capability in keeping a tight focus on the plot, action scenes, pacing, and characterizations. In the first quarter of the book, I thought I had an inkling of where the story was going; I was proven wrong, and the book became much better for it. Similar to the first book, this series has a way to keep me keep on turning the pages. No chapters were wasted; something important always happens in every chapter, and almost all of them ended in a cliffhanger. The page-turning strength of the book was so strong that it made me missed my meals, my gastric pain was triggered, and instead of eating real food, I continue to devour this story. Although A Fool’s Hope is essentially a bloody vicious war and survival story, there’s still a huge concentration on the emotional themes of leadership, responsibilities, duties, and family that enhanced the intense reading experience.

“I’m not a leader. No one’ll listen to me.”
“I don’t know anyone who’s been in command who hasn’t thought that. It’s normal. In fact, it’s the ones who think they should be in charge that you’ve got to worry about.”

The progression of the characters was astounding. War changes everything, and just within two books, so many pivotal events have happened to the characters. The best spoiler-free examples for this would be Tinnstra and Dren. If you’ve read my review of We Are the Dead, then you’ll know that I’ve mentioned that both Tinnstra and Dren were, for the first half of the novel, infuriating to the max. In this book, they constantly developed in a very organic way into becoming a relatively better individual who’s willing to stand up for what’s right. This, of course, didn’t happen exclusively to Tinnstra and Dren; Zorique and Yas also went through their own spectacular character development. I honestly can’t even decide which POV I liked most reading this time; they were all so equally compelling.

“People needed strength to follow, someone who could make hard choices when the time came, a leader they could believe would keep them alive. Ralasis was none of those things, but he could pretend with the best of them.”

Tinnstra’s relationship with Zorique continues to be a glowing spark of hope in the darkness, and I loved reading their brief training montage and moments of relative peace. Despite all of their personal flaws, I’m incredibly invested in these character’s stories; their feelings—positive or negative—were palpable. Shackle shows that ordinary people, when forced by dire and dangerous circumstances, will and can hone their untapped leadership and unleash their necessary brutality to protect what matters most to them. To make things even better, in this more or less eight POV-characters narrative, Shackle also includes characters from Egril’s side. We have seen Darius Monsuta’s cruelty in the first book. This time Shackle adds Mateon, and the addition of his POV displays the humane side of Egril’s individuals; maybe the differences between good and evil, in the end, can simply be defined by where their belief/loyalty lies.

“War’s orchestra played its merry tune in the distance explosions, screams, steel beating steel and the Gods only knew what else. Yas barely noticed it. Death and destruction had become as commonplace as birdsong.”

I could go on and on about the character’s development, but it would require me to spoil some details from the book, and I don’t want that; all the anticipations plus the twists and turns here should be experienced by each respective readers themselves. However, before I close this review, allow me to once again highlight that the easy-to-imagine quality of Shackle’s action sequences is, in my opinion, highly reminiscent of Abercrombie’s writing style. This isn’t a hopeful book; bad things and destructions happened frequently. Most of the battles in the first book utilize close-quarter combat with no magic involved; A Fool’s Hope featured a lot more magical power usage, and it was awesome. Shackle’s violent battle scenes always felt vivid and cinematic in my imagination; every scene was immersive. I was able to see the devastation inflicted, I was able to hear the sound of explosions, and it felt like I was in a constant state of battle/caution mode together with the characters when I read the book. It was THAT immersive.

“Solving a problem or winning a battle always amounted to the same thing: concentrating on what was in front of you. Deal with that first. Worry about the rest later.”

I don’t have anything else to say. Believe me, I have purposely left out most of the best elements contained within the pages of this magnificent book. The story was unpredictable, the pacing was relentlessly gripping, the battles were blood-stained pulse-pounding, and the character’s internal and external emotions were palpable. A Fool’s Hope is one of the best fantasy novels of the year. Shackle has outdone himself by crafting such a heart-hammering sequel, and I’ll go as far as saying that it’s one of the best middle-book installment I’ve ever read. Personally, I don’t think it’s a fool’s hope to think that the third book would finalize The Last War as one of my favorite trilogy of all time. This is a sequel done right, and I can’t wait to find out the upcoming onslaught to come in the final book of the trilogy. The Last War is indeed coming, and I won’t miss participating in it.

Official release date: 3rd December 2020

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

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

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Blaise, Devin, Diana, Edward, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Michelle, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review of A Fool's Hope is published at Before We Go Blog.

Buddy read with Tori. Our video discussion of A Fool's Hope is available on YouTube.

“A fool’s hope. Is that all you have? It won’t keep you safe from me. There’s nowhere you can run to where I won’t find you.”

A Fool’s Hope, the second volume of Mike Shackle’s epic grimdark fantasy trilogy, The Last War, picks up immediately following the explosive ending of We Are the Dead, the first book of the series.

The Last War trilogy turns the tables on conventional epic fantasy, considering what would happen if evil wins the war and all the traditional heroes are defeated. In We Are the Dead, the northern country of Egril uses their newfound magic and improved military technology to quickly decimate the neighboring kingdom of Jia. The Egrils impose strict martial law on Jia, quashing any sign of rebellion against their iron grip on power and forcing the Jians to worship Kage, their all-powerful god of darkness. Only ordinary people remain to resist the occupying forces. While We Are the Dead focuses largely on survival, A Fool’s Hope finds our broken protagonists ready to fight back against the Egril invaders.

Mike Shackle covers a lot of new worldbuilding in A Fool’s Hope. We spend a good share of the book off-map in the nearby seafaring kingdom of Meigore and in a mysterious land where reality is not quite what it seems.

A Fool’s Hope introduces us to three new point-of-view characters starting with the opening chapter of the book. Mateon is an ordinary nineteen-year-old man training to become a soldier in the Egril army. Raised in the bloodthirsty Egril culture, Mateon is determined to join the war against Jia, capturing as many slaves as possible for his Emperor. Although indoctrinated in a violent, hate-filled program reminiscent of the Hitler Youth, Mateon has a core of humanity and becomes increasingly unsettled by the true horrors of war.

Another new point-of-view character on the Egril side is Francin, one of the Emperor’s Chosen who wields magic to enforce Egril rule. Francin is a more nuanced character compared to Darus, the Emperor’s Chosen from We Are the Dead. While Darus is pure evil, deriving a sadistic pleasure by mercilessly torturing his victims, Francin seems to be more of a true believer in the Egril religion. I appreciated the new perspective on Egril culture brought by both Mateon and Francin. Mike Shackle proves once again to be a master at developing characters with gray morality: Mateon and Francin are two of his finest examples.

The third new point-of-view character is Ralasis, a legendary Meigorian captain who helps Tinnstra and Zorique escape from the Egril. Ralasis is a lot of fun to read, providing some occasional lightheartedness in a book that is otherwise very dark in tone. However, as much as I enjoyed reading from his perspective, I question whether it was truly necessary to give Ralasis point-of-view status.

Although Mike Shackle alternates among a total of eight different perspectives in A Fool’s Hope, Tinnstra and Zorique get the most page time, especially in the latter half of the book. The relationship between the emotionally troubled Tinnstra and the orphaned queen Zorique is my favorite part of the book, with Tinnstra becoming the adoptive mother of the four-year-old queen. Their relationship has realistic ups and downs but is built on a very real love. Tinnstra and Zorique both grow profoundly over the course of A Fool’s Hope, solidifying them as two of my favorite characters in the series.

Yas is another character who beautifully captures the trials of motherhood. In We Are the Dead, Yas served as a housekeeper for the Egril soldiers but was pulled into an espionage campaign to try to siphon information to Jax and the resistance efforts. In A Fool’s Hope, Yas proves that a mother’s love for her child knows no bounds. She gradually grows into full-on gangster mode, reminding me of Shae in Fonda Lee’s magnificent Jade City.

A nihilistic, self-righteous kid in We Are the Dead, Dren also experiences extraordinary character development in A Fool’s Hope. In We Are the Dead, Dren recruited troubled souls to conduct suicide bombing missions against both sides in the war, leaving fear and anarchy in his wake. Dren develops a moral compass in this second book of the series, understanding that perhaps self-sacrifice is necessary to aid in the common good.

A former Shulka officer in the Jian army, Jax is haunted by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in A Fool’s Hope following the events of We Are the Dead. Mike Shackle is masterful in his portrayal of Jax’s inner struggles. By the end of the book, I still didn’t know for sure whether Jax’s inner demon is all in his mind, or if it’s a literal demon haunting him with sinister intentions.

Mike Shackle explores the theme of humanity throughout A Fool’s Hope, showing how readily people from opposing cultures can dehumanize each other and how terrible violence can result from such dehumanization. One of my favorite scenes in A Fool’s Hope occurs when a character removes the hideous mask worn by an Egril warrior to discover an ordinary human face behind the mask.

Mike Shackle’s writing is as tight as ever, delivering a constant stream of fast-paced action. However, occasionally the plot feels a little too fast-paced, causing some details of the action scenes to become a bit confusing. One other minor criticism is that too many chapters end with either something exploding or a fade to black.

A Fool’s Hope features a major plot twist about halfway through the novel that I had somewhat mixed feelings about. On the one hand, I truly enjoyed reading that part of the story and the resulting character development. On the other hand, it felt like too much of a deus ex machina, where one of the characters becomes, perhaps, too overpowered with magic. The increased prominence of magic in A Fool’s Hope also worked a bit against Mike Shackle’s main theme of ordinary people rising to overcome extraordinary challenges.

Although not quite as balanced as We Are the Dead, A Fool’s Hope remains an outstanding example of epic grimdark fantasy. Mike Shackle truly shines in giving a unique voice to each of his point-of-view characters, all of whom experience satisfying growth arcs in this second book of the series. The Last War trilogy concludes with Until the Last.

4.5/5

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fool's Hope is absolutely incredible. Wow, what a book! This is visceral, riveting and so, so engaging. I love it. I was invested in every page, in every character, and in every moment. It had me from beginning to end.

We Are the Dead was one of my favourite reads of 2021, and one of the best debuts I have ever read. I wanted to immediately dive into the sequel, A Fool's Hope, but decided to leave it closer to the release of the third and final instalment of the series. So, it was time.

A Fool's Hope takes what I loved about book 1, then increases the stakes and scope, making this even more epic. Often it can be a risk to introduce new PoV's in a book 2 of a series, as the reader often just wants to follow those characters they already feel investment with. But, A Fool's Hope is amongst the best examples of this choice paying off. The new PoV's introduce very different perspectives, and I swiftly found myself feeling as engaged with their story.

I will not say character names, as that will spoil who survives book 1, but the character development is at the forefront. Mike Shackle is one of those few authors who makes sure to explore the consequences of what has happened, and the impact that responsibility has on characters. It really does look at the human condition in a fantastic, and at times, moving, way.

Shackle also maintains one of the main attractions of We Are the Dead. Swift, fast-paced chapters that always keep the plot going. The short sections make it feel even faster, as we jump to someone else's PoV before too long. There is never a dull moment, and Mike Shackle uses this structure to expertly craft tension and suspense, as we have the dramatic irony of knowing more than our characters. We see the conflict from both sides, and we see how the plot points will interweave just before they happen. But there is also a fair share of twists and turns.

This is probably my favourite instalment of the series. It is one of my favourite series of all time, so that is high praise from me!

5/5 STARS

[James Tivendale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy of A Fool's Hope in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Mike Shackle and Gollancz.

A Fool's Hope picks up events about a minute after the conclusion of We Are the Dead. Tinnstra and four-year-old Queen Zorique are on the deck of a ship in the Golden Channel seeking to escape to the shores of Meigore. Having been wracked with fear, with death and destruction seeming to follow the pair, they are at last hoping to receive refuge with Zorique's uncle - the King of Meigore. Upon arrival, they are pinning their hopes on persuading the monarch to join the Jians in the war that they seem to be losing against the Egril. In A Fool's Hope, the respite for these ladies doesn't last long at all. In Shackle's well-imagined and gritty dark fantasy world, things don't go to plan very often.

In the aftermath of the intense warfare fought throughout the city of Kiyosun, we rejoin young revolutionary Dren and former Shulka commander Jax. Both were tortured brutally by the Egril in the Council House and the war has had dramatic effects on them. The duo, who previously despised each other, are still trying to play their part to aid the resistance, but the conflict really is taking its toll on them. Physically and mentally respectively. In a similar fashion, Yas has changed greatly since the Egril invaded, still cares intently for her mother and son, and is dealing with the consequences of her actions from We Are the Dead. She is trying to survive and also assist in the war effort, albeit reluctantly with the latter initially.

There are four new point of view perspectives that join the narrative in addition to those mentioned above. Two are viewpoints from the enemies, the Egril. Those of new recruit "acorn" soldier, Mateon and of Francin, a high ranking Chosen of Kage who has some very unique skills. These two new players were fine characters giving extra insight into the Egril's war effort. We see much more through these two characters' eyes about the Egril's conquests than we did through torturer Darus' in We Are the Dead. Another perspective that I enjoyed following was that of the honourable and respected Meigorian sea captain Ralasis, who may or may not have a slight crush on Tinnstra. The final point of view I won't go into much detail about, however much I'd like to, as it does approach spoiler territory. However, later in the novel when we start following them is a pleasant surprise, seems fitting, and really adds to the experience and drama of A Fool's Hope's final third.

The point of view perspectives give a grand overview of the full happenings of the conflict. I enjoyed that I felt that I was getting to witness the whole picture. Some of the characters I had issues with at the beginning of the first book, I no longer have any qualms with at all. Dren's character arc is particularly impressive to say how much of a bugbear I had with him during the first sections of We Are the Dead. One of my other minor pet peeves from the previous book was the number of times a chapter or section ended with the world exploding or, ...and then everything went black. That still happens here but it didn't gripe me whilst reading. Either I've gotten mellower in the last eighteen months or, in A Fool's Hope, Shackle injects these moments less frequently and more deftly.

If Shackle was just finding his voice as an author in We Are the Dead, he has really excelled and polished his craft in the sequel. A Fool's Hope knows precisely what sort of beast it wants to be from the very beginning and it doesn't disappoint fans of The Last War who have been looking forward to this novel. The action and drama predominantly takes place in Kiyosun and Meigore, but we see brief yet important glimpses of other places in this crafted fantasy world such as Kagestan and Aisair.

If I had to describe A Fool's Hope and this series in three words they would simply be War. Action. Drama. If I had to add a bit more detail then I'd go with: A Fool's Hope is gritty, thrilling, with well-crafted and surprisingly likeable characters (for the most part), and it progresses the overall narrative in fine fashion. The endings are really well presented and have intrigued me greatly to see what will follow next. The Last War is a series that many more fans of grimdark and dark fantasy should check out and I'm glad that I've been following Shackle's work since day one. 9/10.

[Library of a Viking · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOOP! Even better than book 1!

5/5

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

THAT is how you end a book. Shackle is incredible. Every chapter is addictive and each one feels as if it ends on a cliffhanger. The character arcs are truly well-done and the originality of The Last War surprises me. 2 days to read a 600 page book? Yeah, I had a blast.

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Shackle's first book in his The Last War series, We Are the Dead, was my favorite read of 2019 and turned me into an instant fan. It somehow managed to convey the violence and heartbreak of war while also showing how a determined few can tenaciously grasp onto hope even in the darkest of times. I found myself going through so many emotions while reading it and although exhausted and somewhat broken, I knew that I had read a special book that would fast track the sequel to the top of my must read list.

Now that I have finished the second book A FOOL'S HOPE, I'm not sure that I can fully articulate how different, yet equally remarkable it truly is in comparison to WAtD. By different, I mean that some of the viewpoints have changed in book two. For instance, we get to see things from the enemy Egril side much more here. It's not a flattering portrayal to say the least, but it provided a better framing of the motivations driving those attempting to conquer Jia. I enjoyed getting that perspective even if I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room in anger a few times.

One of the Egril perspectives in particular that made quite an impact on me was of the young military recruit Mateon. Raised from birth to be the perfect soldier and killing machine, he believes that war is a glorious thing that brings honor to himself in service to the all-powerful Egril god Kage. It isn't until he is enlisted in the Imperial Majesty's Army that he sees the reality of what this war with Jia has brought about. We sense his struggle to reconcile what he has always been taught with what he is seeing with his own eyes and it is some of the most powerful stuff I have ever read.

This book deals a lot more with how war effects the everyday citizen and not just the military combatants involved. The actual horror of war and those who are caught in the middle is a big theme running throughout and Shackle definitely doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the ghastly details. In the hands of a lesser writer this story would come off as just another grimdark bloodfest with no depth beyond that. But Shackle gives us much more than just gore and intense battles, he also brings those dedicated to the resistance to life in such a way that we feel their pain, sympathize with their plight, and cheer them on as they fight against astronomical odds.

I was more than delighted to discover that the incredible magic that makes this a standout fantasy story is even more present in A FOOL'S HOPE. Everything from dark sorcery, magic grenades, travelling portals... it is all here and it is glorious to behold. I love a story with cool magic so to see it taken to an even higher degree in book two was a treat for sure. If you enjoy books that explore new and inventive magic systems, then this is definitely the series you should be reading.

I had extremely high expectations for A FOOL'S HOPE based on my outright adoration of book one. I realize that this can be somewhat unfair and it often subconsciously sets the next book up for failure. Well, this book obliterated that within the first 50 pages and then continued to leave me in awe at how much the stakes were raised and how the characters stepped up to face the challenge. They don't always win but they never fail to inspire. I feel I am physically embedded with so many of these characters. That truly is the mark of a talented author who can breathe life into the individuals that he is writing about.

Ultimately, A FOOL'S HOPE is an unforgettable book that builds successfully upon the first in so many ways. If you are looking for a gritty dark fantasy read that doesn't cede any ground in the areas of raw emotion and heart, then you should really check out The Last War series by Mike Shackle. Beautiful world-building, inventive magic, deep characters, and bone shattering battles are just some of the elements that make up this remarkable reading odyssey. It has firmly entrenched itself as my favorite fantasy series right now and I am not ready to let it go anytime soon. So please keep them coming Mike and I will gladly devour each breathtaking chapter.

[Andrei(Drusca) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are the Dead ★★★★
A Fool's Hope ★★★★ 1/4

We Are the Dead pleasantly surprised me, but A Fool's Hope exceeded expectations on all fronts. It's remarkable, especially considering the common belief that middle books are the most challenging to craft. Shackle truly outshines himself in this installment.

The narrative unfolds with gripping momentum, thanks to Shackle's adept use of short to medium-length chapters peppered with tantalizing cliffhangers. This not only makes the book irresistibly addictive but also propels the pacing to a brisk tempo. Shackle's prose expertly interlaces the grim tapestry of dark fantasy with glimmers of hope—aptly encapsulated in the title, A Fool's Hope.

The characters are the heart of this captivating tale. With multiple points of view, each character is compelling, offering insights from both the protagonists and antagonists. Witnessing the motivations driving each side adds depth to the narrative. Despite the abundant action, character development remains paramount, ensuring growth from the first page to the last. It's challenging to single out a favorite character amidst such finely crafted portrayals.

Picking up immediately after the events of the first book, the story ventures into unpredictable territory. A surprising twist, seamlessly woven into the narrative, adds layers of complexity without feeling contrived. The story moves fast, and the stakes get bigger with this entry. It also ends up with a bang and I love that.

The world-building is another highlight, with a well-crafted magic system and a pervasive sense of dark fantasy, where melancholy permeates every aspect. While the genre's heavy themes can sometimes be daunting, Shackle strikes a delicate balance, ensuring an immersive and rewarding experience. Fans of the first book will undoubtedly find even more to love in this sequel.

[LambchoP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is THE LAST WAR quickly becoming one of my favorite grimdark fantasy series, but A FOOL'S HOPE has a good chance to be the best middle installment of a trilogy that I have ever read....

The book picks up right where WE ARE THE DEAD left off. Our main characters are all spread out all over the map after the Egril invaded and took over Jia. The Jians along with the Shulka fought and beat back the evil invading Skulls, but their impending counter offensive is looming large.

I love each and every character in this book, my favorite probably being Tinnstra, who is now the young queen Zorique's protector and de facto mother. The dynamic between these two is amazing, and I loved seeing them grow and age throughout this installment. Zorique growing into her magic and powers was also such an amazing plotline. Another favorite of mine is Dren, the ex terrorist turned revolutionary. He has the most growth of any character so far in my opinion. In book one he was a whiney little guy who wanted everyone dead, but as the story has progressed he now finally cares about his fellow soldiers and his country, and is willing to sacrifice everything for what is right.

The plot is where this book really kicks ass, just like in book one. This is one of the fastest paced fantasy books I think I have ever read. With the really short chapters and quick pace, I absolutely flew through this book. I was borderline obsessed with the story, reading for hours at a time. Reading about the invasion, the counter offensive, and the new plotline that takes place in a new country was so engaging and I really just couldn't put this book down.

As I said in the beginning, this is the best middle installment or book 2 that I have ever read. I am so excited to read the final book next and see where the story goes. I will not only be moving onto UNTIL THE LAST right away, but I will be reading anything Mike Shackle puts out in the future on day one.

An easy 5 star read. Pick up this series now!

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book stressed me out.
I was so tensed for the characters lives. (Well, except for the villain's POV of course.)
I can't believe this series is underrated. A total page turner.
Fantastic and I am excited for the next book to be released.

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed We Are The Dead, and there were some characters I was very much invested in, so I was eager to get back into the story and find out where we went next. I like how the story picked up from where the first book finished, and then it took me on a completely unexpected journey from there.

There were some great moments and great characters that echoed some of the best moments of We Are The Dead, however there were also some moments that, for me, were just a little odd. One major part of the plot used a device that I'm not really a fan of, and it left me a bit conflicted here. I can see why it was done, and I appreciate (most of) the results of using this device, but I'm still not a fan of it overall and it almost felt like a bit of a cheat here.

I felt that after that particular point things were perhaps a little too easy. One of the characters, who had a really great opportunity to become a new highlight for me was just too overpowered and made it feel a bit anticlimactic, and another character just didn't seem much changed by the experience, where I would have expected some quite dramatic changes.

Despite this (quite large) gripe, the rest of the book was excellent. There was action aplenty, some really good character moments, some sadness, and overall, I just had a really good time reading this.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up)

Well damn, that was a wild ride!

This sequel picks up right where book 1 left off, and Shackle does a brilliant job of immediately pulling you back into the story. We reconnect with all our favourite broken souls from book 1, but are also introduced to two new POV characters who honestly just stole the show for me. I loved getting a look into the Egril side of the conflict, as it somewhat humanized them and only increased the complexity of the whole situation for me.

The highlight of this series so far is without a doubt the nuanced character development and the brutally honest depiction of this war/invasion, exploring how far these characters are willing to go to fight for the things they believe in. Shackle doesn't pull any punches and we really get to dig deep into the physical and emotional toll that this situation is taking on our characters.

However, I do have to admit that the first half of this book was not a very smooth read for me. Even though this story is written in a very addictive way, I had a bit of a hard time getting fully emotionally invested and that somewhat hindered my enjoyment. Maybe it was the frenetic pacing that just left me exhausted, or maybe it was the fact that every single glimmer of hope just got snuffed out in no time, but I wasn't as engaged as I wanted to be.

That said, around the 60% mark there was an extremely ballsy plot twist that completely roped me in again, and it was smooth sailing from there. I can see how some people might actually bounce off that particular section of the story, but I found it to be very well-executed and it was exactly what I needed to get my excitement and engagement up again.

I am curious to see what Shackle has up his sleeve for the finale. The stakes are sky-high and these characters are so unpredictable in the most human way possible, so I have no doubts that this is going to be a complete rollercoaster of an ending!
If you like your fantasy to be dark, brutal, action-packed, and full of surprising plot twists, then The Last War is the series for you!

[TheReadingStray · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tinnstra and Zorique were on their way to Meigore, to Zorique’s uncle, to safety. However, things aren’t quite as they seem.
Jax is dealing with the aftermath of the Chosen One’s torture and believes everything is doomed to fail. His perspective is dark, pessimistic, and utterly hopeless.
Yas just wants to keep her family safe, but can’t help but feel moved by the plight of the people in the city. She keeps getting drawn in to help, much to her mother’s dismay.

’A fool's hope. Is that all you have? It won't keep you safe from me. There's nowhere you can run to where I won't find you.’

We have a new Egril perspective in Mateon - a newly inducted soldier in the Imperial Majesty's infantry. He is devout to Kage and had always been the best of his peers, the strongest, the bravest.
Mateon is taught to think of the Jians as anything but bags of blood waiting to be gifted to Kage. Yet, he also hates who he has to become to kill people who look so hopeless, so much like his family.

Zorique is supposed to be four years old. I had to reread that because I couldn’t believe it. She acted like a child yes, but an older one, not barely older than a toddler!

This book took a turn at just over the half way point and brought in sci-fi elements which kept me on my toes.
This is probably just just my favourite book of the series!

The book’s title lives up to its name. This entire book is desolate, hopeless, and full of bleak, bloody brutality.

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[S A M | The Book in Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog, The Book in Hand
Good Afternoon Bookish Folk!

It is Monday, and thankfully I am not in work until tomorrow so I can write up my review of Mike Shackle’s second book to The Last War series: A Fool’s Hope!

I am absolutely thrilled to be able To read and review this book, it is a dark and sensational follow up to the first book: We Are The Dead!

Here are a few things you can expect from :

WAR;
Epic battles filled with bloody desperation;
An excellently written masterpiece that doesn’t pull punches or pussy-foot around;
Fascinating, compelling and generally amazing characters; and
A great middle instalment to a sure to be exquisite trilogy!
First off I would like to thank the folks at Gollancz & NetGalley who accepted my request to read this book early! I also have to laugh because my instant response to this book was “Holy shit – this book” and that is what is quoted on Gollancz website! So, I see no other way to start my review…

On to the full review…

HOLY SHIT – THIS BOOK!

There, that is my review.

I joke, I joke. While accurate I think I can muster up some more words to do this book its justice.

A Fool’s Hope is an incredible story and it begins right back to where it left you, there is no irritating missing period that you always want to know about, you are straight back to it! Many say the second book is often the worst one, it is the calm before the epic climax of book three and can often be filled with a lot of filler. Well, Shackle shit’s all over that statement! This book just keeps getting better, it stands on equal footing with book one and is damned incredible.

Having read Shackle’s first book in this series, I am somewhat familiar with his writing style and yet A Fool’s Hope still managed to amaze me. Over my last few review’s I have been talking a little bit more about how coherent a book is, its dialogue and other general but crucial writing elements.

While reading A Fool’s Hope I saw nothing but a faultless piece of work! Shackle’s ability to weave a story is brilliant, no sentence is wasted, and no dialogue out of place. Everything just seemed to fit so well, and when a book is a fast paced as these books are it is often easy for it all to become a little jarring and feel all over the place. This was not the case in A Fool’s Hope despite the different locations and characters.

Shackle’s writing isn’t like anything I have read before, it is so tight-knit and compact you feel the punch of every word. His battle scenes are diverse and not repetitive and they all feel so real, because of Shackle’s incredibly world building you have more than brief explosions of imaginative action, you have a damn movie playing before your eyes! I felt the vibrations of every explosion and I felt raw from the sights that war brings, the people you cant help, the desperation. You are quite simply plunged into a world so deeply you are there for it all.

As with book one, We Are The Dead, you will be constantly driven to turn the next page, I read this book in three or four days. It is so addictive.

We Are The Dead introduced us to a good amount of the characters in this series but I was pleasantly surprised to be introduced to some more in A Fool’s Hope. We continue to see these incredible and flawed characters grow, we see their relationships grow deeper and their level of progression is fantastic. No character really remains the same, war changes them irrevocably, and it was such a rush seeing them deal with the events that unfold within this book. Nothing about this book feels rushed and you will, as surely as I did, become wholly invested in the outcome of these characters journey!

A Fool’s Hope is darker in nature, the stakes are higher and it is filled with the grim realness of a country under siege. Shackle holds nothing back and is not afraid to throw everything he can at his characters but this book is also so much more than that.

I can say so much more about this book, and I really do want to, but to do so walks into the realms of the spoilers and that is no place I dare tread. All I can say is that everything you expect to happen in this book will not happen, the direction you think this book will go in…yeah, it is going to rage a battle so vicious in the complete opposite direction and it is all done with such incredible finesse it leaves you wanting!

I would definitely say to those who plan on reading this book to avoid anything even remotely spoiler’ish, avoid any review that goes into detail about the relationships and the characters who feature or well anything really! I don’t think my review falls into those categories but many I imagine will so please be careful. In my opinion, you should go into this blind beyond the first book to really experience this spectacular book!

I read A Fool’s Hope straight after We Are The Dead without sight of a single review and I enjoyed it so much more. Each event I came upon was shockingly brilliant, I had no idea which direction it would turn and what an experience it was.

On to the rating…

THE RANKS:

BUY THE HARDBACK | BUY THE PAPERBACK | BUY THE EBOOK | LIBRARY RENTAL OR SALE PURCHASE

A Fool’s Hope unfortunately is not being published in hardback I don’t believe, though that does not change this books rating of BUY THE HARDBACK!

Instead I purchased the signed Paperback from Matt (on Twitter - see my blog post for all the links), he is a bookseller at Waterstones so definitely message him to see if he has any left!

AGAIN THANK YOU FOR READING AND SEE YOU SOON!

A Fool’s Hope is due to release on 3rd December 2020

[BookishBenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to kick this review off and say that this is an amazing book, an amazing middle book and it is criminal that more people have not read this series or are recommending it to others. When I read We Are The Dead (book 1) in January I was blown away. Mike’s prose and style of telling a story is so smooth you can’t help but want to drink it up and I implore everyone to read this series.

Luckily for me, A Fool’s Hope continues immediately where the story in We Are The Dead ended meaning that I’m not missing any character growth or having to rattle my memory to remember what happened. The Egril are still entering Jia and killing inhabitants, the war for Kiyosun is still not complete and the Hanran, and other Jians, are trying to survive despite their odds.

This story is a fast paced character story. Every single chapter has something happen that pushes the story forward and Mike’s ability to add a cliffhanger to almost every chapter makes ending a character’s chapter as exciting as starting a new one. I love character driven stories and character based chapters are just that cherry on the top. The cliffhangers in this book leave you racing through the book to get back to that character and when that happens most of the time, you end up racing through the whole book pretty quick as each character is a new adventure.

There are seven POVs (or eight..) within this book with three new ones from different parts of the world introduced gradually. Each POV, each character, has their own wants and needs, their own place in the world. No-one felt like they were added in for the sake of it or to pad out the page count. They each brought their own personality to the pages of the book and enriched the story immensely. Each character deals with the war and its repercussions in a different way to one another. The difference between the characters makes them interesting and when two or more of them cross paths it makes for very exciting storytelling. You’ll be reading it and see one character in the vicinity of another and it’s a bit like that Spider-Man meme where you know who they are but this character might not but you’re pointing metaphorically at them like that’s Tinnstra (or something).

It isn’t just the POVs that get a boost, the secondary characters are equally well executed. Things that happened in the first book create secondary characters with their own agendas, who have their own feelings and desires, who impact the story in their own little way. These secondary characters tie in perfectly with the main story and give it a lot more credit as being a story that is essentially focused on one big war. If you’ve ever played a Grand Theft Auto game with all the different characters and the crossovers, this is like that.

The character arcs are so important and they are near perfect. It is very easy to follow the journey a character goes on and you can also easily see the changes in them as people. Dren, who is in book one, is a favourite character of mine and I think his character arc is really good while a new POV, which opens the story, also has a really good arc where you can witness their growth as they change across the 591 pages.

Mike’s ability to write action is up there with your favourite author. The scenes are really well written in the sense that they’re easy to follow but not predictable. They will always catch you out when you think you know how a fight is going to end. Whether it’s an attack from a Daijaku or a fight between Tinnstra and an Egril, the action is brutal, realistic and probably most important as a reader, enjoyable to read. Much like the cliffhangers, the action in this book will have you turning pages until the early hours of the morning.

This series didn’t get a hardback release either so I am really hoping that Orion/Gollancz push for a hardback set to be released when the third book is released this summer because I would love a hardback set. I’m not sure why they didn’t do one but I think they’ve missed a good thing there.

To roundup this review, A Fool’s Hope keeps all of the momentum that We Are The Dead created and builds on it in every way possible, with everything polished to a high level. The characters are brutal and well developed, and the story, action and worldbuilding are exciting. I predict that this series, The Last War, is going to be one of my favourite ever book series up there with The Green Bone Saga and Mistborn. It’s really that good. Mike deserves all the praise he isn’t getting and all the praise he is. The grimdark crown has a new challenger.

S-RANK. (🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟)

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has really surprised me. This second book of the series was even better than the first, so this series most definitely grows and gets better as you continue. Highly recommend this for anyone looking for something dark and brutal but with a beauty to it. Mike Shackle is a phenomenal Grimdark writer and hopefully keeps creating these epic stories. If you’re looking for a series where anything can happen to any of the main characters, and at anytime, this series is for you. It really keeps you on your toes.

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the past week or so, I have been living in Mike Shakle's apocalyptic world, and I have to say it has been a harrowing experience.

Both Fool's Hope and We Are The Dead, are a tale of War. However, this is not epic fantasy battles where everyone puffs out their chest and prepares for combat. This is war in its most brutal and basest form. And guess what, it ain't pretty!

If you have read the first book in Mike Shakle's 'The Last War' series you know what to expect, right? Wrong!

Yep, you got it folks - expect the unexpected! And that is me covering the plot elements of the book. You need to experience this book with no preconceived ideas. You need to go in totally blind and let the story take you where it's going to go. And then, when you get to the end of the book, get back to me and tell me what you thought. I guarantee, you'll be like, whaaat?

So, let's get onto the other things about the book. You know, those bits I can talk about! I have to say that when I first read ‘We are the Dead’, I was taken aback by the story. Mike Shackle writes a phenomenal war story and he mixes this in with all the elements of fantasy to make something that is absolutely amazing.

In Fool's Hope, the story begins immediately where the last book ends. Shackle seamlessly continues with the 'what happens next'. And from page 1, the action begins and you are thrown into the story as if you never left it. As you will know with Mike's pacing, full throttle is just too damn slow and you immediately get thrown into the story and shown what it’s like to live in a world that has been torn apart by war and oppression.

At the beginning of our journey, we start with a new character and a new perspective, and through the introduction of these new characters, Shackle introduces the world view of the oppressors, as well as the oppressed. This is the thing with Mike Shackle. All the elements of fantasy are there. There’s world building, there’s magic systems and all the other elements of fantasy that you expect to see. However, in his hands, these elements are malleable and are shaped in ways that you don’t expect or hidden in the places that you least expect to see them. Honestly, I can’t say how much I have been impressed with his books. For me, he has brought something new to the genre and surprised me.

In both his books, Mike Shackle has a really good way of writing prose. I suppose in the old days it would have been called hard boiled, but it’s not wholly that style of writing in that he does have elements of tenderness in his books, like the relationships between Yas and little Ro, or Tinnstra an Zorique. However, when it comes to the violence of the battle or fight scenes, Shackle presents them in a tough and realistic way. He doesn’t flower up the violence. He describes it in a way that are both unglamorous and unsentimental and this style adds to the cinematic flow of his action scenes. It’s not that his fight scenes don’t have flourish and flair because they do, but let’s be honest here, battle and death are not pretty, and in Mike Shackle’s world they are not presented as such. What matters most is survival, and that is why the characters do what they do. They do not revel in the glory of battle or tell stories of the foes they have vanquished, they simply do it to survive.

In terms of the characters in Fool’s Hope, their journeys are expanded in such an unexpected way. I never saw any of these things coming and I could never have predicted that the main characters' arcs would develop in such a way. On that note, I am going to have to stop there because to do so would invite spoilers, and we know that I am staying away from them as much as possible. What I can say is that a couple of new characters join in this book and I am sure that you will take to at least one of them like I did. Ralasis, is the swarthy sea captain that we meet at the beginning of the book. However, he gets more of a supportive role later in the story and again, Shackle does not waste a single character and he quickly becomes a major part of the story.

I really enjoy Mike’s way of writing. It’s extremely graphic and cinematic. He writes action scenes that at once remind me both of the Matrix in one aspect and then flits to Tarantino levels of brutality. I could easily imagine this as a graphic novel, and having seen representations of Tinnstra on his website (which are pretty darn good, I tell you), I would definitely be up for reading it.

No word of a lie, I really do rate Mike Shackle books in the top ten of my favorite books of all time. They are stunning books which totally blew me away, and in a year where we have had so many good books, Mike Shackle presents us with one of the most memorable stories that I have read all year. He is now on my list of authors that whatever they write, I will be up there buying it straight away, no questions asked!

Honestly, when you start reading Fool's Hope, you will not put it down. It took me two days to read because I simply could not bear to leave the story for one minute, the book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let me go until I had finished. And if you think I am being a bit fanboy in my review, I don’t care, coz I am!.

[Matteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have the technical knowledge to judge whether a book is well written or not, at least formally, so I base my opinions on the story and the emotions it can stir in me.
Well, this book stirred a lot of emotions, even if most of them were definitely not pleasant and quite disturbing.
However, when you're reading a book about people trying to survive in a war against a super powerful and cruel enemy, who conquered and destroyed their country, and for the 70% of the book you feel only despair and anguish, I guess the book is extremely good and the author has skilfully reached his goal.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book.

[Szaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wspaniałe to było. Nie bez wad, ale wspaniałe. Miałam napisać jakąś dłuższą opinę, ale chyba za długo czekałam i nie mam pomysłu. Zastanawia mnie za to decyzja lektorki audiobooka, żeby różne narodowości czytać z różnym akcentem i tak mamy złoli z niemieckim, sąsiednie królestwo sojuszników (GASP!, czy na pewno?!) z francskim, a Jia mówi "po naszemu", BBC English xD Trochę tutaj śmiechłam, ngl.
O tym, jak dobra była to książka świadczy to, że nie wiedziałam, która perspektywa podoba mi się najbardziej i z radością przechodziłam do każdej kolejnej. A o tym, że czegoś zabrakło to, że jakoś nie czułam, że mamy coś do stracenia, że bohaterom faktycznie coś grozi Dren mnie nie zaskoczył, bo autor nas przygotowywał dłuższy czas, że zginie . Najlepsze w tej kwesti są jednak wątki Jaxa i jego szaleństwa, to jest bardzo dobre i Yas - serio, tutaj co się nie pojawi jakiś chłop, to tak jest pisany, że się zaczynamy spodziewać, że coś się tutaj wydarzy może, jakiś wątek romantyczny to tamto NIE KURWA, ABSOLUTNIE, bo musi zginąć .
Bardzo przykre i świetnie napisane są wątki rozpadu więzi społecznych i jak w takich przypadkach łatwe wejście mają źli ludzie, jakkolwiek to naiwnie nie brzmi, to tak jest.
I ponawiam pytanie, które pewnie wbrzmiałoby lepiej, gdybym była książko-influ, ale dlaczego nikt się nie zainteresował tą serią w Polsce, honestly, przecież to złoto.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Mike Shackle for personalized copy of A Fool’s Hope! Love the art work to pieces!

***
Well, after I lost my first review things got a little out of hand here, so feel free to skip to the tldr:

I always think of second books as the Empire Strikes Back of a trilogy. The first book grabs you and drags you along for a fun ride. The second slows down a bit* and lets us dig a little deeper in the world, and its characters. To me, they’re the proof of the pudding. The book that is going to let a series stand even taller, or fall-apart if the story fails on its previous promise.


The quick rundown-

Picking up directly after book one, Tinnstra is headed to Meigore, with the young Queen Zorique, leaving the burning city of Kiyosun behind. We gain some great characters in the city of Layso with Anama Ralasis, and Maiza. And we also learn through them, that Aasagod knew that the Egril were amassing their forces, and had believed it was the start of Sekanowari- The Last War.
Dren returns to Kiyosun vowing to step-up and not just cause chaos and to be a good soldier. I have a big soft spot for Dren; let me tell you, his chapters caused me unending anxiety.

Jax is suffering from pretty bad PTSD. I didn’t think things could get worse than they were for Jax, after the torture and the loss he endured, but they managed to be. What a sad state, for such a great warrior from book one (the author has mistreated all my favourite characters).

Yas is dealing with her grief and guilt, for her role in the events of the last book and the fallout from them has followed her.

The Weeping Men, have become the new problem the city of Kiyosun faces. A gang that has established a foothold in the aftermath of the destruction and removal of the Skulls. These guys are terrifying. They’re kind of the triad, or mafia, of this world- opportunists just there to make a buck, and don’t give a crap about the people.

***
As much as I’d love to talk about certain plot points, I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything so in this review I’m just going to touch a few things I really enjoyed.

This book did a lot right for me.

The first, right thing this did, was give us Mateon. I mentioned in my review of We Are the Dead how much I appreciated the little moments shown that helped to humanize the Egril soldiers.
The addition of Mateon, takes that one step further, and gives us a character who, even though we maybe don’t always understand his beliefs, as a young man thrown into a war that is more than what he expected; his fear and uncertainty gives us a common ground, to at least sympathise with his character.
At first, I thought he was going to be a Darus mini-me, but as he moves into his place in the Egril troop’s occupying Kiyosun, and is faced with the realties of war, we see he’s more scared kid, than zealot. Mateon moved up there into my favourite spot, right next to Dren.

Second thing this did right. As always, Mike Shackle’s women characters, are strong and capable, while still having a soft-side that doesn’t make them feel like caricature-ladies. I loved Yas, I love Tinnstra, I love that they have grown, but still battle the fear and the guilt of choices that meant their survival, and others dying. I also loved that we get a variety of women, and a few new faces in this book. (my notes when Maiza first appeared were– I feel another great lady character coming in Maiza)

Yas, who, I wasn’t overly keen on in book one, turned into my favourite this book. She is Ripley, and Furiosa, rolled into one fiercely protective mama. I think her character had some of my favourite moments- maybe because her battle was personal, and relatable in scope, not sure, but whatever it was, she was awesome.

Which brings me to a couple other things this did right.

- It gave us some personal battles that we can see accomplished amongst the big war. Dren, Jax, Yas, Hasan- their time in Kiyosun would have been a lot less interesting, without the glimpse of what surviving looks like after their ‘win’ back of the city.

-And consequences to actions. Things that happened in last book we see the fall-out for in this book (some I won’t forgive).

I loved seeing the character progressions, and that it’s just as diverse and real as people can be. Some start strong, only to be knocked down by the realties of war. Some start weak, or selfish, or just plain angry, only to step-up to plate when they need to; surprising even themselves.

This does not shy away from the nasty horrors or war; the utter chaos, starving, and just plain unfairness, or from the people who just don’t give a shit and are looking to cash in on other people’s sorrows. It proves over and over that this isn’t a world for the weak, only survivors willing to do what’s needed, have a chance of making it. (I can tell you I’d have been long dead in this world.)

Which brings me to one of my favourite and best moments (the quote if you are reading on the blog), that came about with Jax’s observations- that when it was their side winning, the Shulka would have been doing the same thing as the Egril soldiers… that hurt a little because these guys are supposed to be the heroes. But this little reminder says- when it comes to war, no one is a hero to anyone other than the winning side.

What it did wrong-

Well, nothing in my book. I couldn’t think of a single thing I’d change (outside of possibly one thing, to do with a certain someone, that I really like, but, I am not petty enough to dock my score for that).

Right to the end- this was a fun, adrenaline-inducing story, with a couple of daggers to the heart to really make it worthwhile. Bring on Sekanowari! Book three can’t come soon enough.

Tldr:

We Are the Dead was a damned good book. There wasn’t a lot of room for improvement but, Mike Shackle brought his A-game to A Fool’s Hope, and the follow-up is freaking incredible.

Other notes-

*Mike’s style of writing would never let anything grind to a halt, because he doesn’t waste a word. I’ve said it before, but he is a pro at feeding information on the run, and this style is what let’s us feel like we are blasting through the story, but still connecting us to the world and characters- think of it as a Matrix download.

-I was kind of glad the last book wasn’t out. I might have been tempted to look ahead to see who was mentioned. It was hard enough not skipping through the chapter titles to make sure certain characters made it to the end. (So glad I was reading digital, because with the paperback, I would have flipped through, for sure.)

-Vague for spoilers: I had one thought about Zorique while reading, that I would have loved to see in this series at some point, which did happen and made my day.

- Second favourite moment- again vague for spoilers: was to do with Zorique and her vigil at the door (I loved the thought process here).

[Terry Rudge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a journey!!!!

So for the first half of this book, this was one of the best fantasy books (outside of Martin, Hobb and Lawrence Tier. That I've read.

The character development, the action and consequences, the dialogue. Everything was just landing. Couldn't put it down...

Then I hit the *twist* if that's what it is. Without spoilers. The book takes a hard left turn, and we stick with a couple characters for a portion of the book. This bit was rough for me. I felt disconnected from the story I was so pulled into.

That said, the final 20 percent of this book was simply incredible. The way the characters individual components come together and build into the finale, was spectacular.

I understand the "hard left turn" and why it happened. But man did it jar for me. The book still scores 4.6/5 on my weighted scales, which means it gets a deserved 5 stars.

As someone who owns very few physical books, I am so delighted to own this trilogy, because the series really is great so far. Onto book 3 and hopefully an incredible ending

[Candela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this a minute ago and already picking up the third book. That should tell you everything there is to know.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I don't think there is a lot I can say without spoilers since it is a sequel unfortunately. However, what I can say is I think that it is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to sequels in fantasy books.

The first book is mostly a contained story in one or two locations and seeing how the characters adapt or don't to their circumstances. It's really engaging and there are great character arcs, but I wanted more. In A Fool's Hope the author gives it to us. He expands everything about the world. You get new locations, new insight into the magic, and most importantly new POVs. All of this, especially the new perspectives which I was not expecting, expands the scope of the story and makes it an overall better experience.

Along with that the characters and action continue to be good if not S tier. Mike Shackle does a really good job with his character arcs. In this book there are two characters that have POVs that have almost completely opposite character arcs. The way it's done and the juxtaposition of both is really satisfying. Also really satisfying is how Shackle leans more into the fantastical in this volume. There is one sequence that I thought was really well done and I was not expecting.

If I had any criticisms I would say that I felt that one part of the book started to drag for me a bit when we are in one singular location for several chapters in a row and I wanted to get back to the main story. Those chapters were important and it didn't go on too too long, but I was ready to move when we did. Also, some of the more minor POVs like Yas didn't really do much for me in this one.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this series and the number of GR ratings for it is way too low for how good it is. Are these going to end up in my top 10 of the year? Unlikely, but they're better than a lot of the other non AAA fantasy series I have read up to this point. I definitely recommend checking them out.

[JJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is becoming a favorite series of mine. From an entertainment angle, I haven't been this engaged in a story in a while! No sophomore slump here - can't wait to read book 3 asap!

[Vigasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good follow up of We Are the Dead. It's amazing how good character development is in this series. There are some minor flaws, but overall I really liked this book.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unbelievably good book

[Lisa Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

May come back with a better review but for now….

This has become one of my favourite series of all time. Absolutely mind blowing how great this is.