Legacy of Brick & Bone

Tainted Dominion #2

by Krystle Matar

Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law betrays you?

It all started with the girl from the river: mutilated, tattooed, murdered. Tashué couldn’t help but look for answers and in the process, he uncovered the ugly truths being hidden by the very law he used to believe in—the law of the Authority.

Now he’s fighting for his life. Mere survival isn’t enough; he desperately wants to save his son from the Authority, and he wants revolution. At any cost.

Davik Kaine has been gathering power under everyone’s noses. Ruthless, ambitious, with a rebel army backing him, he wants revolution, too. He’s probably the only person powerful enough to protect Tashué from the looming implosion of the political field. And he’s the only person with the connections to save Jason.

He may also be responsible for the death of the girl from the river.

Is making peace with Davik worth it, if it saves Tashué’s son from the Authority?

If Tashué plays along with what Davik wants, can Tashué get retribution for the girl from the river?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Dark, Action, LGBT

Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2023

About the author

Krystle Matar has been writing for a long time, but things got serious when Tashué Blackwood walked into her life, an amber-eyed whirlwind. Her debut, Legacy of the Brightwash, is a SPFBO Finalist, an r/Fantasy nominee for Best Debut and Best Indie.

She is currently working on lots of stories set in the Dominion, is 1/2 of the Dripping Bucket Podcast, and is probably obsessively rewatching BBC’s Ripper Street and/or anything that Dennis Lehane worked on like Apple TV's Blackbird.

Reviews

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I’ve made it no secret that Legacy of the Brightwash was my favourite book of 2022 and also instantly one of my favourite books of all time. Needless to say that I was equally excited and nervous for this sequel, because would it be able to meet my (almost unfairly) high expectations? Well, to that I can only say: Hell to the fuck yes. So, bear with me while I (attempt to) get my gushing under control and explain to you why you desperately need to read this character-driven, grimdark gaslamp fantasy series. I promise it’s everything you didn’t know you needed.

Okay, first thing I loved about this sequel is that it starts with a nice recap of all the wild things that happened in book 1, ending with the line: “And so, this idiot is in a lot of trouble.” And yeah, that sums it all up pretty nicely.
I was personally a very big fan of how this book begins, because instead of continuing on straight where book 1 left off, the first 20% of this book cuts back a few days and fills us in on some of the events that led up to the explosive ending to Legacy of the Brightwash. Anxious as I was to see how the story would continue after that crazy final chapter of book 1, I also really appreciated the time to breathe and get settled again. And what’s even better, this book opens up with a new POV from my favourite side character of book 1 and we quite literally start with... a bang! And no, not the explosive kind of bang, but more the steamy kind of bang, if you know what I mean ;)

Whereas book 1 mostly felt like Tashué and Stella’s story, book 2 really gives some of the other POV characters their time to shine. In fact, I think some of the secondary characters from book 1 actually ended up having my favourite storylines in this sequel, the character development was just SO good.
I mean, I was already floored by Matar’s excellent character work in book 1, but holy damn she stepped it up a notch in this sequel. The characters’ backstories are fleshed out and we get an even closer look into their complex minds, exploring just how far they are willing to go to accomplish what they think is right. Heck, even the ‘antagonists’ turned out to be much more morally complex than I was anticipating and I was so impressed with how Matar developed them. Though, don’t worry, some of them are still just deliciously despicable and you will have a great time hating them with a burning passion.

I also can’t give high enough praise to the complex character dynamics here. One of my favourite aspects of this series is how it explores all types of messy and painfully human relationships. From the unconventional and slightly dysfunctional family dynamics, to the strong and heartfelt friendships, to the emotional and passionate romances, to the unlikely alliances, and to the messy relationships that straddle the line between all those four.
Every single character interaction is just so intense and compelling, because all of these characters are incredibly driven and passionate, letting their emotions rule their actions more often than is probably good for them. And because people sometimes behave in strange, irrational and volatile ways when emotions are involved, these characters managed to surprise me multiple times with their (stupid) actions.
The way Matar captures human emotion is just unmatched, which is probably why these characters’ personal journeys touch me so deeply. Seriously, I don’t cry while reading, never… AND YET, Matar managed to get me not once, not twice, but MULTIPLE times. Reading this series is such an emotional rollercoaster and I adore every single (painful) second of it.

Now, this is quite a dark and heavy story which deals with difficult themes such as mental health, trauma, addiction, oppression, corruption, grief, and loss. And yet, I personally think that the story never becomes too bleak, because those themes are explored in such a raw, honest and authentic way. I mean, yes, The Dominion is an unforgiving, brutal and bleak place, yet that darkness is beautifully counterbalanced by the love, hope, courage, loyalty and passion that drives our protagonists forward.
It’s truly remarkable to me that Matar was able to write 7 different POV characters who are all flawed, broken and messed up, without their struggles and suffering ever feeling unbearable. Of course it was tragic to see them at war with themselves because of their shifted/shattered worldviews and conflicting morals and emotions, but it also made them so much more relatable and human. And what I maybe love most about these broken characters is that they always keep holding onto hope, never giving up their relentless fight against the vile people that keep the brutal power system in place.

With all this gushing, you’ve probably noticed by now that I absolutely love that this series is so slow-burn and character-driven. That said, I do have to admit that I thought the plot and pacing were not the strongest in a couple of places, especially in Stella’s storyline. There were some moments while reading this (aptly named) brick of a book that felt a bit too slow even for me.
The mystery aspect from book 1 is absent here, instead shifting focus to lots of political scheming and, as you might have gathered from the cover, pugilism. To be fair, the political intrigue is very well-written and I never thought I could be this captivated by boxing training, but I also just can’t deny that the pacing was a bit wonky for me in the middle. Don’t get me wrong, I was never bored while reading this, but I do think there were some sections that maybe could have been tightened up a little to keep the tension higher.

Luckily, those slight pacing issues ended up being only a minor quibble, because there’s just too much to love for me here. The immersive gaslamp aesthetic, the queer-positive society, the intriguing yet devastating magic system (which we get to explore in new and interesting ways in this sequel), the soul-stirring prose… it all just works for me and I love it!
Also, all the slow build-up did eventually result in another thrilling and explosive conclusion that had me glued to the page. The final 200 pages of this book were unputdownable and made me slightly nauseous from anxiety and stress. Which I admit may not sound too great, but I honestly loved it. This is exactly the type of reading experience I am always hunting for.

So, safe to say that I am extremely happy with this follow-up to one of my all-time favourite books. From a plot perspective, I may have enjoyed the first book a bit more, but on an emotional level, nothing will ever come close to my reading experience of this sequel. If you haven’t already started The Tainted Dominion series, then I honestly think you are doing yourself a disservice. Don’t miss out on this masterpiece of a story, it will emotionally destroy you in all the best ways and I love it for that.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...

Krystle Matar's debut Legacy of the Brightwash completely blew me away when I read it back in 2021. So much so that I picked it as my top read of that year. So you can understand how before starting the sequel LEGACY OF BRICK & BONE, I would be a little wary. Not because I thought I wouldn't like it, I knew that I would frankly. But when a book moves you and leaves you completely gutted the way that book one did, there's always a small part of you as a reader that hopes beyond hope that the story doesn't falter or drag in any way. Well I'm delighted to report that having finished this almost 1200 page book in nearly record time, I'm even more obsessed with this emotionally compelling story, these vividly realized characters, and this utterly breathtaking world that Matar continues to depict in extraordinary fashion.

As this is an ongoing series, I will avoid getting too specific in an effort to stay away from any potential spoilers. What I will say is that I'm simply astonished at how Krystle Matar has pumped out this absolutely brilliant follow-up so relatively close on the heels of the first book. To have this much freaking talent and ideas churning around in your brain should be illegal. And to be able to not only equal but to top what I believe is a fantasy masterpiece in LotB is quite the stunning achievement indeed.

One of the most impressive aspects of LEGACY OF BRICK & BONE, and really this series as a whole, is Krystle Matar's unique ability to write a scintillatingly hot and steamy sex scene and then two pages later detail the most intensely bloody and brutal fight that you've ever read. There's also the incredibly intriguing mystery of what actually goes on in The Rift, as well as a ton of political infighting and maneuvering as various factions compete for power. It's a huge part of the reason why this series is so successful in my opinion. It really has so much going for it that will appeal to a vast spectrum of readers, and it's all skillfully woven by an author who can mesmerize you with every sentence.

I really enjoyed that this book kind of strayed away from the majority Tashue and Stella viewpoint chapters of its predecessor. It was super refreshing to get a bunch of chapters devoted to Ishmael, Illea, Jason, Lorne, and Ozra. I thought that by focusing on some of the other characters more it greatly expanded this story and made it feel that much more epic. But not to worry, Tashue and Stella still do make many appearances and their chapters (as always) are deeply impactful and moving. Theirs is a relationship that is really the heart and engine of the story and makes the Tainted Dominion series a must read.

LEGACY OF BRICK & BONE is a glorious continuation of the remarkable story begun with Legacy of the Brightwash. Every witty exchange of dialogue, every wondrously delicate brushstroke of worldbuilding, every gripping moment of conflict, every devious backroom betrayal ensnares you and makes it impossible to stop reading. Such is the addictive story that Matar has so deftly constructed. I'm running out of superlatives to describe these books and this author. All I will say is you really need to be reading the Tainted Dominion series if you haven't as of yet. It's a shining example of the best that fantasy has to offer and I will once again wait with a great deal of anticipation for the next chapter in this phenomenal saga. Based on Krystle Matar's track record I'm certain that it will be well worth it.

[Rebecca Crunden]

❧ audiobook review

SPOILER WARNING

“This is the game you signed up for. For Jason, remember? The first one is always the hardest because you always find yourself sympathizing for the other side. People don’t fight for nothing—there’s always a good reason for it, and when you spend time with them and you get to know them, you can see their reasons written on their souls. You can’t help but wonder if you’re doing the right thing.”

MATARRRRRR WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY EMOTIONSSSS

When I say that I have been worried about Jason’s fate for two years now, I’m not joking! I added this book in 2022 and have been stressed since, lmao. (KRYSTLE MATAR’S WORLD HAS TAKEN UP SPACE IN MY BRAIN, OKAY?!) So diving into this, I was like WHAT HAPPENS TO MY HOMIE JASON?! Which I basically chanted to myself throughout the first half of the novel whilst getting more and more stressed when his POV did not show up. :O



But then, well, let us just say I WAS NOT LET DOWN!

But oh, Ishmael was such a great character, too, and is now definitely one of my favourites! I loved his complexities. So now I’m both Team Protect Jason and Team Protect Ishmael. (I also started to seriously ship him and Tashué at one point there and Stella girl is just gonna have to be okay with that.) I also loved Lorne’s storyline and his desire to help Jason! And of course Tashué and Stella are such angsty darlings and I do love them (but like I love Tashué and Ishmael too okay).

At 1000+ pages (and 38~ hours on audiobook) this is one chonkolicious novel and the amount of love Matar has for this world and these characters is so evident and inspiring and I’m stoked to see where it all goes from here. Brick and Bone gets so dark, but still light remains, and I know I’m going to be doubling back to this one and book one as there is SO MUCH plot it definitely deserves multiple rereads. (And I’m definitely going to need a refresher before book three because SO MUCH HAPPENED).

A visual representation of my face throughout:






QUOTES I LIKED:

“But one might also argue that improving the overall function of this city would reduce crime, since the highest motivator to criminal activity tends to be financial insecurity. Criminalizing poverty will set us back, and I would much rather see provincial funds allocated to improving economic stability for the most vulnerable of our population.”

Stella reached out, grasping through the darkness. She found his hand, all rough calluses and deep lines. All her favourite memories belonged to people with calluses on their hands ...

But that was a dangerous line of thought because he’d start applying it to himself—how might life have been different if only.

Hands on his shoulders, the form of a body, silhouetted by the nearby light. Lifting him up, pulling him along the catwalk. Into a crushing hug. The strongest, most perfect hug he’d felt in his entire life.

Now, where is book three? :D

☆ Book Reviews | Bluesky | Twitter | Threads ☆

[Terry Rudge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Officially my second favourite book of 2023. Update as of 31/12/2023

If I was to sum up this book with one word.
"Breathtaking"

I read the first book in this series during my SPFBO7 finalists review and I was blown away by a powerful story, supped by phenomenal character writing. So this second installment has been an itch that I've been desperate to scratch and I have been eagerly awaiting its release.

Matar kindly offers up a recap of the first novel as an opening. Instantly I'm reminded of the wit and illustrative writing that wowed me in book one, and this was just a recap. The perfect finishing line in the recap set me on my way and into book two. "And so, this idiot is in a lot of trouble"

We immediately continue from where we left off previously and got a little bit of spice to set the scene and show off the authors ability to make you understand the realness of the characters, through an act of desire and political persuasion.

The book then slowly builds. Introducing some new PoVs.
As with the first book, this is where Matar can really show off. Her ability to write characters who you can instantly connect with and become emotionally attached to, is simply outstanding. I felt everything from so many different characters in this book. I felt the desperation, the fear, the ups and the downs of everyone involved. There is not a single character in this book who I didnt end up with a strong opinion on. I think anyone who knows me, knows Robin Hobb is my favourite author. The reason for this, is that she makes me feel, she makes me believe and understand characters. Matar has the exact same skill. I care about these characters. I want them to be happy, I want the bad guys to get their comeuppance. I even would quite like to have seen a couple characters end up with their heads blown off their shoulders with a shotgun from point blank range. I desperately hated some of these characters and their actions. I wanted justice.

Alongside having these deep characters, you get to see their relationships. Which adds even more levels of connection to the story. The characters are messy, everyone is tied by history and events. At times it was hard to know exactly who and what to root for.

I was invested in this story from the very start. I couldn't stop reading. I needed to see the twists and turns. I needed to see the consequences of actions and I needed to know who would come out the other side. I was never disappointed.

I imagine some people see the page count and they are perhaps a little put off. Why !! Dont be. Chonkers are the way forward. Why would you not want the best authors writing as many pages as possible. This is how I felt throughout. I just wanted more. I needed more. I think if an author can hold your attention for 1200 or so pages, they are writing at a masterful level and have a beautiful story they are letting you in on.

I have to confess, I wasn't entirely sold on Stella's story in this book. I felt she lost some of her convictions and without the mystery surrounding who she was, her chapters did sometimes feel like a minor disappointment to me. That said, where Stella took a slight downturn from book one. I was given more Tashuè and also gifted Lorne and Ishmael and frankly these characters PoVs blew me away. Whilst Ishmael and Tashué stories dived into the political intrigue, Lorne gave me the character building I adore. I actually really felt for Lorne throughout and his chapters drove the most emotions for me.

There are so many themes I connect with in this book. I just appreciate the way so many real life social issues were addressed. The way the author made me think about things everytime I stopped for a breather. It's just pure craftsmanship

I also really enjoyed the multi facets of the story. The political backdrop, the surrounding underworld of crime and gangsters, and finally this all being tied around a boxing match. This book just delivered

I have rambled on here, but to finish. This book is a masterpiece in character writing, supported with a deep and dark story. I honestly will read anything this author produces.

5 🌟

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

If you want to be broken apart and put back together again, read this.

”Glass is made of sand, but fire is what makes it beautiful instead of just sand. That's what he said. He said we're like sand—and then bad things happen, and it's like the fire that makes us into glass.”

Following the horrifying revelations of book one, that Tainted children are being mutilated for easier transportation to be used as energy units, we see the breakout of the heartbreak, trauma, and rage.

Stella leaves with Ceridrwen to find safety, nine years later and still haunted, and hunted, by three men: Bothain, Siras, Davik.
We are shown Ishmael’s depth, pain, and complicated entanglements and emotions through hints of his history in the diplomatic division.
Illea and Wolf attempt to prevent Myron getting elected and having his police force ratified.

Lorne is selected and trained to become the Bay's first pugilist under Davik.
After threatening Raine, Tashué obviously must face the consequences of his outburst. Obviously, not in the light of the law.

This is definitely a critique on our current capitalistic mindset and our mass consumption.
We have to be aware of our actions, and cannot blame ignorance. The children are viewed as assets, to be bred and refined for maximum efficiency. The economy depends on them.
Similarly, people are seen as commodities, sent to fight wars to secure trade negotiations, drugs, alliances for the powerful.

”Would that I could present 'this sounds like a pile of shit' as a legal argument.”

Matar makes you nostalgic for places I’ve never been. Languages I don’t speak and don’t exist. Cultures that are not mine to claim.
However, I did notice some Welsh roots and as I grew up in Wales, this has made me all the more interested in picking apart Mater’s brain. And I would recommend listening to any of her podcast appearances as they are fascinating!

Sexual, funny, beautiful, evocative, heart-rending, Mater has such a talent for writing fully-realised characters and stories.
I cannot express how well she captures the humanity and emotional turmoil of each character she writes.

Bookstagram

[Krystle]

Yes, I marked my own book as read! I needed a refresher XD

Now I'm all set to whip Book 3 into shape, and I'm so excited to get this ball rolling!

[Maed Between the Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Despite this book taking me a good portion of the year to actually finish, I knew it was going to be 5 stars from page 1. It took me so long precisely BECAUSE it was so well written. Every scene was so intense that if it had to do with a heavier theme (such as parenthood - specifically motherhood), I had to take large breaks in my reading because I felt it so viscerally. Matar has a way of explaining the unexplainable. Of putting emotions down on paper in such a way that the emotions often bled from the page into me as I was reading.

The Tainted Dominion series was basically written for me it seems: whiskey, multi-faceted characters that feel real, in depth sense of place, some great sexy time scenes, cut throat political games, and then in this second installment- boxing. While I must admit that the series seems almost perfectly curated to my tastes, I strongly believe it has something to offer any reader. If there is anything I can say to sum up the Tainted Dominion, it's that it is breathtakingly human. Matar cuts to the core of what humankind is in all of its brutal, hopeful, awful, passionate glory. And I think that's something we can all connect to.

Definitely in the running for top book of the year, and I will be waiting impatiently for the next one.

[Jamedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy of Brick and Bone is the second book in the romantic grimdark fantasy series Tainted Dominion, written by Krystle Matar, direct sequel to the SPFBO7 finalist Legacy of the Brightwash. Tashué is being persecuted by the authority, but he wants a change, a revolution against the authority; Stella is on the run, trying to take care of Ceridwen, and new characters are introduced to make this sequel as memorable as the original book.

And I can't lie when saying that Lorne has become my favourite character of the sequel: fighting for a life, and becoming a professional boxer for Davik, one of the gang leaders that holds the power to change the things, and that might help Jason to get out of the Authority controlled system; and remembers me much to the old "to be a heavyweight champion you need to be able to withstand a good beating". He's a simple person, lending his fate in the hand of others, but at the same time, he takes pride in being a good fighter.
Davik is another of the conductor threads of the plot, as for a big part of the book, Stella and Tashué are on the run, trying to deal with the consequences derived from Tashué's investigation. He actually cares about the people, and we can see it in how he administers his band and The Dripping Bucket (yes, the interdimensional tavern appeared).

Our beloved duo returns, but assuming secondary roles until Tashué comes back to the city; associating with Davik might not be his election, but it is a needed one if he wants to finally break the chains the system has imposed over the people.

Despite being a chonker, you never feel this book as being long; with all the foundations established from Brightwash, Matar enhances and creates a bigger story full of intense moments that also allow to develop further the characters. There are many memorable points, but I can't talk much about them because you know, spoilers.

The writing is visceral, strong, looking to convey emotions while keeping the story advancing at an excellent pacing.
In summary, if you loved Brightwash, you are going to be obsessed with Legacy of Brick and Bone, as it is a step-up in terms of intensity; honestly, I can't guess what Matar has under the sleeve, but I can't wait to read it.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

YOOOOO this book is unreal, Krystle follows up an incredible debut with a sequel that tops it. If you enjoyed the first one, which you obviously did, than this is even better so stop wasting time and buy it.

[Dan Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

While reading The Legacy of Brick and Bone by Krystle Matar, I created the hashtag #100DaysofBrickand Bone because it’s over a thousand pages long and I knew it would take me forever to read it. It didn’t take me quite 100 days, but it was a journey for sure. And since I finished it right before a trip to Switzerland followed by a trip to Vermont followed by the beginning of the school year, it’s now been quite a while since I read it. Some of the details are a bit fuzzier than they would normally be, so I’m going to write a “vibes only” review of this gorgeous, glorious, sprawling work of genius from one of indie fantasy’s greats.

Epic vibes

To say this book is epic is like saying the sun is hot. It’s not just a doorstop—you could hold open the Black Gate to Mordor with this bad boy and the cave trolls could strain at their chains all day and be unable to move it. But length alone does not an epic book make. It’s the scale of the story here that makes it epic. When I first saw the page count, my jaw dropped, and I was like, surely there’s a way this could be shortened. But nope. It’s the story of many characters, all woven together as their lives intertwine in complicated ways, and it couldn’t really be told any other way.

Sure, you could drop a POV or two, but which would you choose? Ishmael, the himbo with secret depth, arguably the unexpected star of the book? Tashué, the tarnished tinman we fell in love with in Brightwash? Stella, the iron-willed heroine who pulled him from his personal hell? Jason, Tashué’s son and the very embodiment of Talent? Lorne, the chaotic disaster boxer who never met a bad decision he didn’t like? Ozra, the lovable rogue with a heart of gold? Or Illea, the calculating politician whose heart comes to life so brilliantly in these pages? None of them are disposable. They all have to be here. Take one away and the whole becomes lesser than the sum.

Romantic vibes

I must say that I was expecting this book to be more romantic after reading Legacy of the Brightwash¸ the book that made me fall in love with Stella and Tashué and with romantic fantasy in general. We do get plenty of romantic vibes here, but if you’re coming into Brick and Bone expecting more of the same, know that it’s a different book with different vibes. There’s plenty of romance here and a fair amount of heat—hell, we are even treated to a face-sitting scene in the first chapter, thank you very much Mx. Matar—but there’s no one central romance storyline. Most characters have a love interest (or two) and/or a fuck buddy (or two), and it’s interesting to follow these various threads as they weave in and out of the other plotlines.

Stella and Tashué are kept apart for most of the book (but not all—never fear!), which was a little disappointing, but the love story of Jason and Lorne was quite absorbing, painful though it was for various reasons (not the least of which being Jason’s incarceration in the Rift). Lorne, disaster that he is, has some disaster moments that I won’t spoil, and it’s as fun as it is cringy to watch him squirm and thrash about. Ishmael being Ishmael, he gets in on some action, but we also see references to a past lover, which in fairness didn’t do much for me, since they were never on the page. And Illea—ah, Illea. Who can figure out the secrets to your fiery heart?

Western vibes

I have to admit that I was surprised by how much parts of this book reminded me of a classic Western movie. And then I was surprised at how surprised I had been, considering the setup: a fantasy world with guns and smugglers and indigenous people being screwed out of their land by a colonial power. So when members of the group flee Yaelsmuir and go off into the wilderness, pursued by what can only be described as bounty hunters, the Western vibes are hot and heavy.

It's not just the horses and guns and campfires that make it Western, though. There’s a real sense of cinematic sweep and drama, of real and metaphorical storms sweeping across landscapes. Matar lets the tension build in little character moments, interspersed with bouts of intense action that include shoot-outs on horseback and some magical shenanigans that traditional Westerns can only dream of. What makes it so great is how Matar switches from city scenes, which are so gritty and industrial and political, to these scenes in natural settings, with a completely different vibe, so effortlessly and effectively. A masterclass in genre-blending from a master in their craft.

Dark vibes

You want dark fantasy? Hooboy, do we have darkness here. Which should not surprise anyone who has read The Legacy of the Brightwash, which centers around dead and mutilated children. We get more of that—a whole lot more, and while we do get inured to that to some extent, we are constantly reminded of the horrors perpetuated by this system and wondering Why the fuck would anyone allow this to go on? And then we think of our own history and our present, where children were—and still are—used as laborers in dangerous situations to further the ends of the capitalist agenda, and it makes perfect sense. Some writers prefer to keep the darkness and the violence limited to adults, which is fine, but since the cell phones in everyone’s pockets contain minerals mined by children, and since some US states have now rolled back protections against children working in slaughterhouses, it seems only appropriate to see these horrors represented in fiction as well.

And this is a bloody book. There’s one scene in particular that takes place in the forest where someone’s Talent goes wild to exceedingly gory effect that had me a bit shook, to be perfectly honest. This book is absolutely not for the faint of heart, and I say this as someone with a very faint heart. But I was prepared for it, and I steeled myself against it, and I made it through alive, though I can’t say unscathed. But that’s the point of dark fantasy, isn’t it? The world is a dark and bloody place, and sometimes you need to face that darkness directly so you’ll get mad enough to do something about it. If this book doesn’t piss you off and make you want to stick a red-hot poker into the eye of the oligarchic systems that keep us all down, there may be no hope for you.

Character vibes

It’s an open secret that Matar does some of the best character work around, and Legacy of Brick and Bone is a step up from the already incredible work in Brightwash, which is saying something. Each of the characters has a rich and convincing interior life, each of them distinct and worth rooting for. Even the villains, such as they are, come off as multifaceted and worthy of some measure of sympathy, though we don’t get inside their heads directly.

We already knew Stella and Tashué quite well, and most of the cast as well, but to my mind it was Ishmael who stole the show here. In Brightwash, I saw him as a drunken playboy, almost a figure of fun at times, though he did show flashes of depth. In Brick and Bone, we get to know him in much greater detail, and there’s so much more to him. Not just what we learn about the details of his life and his profession, which was surprising and fascinating, but he’s just such a complex and interesting character, without losing the snarky, slutty side we came to know and love in Brightwash.

Final vibe check

I don’t often read books over a thousand pages; I’m too impatient, too eager for the next story. But as I let Legacy of Brick and Bone wash over me, my impatience disintegrated, replaced by awe and fascination. This is a big world, and I realized that as much of it as we get to explore here, there’s so much more yet to discover. I’ll try to maintain the same patience for the next tome to arrive, the next brick in Krystle Matar’s legacy to be laid.

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away when I read the first of this series (Legacy of the Brightwash) in 2022. That book is a page-turning mix of murder mystery, horror, romance, and dystopian fantasy with a gaslight, grimdark historical thriller vibe. Fabulous and immersive worldbuilding and outstanding writing leads you through a twisty tale to a shocking revelation that is truly heartbreaking. No less compelling are the central characters of Tashué and Stella.

Tashué is basically a cop in charge of keeping track of “the Tainted,” people with special talents that are considered too dangerous by the government to live their lives unfettered and unsupervised. Stella is one of the Tainted, a healer with her own dark secrets. The first book explores their burgeoning relationship as Tashué, a heretofore loyal and highly-respected officer (at often great personal cost), begins to question his orders and the very structure of the society he has sworn to protect.

Book two (which I received as an advanced reading copy from the author) is a less-focused and even more sprawling epic than the first. New characters are introduced, multiple points of view are used (each chapter heading indicating which storyline we’re following), and more time is spent on the political machinations of those in power. I personally found those chapters less compelling than the ones that were more action-oriented and furthered the main plots more quickly, but that is a matter of personal taste. They certainly enriched the overall worldbuilding, which is excellent throughout the series, though I couldn’t help feeling there was some repetition that more ruthless editing could have eliminated.

What kept me turning the pages was the continuation of Tashué’s and Stella’s story as well as a deeper exploration of other characters who are just as complex and conflicted. From Ishmael (a world-weary diplomat who at times is the only one to see clearly and comprehend all the moving pieces on the political chessboard) to Tashué’s son Jason (trapped in the Rift, a prison for the talented who refuse to play by society’s rules) and Jason’s lover Lorne (roped into intense training as a boxer as part of one of the many schemes that are unfolding) to the underworld bosses that rule the seedier parts of the city, this entry in the series is even more ambitious about juggling multiple plot lines. While the jumping back and forth might be confusing in a less self-assured writer’s hands, the eventual payoff as storylines cross and come to fruition is undoubtedly rewarding.

The highlights of the book for me were the many outstanding action sequences. A gripping boxing match and a disastrous bank robbery. A tense and violent kidnapping. Riots and uprisings. More brutal injuries, deaths, and near-death experiences than I can recount here. And a dazzling set piece in a forest as *somebody’s* dormant Talent comes roaring to life with unexpected and far-reaching consequences. The book ends by answering some of the reader’s questions in satisfying fashion while paving the way for a full-blown societal revolution that I assume will be the subject of the next in the series.

Make no mistake, these books are BIG! Brightwash was over 600 pages and this one is over 1100, so these are not quick (and certainly not light) reads if that’s what you’re looking for. But if you love to get totally immersed in a world of fascinating characters and unrelentingly intense, emotional, and high stakes situations, I highly recommend this unique and utterly absorbing fantasy series. (Also, extra points to the author for providing a helpful “what has gone before” summary at the beginning for those poor readers such as myself who tend to lose track between books. I wish more authors did this!)

[Karl Forshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking! Matar is setting a high bar and putting the fantasy world on notice.

What could I possibly say about a book this thick, other than wow? Matar has managed to create a world that is so rich and layered, the likes of which I'm actually not sure I've read before. It's not just the incredible internal character work, the sheer number of convincing and compelling POV's, but also the plot. There were points throughout the story that convinced me it was going one way, only to find it went quite another, and I was fine with it because it actually made more sense for it to go the way it did. When you take a step back and look at all the complex, moving machinery of the world, it's quite staggering to behold the mental gymnastics it must have taken to pull this together in a way that felt inevitable and natural.

Yes, this book is massive, and it took me weeks to finish it. Is it worth it? Absolutely. You don't need me to tell you that; just look at these ratings. A thousand congratulations, Krystle Matar. This book is a masterpiece, and I wish you every success with it.

[Kevin Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy of Brick & Bone had some sky-high expectations to exceed. I picked up Legacy of the Brightwash, the previous book in the series, after seeing so many good things about it online and was blown away. It quickly became my favorite book of this year.

So how did it stack up?

Hot damn, it rules. I have been engrossed in this book for the last week and change, constantly annoyed anytime silly things like chores, work, and any of those other stupid adult things came up. I just wanted to get back to these characters, this world, and this ride. This emotional and gripping ride.

Krystle’s writing is full of raw emotion. It is the example that lives in my brain as how writing is an art, not a science. Each page is beautiful and enrapturing in a way that pulled me along wanting to be with these characters, through their ups and downs and struggles just wanting them to find some way to succeed and in many cases wanting to hug them during their darkest times. The characters in Legacy of Brick & Bone are so vivid and three-dimensional in a world that can be so cruel to them that it’s a sign of Krystle’s talent and hard work that I invest so deeply in even some of the side characters despite the fact that I know they could be pages from catching a bullet to the face. There were nights were I had difficulty falling asleep after booking B&B down because my heart was still racing from a vivid and intense boxing match or from yelling at a certain idiot making more decisions that I completely agree with in my heart despite my brain screaming no.

The shades of gray in this complex scene of political upheaval in this city combined with such deep character work made it so hard to place characters in the firm, “I hate you one hundred percent pile.” Except for Rainer because screw him. Spineless dick. Even characters like Bothain, who have given me so many reasons to hate them and I still do, have moments as fleshed-out characters where I was suckered into rooting for them momentarily before I had to wind back and remind my duped brain as to who they were. Okay, maybe I’d put Bothain on the list too because he only had the one moment, but anybody that makes Rainer squirm that much in a chair is going to at least get a laugh out of me in the moment. Because seriously. Screw Rainer.

To add on the amazing character work, Legacy of Brick & Bone actually expands a bit in POV characters from Brightwash and it’s lovely to get some time with more adjacent characters that get the chance to step into the spotlight. Ishmael and Lorne are two of my favorites that I came to adore even more in this book and new addition Ozra puts his best foot forward in stealing the show.

Tashué and Stella are still one of my favorite couples going right now. I for a long time wasn’t really a fan of romance. I think I had a run of bad luck in couples that just didn’t feel earnest or where just there because there was some secret rule that a romance had to be somewhere without the characters feeling like they belonged or even wanted to be together. Tashué and Stella though have completely hooked me. These two need each other. They really do. (If you’re reading this Krystle, they’ve been through so much and just deserve to be happy!) They’re kind and fit together like two lost puzzle pieces that were buried at the bottom of the box. Even when they are apart the pull between them is magnetic so easy to root for. Plus Ceridwen is adorable.

So yeah, Legacy of Brick & Bone absolutely delivered. Krystal knocked it out of the park yet again and now I’m crushed that I’m going to have to wait the full time between now and the next book rather than the abbreviated wait I got thanks to coming in late. I’m chomping at the bit for more but I’m so glad to have hopped on this ride. Though that cliffhanger was mean…

(I was given an ARC by the author in exchange for an honest review)

[Bernhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant sequel to Legacy of the Brightwash. Those amazing 1100+ pages were definitely too few 🤣, gimme more Krystle.
My only caveat is the amount of sexy times. If romance were my cup of tea I would give the book 6 stars.

[K.D. Marchesi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just …. Hits hard.

Matar is a master of exploring the deep intricacies of human relationships in an incredibly dark world.

It’s addictive, it’s devastating and it’s real.

There isn’t a single chapter of Legacy of Brick and Bone didn’t leave me feeling like I needed air; in the best possible way.

Slow burn, political fantasy fans who love a dark setting spattered with tiny moments of the hope love brings us need to read this series. I promise you, you’ll be moved.

P.S. I love Lorne

[P.L. Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

My YouTube review of LEGACY OF BRICK & BONE & overview of the TAINTED DOMINION series including LEGACY OF THE BRIGHTWASH, on @thedrownedkingdomsaga7847 .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whmFO...

[Azalea Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn. Matar did it again. Brick and Bone hits you as hard as the Lledwydydd Lightning hits his opponents. Political intrigue, civil unrest, and the fight for human rights continues as Ishmael and Tashue battle their way out of the mess they got themselves into (or rather, the mess they were forced into) at the end of Brightwash, but things just get even worse.

There are so many things I want to say about specific characters and my reactions, but alas, I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible.

I am absolutely enamored with this series. Characters rise off the page and you get sucked right into the world. We follow several of the same characters from Book One, but Matar gives us many new faces—some we’ve heard of, some we haven’t.

|| “Why would I protect two people from Siras Duncreek? Because it would be an honour, Miss Whiterock.” ||

Matar does an excellent job of giving you characters to hate, but shows them in a light that makes you question whether you hate them for the right reasons or not. Are they trustworthy, or is it as bad as they say? Are the characters truly neutral, or are they setting themselves up for an explosive ruin? The tension is incredible, especially from midpoint on, and the story is insanely poignant for where we currently are in this point of history.

|| “It’s rotten from the core. It was never meant to protect anyone, except people with the money and power to benefit from our suffering.” ||

But not all of the characters are for hating—certainly not! (And even the ones I hate, it is delicious hatred of a villain.) I love Matar’s characters and the depth and nuance brought to them.

We really get to see more of Jason this time around, Tashue’s son, and get to see how much of a child he truly is compared to the other adults in the story—and I don’t say that as an insult, merely that he is very much Tashue’s son and he and Lorne are still basically children compared to these hardened veterans. I love him and so badly want to see good things for him. And Stella! My sweet, lovely Stella. Her chapters are so heart wrenching and complicated, all for the love of her daughter and their freedom.

|| She couldn’t bear the thought of other people getting hurt for her. Couldn’t bring herself to look people in the eye and admit to them everything that was going so horribly wrong. The burden of shame was too heavy, making it impossible to explain to the people who loved her… ||

There are so many amazingly satisfying scenes and some absolute shocks that Matar WENT THERE. My jaw dropped many times while reading, I laughed out loud, tears brimmed! Brick and Bone kicks you where it hurts and kicks you when you’re down, but sweet North Star, you’ll get back up again!! I didn’t want to put the book down, and the closer I got to the end, the more I dreaded the wait before Book Three—but I am patient and SO excited in my anticipation. I never felt like either of these books were too long. As I said, I didn’t want them to end!

The Authority is such an evil organization, and we’ve only seen a flash of the whole picture, I fear. I am still whisked away by Tashue’s righteous anger. There were so many times in Brightwash that I wondered if certain characters were truly on a certain side, and I still felt that way in Brick and Bone, but for completely different people. You may think you know where one road is taking you, only to have it thrown in your face, and if you do get to where you thought you were going, it STILL surprises you. I feel like that was a huge theme for the characters—not just for the reader—and I am still just blown away by Matar’s storytelling skills and worldbuilding.

No hesitation: I was already a fan from Brightwash, but it’s even more deeply solidified after Brick and Bone. Five stars, no question. What an absolute dark and devilish treat. Give this series a go: I promise you won’t regret it.

[S. Bavey · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Contains spoilers for Book 1 in this series: Legacy of the Brightwash)

I have been patiently waiting for this sequel to Legacy of the Brightwash for what feels like a long time. However when you examine the amount of raw, devastatingly emotional storytelling, immaculate characterisation, flawless world-building, complicated politicking and expertly choreographed fighting contained within its pages (and it is a 1144 page chonker) it’s a remarkable feat on the part of Krystle Matar to have completed it in the timeframe that she has. Legacy of the Brightwash took me by surprise with how much I loved it. I do not generally seek out grimdark books and was put off by this label for quite some time, but when I eventually read it, it enraptured me with its amazing characterisation and emotional depth. So, despite looking forward to Legacy of Brick and Bone, I was a little wary of whether or not I would enjoy it as much as its predecessor. I needn’t have worried. Legacy of Brick and Bone is so much more than Legacy of the Brightwash. There are more point-of-view characters, more antagonists whose personalities and situations are more complicated than you’d expect, and more suffering – nothing is ever black and white in Matar’s world, as in real life.

The political situation is coming to a head and the powder keg that is Yaelsmuir is surely on the brink of exploding. All of the major players are suffering in one way or another, some much more than others, since there is no such thing as a quiet life in the Dominion. Legacy of Brick and Bone is filled with powerful prose, underpinned by themes of hope, love and an underlying thread of determination for justice, societal improvement, and a desire for a better life – but can such things be achieved in a world gone mad, where ‘talented/tainted’ children are enslaved and considered ‘energy units’ running the city, powering the lights and trams and the politicians turn a blind eye? Only if you are prepared to stand up and be counted, however much death and bloodshed that might cause. Tashué Blackwood and Ishmael Saeti are two such brave men, prepared to fight in a revolution for justice, and in Legacy of Brick and Bone they come to realise exactly what kinds of personal sacrifices they are prepared to make and how many of their principles they will need to swallow in what is fast turning into a violent moral war played out by the most immoral of generals:

“Only someone who doesn’t understand the purpose of the law would assume that someone who breaks it can’t be trusted.”

STELLA

We meet some new characters in this book: General Bothain Clannaugh is Darth Vader – the face of the insidious reach of the Authority with his special force of Enquiry Officers. They are trained to view the tainted as less than human and treat them worse than rats. He is still married to Ffyanwy (who fell in love with him when he was still Anakin Skywalker, and who everyone believes to be dead by his hand), yet we got to know her in Book 1 as Stella, Tashué’s beloved and we learn much more about their relationship and why exactly Stella is on the run from him. Stella and Tashué’s relationship was the main focus of the first book in this series but it has to take a back seat now, while Tashué deals with his knowledge of the ‘energy units’ and knowing that he worked for the Authority for nineteen years and refused to listen to Jason try and tell him the truth about its evil. Now he finally understands and will do anything to get his son out of the dangerous jail known as the Rift.

“Follow the laws and you’ll stay safe. What a load of shit that was. The laws were there to control people so someone with more power could take what they wanted.”

JASON

Ozra was my favourite of the new PoV characters. A brave fighter and protector of the Talented, running from the past he spent in the Breeding Program, now having escaped, he is in hiding and haunted by ghosts.

The seamier side of Yaelsmuir comes into sharp focus in this book, with gang bosses being utilized as a means to an end for both Lorne and Tashué to get Jason to safety. Lorne is being trained as Davik Kaine’s star boxer, fast becoming a hero of the Bay area on the orders of top gangster Powell Iwan. On the other side of town we have political machinations aplenty as Illea Winter tries to undermine her husband’s political career. She is a political animal with a cynical business head and a force to be reckoned with:

“This entire world is built on consumption, Mallory. Consumption of food, of drink. We consume each other and call it sex. We consume the wealth of someone else’s family and call it marriage. We burn across the world, fighting with other countries for the rights to consume—we call that trade agreements and diplomatic relations and war.”

ILLEA

Once again Matar’s writing is full of superb characterisation and worldbuilding so slick that you do not notice the Dominion growing around you as the gripping story progresses. There are more PoV characters than in the first book, yet they are all expertly juggled and we see enough of each to allow us to become fully invested in their story arcs. They are all interconnected like a huge tangled web by marriage, family, politics, business, and even childhood friendships. The side and background characters are treated with equal care and have plenty of depth, making them feel real and intriguing. As for the main characters – they really suffer. Just when you think these poor beleaguered people have found some respite from the dreadful ordeals Matar has forced them to endure, she turns the tide and drags them back into unimaginable torment and despair.

“This is how the world works,” Jason scoffed. “We’re all meat for someone else to consume, and we decide how many pieces of ourselves we’re willing to give away to survive. It’s not about what I should and shouldn’t have to do—it’s the reality here. We shouldn’t have to register, either. We shouldn’t have to decide between different kinds of torture and enslavement. Compliance is torture, the Rift is torture, a life of running and hiding and lying is torture. This is the world we live in. ‘Should’ is fucking meaningless.”

JASON

Much like Lorne, before he learns the rules of proper boxing, Krystle Matar does not pull her punches – there is plenty of brutality, gore, violence, and many other forms of pain visited on her characters. If such things give you pause I recommend checking out her list of content warnings – this book is not for the faint-hearted but it is an extremely rewarding, if sometimes harrowing and emotional read. Sometimes as reviewers, we talk about sitting on the edge of our seats as we read exciting chapters where the stakes are high. Legacy of Brick and Bone drags you to the edge of a precipice, pushes you over and laughs as you hang there from your fingernails, desperately praying you will make it back up to safety and sanity again. We laugh about scenes being shocking and twists in the plot coming out of nowhere, making our favourite characters suffer, but Legacy of Brick and Bone grabs them (and by extension, you) by the vital organs and squeezes until you aren’t sure if you can survive. Then the plot twists come along with their shovels and whoop you upside the head!! The sheer length of the book may be off-putting to some people but I guarantee these characters will grab hold of you with such ferocity that you will want as much as you can get from each of them and will not want the book to end.

I was sent a complimentary digital arc of this title by the author, thank you Krystle! My opinions are honest and my own.

[Jessica McMinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful sequel to a stunning debut

Matar has backed up her phenomenal gaslamp grimdark debut with a sequel that is longer, bloodier, and even more shocking than before. Everything that made Brightwash a triumph has been turned up a notch, with Brick and Bone delivering equal measures of intrigue and pain.

The world has expanded, bringing with it more lore and history and magic; the intricacies of the plot and masterfully woven; and the characters as achingly raw as ever. I adored the addition of new view points, as well as extra time spent with familiar faces, all serving to blow this story well beyond a tale of two people, which was where I thought the series was heading.

If you are a lover of dark DARK fantasy filled with confronting revelations, political plotlines and characters both lovable and infuriating, Tainted Dominion is a series you cannot afford to miss.

[Mel Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. No. I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK!

First, I want to take Ishmael and make him mine (and we can share Tashué)
Then, I want to drown Illea in a muddy puddle
After, I want to punch Lorne in the nipple but then give him a big hug
Finally, I want to wrap up Jason in a lil bubble and put him in my pocket

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about this book. Shall we?

Fluffy Grimdark. just like book #1, but now the author says, "I know I gave you angsty slow burn in the last book, but how 'bout we dig our heels in and make this love story long distance?" CRUEL and so so effective.

Essentially, everyone in this book is a fugitive, but that doesn't stop them from scheming more fugitive shenanigans.

BIG plot twists and revelations snuck in so casually in the last third of the book, so now I get to wait--oh so painfully-- for book 3. Rude A F

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

Thank you goes to Krystle Matar for the e-copy and the patience in waiting for a review. I’m a little slow these days in the turn around times.

4.5

***

This review was a bit of a struggle to write- I find that a problem in any follow-up book of a series that I am reviewing but with Legacy of Brick and Bone it felt like I have been pulling my own teeth for months now to get this written. There is so much of everything that I want to talk about it and all of it is just spoilers galore.

In order to get these thoughts out of my head I’ve decided to hell with it- I’ll just ramble on about my favourite characters and hope it feels somewhat orderly.

***


The story set-up runs similarly to Legacy of the Brightwash taking place over the course of days/weeks with the time frame here, leading up to the big fight between Lorne and another pugilist named Ari.

This is a huge event! Not only because Ari, is well-known and loved to the city and Lorne, is an unknown up-and-coming fighter that has the backing of some big names but also, it’s huge, because it’s going to be the distraction that is needed to break Jason out of the Rift. That’s the simplified to the max version of part of the story.


There is a little bit of set-up in the beginning to remind us of all those power plays going on politically in the background but once we get through that and kind of find our feet again- its smooth sailing. Mostly because this jumps in right after the last book so there’s no need for catching us up. There is also a very nice “what came before” included, which was Super helpful for those of us that read Brightwash a year or so ago.

*
I feel like this series has a little bit for everyone.

In Legacy of the Brightwash:

I was all about Tashue and Stella, and their will they/wont they get together. The sexual tension maxed to the eyeballs between them, kept me turning pages while getting familiar with the world. (Just so you know I’m all about the chase in any romance and lose a bit of interest when they get together. Matar kept them apart most of this book so while they are together, they aren’t together for a good portion of the story)

For Legacy of Brick and Bone:

I was here for Lorne and everything to do with the club, the power play between the rival gangs and having to work together.

I just loved the setting- particularly loved the boxing focus. I mean I love any sort of up close and personal fighting but I really really enjoyed the boxing. It might have been a bit of nostalgia on my part, I grew up watching boxing- my mom was a huge fan so my mental picture of Lorne was this kind of mash-up of a grumpy Tom Hardy and Sugar Ray Leonard. I grew to really like Lorne’s character and his perpetual crankiness.

The build-up to the big fight was superb- everyone has their own agenda and as the tension builds so does the worry that its going to go to hell in a handbasket, and Jason will be stuck in the Rift forever.


Matar excels at building tension. It doesn’t matter if it’s sexual or just general story tension- she can raise your blood pressure with it.


I generally like political intrigues so I did enjoy that rising shift in power in the other parts of the story. You can feel it building. The whole city/country is ready for change, and its close to teetering over into chaos at some point soon. But for whatever reason I think I found that to be the parts I enjoyed the least in the story. (Which don’t get me wrong- we are talking on a scale of really like to adore.)

That’s likely more to do with all the characters that are on that side of the story. The ones I loved most, were elsewhere for the most part.

Though I do love Illea to pieces- she’s a sly fox of a woman, manipulating her own game and I just like how she unabashedly uses whatever and whoever she needs, to secure her future while still being a likeable and relatable sexy lady- but like I said, this time around, I was all about Lorne, and also Vasska. (I can’t wait to see how that mess with his grandpa is going to play out)


The short and sweet:

Legacy of Brick and Bone is a huge second book- not only for its size but everything about it imo, cements the promise of Tainted Dominion becoming a top series of this decade.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy of the Brightwash was the laying of the charge, the unwinding the fuse and the lighting the match.
Legacy of Brick and Bone is the flame getting closer and closer to the dynamite, the tension building with each spark along the fuse wire, sweat dripping from every pore and ending in that split second of silence before everything goes BOOM!

Matar has surpassed the tour de force that is Legacy of the Brightwash with a book that, at over 1100 pages is so gripping, you will not want to put it down.
First of all, I loved that a recap was included as it had been some time since I read the first book in the Tainted Dominion series and as much as I enjoyed that one, I have to admit, opening up the story to more points of view was a masterstroke. I loved hopping from POV with the the events of the book and it wasn't always the same POV when we came back to a particular event, giving a wonderfully rounded view of the whole.

There are parts of this that are heartbreaking and really had me tearing up. That could be because in Brick and Bone you really get a chance to know the characters which were on the peripheries in Brightwash, but also because by now the reader is fully immersed in the world, having found their feet by the end of book 1. By now, you know the stakes and it works so well.

Without giving spoilers, I will say Matar - you had my heart in my throat towards the end there and I am not sure I will forgive you for it, but I simply cannot wait to watch the explosion of the next book in the Tainted Dominion.

[Wolfmantula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastically dark sequel!

A Legacy of Brick and Bone is a strong sequel! It’s dark, emotional and tense with incredibly flawed characters that Matar delves into deeply and does a fantastic job of developing the characters even further. Even though she’s not one of the main POV characters, Ceridwen is easily my favorite character, and maybe the narration by Felicity Munroe plays a part in that. I love the voice that she uses for Ceridwen, and I could listen to a book with that chosen voice all day lol. I also love the narration by Paul Woodson when he’s voicing the male voices in the book. I love that there are two narrators doing the work in this series, but also, it can be confusing at times to hear one narrator voice a character one way and the other a different way, despite that, the narration is still done very well!

The Dominion feels so real, and the story is written so well, but unlike the real world, Matar created a world where polyamory or “love who you love” is actually accepted by all, which the real world would be in a better place if we could do the same. But don’t let that make you think this world isn’t the bleakest of bleak, the hate for people with talent, which is basically a form of racism, shows just how dark the world truly is. Nobody is safe from the grimness of the world and each character has a lot that they have to go through, with twists galore and not knowing who to trust will keep the readers head on a swivel.

“This is how the world works,” Jason scoffed.
“We’re all meat for someone else to consume, and we decide how many pieces of ourselves we’re willing to give away to survive. It’s not about what I should and shouldn’t have to do
-it’s the reality here. We shouldn’t have to register, either. We shouldn’t have to decide between different kinds of torture and enslavement. Compliance is torture, the Rift is torture, a life of running and hiding and lying is torture. This is the world we live in.
‘Should’ is fucking meaningless.”

Like the world feeling so real, the characters feel just as genuine, and with 7 POV’s, the reader gets to see a lot of the world and stories from different angles. The main POV’s of Tashué, Ishmael, Lorne, Stella, Illea, Ozra and Jason are all fantastic, I didn’t dislike any of them, but as stated earlier, I did enjoy scenes with Ceridwen more than any of them, just because she’s so innocent and everything she said was just so cute. But with that, there was one particular scene that will stick with my forever, and that was the death of enquiry officer Del. Ok, maybe I’m being a bit biased on this since the author named this character after me, so I was very happy to see how my character not only died, but put up a fight doing it!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m not a fan of reading romance, but after reading The Legacy of the Brightwash, I knew what I was already walking into with book 2 and what Matar is able to do by mixing in information within some romantic scenes made them a point to read. There were some points where you got to see and understand more about the character because of those particular scenes and what they needed to do to take advantage of their situation. While I’m still not a fan of romance while reading, Matar makes it a little easier to process with the way she handles it… that’s a compliment!

[Mark Hindess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave the first book five stars and wrote "Excellent, brutal story with great characters. Looking forward to the next book." This book was better in all the ways I liked the previous one and "looking forward to the next book" is a bit of an understatement now.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book in the Tainted Dominion series. I discovered the first book in the series, Legacy of the Brightwash, when it was part of SPFBO 7. Way back in 2021, and I still remember just about everything about it. That is what you want in a reading experience, to have a book resonate with you and you think about it long after you put it down. As with a lot of second book in the series, this is the set up for the third 'big explosive' series finale. Sometimes, the set up second book has pacing problems, thankfully this is not a problem here. In fact, the only problem with this book is it screwed up my sleeping goals. I stayed up way too late and woke up way too early because I wanted to get back to the tale. Needless to say, I am psyched for the finale.

[Butler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special love for the recap of book one ❤️ 3.5 stars. Could have been shorter, but I look forward to book three.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Cliffhanger! Amazing Story

I was lucky I just stumbled onto Tainted Dominion book 1 a few months ago. I didn’t have a long wait for book 2 which continued the brilliant world of Dominion. I hope more books come out soon because this world is so engaging I don’t want to let it go.

[Douglas Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, Legacy of Brick & Bone, the second act of the Tainted Dominion series, is stunning! Krystle Matar's Victorian-inspired fantasy world feels as real as the rocks and mud under your feet and the odor of rotten fish in the air when you walk barefoot alongside the fishing docks on a rainy workday. The characters are both larger-than-life and genuine, heroic (or villainous) and relatable (especially if you are polyamorous, but even if you're not). And Matar puts them through their paces--wow, does she ever! No one (including the reader) comes through this story unscathed.

Legacy of Brick & Bone is the kind of long book that makes you like long books. It is detailed, but never boring, complex and always fascinating. It is wrong to call this a "gaslight fantasy," because the world of the Dominion (as readers of Legacy of the Brightwash know) is powered by something far more sinister (and chilling) than gas. The revelation of the dark truth about the "energy units" drives the plot of Brick & Bone, as the wielders of power at all levels of Dominion society scurry to deal with the fallout. Alliances are formed in the backrooms and bedrooms of the major players, who shift allegiances and move their pawns and minions across a gameboard they don't understand.

And Matar puts the reader right into the thick of it, knee deep in the blood, the sweat, and the tears (and there are copious amounts of all three). Readers diving into the world of the Dominion are in for a visceral, gut-punching, and heart-wrenching experience that Leo Tolstoy would have admired (perhaps while blushing on occasion).

Brick & Bone leaves us at the precipice of a major explosion, and I am EAGER to dive back into the world of Tashue, Ishmael, Stella/Ffyanwy, Illea, Lorne, and the rest. I left a part of me there when the book ended, and it needs help.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

About a month to listen to an audiobook this long is pretty good by my standards, especially since I can't listen to these books while driving. There's too much happening.

The wait between now and book 3's audiobook is probably going to kill me.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did an immersion read with the audiobook narrated by Paul Woodson and Felicity Munroe.
Wow! After finishing Legacy of the Brightwash, I thought where will they go from here, how can you follow this book? But, Matar has done it. This book was beautiful and heartbreaking, intense and gritty and sad, and yet, hopeful. Matar has a way of using each one of her characters and pulling on every one of my heart strings. And that ending!! I immediately messaged the author. It ended perfectly. This book was the perfect 2nd book.
CAWPILE Breakdown:
Characters: 5/5 - Each one of these characters pulled on my heartstrings, even some that I didn't expect. The characters are real in a way that I can see, hear, smell, feel/touch them. I felt their emotions and heart breaks just as if they were my own.
Atmosphere/Setting: 5/5 - I've never been able to see or feel a fantasy fictional setting as I do in the Tainted Dominion. When it rains, I feel the rain. When it snows, I feel the snow. When the atmosphere shifts beacuse a new character just entered the scene, I feel it.
Writing Style: 5/5 - Honestly, I don't have enough good words to say about their writing style. Matar takes paintstaking care of their writing, and it is evident on the page. From a reader who has an editor brain and a creative writing MFA, I appreciate this so much. It is obvious that Matar never rushes through her writing just to get it done and get another book out. She lets the story tell itself and the characters run the book. It takes as long as it needs and it shows and I LOVE THAT. It is obvious that Matar writes with their full heart and in my opinion that it is the only way to write a book like this. Krystle Matar is an autobuy author for me. I will buy and read (and likely love) anything that Matar writes.
Plot: 5/5 - As I stated, I didn't knw how they were going to follow what happened in Book 1. I was a little concerned that we might get middle book syndrome because bok 1 was just soo damn good. But that was not the case here at all. It was the perfect second book, and in my opinion, better than the first. The plot pulled on certain strings from book 1 and followed them throughout book 2, while also building on the story and adding in new characters - some we heard about in book 1 and some completely new. And again - that ending!!! Wow! That was the perfect ending for this book.
Intrigue: 5/5 - Matar has mastered the technique of using her characters emotions, the setting, and the atmosphere to build up and pull intrigue out of just about any scene.
Logic/Relationships: 5/5 - Things made so much logical sense that it hurt. I knew exactly why every character made the choices that they did, even if I didn't like them. The relationships broke my heart and then glued it back together. So beautiful and realistic and believable - and heartbreaking.
Enjoyment: 5/5 - What else can I say but I loved it. I loved everything about this book, would not change a single thing. In my opinion, it was all heartbreakingly perfect and I can't wait to see where book 3 takes us.
Audiobook narration: 5/5 - These narrators have become the characters for me. Even when I was reading it and didn't have the auiobook playing - because there were times when I just had to keep reading, even without the audio - the characters voices were the narrators voices for me. They read at a great pace that fit the book, with emotion that you felt in every word.
Total: 40/8 = 5 stars!
Quotes - Beware! Some of these quotes may be slight spoilers.
"Whenever someone starts a statement with the words 'with all due respect,' I always know Im about to be disrespected." (71)
"What good are revolutions if our children aren't here to see it? Sometimes the revolutionary act is simply keeping them safe in a world where they're anything but safe." (357-8)
"[...] war - no matter how long gone in a person's past - left its mark." (408)
"It's not a character flaw to not be a blood-thirsty lunatic." (823)
"But if Tashue remembered being twenty-something, they'd probably find time to angst about their feelings whether there was a war in the streets or not." (1057)