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War of the Twelve #2
The Ashen Hand of Kessrin
They Have Returned
The siege of Arelium has been broken, but only at a great and terrible cost. The Baron has fallen, the unsuspecting victim of an intricate web of lies devised to drive a wedge between Arelium and the coastal Barony of Kessrin.
Merad Reed, scarred and disillusioned, is haunted by the tragic deaths of the men under his command. When all contact is lost with the Old Guard of Morlak, he reluctantly travels north to investigate, only to find the truth is far worse than anything he could have imagined.
After narrowly escaping an attempt on her own life, Jelaïa del Arelium is struggling to understand her emerging abilities, and the crippling addiction that comes with them. The priestesses of Brachyura may hold the answers she seeks, but after years of protecting the secrets of the Twelve can they still be trusted?
Lord Praxis, now acting as Regent, must face the unforeseen consequences of his own machinations when a simple dagger leads him from the shining towers of Kessrin to the tempestuous Sea of Sorrow, and a terrifying new threat.
Meanwhile, somewhere on a dusty road far from civilisation, an ancient demi-god is slowly coming to meet them. He has awoken from decades of slumber to fulfil his one last purpose …
Lay waste to the lands of men.
The siege of Arelium has been broken, but only at a great and terrible cost. The Baron has fallen, the unsuspecting victim of an intricate web of lies devised to drive a wedge between Arelium and the coastal Barony of Kessrin.
Merad Reed, scarred and disillusioned, is haunted by the tragic deaths of the men under his command. When all contact is lost with the Old Guard of Morlak, he reluctantly travels north to investigate, only to find the truth is far worse than anything he could have imagined.
After narrowly escaping an attempt on her own life, Jelaïa del Arelium is struggling to understand her emerging abilities, and the crippling addiction that comes with them. The priestesses of Brachyura may hold the answers she seeks, but after years of protecting the secrets of the Twelve can they still be trusted?
Lord Praxis, now acting as Regent, must face the unforeseen consequences of his own machinations when a simple dagger leads him from the shining towers of Kessrin to the tempestuous Sea of Sorrow, and a terrifying new threat.
Meanwhile, somewhere on a dusty road far from civilisation, an ancient demi-god is slowly coming to meet them. He has awoken from decades of slumber to fulfil his one last purpose …
Lay waste to the lands of men.
- GenresFantasy
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2021
90 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Alex Robins
13 books95 followersAlex Robins was born in Norwich, England back when it was still trendy to wear lycra tracksuits and bright pink headbands. Norwich School Library was where he first discovered his love of reading, an old converted undercroft packed to the rafters with books. The first fantasy series he read was The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis & Tracey Hickman, quickly followed by The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and David Eddings' The Belgariad.
At the age of twelve Alex moved across the channel to Nantes in France. Speaking very little French, the first few years were difficult and sometimes lonely as he scrambled to get a grip on the intricate grammar and vocabulary of the French language. His taste in books branched out from epic fantasy to science-fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction, but he always came back to his favourite fantasy authors when looking to escape the outside world.
After degrees in agronomy, project management, and computer sciences, Alex founded his own company dedicated to online voting. He met his wife during a game of badminton and they spent several years getting trounced in various regional tournaments before getting married. Alex now lives in the sunny Loire Valley in western France, surrounded by imposing castles, sprawling vineyards, and two children. After reading fantasy books for the last thirty years he decided to write one. The Broken Heart of Arelium is his first novel, and the first in the War of the Twelve series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 7, 2022
Another great book! I liked this one even more then the first one.
The story is slowly ramping up now, and more of the Twelve are awakened, they were all imprisoned or locked away somewhere else.
Reed has been in a journey to Morlak to find out what's going on with another pit.
Relaïa continued her journey with Aldarin to his temple, and she learned how to use her new fire abilities which was cool. It's a simple power, but I like that there's drawbacks to using it too much.
The story is slowly ramping up now, and more of the Twelve are awakened, they were all imprisoned or locked away somewhere else.
Reed has been in a journey to Morlak to find out what's going on with another pit.
Relaïa continued her journey with Aldarin to his temple, and she learned how to use her new fire abilities which was cool. It's a simple power, but I like that there's drawbacks to using it too much.
May 5, 2025
The Ashen Hand of Kessrin, book 2 in the War of the Twelve, is excellent. I read book 1 and decided to do Audible for book 2 and I loved it . The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life and providing outstanding narration.
This is a complex, epic, fast-paced novel highlighting an agreement made 300 years earlier between the Knights of the Twelve and the Graylings, which now forces humanity to face a battle for life.
The world building is exceptional and feels real, and I felt immersed in this fantasy epic with its plot twists, adventure, magic, romance, and intrigue, cheering on the characters who were worthy and wishing for the downfall of the villains.
Robins is a master at fantasy and world-building and his novels remind me George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. In The Ashen Hand of Kessrin, characters including Barons, Knights, Sorcerers, Soldiers, & Priestesses fight for their beliefs, wants, and desires, at times leading to tragic results. Yet, even with destruction and despair, there is hope. I look forward to the next book to find out more! Highly recommend.
(P.S. Love the covers)
This is a complex, epic, fast-paced novel highlighting an agreement made 300 years earlier between the Knights of the Twelve and the Graylings, which now forces humanity to face a battle for life.
The world building is exceptional and feels real, and I felt immersed in this fantasy epic with its plot twists, adventure, magic, romance, and intrigue, cheering on the characters who were worthy and wishing for the downfall of the villains.
Robins is a master at fantasy and world-building and his novels remind me George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones. In The Ashen Hand of Kessrin, characters including Barons, Knights, Sorcerers, Soldiers, & Priestesses fight for their beliefs, wants, and desires, at times leading to tragic results. Yet, even with destruction and despair, there is hope. I look forward to the next book to find out more! Highly recommend.
(P.S. Love the covers)
July 21, 2022
The flight was 14 hrs long, I was flanked by 2 toddlers that were crying on and off the whole time and I haven’t slept for a full day.
Still, The book kept me in a good mood through out the 14 hours of despair. I just wish the first 1/3 were a little faster in term of pace.
Still, The book kept me in a good mood through out the 14 hours of despair. I just wish the first 1/3 were a little faster in term of pace.
May 21, 2025
Builds on the story from the first book excellently! I’m really excited to see how this story continues to grow!
September 22, 2023
I will be writing full review for the series but oh god, the series is shapping up to be wonderful. I am loving how all the links are coming together. Can't wait to know how it all comes.🤩
May 11, 2023
Book Review - The Ashen Hand of Kessrin
The Ashen Hand of Kessrin is the second book in the War of the Twelve series by Alex Robins.
This book starts off pretty much immediately after the end of the first book.
We return to our two main POV Reed and Jelaïa both dealing with the aftermath of the Greylings attack at Arelium.
Reed is recovering from the grievous wounds received at the hands of a monstrous Thresher.
Jelaia is with Aldarin heading to Kessrin, unbeknown to her is the betrayal received by the Baron in Arelium by the hands of Praxis.
Talking of Praxis, we found out at the end of book 1 he is not the nice steward we thought but a knight of the notorious order of Zygos, Seventh of the Twelve.
I love it when an author gives the reader a POV from the “other” side of the fight. It’s great to try and understand their motivations and plans, plus see what mischief they will cause.
What we found out in this book is not everything is going to go Praxis way but he will use any means necessary to achieve he end goal.
The size and scope of this story grew substantially from the first book. Where I thought this story was going is not were it went.
In book 1 the main focus was on Arelium and we didn’t get to see much else, here we start to see more of the world. We spend considerable time in Kessrin and surrounding landmarks.
As you progress through this book you will notice Alex feeding important snippets of information to help us as reader better understand the wider story arc. He does this at key points in the story, not just massive info dumps at the wrong time, which I liked.
There were a lot of answers delivered for question from book 1, although plenty of new question were asked and left unanswered.
One particular question at the front of my list is…..who is Jeffson?
The action scenes from the previous book continued in this book.
Along side fighting the monsters from the pits, greylings and Thrashers, we also got a sea battle involving Krakens.
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than book 1 and excited to see where the Alex takes the story from here.
7/10 ⭐️
The Ashen Hand of Kessrin is the second book in the War of the Twelve series by Alex Robins.
This book starts off pretty much immediately after the end of the first book.
We return to our two main POV Reed and Jelaïa both dealing with the aftermath of the Greylings attack at Arelium.
Reed is recovering from the grievous wounds received at the hands of a monstrous Thresher.
Jelaia is with Aldarin heading to Kessrin, unbeknown to her is the betrayal received by the Baron in Arelium by the hands of Praxis.
Talking of Praxis, we found out at the end of book 1 he is not the nice steward we thought but a knight of the notorious order of Zygos, Seventh of the Twelve.
I love it when an author gives the reader a POV from the “other” side of the fight. It’s great to try and understand their motivations and plans, plus see what mischief they will cause.
What we found out in this book is not everything is going to go Praxis way but he will use any means necessary to achieve he end goal.
The size and scope of this story grew substantially from the first book. Where I thought this story was going is not were it went.
In book 1 the main focus was on Arelium and we didn’t get to see much else, here we start to see more of the world. We spend considerable time in Kessrin and surrounding landmarks.
As you progress through this book you will notice Alex feeding important snippets of information to help us as reader better understand the wider story arc. He does this at key points in the story, not just massive info dumps at the wrong time, which I liked.
There were a lot of answers delivered for question from book 1, although plenty of new question were asked and left unanswered.
One particular question at the front of my list is…..who is Jeffson?
The action scenes from the previous book continued in this book.
Along side fighting the monsters from the pits, greylings and Thrashers, we also got a sea battle involving Krakens.
I enjoyed this book a little bit more than book 1 and excited to see where the Alex takes the story from here.
7/10 ⭐️
July 18, 2021
I enjoyed reading The Broken Heart of Arelium by Alex Robins, and I was super excited to learn about a sequel. The first book introduced Merad Reed, who guarded a sacred location known as “the pit.” The Ashen Hand of Kessrin begins right where the story left off. This book answered many prior story questions and took the plot and characters in a new direction.
Alex produced a faced pace work with many wonderful new characters and new challenges. Many psychological elements are at play with lots of intrigues. Overall, this story has a lot going on! It is loaded with action, adventure, intrigue, exciting dialog, and magic. Lord Praxis was mighty and crafty. Praxis was another noble character and reminded me of a college friend.
Alex added to an already fantastic alternative fantasy world. He loaded the fighting scenes with grand descriptions and excellent literary techniques. I read this book over three days because I had could not put it down. I do not want to give away the story, but I will say the ending was fantastic, and the plot had many unexpected turns.
Alex is a superb author, and The Ashen Hand of Kessrin is a fantastic read. The moment it came out, I told my friend about it because I recommended the prequel. He also enjoyed the prequel and told me last night that he download this book. So I was correct when I predicted Alex would write a fantastic sequel, and I look forward to his future works.
Alex produced a faced pace work with many wonderful new characters and new challenges. Many psychological elements are at play with lots of intrigues. Overall, this story has a lot going on! It is loaded with action, adventure, intrigue, exciting dialog, and magic. Lord Praxis was mighty and crafty. Praxis was another noble character and reminded me of a college friend.
Alex added to an already fantastic alternative fantasy world. He loaded the fighting scenes with grand descriptions and excellent literary techniques. I read this book over three days because I had could not put it down. I do not want to give away the story, but I will say the ending was fantastic, and the plot had many unexpected turns.
Alex is a superb author, and The Ashen Hand of Kessrin is a fantastic read. The moment it came out, I told my friend about it because I recommended the prequel. He also enjoyed the prequel and told me last night that he download this book. So I was correct when I predicted Alex would write a fantastic sequel, and I look forward to his future works.
April 22, 2022
I stumbled upon this series by chance while trying several new fantasy authors after I finally completed the Wheel of Time. Really glad I did because I'm thoroughly enjoying this. The author has created a very interesting world in the War Of The Twelve, and this book continues the adventures of Aldarin, Jeliaia, and Reed as they battle against the greylings and renegade Knights of the Twelve. If you liked the first book, you'll really enjoy this one too.
It's an interesting take of a fantasy series. There's some magic involved, but so far this series has focused heavily on medieval combat which I think is one of its greatest strengths. The author continues to impress me in his research and descriptions, whether it's knights battling it out with axes and swords wearing plate mail, or ships firing ballistae bolts into sea monsters. It all sounds authentic and is very entertaining.
The author hits a good balance between giving the reader the information they need to form a picture without wasting pages and pages describing all the small details. As much as I enjoy epic fantasy like the Wheel of Time, sometimes the idea of slogging through a 600 or 1000 page novel is just too daunting. Both books so far here have been around the 300 page mark, which is perfect for a quick fix of entertaining storytelling. Looking forward to Book 3!
It's an interesting take of a fantasy series. There's some magic involved, but so far this series has focused heavily on medieval combat which I think is one of its greatest strengths. The author continues to impress me in his research and descriptions, whether it's knights battling it out with axes and swords wearing plate mail, or ships firing ballistae bolts into sea monsters. It all sounds authentic and is very entertaining.
The author hits a good balance between giving the reader the information they need to form a picture without wasting pages and pages describing all the small details. As much as I enjoy epic fantasy like the Wheel of Time, sometimes the idea of slogging through a 600 or 1000 page novel is just too daunting. Both books so far here have been around the 300 page mark, which is perfect for a quick fix of entertaining storytelling. Looking forward to Book 3!
July 1, 2021
Excellent, excellent, excellent! This second of the War of the Twelve series is outstanding! This author has a way of drawing you in and keeps you wanting more. I highly recommend this series.
Superb world and character building with unexpected twists and turns will definitely keep you turning the page. I found myself not wanting to put this book down until the last page, and then I still wanted more.
I am looking forward to the next works from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Superb world and character building with unexpected twists and turns will definitely keep you turning the page. I found myself not wanting to put this book down until the last page, and then I still wanted more.
I am looking forward to the next works from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 16, 2022
The second book of the War of the Twelve series is a brilliant and exciting sequel of the first instalment. Readers who appreciated the ‘Arelium’ book won’t be disappointed. Be that as it may, the story is a bit too anthropocentric, in my opinion. Even if there are a few cunning rogues among human characters, actual ‘evil’ seems to be a feature of inhumane creatures here. Maybe this series is not aimed at philosophical enquiry, but just entertainment, and a very good one.
September 26, 2025
Omg this sequel was so good! After loving the first book and now this second book, I think I have definitely found an auto buy indie author! I am excited to have some backlisted titles from Alex Robins to read and catch up on.
This story had me engaged the whole time. Alex Robins has written some really great characters that I just can't help but fall in love with. I looove Andarin, Jelaia and Reed. I also did not expect to cry during this book but cry I did. No spoilers but a certain father/son moment had me ALL the way up in my feels.
There were definitely some revelations that I did not see coming and I cannot wait to continue the series to see how this all plays out. So goooood!
This story had me engaged the whole time. Alex Robins has written some really great characters that I just can't help but fall in love with. I looove Andarin, Jelaia and Reed. I also did not expect to cry during this book but cry I did. No spoilers but a certain father/son moment had me ALL the way up in my feels.
There were definitely some revelations that I did not see coming and I cannot wait to continue the series to see how this all plays out. So goooood!
July 10, 2021
Super second installment of what is shaping up to be a great series. The character building really takes of and you fall in love with each character! Tremendously done.
This is of a really high quality Alex. I really hope more people get to read this and that you will be able to continue bringing us with you on this amazing work of fiction.
This is of a really high quality Alex. I really hope more people get to read this and that you will be able to continue bringing us with you on this amazing work of fiction.
August 3, 2021
Having taken the author up on the offer of the first book in the series for free, I decided having liked that book that it was only right to buy this one. And I am glad I did!
This improved upon the first book in every way, the characters felt more fleshed out, more action and genuinely gripping. I’m looking forward to the next one, hopefully the wait won’t be too long.
This improved upon the first book in every way, the characters felt more fleshed out, more action and genuinely gripping. I’m looking forward to the next one, hopefully the wait won’t be too long.
September 22, 2021
War of the Twelve
I read these books non- stop. The plot and it’s characters are fast moving and presented in wonderfully descriptive and engaging writing. I am left wanting more of these addictive books. I will be following Alex Robbins closely! Don’t you just love it when you find an author that draws you in ?!!!💕
I read these books non- stop. The plot and it’s characters are fast moving and presented in wonderfully descriptive and engaging writing. I am left wanting more of these addictive books. I will be following Alex Robbins closely! Don’t you just love it when you find an author that draws you in ?!!!💕
January 5, 2022
Loving this series. Though the first novel was great, liked this one a little more. The world was further developed. Still maintained the fast-paced and epic feel. Elaborated more on the magic in the world and how it works, as well as further explores the 12 demi-gods that established the world hundreds of years before the present day. Just a great read.
July 12, 2021
I enjoyed this sequel bring on the next book.
December 28, 2021
Great continuation of the series, probably even better than the first!
July 22, 2022
Excellent second book of the War of the Twelve saga. I enjoyed following the characters from Book 1 and the new characters are added to the story perfectly. There are also amazing twists that unfold. We get to understand more and more of the big picture and I can't wait to read more!
August 24, 2024
Sucks you in and ends with a cliffhanger
I started this series on a whim, and I'm glad I did. Think Lord of the Rings meets Game of Thrones with God's and goddesses thrown in. I can not wait to see what happens in the next book!
I started this series on a whim, and I'm glad I did. Think Lord of the Rings meets Game of Thrones with God's and goddesses thrown in. I can not wait to see what happens in the next book!
July 12, 2023
Great read
A very well written book full of surprises and turns. Highly recommend! Can't wait to get the next book. 5 stars!!
A very well written book full of surprises and turns. Highly recommend! Can't wait to get the next book. 5 stars!!
March 1, 2022
Very good continuation to a new series that has everything a sequel should in that it expands everything that happened in the first entry from the world and magic to the bad guys and the not so bad guys. The growing cast of characters are just as interesting as the returning ones and the magic powers god-like/fantasy races are already making a lot more sense having more page time to show more background. Very interested in continuing a series found on a reddit forum.
December 29, 2024
Excellent read
Excellent second book in the series a real page turner. The plot is full of twists and fast paced with great characters that you can fully engage with. I was so glad that I have this series a try it's turning out to be one of the best I have read in a long time. Can't wait to continue on to the next book.
Excellent second book in the series a real page turner. The plot is full of twists and fast paced with great characters that you can fully engage with. I was so glad that I have this series a try it's turning out to be one of the best I have read in a long time. Can't wait to continue on to the next book.
May 21, 2025
An epic story
This is the second book of this epic series and it is quite superb. The battered and wounded survivors of the siege of Arelium are now on separate journeys. Jelaia struggling with her newly discovered powers and Aldarin Knight of the Twelve seek sanctuary and knowledge, Merad Reed wounded and suffering is sent to Morlack to more intrigue, treachery and invasion and he traitor Praxis travels to Kessarin to sow more discord, and now the twelve are returning with shocking revelations ans secrets. I love these stories, strong characters with real depth and most are not what they seem, great world building, twists and turns and visceral action sequences. Jay Forrester again does an excellent job on the narration
This is the second book of this epic series and it is quite superb. The battered and wounded survivors of the siege of Arelium are now on separate journeys. Jelaia struggling with her newly discovered powers and Aldarin Knight of the Twelve seek sanctuary and knowledge, Merad Reed wounded and suffering is sent to Morlack to more intrigue, treachery and invasion and he traitor Praxis travels to Kessarin to sow more discord, and now the twelve are returning with shocking revelations ans secrets. I love these stories, strong characters with real depth and most are not what they seem, great world building, twists and turns and visceral action sequences. Jay Forrester again does an excellent job on the narration
October 1, 2024
Book 2 picks up right where book 1 left off. It does a good job of introducing a new kingdom in the story's world and of carrying on the struggles of the characters from book 1. The end of the first book had a very interesting plot twist, and book 2 definitely builds upon it and fleshes it out considerably. As I stated in my review of the first book, the Twelve Knights and their respective orders are very interesting and the upside-down plot twist in which they are entangled is a very thoughtful and intriguing one. There are a couple unexpected (and perhaps unlikely) love affairs that are just kind of thrust upon us. I'm not sure where I really see that they are all that beneficial to the story. Robins is a good writer and I don't see any technical problems with his writing, but I would say that the shortcomings are more of the same - not enough character development, particularly with character relationships not being fleshed out enough, plot points seem a bit too sporadic and convenient sometimes, and characters are introduced suddenly and, if not superfluously, maybe a bit too conveniently as it pertains to advancing the plot. I would love to see some of the supporting characters fleshed out a little better. But thankfully, some of the main characters have this done quite well. I once again gave this 4-stars, but as I said in my review of the first book, someone less willing to overlook the book's shortcomings and to simply melt into the story might be more inclined to see it as a 2.5 to 3-star effort. I probably didn't enjoy book 2 quite as much as I enjoyed book 1, but I still enjoyed it enough to have gone ahead and purchased book 3 - "The Burning Tears of Morlak." I definitely love the world that Robins has created and all of it's elements.
December 12, 2021
I'm really glad I decided to continue this series, this book improved over the first one in all areas I thought it was lacking, there's more action, character growth and less descriptions (I know in the first one it was necessary since it's a new world and introductions were needed).
I really like how the story is panning out, the twists and surprises, the unexpected character here and there, and the backstories sprinkled every now and then that allow us to learn more about our crew.
Can't wait for the next book!
I really like how the story is panning out, the twists and surprises, the unexpected character here and there, and the backstories sprinkled every now and then that allow us to learn more about our crew.
Can't wait for the next book!
October 14, 2023
Great second book. Built on the world building and gave us more insight into the world.
I loved this second book. Loads more happens and plenty of great surprise's.
I love the characters and I love the writing.
Nice small chapters and the story is getting better and better.
That was some ending. Fingers crossed I can get book 3 and 4 soon.
I loved this second book. Loads more happens and plenty of great surprise's.
I love the characters and I love the writing.
Nice small chapters and the story is getting better and better.
That was some ending. Fingers crossed I can get book 3 and 4 soon.
November 4, 2023
Better than the first book. Excited to jump into the next one
September 26, 2025
This is great.
Like Robins' previous book[s] this moves quickly, and does not linger.
The world becomes more fleshed out, and events in the past during the time of the twelve are impacting the events of today. The different orders of knights start to make their presence known, and [spoiler], as we saw the end of book 1; the original twelve are making a return to the realm of man.
Robins has done a great job of fleshing out these characters by books end, and I am excited to continue reading about their endeavors.
My previous criticism about the knight Aldarin is no longer. In this book we see he moves away from the typical "duty above all" boisterous knight in shining armor archetype, to a man whom questions his own patron Brachyura's motives & teachings.
I also find myself very invested in the POV of Praxis, as he continues to try, and maintain the facade of the temporary "baron/liege" of Arelium. His actions driving him into the events surrounding Kessrin, and the plight of it's people; all the while still trying to manipulate things in favor of his greater goal.
Reed's story of taking his role of captain of the old guard begins to shine through as he journeys to a different spawn pit, and must assume his role there despite injuries & a small order of knights. A set of events that develop the lore of the creatures of the pit, and the Baroness of Morlak.
Jelaia's story is enjoyable, and continues along well. I simply find it overshadowed by everyone else's arc. She begins study with the priestess of Brachyura's order to reign in her new magical ability. It's a neat magic system with a risk/reward trade-off.
On to book 3!
Like Robins' previous book[s] this moves quickly, and does not linger.
The world becomes more fleshed out, and events in the past during the time of the twelve are impacting the events of today. The different orders of knights start to make their presence known, and [spoiler], as we saw the end of book 1; the original twelve are making a return to the realm of man.
Robins has done a great job of fleshing out these characters by books end, and I am excited to continue reading about their endeavors.
My previous criticism about the knight Aldarin is no longer. In this book we see he moves away from the typical "duty above all" boisterous knight in shining armor archetype, to a man whom questions his own patron Brachyura's motives & teachings.
I also find myself very invested in the POV of Praxis, as he continues to try, and maintain the facade of the temporary "baron/liege" of Arelium. His actions driving him into the events surrounding Kessrin, and the plight of it's people; all the while still trying to manipulate things in favor of his greater goal.
Reed's story of taking his role of captain of the old guard begins to shine through as he journeys to a different spawn pit, and must assume his role there despite injuries & a small order of knights. A set of events that develop the lore of the creatures of the pit, and the Baroness of Morlak.
Jelaia's story is enjoyable, and continues along well. I simply find it overshadowed by everyone else's arc. She begins study with the priestess of Brachyura's order to reign in her new magical ability. It's a neat magic system with a risk/reward trade-off.
On to book 3!
September 22, 2024
In a similar fashion to the first book, the action was quite exciting. The story is coming together quite nicely and I sense the potential of these series of books. I'm starting to feel a connection with the character Praxis. I like that he is multi dimensional as he keeps me on my toes. Some interesting twists that had me gripping the book until that chapter was complete. I've not yet moved the needle in my scoring, as I'm still not captivated with this. I will however persist on to the next book with hope that the pace continues to grow.
August 31, 2021
Everything that I liked about the first book was back in force with the sequel. This story focused a bit more on Jelaïa than Reed, but all the characters still got their turn in the spotlight, and the new faces that were introduced like the Morlak chapter of knights were a delight to read about. The world of the twelve only continues to grow, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds in store for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews