The Sapphire Altar

The Vagrant Gods #2

by David Dalglish

In this epic fantasy from a bestselling author, a usurped prince must master the magic of shadows in order to reclaim his kingdom and his people.
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Cyrus wants out. Trained to be an assassin in order to oust the invading Empire from his kingdom, Cyrus is now worried the price of his vengeance is too high. His old master has been keeping too many secrets to be trusted. And the mask he wears to hide his true identity and become the legendary "Vagrant" has started whispering to him in the dark. But the fight isn't over and the Empire has sent its full force to bear upon Cyrus's floundering revolution. He'll have to decide once and for all whether to become the thing he fears or lose the country he loves.

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

499 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to Orbit, David Dalglish and Netgalley.
It's just a funny thing, but I wasn't too impressed with the first book. At all! But, there was something about it that must have stuck with me, because I kept thinking about these people.
Truth is that I read so many books that I couldn't recall why I kept remembering them, nor which story they came from!
Then, this book came up on Netgalley, and I knew.
Of course, I immediately requested this book, and "lucky me" I was approved!
This second book knocked my footies off!
There is no middle book syndrome here. Matter of fact, this story blew me away. I freaking loved this book!
The people, the Island and yes, even the fight scenes!
From a 3 star beginning for the first book, this definitely gets all the stars.
I need more!
Shit fuzzy! I loved this book!
Now? Crikey! I suppose I'll have to try other books by Dalglish.

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I have to say that after reading this heartstopping second book in the Vagrant Gods series that it has now joined a very special place among my favorite ongoing fantasy series right up there with Justin T. Call's Silent Gods and Krystle Matar's Tainted Dominion. To be honest I was sort of expecting a slower paced second book but what I got was a follow-up that only doubled down on the action, treachery, and revelations regarding the history behind this tremendous story.

What I also loved about THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR is that Dalglish places more of a focus on other characters, rather than primarily on Cyrus. The chapters with Keles and Eshiel in particular were some of the best in the entire series I thought. Getting to experience these other viewpoints has also cast some doubts on what I thought I believed after finishing book one. When an author can keep you totally off balance like that to the point where you truly don't know who you should be rooting for, well there's nothing better in my opinion.

This book picks up where the first book left off as the extremely religious Everlorn Empire has now firmly entrenched itself within the island nation of Thanet. They rule with an iron fist and violently execute anyone who refuses to submit to the one true god. Any possible pockets of resistance are sought out to be crushed and eliminated before they can grow into something that could potentially threaten the empire's rule. Their main target being fugitive prince and former heir to the old throne Cyrus. But as Cyrus tries to gather forces for a successful insurrection to reclaim his country he soon realizes that he has some very real troubles of his own to deal with that could threaten to derail it all.

I mentioned on Twitter while I was reading this book that there's nothing more fun (at least for me anyway) than reading a book that has a purely evil villain that you absolutely despise. That villain comes in the form of Heir-Incarnate of the empire Galvanis. Every scene that I read with this guy in it had me wanting to reach into the book myself and put a dagger in his back. But it is also what made me keep wanting to turn the pages of this book because he was also such a charismatic and magnetic personality. Dalglish has written one of the more infinitely hatable villains that I have come across in some time. And yet even though hatable, I couldn't help but speculate that there was more to him than what we are shown at the surface.

It's hard for me to get into any specifics of the story without spoiling things so I will refrain from that. What I will say though is if you enjoy incredibly epic stories of good vs evil where the lines are sort of blurry as to which is which, then you need to read this book and series. It will keep you on your toes, wow you with intense scenes of battle, and cause you to cancel a lot of plans because you don't ever want to stop reading it.

I was a fan of David Dalglish before this series, but now I am an absolute devotee who will run to buy every single book that he produces. He's that good and I'm happy to say that he seems to be at the top of his game with the Vagrant Gods series. THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR has everything you could ever want in an engaging epic fantasy. It won't be officially released until January of 2023, but all that means is you have plenty of time to pick up and read the first book, The Bladed Faith while you are waiting for your preorder to get delivered!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 stars
This is a solid sequel in this epic fantasy series. In terms of story, this is a very traditional tropey narrative, yet it continues to do those tropes well.

Second books can be tricky in a trilogy, but I was pleased to find that this one advanced the plot and characters. Just like the first book, the various perspectives fit together well into a cohesive story. This is an enjoyable series but it does not entirely surprise or excite me.

I would recommend this series to readers looking for a fantasy revenge story with strong character development.

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

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bladed Faith ★★★★
The Sapphire Altar ★★★★

I reviewed the series as a whole -without spoilers- here

[Rob Hayes]

A brilliant second entry to the series. This takes everything I loved from book 1 and just gives me more. More kicking in the feels. More badass character moments. More struggles against overpowered deities. I can't wait for book 3!

[TheReadingStray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action-Packed ✓ Battling Gods ✓ Diabolic ✓ Epic Fights ✓ Paladins ✓ Revenge Story ✓

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“”Grant me wings, O goddess, to lift my eyes heavenward”, he quoted. “Decorate not my grave, for I behold a sky of beauty.””

What is the Book about?

Cyrus wants out. Trained to be an assassin in order to oust the invading Empire from his kingdom, Cyrus is now worried the price of his vengeance is too high. His old master has been keeping too many secrets to be trusted. And the mask he wears to hide his true identity and become the legendary “Vagrant” has started whispering to him in the dark. But the fight isn’t over and the Empire has sent its full force to bear upon Cyrus’s floundering revolution. He’ll have to decide once and for all whether to become the thing he fears or lose the country he loves.

Rating
Plot ★★★★★
Characters ★★★★☆
Excitement ★★★★★
Atmosphere ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆

Favourite Character
Mari and Keles

My thoughts while reading it

In the celestial realms where gods wield power as vast as the cosmos itself, and faith quivers like leaves in the wind, David Dalglish masterfully weaves a tale that transcends the limits of mortal comprehension. It’s a journey that plunges readers into an epic odyssey of divine uncertainty and malevolent intrigue, an intoxicating blend that resonates with the very essence of gaming nirvana.

This installment is a veritable feast for gamers, a realm where epic battles unfold, Elden Ring-like gods rise to prominence, and the scale of epicness reaches unprecedented heights. However, what truly captivated my gaming soul was the infusion of the Diablo essence. As a devout lover of Diablo’s dark ambiance and demonic undertones within religions, I reveled in the ritual scenes that sent shivers down my spine. Dalglish, with unparalleled mastery, transforms gods into Diablo-esque entities, creating an atmosphere that mirrors the darkest depths of gaming ecstasy. The battles, akin to Dark Souls bosses, were nothing short of fantastical, evoking a sense of sheer exhilaration.

The narrative, a mesmerizing dance with the enigmatic concept of faith, goes beyond the conventional boundaries of storytelling. It challenges the very core of faith, forcing contemplation upon the nature of these gods – benevolent patrons or malevolent puppeteers? Are gods steadfast or changeable? Do they bring enlightenment or only strife and destruction, fueled by humanity’s desire to claim divinity for themselves? These philosophical musings injected profound depth into the narrative.

Dalglish’s brilliance shines as he deftly shifts the narrative spotlight, allowing readers to experience the saga through multiple viewpoints. The tightrope walk of doubt, cast upon certainties from Book One, keeps readers teetering on the precipice of revelation, questioning allegiances and beliefs. The critique I had for the first instalment, where the focus on Cyrus overshadowed equally amazing characters, is rectified here. The expansive cast of characters, particularly the enthralling Mari and the poignant Keles, breathes life into the narrative. Keles, stripped of faith and identity, and Mari, navigating a labyrinth of conflicting divine agendas, bring vulnerability and resilience to the forefront, enriching an already intricate tale. Mari’s God Whisperer ability takes on an even more exceptional and nuanced significance in this instalment. Regrettably, delving further into the details of their experiences would lead to spoilers. The malevolent Galvanis emerges as a villain of diabolical proportions, yet he transcends the caricature of evil. His charisma and magnetism transform him into a tantalizing enigma, enticing readers to delve into the recesses of his dark soul. Without venturing into spoilers, the narrative beckons readers into a realm where the boundaries between good and evil are as fluid as the currents of a celestial river. The desire to peel back the layers beneath his malevolence adds an extra layer of intrigue to the reading experience.

In this story, the constant shifts in allegiances and the frequent changes of heart among the characters have left me uncertain about whom to believe, trust, or align with. Each character seems to be influenced by various factors, making it challenging to place absolute faith in anyone. The narrative transcends simple distinctions between good and evil, residing instead in a shimmering gray area. This ambiguity adds an extra layer of intrigue, leaving me eager to see how all these complexities will unravel in the final book.

In conclusion, “The Sapphire Altar” is a tour de force propelling Dalglish to the pinnacle of epic fantasy storytelling. The Vagrant Gods series, with its intoxicating blend of gods, betrayal, and unfathomable mysteries, establishes the author as a literary maestro. For those yearning for a narrative that blurs the lines between good and evil, this series serves as a beacon, ensnaring, mesmerizing, and leaving an insatiable yearning for more. As a testament to the brilliance within these pages, I declare myself an unwavering devotee of David Dalglish, eagerly anticipating the release of each future opus.

Reading Recommendation? ✓
Favourite? ✓

[Traveling Cloak · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a ride this book was, especially in the second half. If you have been following my reviews, you have heard me rave about Dalglishes’ ability to write action scenes and fighting performances. Near-perfect descriptions of the characters and their movements to go along with mental and emotional states of the characters. I cannot give the author enough credit for how entertaining these scenes are.

In addition, I really love the way Dalglish approaches gods. He has always placed the gods in the realms of society not as all-powerful beings, but as human-like with flaws and faults, too (see quote above).

I could not give this book a perfect score for a couple of reasons. At times I felt like the overall plot could have used a bit more focus and ended up feeling unnecessarily chaotic. Also, there were certain times when there was a lot of explanation all at once, which made the pace of plot slow down too much. These did not affect my overall enjoyment of the book on a large scale, though.

THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR is an enjoyable read. Recommended for fantasy readers and especially fans of Dalglishes’ work

[Rodger’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ if you are someone who loves the gods among us trope as much as I do this series will be your JAM. Talk about an action packed ride, and just when you think you’re falling into a formulaic story of excursions with Cyrus and crew Dalglish is like…”hold my beer.” There were some reveals and climaxes that I didn’t see coming in this book, and I loved every second of it. If you want a story about resistance against the evil empire, but where the motives of said evil empire are explored and actually understandable…if you want a ragtag group trying to lead a rebellion (with many characters that are 30+)…if you want LGBT+ rep that isn’t a characters whole motivation for being in the story…if you want heart pounding action scenes and twists and turns galore….then look no further this series is FOR YOU!!

Thank you to Orbit for sending this eARC so I could review it!

[Gabriel d'Matos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never took so long to finish a book. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me, and I was trying to think the reasons for that, but the truth is quite simple: I just didn't care at all. For the characters, world or the premisse. It is a shame.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars but rounding up

[Chris Monceaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Thank you to Orbit Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

This is a release I've been looking forward to reading for quite some time. I enjoyed the first book, and this sequel builds on many of the elements I loved in the first story. Unfortunately, there were also some things that just didn't work for me, which left me with mixed feelings at the end.

First off, I had trouble sinking back into the story, which was odd because there was a useful recap at the beginning that helped to get my memory up to speed on the events of the prior book. I'm honestly not sure why I had so much difficulty at first, but I trudged through the first 25% of the book and couldn't seem to remain interested in it for more than a chapter or two at a time. I think the large number of POVs may have played a role since I never really had the time to settle into any one character for any length of time. So, it took me quite a ways into the book before getting re-attached to them and re-invested in what was going on.

Some big revelations happened at the end of the first book, and I was curious to see the impact they would have on the characters. There was a significant amount of character growth as a result of the reveals, and I enjoyed quite a few of the character arcs. However, each of them learned the information in different ways, and reading the same explanation of Thanet's history over and over from the perspectives of alternating characters got old fast. It bogged things down in the middle, and I found myself wishing the story would just move forward. The pace picked up in the second half, and we got battle after battle. I lost count of the number of fights in this book, and Dalglish did a masterful job of bringing each one to life. Battle sequences are definitely one of his strengths as a writer, and I enjoyed reading them. I think it may have crossed the line into too much of a good thing, though, because it began to feel like the characters were just bouncing from battle to battle with no real direction.

That brings me to the plot. It felt a bit all over the place when compared to the first book. Where before there was a fairly linear plan developed by Thorda that gave everything structure, everything in this book just sort of... happened. I never got the sense that the story was moving toward anything in particular other than a showdown with the heir of the God-Incarnate. There wasn't even really a clear idea about how they would survive that showdown for them to work toward, which cheapened the outcome a bit for me. All the fights in this story also make me less excited for the next book because I assume it will just be more of the same, them fighting and overcoming supposedly unbeatable foes. I did enjoy the parts of the plot tied to Thanet's past, and the twist at the end definitely made me see some things in a new light. The foreshadowing was so obvious, though, that it took some of the punch out of the surprises, at least for me.

The character arcs were one of my favorite things about this book. Many of the characters became much more well-rounded, and all of them exhibited some sort of growth because of the book's events. My favorites were Keles and Arn. Keles' story was deeply impactful and illustrated what can happen when someone's beliefs shatter and they lose faith in everything they once held dear. Arn was such a sweetheart in this story, and I loved getting to know him better. His struggle with guilt and overcoming the shadows of his past was moving, and seeing his softer side often left me smiling. All in all, I enjoyed Dalglish's ability to create compelling characters that fall somewhere between good and evil. I also just want to note that I LOVED that Stasia and Clarissa got their moment. It was pretty much perfect.

I also really loved the themes explored in this story. It deepened the exploration of faith considerably compared to the first book, and the magic system was a really fascinating way to explore those ideas. The story also spent a great deal of time examining whether the "safety" of conforming to authoritarianism is worth losing one's freedom. The horrors of imperialism and colonization were once again on full display, and the story provided a nuanced critique of those power structures and the people who operate them.

Overall, this was a fairly solid continuation of The Vagrant Gods story. If you enjoy sweeping action scenes, gritty examinations of faith, and compelling characters that struggle with morality in the face of oppression, you will likely find something here that you enjoy. I don't think this was as good of an outing as the first book, though, and it makes me a little less excited about the final upcoming story. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

See more of my reviews and other bookish content on my blog.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

EDIT: I've just finished my re-read and I loved this book just as much this second tine round. I'm excited all over again to read the finale which I is in my hands at last. I can't wait to start it tomorrow!

Enthralling? Yep, that's the perfect word for this. I was bloody enthralled with this second installment from start to finish. Without spoiling anything, Dalglish managed to yet again, put a really interesting spin on gods and deities. One of my issues with book one was that I felt the Gods and worldbuilding weren't explored enough. Well Dalglish blew that complaint away here.

My other issue was that I didn't feel as emotionally connected to the characters as I wanted to be. Well I love them all now! We learn their motivations and get more backstory for them. Dalglish built layers for each of them that were fantastic to unravel. We even have a new P.O.V and he proved to such an interesting character.

This book doesn't suffer from second book syndrome. The characters are more complex, the plot explosive and the action just as pulse pounding as it was in the previous novel. Not only were the twists so well done, but how they were revealed was fantastic. How Dalglish raised his game in this sequel really impressed me. My only issue is having to wait until 2024 for the finale! Its going to be a long year....

[takeeveryshot · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was poorly written but i had fun and i love a ragtag gang with terrible personalities who are either accidentally or on purpose turning into actual literal gods

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

Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!

David Dalglish returns with yet another epic installment in his The Vagrant Gods series. After finding myself captivated by The Bladed Faith last year, I'd been anxiously awaiting the return to this intense world Dalglish has created, and it did not disappoint. Please note that there will be spoilers for The Bladed Faith in this review, so if you have not read that one and you plan to, you might want to read that review first or simply proceed with caution! There will be no spoilers for The Sapphire Altar, and for that reason–as is usually the case–I will be keeping some of my discussion a bit brief on details so as to avoid spoiling anything.

The Sapphire Altar picks up not long after the tumultuous events of The Bladed Faith, and it was easy to jump right back into this world. Also, for those of your who, like me, often struggle to remember some of the–ahem–finer details of books in series they read, Dalglish is a gem of a human being and includes a wonderful recap of the first book to get it all fresh and ready in your mind. We start at a point where Cyrus has realized that he has been betrayed by Thorda and is struggling to determine where his place should be as the Vagrant. Thanet has now been fully infiltrated by the Everlorn Empire and the rebellion that Cyrus is a part of has many new (and old) obstacles to deal with in order to achieve this goal.

One of the things that I have most loved about this series is Dalglish's ability to craft truly captivating characters. All of the characters feel exceptionally realistic in how they are portrayed, with full fleshed personalities and individual traits and motivations, and they also therefore have many grey qualities about them that made them feel more like real people with real good and bad qualities. There is no perfection here. Cyrus has so much depth to his personality, desires, and motivations, and we see him struggle constantly with all the different sides pulling at him. This made him feel like a very relatable character who I could really empathize with and get behind (albeit we have very different issues to deal with, but I think you know what I mean).

We also get to focus on many more characters than just Cyrus in this installment, including (but not limited to) Mari, Stasia, Arn, Rayan, Keles, and more, I was thrilled at all the added depth this created. Stasia and Mari are two of my favorite sisters in fantasy at this point and I loved following along their arcs in this sequel. Both Stasia and Mari face some pretty enormous revelations and have to come to terms with what their futures holds for them, some of it good and some of it more difficult to deal with. I am really eager to see what's next for them in the next book. Keles was also a character that I didn't expect to connect with all that much and it felt like a relatively slow start with her chapters, but as the story progressed I found myself getting more and more intrigued by her role and seeing how it would play into the greater plot. And although we don't get a perspective from Thorda, I continue to find him an immensely complex and interesting character and I can't really predict anything about him.

I like that the overall world seems to be slowly growing in scope with this second installment, though I do still hope that we get to see even more of the world in the next book. I have really enjoyed moments where get to learn more about other areas int his world and their history, as well as learning more about Thanet's history and everything that has happened both within and surrounding it. Religion naturally plays a large role in this book due to the influence and incorporation of the gods, and I have been fascinated by how Dalglish has crafted this entire setup. There is a lot of complexity at play that I won't even attempt to explain in a brief review, but I do love that there is always something new to surprise me, as we are constantly learning more about the history of the gods and their various roles.

Lastly, I just want to touch on Dalglish's writing style and the pacing of the book, both of which were excellently done. Dalglish has a very straightforward yet careful writing style that makes the story flow well and makes it easy to follow along. The pacing felt very similar to the pacing of The Bladed Faith, where things start of a little slower with some action thrown in, but as we got to the middle half of the book and beyond things really began to take off. We get plenty of scenes of introspection from characters and relationship-building between characters, and there are also plenty of actions scenes and more intense moments that really kept me hooked. And as someone who often struggles with action scenes and finding them boring, I really enjoyed these ones and actually found myself paying attention to all the finer details included.

There are a lot of fantasy books out there that focus on rebellions and uprisings against harsh rule or wars fought over gods, but The Vagrant Gods has really stood out to me and has consistently brought an enrapturing story with alluring characters and a plot that has fully ensnared me. Somehow, Dalglish makes this premise fresh and exciting, and I cannot wait to see how the story will continue in the next book. Overall, I've given The Sapphire Altar 4.5 stars!
*I received a copy of The Sapphire Altar courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Birte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice sequel and I liked seeing more of the world and getting a lot of history, as well as seeing this found family working through problems and confronting problems in their group as well as their enemies. This also focuses on a revelation from the first novel, which I didn't think deserved to have such an impact on the morality of characters. There was a bit more of a point to it here, but the way some of the characters reacted to a certain things make no sense to me. One character especially made very questionable choices in my opinion that stood against everything they wanted, which was very frustrating cause it felt completely out of character. All in all very fun though!

[Matt Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the 5 books of the authors I've now read, this is Dalglish's best book. And potentially my book of the year as well. The characterization I felt he absolutely nailed. The reveals, th consequences, the action. All there. What a stellar sequel and a magnificent read.

[Tyra Leann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book syndrome, who? We don't know them. This books was an incredible sequel and I'm immediately diving into book 3.

[Kate (BloggingwithDragons) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Sapphire Altar is a triumphant return to the world of Thanet, a small island nation rebelling against the evil Everlorn Empire. With their gods and all but one member of the royal family murdered, the stakes are almost insurmountably high for Cyrus, the heir to Thanet’s throne. With its focus on character development and religious themes, The Sapphire Altar is even more compelling than its predecessor, The Bladed Faith.  

I was thrilled at the complex character development in The Sapphire Altar because I really found myself unable to connect with the characters in The Bladed Faith, despite liking the idea of them. In this previous entry in the series, I felt that each character had a mere one or two defining character traits, but that is not at all the case in The Sapphire Altar. All of the characters in this novel were struggling, whether with a crisis of fate, of purpose, or of faith. At last, I felt the characters were more than their battle prowess, magical powers, and religions—they finally had depth, complexity, and nuance. Characters I had not felt much toward in the previous installment, I grew to love in The Sapphire Altar.

For instance, readers learned much more about Arn’s past and what drove him to give up his role as a loyal Paragon of the Everlorn Empire. His flashbacks were truly moving and had me choking up. Before The Sapphire Altar, I was very much indifferent to his character, who I thought was more of a plot device than anything else, but with this installment, he absolutely became one of my favorite characters. Likewise, Sinshei, who was a moderately interesting, but rather simple villain in The Bladed Faith, shared the events that shaped her into becoming such an ambitious woman and ambiguously evil adversary. I couldn't help but to root for her, even though she was most certainly a Bad Guy. It was truly exciting to see more sides of all of these characters, whether or not they played a huge role in the story. There were also new characters joining the fray in The Sapphire Altar, such as Sinshei’s despicable older brother, a charismatic priest of the fallen god Lycaena turning to darker methods of worship, and Arn’s older brother as well. 

“‘I’m all right with being needed,’ Cyrus said, ‘I do not feel right being worshiped. Is it possible to deny it? Can a god exist without worship?’”

Running underneath all of the truly titillating character development was the theme of “what makes a god?” Many characters, especially Cyrus and Arn, grappled with the meaning of gods and pondered whether gods created humans or humans actually brought gods into existence with their sheer need for them. Other characters drew comparisons between the power of the Everlorn Emperor’s self-made God-Incarnate and how his abilities (and those of his followers), differed from the powers of their own gods. The Sapphire Altar explored all of these aspects of faith through its diverse cast of characters, many of whom worship different gods, or who had vastly different upbringings and experiences. Every single one of the cast of characters was perfectly positioned to share their differing beliefs and to offer a divergent opinion. 

At the center of all the religious chaos was Keles, who finds that her crisis of faith is less over than she thought it was, and Cyrus, who bitterly finds himself becoming more and more like a god every day. These two clashed over their opposing perspectives and it was exciting to watch. I only wished that the two had stayed on their conflicting paths longer because I felt it could have been even more emotional than it already was if it had been drawn out. Unfortunately, I have never cared much for Keles as a character, and I did have a hard time believing that she was a suitable person for the role she ended up taking in The Sapphire Altar, as she consistently made one ill-advised, grief-stricken choice after another and was easily manipulated by those who did not have her best interests in mind.

What didn't help Keles's credibility was that she didn't seem to have the background or knowledge for this role and it's hard to think she’d be better at it than anyone else. I don’t want to say too much about her role because of spoilers, but I found myself wishing once again that readers had been able to see first hand (or in flashbacks), her time as the golden child of the Paladins and Lycaena, dubbed the Light of Vallesau. It’s one thing to be told again and again she was the best up and coming Paladin, with amazing faith and battle capabilities to match, and another thing to actually witness it. Similarly, I also thought seeing her back when she was initially forced to renounce her goddess in order to live, an extremely painful and public ceremony, would have made her a more sympathetic character to me and rendered her choices in The Sapphire Altar more understandable and heart-rending. Instead, it felt like her arc, as it was, was stunted by those narrative choices and remained primarily unrealized potential. 

On a more specific note, I also couldn’t help but to feel that much of Keles’s dilemmas, both moral and religious, could have been easily and swiftly resolved if only Mari had used her powers as a God Whisper to allow Keles to speak with her deceased goddess, Lycaena. Mari allowed Keles’s uncle Rayan to speak to the fallen goddess, but never Keles, who arguably needed to speak more to her goddess than the unflappable and ardently faithful Rayan. Mari frequently granted others, even their enemies, the use of her abilities to commune with the gods multiple times in this novel alone, with seemingly very little cost to her person or to her presently chosen god, Endarius. So I couldn’t help but to see this as a win-win, no-brainer solution to Keles’s turmoil. The fact that this incredibly obvious solution was never offered, let alone even thought of to help Keles, seemed like a huge, glaring plot hole to me, especially when so many people were supposedly worried about her.

“‘These crimes of the past, I would make them right if I could,’ he told her.

‘Even as a king, it is beyond your abilities,’ she said, ‘I did not choose this battle, Cyrus, but I will end it.’”

Regardless of this unbelievable and alarming lack of consideration, it was entertaining to see a very hurt Keles embrace other means of powers and to fight for what she believes is the best course of action. It was also interesting to see how this relates to Cyrus and his own beliefs and goals and the means he was willing to use to achieve them. I really wasn’t expecting the two to become anything more than love interests, but instead, they’ve veered off into foil territory, which is something far more captivating. The Sapphire Altar showed the emotions of their exchanges and made each of their viewpoints seem feasible and even reasonable, which heightened the situation. However, to this conflict as well, it seemed there was yet another very simple and easily apparent solution, which I won’t name here due to massive spoilers. But again, no one seemed to even consider such a straightforward, common, and accessible remedy to a huge problem, which was once more rather hard to believe in people who were supposedly desperately seeking a solution.

On top of the character development, another thing that truly shone in The Sapphire Altar was the fight scenes. I am someone who does not really care much for fight scenes in novels, as I find them difficult to follow, to imagine, and honestly, to be a bit boring. (I know, it’s a character flaw.) But author Dalglish made his blow-by-blow depictions of battles easy to picture, even for me, and kept the tension racketed high in every single one. Fans of any form of combat will truly delight in this series. It was more a testament to my taste than the author’s abilities that I wished there were fewer fight scenes. Obviously, in a trilogy about a rebellion at war with an entire empire, there’s going to be all kinds of skirmishes, and it would not be believable otherwise.

I was also very pleased to see that the rampant “telling” writing style of The Bladed Faith had been largely left behind in the dust in this entry of the trilogy. Still, certain scenes lacked the impact they should as a result of this habit. For instance, at two separate points in the story, a character finally decided to divulge a pivotal secret to another. This should be a very shocking revelation to each listener, but it was instead dampened by a wall of exposition, which greatly lessened its impact. Readers weren’t privy to the exact words chosen in this delicate, shocking conversation or the reaction of the listeners. It was a letdown to not experience these conversations firsthand and to just be told that Person A told Person B, and later Person C, what huge thing had happened. 

“When he did tell the story to Rayan, it went nothing like those rehearsed imaginings. He told it haltingly, his sentences short, his voice cold and distant.”

And again:

“Cyrus told the tale, best as he remembered it, sparing no detail.”

Though there remain frustrating instances of this type of exposition in this novel, they are thankfully, fewer and farther apart, and The Sapphire Altar did a much better job of showing important events through flashbacks. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for a lot of the expressions in the novel, which remain very over-the-top and fairly constant. To me, it felt like these phrases were trying a bit too hard to be epic, quotable, or to merely attempt to disguise the telling in prettier language. It didn't help that this more flowery language stuck out from the rest of the novel, which in turn, drew even more attention to the fact that the novel wasn’t giving visual or internal clues and was just providing more exposition in grandiloquent dressings. I much preferred when The Sapphire Altar kept things quieter and more straightforward, without the metaphors or the grandstanding, which allowed for truly touching and more naturally poignant moments. 

As a whole, I was surprised by a lot of turns that The Sapphire Altartook. Though I loved reading this novel and never wanted to put it down, I felt the series made an extensive change of direction with this entry, whether planned or not. Up until now, the story was one of personal vengeance—Cyrus becoming an assassin to win back his rightful throne from an usurper—but with The Sapphire Altar, it’s much more of a story of broken people and their gods on opposing sides of a costly war trying to put themselves together. Though I really do love stories of people rebelling against an evil empire (lifelong Star Wars fan here), and complex villains with redeeming qualities, I couldn’t help but to feel a little saddened at this movement away from Cyrus’s personal vengeance. Instead of being primarily Cyrus’s tale, The Sapphire Altar became more of an ensemble story, which was not a bad thing—especially when characters were receiving so much great development—it was just different from my own original idea of how the trilogy was going to play out. 

Regardless of the story's focus of The Sapphire Altar, I was still very much invested in the novel and its characters. I would not be surprised if there were even more twists and turns ahead in the final entry in The Vagrant Gods trilogy. I am super excited to see the next steps these characters, whom I love now more than ever, take in their journeys and to find out how everything concludes. The next book in the series will definitely be a day one read for me. 

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[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something that I've noticed about fantasy authors is that a lot of them have trouble with the second book in a series. The second book slump, sequel slump, whatever you want to call it--it happens SO often! I was pleasantly surprised to see that was NOT the case with David Dalglish and The Sapphire Altar! When I see that a book taps in at a whopping 500 pages, I get worried. Sustaining consistent pacing, character development, and plot elements at that page length while keeping the story engaging is tough. David Dalglish had no such problems. The Sapphire Altar was a fascinating mix of sharp character development, profound quiet moments, and breakneck action, and once I got into the groove of the story I could not put the book down. Every single character has been given space to grow--whether positively or negatively--and it was refreshing having so many morally gray individuals in one story. Dalglish tackles organized religion, colonialism, genocide, and power in a really profound way. Nothing was quite what it seemed and I can't wait to see how he wraps up the story in the final book!

[lauraღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There will be a time for beauty,” Eshiel whispered in the ensuing silence. “There will be a time for remembrance and love. But it is not now.”

3.5 stars. I was honestly a little worried about this one, because it definitely did not have as strong of a plot progression as the first book had. There were several moments where I really questioned the characters' motivations, and I felt like the author had not done enough work to convince me that the characters would act in ways that they were acting. So much of this I was sceptical about, and I still am, even though things ultimately worked out in a way that I'm very interested in and that I can accept. This still remains such a fascinating world, with such a fascinating story, and I continue to love the portrayal of the gods, the things that this has to say about worship and devotion and loyalty, and all of the journeys that different characters are undergoing. We got a couple new characters, and a new POV that I absolutely adored. Eshiel is exactly the kind of devoted character that I want to follow in a narrative like this. So all of that was great. I just had a lot of quibbles about a lot of the events in the middle of the book.  

A lot of my thoughts are spoilery so, I'll keep them separate. My first big quibble was when it came to the reborn Lycaena, and how Cyrus and Rayan reacted to it. I understand them being horrified and appalled. I can get that. I even understand (up to a point) them wanting to immediately kill her, even though Keles is right there and she staunchly believes that this Lycaena is the real thing. Cyrus was never a very devout worshipper of Lycaena, so the stakes for him aren't as high, and Rayan IS extremely devout, and he cannot countenance a perversion of his goddess. So again, I understand the motivation for both of them.

But the fact that they teamed up with Galvanis, the Heir-Incarnate to kill Lycaena made absolutely noooooo sense to me. This is the person who is subjugating your country and who is responsible for so much death and who will doubtless be responsible for so much more. It would have made a lot more sense for them to team up with Lycaena to try to fight Galvanis. And even though I, as the reader, with the perspective of everything that comes after, know that that probably wouldn't have worked, it still seems a lot more probable than Cyrus and Rayan, again actually agreeing to work with the architect of so much of their trouble, the person that their rebellion is actively trying to fight against. It truly made no sense to me. Would they really trust him over this reborn Lycaena? Especially for Cyrus, who is kind of a hypocrite. I mean, he is also a god who was created out of blood and sacrifice, and he goes around murdering almost every single day. It was just really hard for me to swallow that he would hate this changed Lycaena so much that he would work with Galvanis to kill her. A goddess of his own country. I really hated that, and I cannot blame Keles for despising them a little for it. Once again, now that I have finished the book, I see how it all works out, but it still isn't clicking for me how that is a decision that they would have actually made.  

And on the other hand, Keles. I completely understand her feeling betrayed by Cyrus and Rayan's actions. I have so much sympathy for her as a character, because her faith is just being tested left and right, and when she tries to grasp at it, it keeps being pulled away. For her to see Lycaena murdered in front of her a second time was probably so traumatising. But then, the fact that she agrees to go along with Sinshei and her plans? What??? No matter how angry Keles was at Cyrus and Rayan, I could not understand that. Maybe if the book had given it some time, stretched it out over a period of a few months, and showed us how Sinshei was really breaking Keles's spirit further and further, I may be would have bought it more easily. But for Keles to just go along with her immediately when, crucially, Sinshei is the one who murdered Lycaena in the first place? And Keles was there to witness it? It may no sense! None at all!

I get what the author was going for. I really think I do. Keles is broken, and her faith has been damaged so much, especially by what she's seen and has been forced to do over these past couple of years. I get it. But no way do you convince me that she just goes along with this plan so easily. I know that she was at first kidnapped by Soma, and that she had no choice in listening to what Sinshei told her, but I really don't think we were given enough insight, or enough meat on the bone, to really buy that Keles would sell herself over to the Empire so easily.

I won't lie, I'm fascinated by what a friendship or relationship between Keles and Sinshei would look like, especially given all the complications between them and the reasons that they have to hate each other. Sinshei seemed a little enamoured by Keles, and I was so into that. I'm a lil gremlin lesbian and I love me a fucky dynamic between women. But still! Sinshei is the one who murdered Keles's goddess! We could see that she didn't trust Sinshei, but the fact that she even went along with her plans, however numbly, it was still too much for me to swallow. I was very glad and relieved when it turned out that she was not the one who had betrayed the plans to the Empire and let all those people die, but still.  

These are all things that have been resolved and we have sort of been given reasons for the way things played out the way they did, but it bugged me so much while I was listening, and I couldn't not talk about it. I really think that things should have either been written differently, or we should have been given more reasoning or more impetus behind the decisions that these characters made. I don't want this to be a black-and-white story, so I'm glad that it isn't, and that we continue to get POVs from characters in the Empire. But having Cyrus and Keles put their trust in characters from the Empire, however briefly... it was so hard for me to swallow. I also hope that we're not going to go into a narrative that says something like "All countries are just as bad as the Empire!" That would not be compelling to me.  

Otherwise, this was a pretty good instalment. Like I said, I love the different arcs that all of the characters are going on. It seems like the story is setting up for Stasia to take her father's place as god of the forge, and I would love the heck out of that. Arn is growing on me more and more as a character, especially after he showed that vulnerability. I love the imagery of the fox goddess, and I hope we see some more of her. Mara as well. I loved the decision that she made with Rihim, and I'm wondering if she will get the chance to inhabit even more gods. I very much doubt all of Sinshei's plotting will come to anything, but I love an ambitious woman, and I loved seeing her scurry about. That backstory about the mother really got to me. The final plot twist with Soma was really, really good, and has me pretty excited for the conclusion of the story.

I will say, there were several things about the writing that I just didn't love? I felt like a got a little overwrought and dramatic in a way I didn't notice in the first book. A lot of the writing was good, but a lot of it also read like Standard High Fantasy Fare. Wasn't all that bad though! 

Listened to the audiobook as read by Devante Johnson and Imani Parks, and it was pretty good. I think I've gotten used to their voices and the way they narrate, so I didn't have as much trouble as I did with the first book. Or maybe they've improved a little. This is such an interesting series, with lots of action and good lore, and I can't wait for the conclusion. There's so much to cover in one book; hopefully it'll be a good one! 

Content warnings: lots of violence, gore, grievous injury, death.

[L.R. Schulz · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I now review books over at SFF Insiders! All of my reviews can be found here: https://www.sffinsiders.com/?author=6...

Review:
David Dalglish’s The Sapphire Alter, being book 2 of the Vagrant Gods series, begins where The Bladed Faith left off! While we don’t really get any ‘new’ characters introduced to the crew of powerful revolutionists in this story, what we do get is lots and lots of character growth. There isn’t a single character who I grew bored with. I genuinely looked forward to seeing where each of them went and how Dalglish would deepen their development.

We still follow our main protagonist Cyrus who has become ‘The Vagrant’ god and I must say I find Dalglish’s world of gods and power-scaling to be not only unique but also quite awesome. Basically, what happens is that ‘faith’ plays a huge role in the world and with hundreds of different faiths scattered throughout the vast world, gods can be created simply by having a large number of people believe in them. Create a symbol worthy of worship, grant them publicity and give them to a crowd of believers, sacrifice a few dozen people in their name (yes this happens) and bam… you have a human-turned god. Cool, right? This vast increase in power-scaling leads to some truly epic moments and battle-scenes where our heroes this time fight against the heir-incarnate (basically the god-incarnate’s son and first in-line for his throne).

One of my personal favourites this time around was Arn. We didn’t know much about him in The Bladed Faith, but here we delve deeper into his past and find out the trauma that led to him turning away from his role as a Paragon and into the freedom fighting beast we see him as today. In this book, he changes from the stone-faced, emotionless killer he was in book one, into a deep-thinking character with multiple layers of depth. This is the hallmark of a very talented writer, and Dalglish manages to do this with not just one, but all of his characters. Usually I gravitate toward a certain person’s perspective in these wide range of POV books and often find myself skimming to my favourite ones. But here, I genuinely looked forward to each of them because I have that instilled ‘trust’ that Dalglish knows what he’s doing and some sort of revelation is coming my way with each character ARC.

For those of you that enjoy a little ‘romance’ in your books, there is lots here to be enjoyed, though I wouldn’t say these elements to the story overshadow anything else. All connections form naturally and they do so without taking the focus away from the brilliant story and powerful emotional responses of the characters as they take on their greatest threat yet.

Overall, I very much enjoyed my time in book 2 of the Vagrant Gods series and I can’t wait to delve into the final chapter with book 3!

[Caitlin G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reeling from recent revelations about his homeland and then man who trained him to be an assassin, Prince Cyrus has left his revolutionary group. Despite his desire to free his people from the tyrannical Everlorn Empire, Cyrus can’t condone the actions his mentor took in pursuit of the cause. Cyrus is aimless, until rumors reach him that one of the country’s slain gods has been reborn in a remote region of the island. Cyrus sets out to confirm the rumors, but what he finds will shake not just his faith, but the faith of some of the most powerful paladins in the country.

THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR is a return to the dazzling set pieces of THE BLADED FAITH, tempered by a heavy dose of introspection. The author knows how to write an excellent fight sequence, and you’ll find plenty of them here, between demigods, paladins, and outright gods alike. It almost became too much of a good thing; how do you continue to up the stakes when you’re constantly living at eleven?

The set pieces are balanced by a lot of soul searching by the characters, and this was where I struggled a bit with the book. While THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR starts with a clear trajectory, the plot point in question is wrapped up early in the book, leaving the characters to wrestle with the emotional fallout. Multiple characters are having individual crises of faith, grappling with both their pasts and their futures. There are a lot of interesting conversations about religion, about the nature of gods and what shapes them, as well as redemption. How does one truly makeup for the sins of their past?

As a person who generally loves when books spend time digging into their characters, it surprises me that I bumped on this, especially when the character growth happening IS necessary. I think the pitfall of all this introspection was that a lot of characters were siloed into their own personal journeys, only slightly overlapping with each other. The result was that the story didn’t feel like it had a cohesive goal until someone shows up to take everyone to the finale. There wasn’t a clear objective everyone was working towards; they were simply continuing to fight the good fight against their oppressors, one day at a time. And sure, some days struggles are like that, you aren’t building towards anything big, you’re just trying to survive. But for me personally, it didn’t feel like the plot was driving towards anything, and instead I felt a loss of momentum.

That said, THE SAPPHIRE ALTAR does continue a tradition of intriguing reveals and unlikely allies heading into the finale of the trilogy. The stage is set for some significant confrontations in the last act, especially as the readers know some key pieces of information that our heroes do not. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all comes together when the final book of THE VAGRANT GODS releases.

I was given a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.

[Tad · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sapphire Altar is David Dalglish's second book in the Vagrant Gods series. The book picks up right where events left us at the end of The Bladed Faith. Cyrus is disillusioned and separated from his friends, feeling betrayed by the mentor who helped create him as a symbol to rally the people of the island nation of Thanet to overthrow the invasion from the Everlorn Empire. He is still evolving into the character that Thorda created him to be, Vagrant, a figure to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies and stoke hope in the hearts of the people of Thanet.
Cyrus eventually returns to Thorda and his friends to take part in the plans to further harass the invaders. The plans see the group take the fight out of the city, in part to divide the empire's forces as well as inflict maximum damage in strategic attacks within the city. In addition to Sinshei, the daughter of the God-Incarnate emperor, his son and Heir-Incarnate, Galvanis, has arrived on the island. Thorda's group scores victories, but they are also outmaneuvered at times by the forces the Everlorn Empire can bring to bear.

This book continues to examine the moral complexity of both sides in this conflict. In a world filled with gods and nations often at war with each other, whose cause is most just? Both sides commit unspeakable acts in the name of what they believe is the greater good. The story once again shifts between multiple viewpoints, including Thorda's daughters Mari and Stasia, Keles, and the paragon Arn. These viewpoints let you experience not only the global struggle but the individual battle of conscience that each of these individuals must deal with. Arn reveals an absolutely heartbreaking story that explains his decision to stop fighting for the Empire and begin fighting against it.

The fights and other action sequences in this book are thrilling, including a climactic battle that will have you gasping for air. It ends with another jaw-dropping revelation that will make your eyes go wide and leave you anxiously awaiting the next entry in the series.

The world Daglish has created here is both wide and intimate. This series puts the epic in epic fantasy. I can't wait to see where it goes next!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this book. There is definitely not any second book syndrome here! In fact, I enjoyed this second installment so much more.

First off I love that David Dalglish included a summary of the first book at the beginning in case it's been a while since you've read The Bladed Faith.

This book includes all the action of the first book, but it delves deeper into the characters and the world. The many battles and fight scenes keep the plot fast and engaging. However, he evens it out well by taking the time for smaller character moments as well. This book looks so much deeper into the side characters that many don't feel like side characters anymore. This book isn't focused primarily on Cyrus as the first is. Instead you get to spend as much time with the rest of the group. During the first book I felt the world and magic system wasn't explained enough. However, I don't feel that way anymore. It may not be the hardest of magic systems, but I better understand how magic works in the story and I'm so interested in the story that I don't care. There were some twists I didn't see coming, but when I think back on both books were teased and plotted really well.

I cannot wait to read the third book and am mildly devastated by how long it will be before I get a chance to do that!

[debchan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i probably would have given this a 3.5 rating if certain things at the end didn't happen (not that it would've changed on goodreads lol cuz i still would've rounded down)

if there's one thing dalglish knows how to do is write a classic fantasy. it's got all the elements; in fact this might be something i'd recommend to a litfic reader testing the waters of fantasy. it's got action. it's got a cast of characters. it's got plot twists. it's got magic. it's got scary evil villains. it's got pretty clear cut right vs wrong, good vs evil, white and black moral high grounds (little grey to be found here). i'll point out why i really do think there isn't much grey in this book despite dalglish seemingly wanting more of that in the form of cyrus later in some of the reasons i didn't enjoy this book.

plotwise i really enjoyed the story like 10x more than book 1. probably bc the whole training montage and exposition stuff is over, now we get to the good stuff. also bc while there were a myriad of fighting scenes it wasn't every other chapter like book 1. we got to hop into different people's heads more as well and their stories were more interesting to me than cyrus oops.

worldbuilding was still cool like how faith keeps a deity "alive" and how pretty much every deity exists and that's not the main issue but rather the quantity of believers. and it makes sense cuz that's how they retain power. it would be nice if we didn't have to keep hearing the same plot twisty exposition like 10x bc a new character is discovering it. like surely there was a better way to do that.

characters!

cyrus: i'm so mixed on him bc on one hand he's a killer and he's conflicted and he's slowly turning into a monster and his entire world has been upended. but on the other hand he's pretty self-righteous and rigid and he makes grand speeches and plays the captain america which i generally don't enjoy in a fantasy book. he's only trained in battle for like 3 years and somehow he manages to take down everyone when necessary and lose always when necessary to the plot.

rayan: same with cyrus cuz they were just 2 peas in a pod. he's cyrus' friend; he's always there to lend a helping hand. he's steadfast in his beliefs. but that becomes too rigid. it becomes inflexible and he becomes a parrot repeating the same things over and over. and i've come to find more and more that i really don't care too much for the "wise father/mentor" characters. cuz how you gonna be basically perfect and guide the hero on their journey in impeccable ways?? one subversion of this trope i did enjoy was yarvi's father in Half a King. bc his father did drop some useful advice here and there but it was never to him and also he pretty much hated his son so like the advice was colored with those memories. one book that did fall into that so easily was The Will of the Many; oh vis' father was so perfect; vis' father was the one true man; vis' father was a good man. i'm throwing up in my mouth. to tie it back to rayan, where's the nuance.

stasia: she feels like a tool being used by thorda and kinda true she is. but nevertheless she does his bidding and she gets a nice action scene - i do love axes as weapons they're so brutal and the imagery is so strong. i like that she has big muscles. but one of her biggest plotlines was with her girlfriend clarissa like pack it up everyone romance is over bc they are the IT couple! misunderstandings? never heard of her. again, i don't like the cheesy trope of "oh i'm tortured i've killed dozens" and "ily anyway bc u felt bad about it." normally and especially in ya it's between muscle man and tiny girl and it drives me over the edge. but here? with two women?? in the way clarissa in book 1 affirms that's the stasia she fell in love with?? that stasia refuses to go on a mission without clarissa?? i'm in love. i'm such a hypocrite bc i said i hated marriages in fantasy when i was reviewing Mirrored Heavens and ig i just hated THAT marriage. bc this one was perfect.

mari: her ability to host dead gods was so helpful here. what's that about kindness and empathy? what's that about ripples in a pool? i just watched the dragon prince season 6 and someone tells rayla that her empathy ripples through time and space to affect the outcome of the entire show. that's literally mari! sure she can rip people to shreds and kill so easily, but the way she comforts people as well is something we need more of. and someone help my girl out too bc while she helps ppl, she's not an endless well - she needs pouring back into!

arn: oh give it to me stories about siblings growing up so similar and ending up so different. give it to me narrative foils. give me misguided love. arn's story mostly revolves around his conflict with his brother, dario. and it felt so real, and familiar to today in the way dario's whole deal is "hate the sin love the sinner" like do you need to say that? do you need to shove their sin in their face and make them feel less than? or could you just love the other human being? must your love be such that you have to be one and the same? is it really love or is it control? and arn's journey with his past and how he must walk the steps back to healing like ok yeah it's cliche but there IS a bit of zing there!

keles: her arc involved her faith with the butterfly goddess. how it breaks her over and over and how she might escape that fate. and some plot twisty stuff about her background, but i'm not a fan of the way it was handled and so unfortunately her arc is in my complaint section.

sinshei: you say you could live without sinshei's POV like sure but would you really want to? i wouldn't. i like being in the head of such a clear headed antagonist. literally everything she said i was like, yknow what? that sounds logical; i like your plan.

soma: everyone who saw him was like "this man is so hot i've lost all my brain cells i just want his gaze on me. yes pretty man i'll do whatever you say." and actually that's so real of them. bc just reading his description and mannerisms i'm all for that, sinshei is sooo lucky.

galvanis: he's literally prince charming from shrek 2 and 3 if he wasn't a complete loser. i have more to say about him in my complaints tho :( never fear i will always love a blond man i just thought he could've been written better

complaints! time bc unfortunately the bad things stick with me more than the good things (not specific to this book, just in general) AND UNTAGGED SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
keles for one. while most of the plot twists i saw coming, her turning into a paragon of dagon and siding with sinshei for the throne was not one i saw. and i'm pretty sure it's bc it was so wildly out of character to do this? and so immediate? like the "breaking" process sinshei did felt like 3 days max. and the fact we never got keles' povs during her transformation was odd. but i went with the flow bc i liked being shocked. i liked the created angst that she'd have to kill cyrus to RIGHTFULLY get back her throne! i was hoping she'd kill him (unlikely) or he'd be forced to kill her (likely) and then go into a deeper darker spiral for it. but.... no? she meets cyrus a couple times and they fight but nothing comes of it. and then in the arena they fight again and i'm like yesss this is it. this is the breaking moment for cyrus cuz he's gonna have to kill her. first of all he overpowered her so easily considering she's literally a paragon and has been fighting longer than he has but once again cyrus has incredible plot armor. but the speech he gave to her? i was so unmoved. i'm sorry, if someone took my country by force and lied to me about it and then i was given immeasurable power to make that right and he'd JUST killed my goddess and i could've had everything, i would not be taking that hand. i would not be changing my mind that quickly. i would not "be his queen." like hell no?? she folded so easily for sinshei and she's doing it again for cyrus. i didn't like this plot device. it felt a whole lot like a way to 1) create some needed angst and drama in the middle of the book and 2) power up keles into a paragon for later dagon related drama. i'm disappointed and i wish she was more solid here and had her own resolve.

the next complain was the villain, galvanis. we are led to believe bro is p much invincible. he's so hot everyone says for pages on end. he's so perfect. he's less flesh and more chiseled muscle and stone. he carries this massive sword that could kill a man in one blow. his eyes are too blue. literal god power radiates off of him in purple waves. he's gonna live 600 years and rule with an iron fist. he's devastated armies and razed cities. he was set up to be a terrifying villain, impossible to break. we get like 3 scenes with him in this book and it never feels like his true power is explored or put to use. we never see the terrible things he wants to do to put this island to heel like he swore to do at the end of book 1. i thought we'd see beheadings and hangings and idk something truly awful that would make me actually hate him. i thought we'd see him destroy soldiers and people we knew. none of that. and at the end he somehow gets overpowered by cyrus (only trained for 3 years) and keles (paragon but she got owned by cyrus so not like she's any stronger) and then what, his head gets chopped off so easily by sinshei. i'm not mad at the fact sinshei killed him and prevailed but it was so anticlimactic. all that effort at book 1's endings to prepare me for a truly vile man and he didn't do anything that bad on page or last very long either.

as for the whole black vs white and grey thing. cyrus could be an argument that he's turning into a god and that scares him. but the things is, his intent is still white, still pure. he just wants to help people. he just wants his island back. and he'd do it with keles as queen bc that's the right thing to do. that's what everyone does. the right thing. the good gods are the ones who preach nonviolence and "would never demand a blood sacrifice" and are all for #peace. while the bad gods are the ones who are bloodthirsty. except it seems that the only ones who are, are the god-incarnate. the conquered nations' gods? oh they were all perfect beings who never did anything wrong. i don't want to be all "turn the conquered natives evil" bc that's what the empire does and it's harmful in real life but this is fantasy fiction! let's explore new concepts! i can admit dalglish does this when it comes to light about the true nature of the island's past and conquering who was already there. but in general, it feels like a lot of empire=evil and conquered=paragon of virtue. (lol paragon).

something i DID enjoy bc i'm not just a complainer
the way soma was dagon. i should've seen it coming. i should've known when everyone wouldn't shut up about dagon and soma's identity was mysterious. but ok so he's probs the last villain for book 3 and i'm interesting in knowing if he means to use sinshei to change the world or to just kill her in the end. he's so cool though. as for thorda's secret identity, interestingly enough like the ONE thing i remember about him from book 1 was that he was a weapons exporter and that's how he's so rich. so to then flip that and be like yeah he's also the god of the forge and his weapons keep his faith alive?? that was a genius move dalglish i'm gagged. it reminded me that not everything is dry and predictable and i do enjoy dalglish books for a reason.

so overall. it felt like "only the bad guys hurt people and the good guys never do. and if the good guys hurt people it's for good reasons and they only hurt bad guys." see what it sounds like? i know there's a teeny tiny bit more nuance in the books, but tbh not much more. but at the end of the day, it could also be on me. it's like if i went into a thriller book expecting romance or start a romance novel expecting mermaids. like i kinda know that's not the type of book this is. it's not grimdark; it won't discuss the nitty gritty dark sides of the human nature and let that pan out. this is more of a we'll teeter into the light grey side of things but at the end of the day it's gonna be a happily ever after and we're gonna get married on the moral high ground. the discussions of the empire restricting people's freedoms, though, that will always be a relevant topic. the individual character journeys (save for keles and cyrus) were gripping. stasia and mari and even arn had incredible chapters that had me hooked. senshei and soma serve as some great (actual smart and powerful) antagonists. it's really a solid fantasy series; it's just not my cup of tea when it comes to such things mentioned above. idk if i'd recommend it, but certainly if you 5-star-ed and absolutely loved the bladed faith then yep you're gonna love this one too.

[Audet Maxime · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid sequel that doesn’t fall for the middle-book curse. Once again, the characters are spot on and get even more development and depth. The pace remains fast and this second entry was a real page-turner.

[CocoBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic!! The character development is just amazing. Building from the first book into this one seamlessly. Each character is visited and built upon in a unique way and I just loved it. My god that fucking ending splrggggfhsgsing! I can’t wait until 2024 for book 3!

[Julie • bujo.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the sequel to The Bladed Faith, our crew of rebels is still fighting back against the Empire. After receiving world-altering news, Cyrus is tired of being the masked vigilante Vagrant and doesn't know who to trust anymore. When there are rumors of a cult trying to revive one of Thanet's gods, they'll have to face a brand new threat.

I read this in a video where I read the least read books on my Goodreads TBR. You can watch that here!

What did I like about this book? I love how forward this series is about colonization and imperialism, especially to do with religion. It uses real life rhetoric of real life empires, the justifications they use to uphold their power and push back against self governance. I think the magic system of gods gaining power based on the amount of devotion they receive is fascinating and metaphorically resonant. The author has stated in interviews that this series was inspired by growing up in a deeply religious area, which is made clear in the narrative. In this book, our group has fractured apart a bit as they disagree about the way forward. I liked that a lot of the protagonist journeys in this book surround people making wrong decisions, seeing the error of their ways, and asking for forgiveness; I think it'll feel healing to a lot of people. I think it's cool that we occasionally see from the villains' POVs in this series. The plot twists at the end of the book have me absolutely needing the third book. And lastly, I really appreciated the way that the trans character was portrayed in this book, with a lot of depth as well as worldbuilding around the queernorm nature of the island as it was in the past.

What did I not like about this book? First and foremost, I had a bad reading experience because I was having a bad mental health time while reading this. That's not the book's fault, but it affects my experience and therefore my PERSONAL RATING. Regardless, I think there was a bit of a pacing problem in this book. There was a good amount of the middle where a lot of the plot/military actions would happen offscreen, and we would see the characters in between those scenes. There's a lot of real action/plot that happens at the end of the book that made up for it, but having a more natural feeling progression would've been great. While this is a fairly balanced multi POV book, the character we follow the most is Cyrus and he was the least interesting of the characters in this book. I also thought that the way that the team handled finding out the reveal at the end of book 1 was lackluster. Not ONE person even questions it, and then it's revealed to the different characters one at a time in a very drawn out and redundant way as they all have identical reactions to it.

Not a note of quality of the book itself, but I took a long time between books. This book comes with a "summary" of book one, but all it does is tell you how everyone started off in the first book, and then says the event that happened directly at the end of the book, with next to nothing explained in between. I don't know what the author was allowed to do by the publisher, but if you're bothering to put in a summary, it would be massively helpful to write more than a page explaining a 500+ page book (especially when there's no information about it online). I would specifically recommend that you read the books in this series close together if you decide to pick it up.

Overall, this was a solid sequel, even if my reading experience wasn't great. I'm excited to finish out the trilogy!

[Rosh (read in the A.M.) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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Upon finishing this I decided to be very generous with my rating and give it a 4 🌟 but now that I've spent some time away from the text I realise that this is a 2 🌟 book and generosity should not factor in.

I liked the first book a lot and gave it the space an introduction needs hoping it would expand on some things in this installment but sadly it didn't. The characters never grow beyond the archetypes we established in the first one. Looking at them I can tell you who each one is suppose to represent but can't tell you a single thing about who they are as people. There is no character depth. The little bit of growth they experience in these 500 pages did not help make them real people in my head.

The primary reason it falls so flat is that this is a plot focused narrative. I think the author cares more about where the story is going than the individuals that are moving it forward which is not my personal preference. The plot was fine. I could tell what would happen from a hundred pages out and spent most of that time waiting for the thing to happen hoping maybe it would be some sort of turning point and I'd enjoy it more going forward.

It seems that everything there is to learn about this resistance group was covered in book 1 and we shouldn't expect anything else going forward. There wasn't a single sit down moment where these individuals build relationships that ensure that the team works as well as it does. Considering the reveal in the last book I expected there to be at minimum a single conversation as the group, that did not happen. I'm having a hard time believing that this group of people have nothing to say concerning the reveal at the end of the last one. I love me a good found family but this is not a family. It isn't even a shadow of one. If you poke it with a stick it would come tumbling down. It feels very unfinished like this was the draft. If the first 100 pages of repetitive, unnecessary combat were dedicated to building this unit beyond the mirage we are given it would have been a lot more enjoyable for me. Where were the little moments David?

The only saving grace for this book is the pacing. There is no lingering on anything, when it starts, it moves. And it did make laugh in parts.

The villains are bland. Again,  I can see what the author is going for but it just doesn't translate to the page. These people had POVs but I was bored. If I never get another Sinshei POV it wouldn't affect how the book turns out. I'm suppose to believe that she's a very tactical person but I don't think she could solve her way out of a wet paper bag. I'm usually all for a female villain but she does nothing for me.

It tried to expand the island but that journey was also boring. The reveals about the religion were fine. The themes, which I enjoyed a lot in the first book, were meh.
I'll read the third book because I want to finish a series but I'm in no rush. If that third book already existed I wouldn't be rushing to pick it up. I'm super disappointed in this because the first book was such a good intro and this one did nothing. If I told you a summary of what happened in this book you could comfortably go into book 3 without missing any context.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of The Sapphire Altar
By: David Dalglish
Sapphire Altar picks up where Bladed Faith ended, the Heir-Incarnate arriving in Thanet and Cyrus leaving the group after discovering Thorda’s betrayal. He is trying to ignore the dark voice of the Vagrant but as Thorda guess it isn’t as easy to do. He also struggles with the knowledge that his family stole the throne from Rayan and Keles’ family, the Orani. Rayan’s niece Keles has heard rumors that a group of believers, led by a man named Eshiel, are trying to resurrect Lycaena. Is this really Lycaena? Rayan doesn’t believe it and asks Cyrus to accompany him, but Keles’ faith is more shaken than they realize.
This is even better than the first one as it builds up the world visiting places outside of Thanet and learning more about the history of the Gods and its people. Cyrus is a compelling character as we see him struggle with the dark god forming inside of him. Is he Prince Cyrus or is he the Vagrant, God of Death, and a thief of the throne? The bonds he has with Rayan, and started to form with Keles, is shaken up with the truth of the knowledge he learned at the end of the Bladed Faith We focus more on characters like Keles and Arn throughout, exploring what it means to have faith. Keles’ faith is tested constantly, and her journey is quite an emotional one. Her actions are understandable, but I also found them frustrating. Arn’s journey is emotional too as it gets personal for him. The author brings in his brother Dario, who is still a member of the Everlorn Paragons, and he believes Arn needs to be saved. We are also introduced to a new character, Eshiel, whom at first, I didn’t trust, but he proved a likable character. It was cool to see his journey of faith run parallel to Keles’. The action scenes are great and being a multi-perspective story benefits these scenes giving us every point of view. You get overall view of the whole scene. There are a lot of exciting twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes and realizing things aren’t as simple as is imply. Every time it seems I understood what was coming Dalglish would pull the run out from under, especially with Keles’ storyline. It is a crazy ride all the way to the end.