Bone Shroud

Kallattian Saga #2

by Andrew D. Meredith

Secrets deepen — Prophecies doom — Shadows grow

The errors of yesterday continue to haunt Hanen and Rallia Clouw, though deeper secrets from their past reveal an even darker future.

A rift in the order of the paladins threatens to tear wide open, and Jined Brazstein is all that stands in the gap.

A dark prophecy wilts the sisterhood, as Katiam Borreau is cast away to a land beyond the edge of any dream.

The blind monk Seriah Yaledít has never feared death, until she becomes sole witness to a ghastly murder.

While darkness stirs, nightmares become flesh, heretical schism looms, and contracts bind souls, an unseen figure walks in shadow wearing a cloak formed of countless bone made from his victims.

All would be heroes must give their lives,

Or be made illustration—

For those who’ve still to come and try,

To fall or rise,

Above their station.

Bone Shroud is Volume Two of the Kallattian Saga, the Epic Fantasy series from Andrew D Meredith

Genres: Fantasy

622 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2022

About the author

Andrew D Meredith’s journey has taken him to many fantastical places. From selling books in the wilds of western Washington to designing and publishing board games in the great white midwest. He’s now committed to the quest he was called to so long ago: the telling of fantastical tales, and bringing to life underestimated characters willing to take on the responsibilities no one else will.

Reviews

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review of Bone Shroud is published at Grimdark Magazine.

Andrew D. Meredith turns the worldbuilding knob up to eleven in Bone Shroud, the second installment in his epic fantasy series, The Kallattian Saga. Bone Shroud does everything a good sequel should do, building upon the solid foundation of the first volume, Deathless Beast, while taking the story to new heights.

Meredith truly shines with his Brandon Sanderson-level worldbuilding, having considered every detail of the history, geography, ecology, and theology of this complex world. Most remarkable is the organic way by which Meredith introduces new elements of his world, without any awkward info dumps that have, unfortunately, become a common crutch used throughout many epic fantasies.

Bone Shroud also features outstanding character development work. The cast of characters all feel so relatable, facing the common challenges of personal identity and finding one’s place in the world. As Bone Shroud opens, the Black Sentinels, including brother-and-sister duo Hanen and Rallia Clouw, are trying to establish a new role in a new land. Meanwhile, Jined Brazstein is navigating through religious schism within the Paladins, struggling to remain true to his values while preserving the integrity of his order. Astrid Glass, head of the guard for the Paladames (and possessor of the undeniably coolest name in the book), is trying her best to find inner peace after a terrible tragedy.

One of the main mysteries from Deathless Beast involves a seemingly ageless seed pod that is found by Katiam Borreau, a Paladame of the Rose who serves as personal physician for their matriarch. The seed pod has been carefully guarded for centuries and is now starting to sprout in Bone Shroud.

I love a good soft magic system and thoroughly enjoyed seeing new layers of magic unfold in Bone Shroud. Somehow, I feel like this is only the beginning, and we’ll be seeing a lot more in Meredith’s subsequent volumes of The Kallattian Saga.

While personal faith featured prominently throughout Deathless Beast, the focus in Bone Shroud shifts toward conflicts within and between the organized religions in Kallattia. One of the intriguing aspects of Meredith’s world is that the gods are walking amongst the people, interacting with them and perhaps even manipulating them toward their own goals. One of the new features in Bone Shroud is the emergence of a force that could be even more powerful than the gods themselves.

Andrew D. Meredith’s ever eloquent and carefully polished prose feels as timeless as Katiam’s magical seed pod. The first half of Bone Shroud maintains the same unhurried pace of Deathless Beast. But the plot kicks into overdrive at around the halfway point, leading to a major twist at the end of the book that took me completely by surprise.

Bone Shroud is classic epic fantasy par excellence, combining meticulous worldbuilding with a compelling cast of characters and a nuanced plot. I highly recommend this series for anyone who wishes to lose themselves in an intricately crafted new world.

[Tori Tecken · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I am already deeper in the knowledge of the Feather than he is. If he doesn't join, I'll take his soul from him, and he can come as a book in my library."

Bone Shroud is the second installment in Andrew D. Meredith’s ongoing epic fantasy series, The Kallattian Saga and follows the first novel Deathless Beast.

Slow burn, detail-oriented fantasy series can often become overshadowed in the current market trends, but there are many gems deserving of more spotlight, and The Kallattian Saga is one of them. Meredith’s storytelling style is reminiscent of a hearthside bard drawing us in to tell a grand tale of good and evil and the flawed heroes who find themselves at the center of that struggle.

One of the first things that struck me about Deathless Beast that I mentioned in my review was the tone of the storytelling, and that is true again here with its sequel Bone Shroud. Meredith dual wields a classic worldbuilding style alongside characters and themes that will appeal to modern audiences. The prose is sophisticated but never feels dense. I’m constantly amazed at how much exposition Meredith can work into his stories without ever tripping over the dreaded “info dump” wire.

I’ve found that while many authors deal with moral and religious themes in their fantasy novels, few delve as deeply and as thoughtfully into those themes as Meredith has in his Kallattian Saga. Set against a backdrop of intricately designed culture, geography, and economy, the perspective characters battle demons within and without, each layered with their own individual nuances of faith or lack thereof.

Characters introduced in Deathless Beast continue to guide our journey in Bone Shroud, as well as a few new perspectives from the fringes of the main cast. Jined Brazstein, the faith-bound paladin, remains my favorite character. I also found a lot to love in the narratives of Seriah, a sight-deprived servant of the god Nifara, and the young mercenary Hanen Clouw.

The cast of characters ranges along a full spectrum of involvement in the many religious and political orders of the Kallattian world, offering the reader a variety of perspectives on the growing dangers and conflict. And danger spreads its dark wings over our protagonists in a steady rush of tension through to the final page, building on the foundation that Meredith meticulously constructed in the first novel.

There were times in Bone Shroud when I struggled to keep the amount of detail straight. The worldbuilding is incredibly complex, which is both a tribute to the author’s years of work and dedication, and also present a tall order for readers who may be less detail-oriented. However, the characters are more than capable of offering a shoulder to lean on through the complexities of the world.

Fantasy readers who love to delve deeply into worldbuilding with flawed and intricate characters should have this series at the top of their TBR.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith is a master storyteller!

Rich & immersive Bone shroud takes Kallation to the next level.

Here in the second entry to this modern classic Andrew D Meredith has started paying dividends to fans. We get more action and lines are being drawn. Will your root
For the Sentinels and the Paladins in their struggle
Against a godless sect of rebels who seek to destroy the paladins from within.

You are always kept guessing in Bone shroud who can you trust are they a part of the secret sect? The tension is handled beautifully and I love this series!

Don’t miss out!

[Jord MiddleofNowhere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read my review at the following link:

https://escapistbookcompany.com/2023/...

Thank you for taking the time to read my review. As always, happy reading and Stay Great!!

[Sara Ferrari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Meredith delivers a story that is rich in culture, intrigue, and lovable characters. I am continually blown away by the thoroughness of the world he has built. Not once does any form of dialogue, description, or concept feel out of place. It is truly an immersive experience.

I found myself falling more in love with characters from Deathless Beast and finding additional affections towards characters introduced in Bone Shroud. Jined remains a favorite, and Kattian has increasingly grown on me as well.

I do wish there were a few more action scenes to break up the discussions. There’s no doubt Meredith has delivered in the abundance of details and it makes for a very fleshed out and believable experience, but once again I found myself feeling like there was so much that I missed some important details. That could also be due to the fact that I listened to the audiobook, but once again, the audiobook really added to the experience as Meredith does a fabulous job producing it.

[Joseph Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely excellent sequel that builds upon the already strong and unique foundation of the previous entry and adds in new twists and turns all the way to its explosive and shocking finale. If you've not yet jumped aboard this new epic in the making, now is the perfect time to do so.

Meredith expertly weaves themes of faith (both strong and blind), heresy, ambition, and corruption, and one by one rips loose a thread until it all comes crashing upon you. There's a lot of buildup, and it's all incredibly worth it.

Bone Shroud is everything you want out of a sequel. Following the Clouw siblings, Jined, Kattiam, and newcomer Seriah has been a treat, and I can't wait to see where their individual and intertwining tales go next.

[Elizabeth Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say that every gift given by Kos-Yran comes wrapped in a curse. Well the mad god has given me the gift of the Kallattian Saga, and in turn, has cursed me with an insatiable hunger for the books Andrew D Meredith has yet to write.

It’s no secret that I loved the first book in the series, Deathless Beast, but as a fantasy fanatic, I’ve become acclimatized to reading series that never quite maintain an even keel from start to finish. This doesn’t mean that I think said series are bad, or that a shift in the quality is something to lament; just that as a reader, I’ve come to believe that for every amazing book you find in a series, you have to pay the toll of a few average, rote or less memorable ones. This is all to say that while I still went into Bone Shroud hopeful, a part of me doubted whether I’d get an experience at all comparable to the wonder of book one.

Bone Shroud has tested the veracity of that belief, and with the force of a paladin’s hammer, utterly shattered it.

Diving right back into the world of Kallattia, Meredith tightened the focus of the story to the region of Mahndür, using the needs of the now budding narrative to build up a sense of familiarity and comfort. It is always a challenge to create friction and raise the stakes without forgetting to indulge in the smaller character moments that originally hooked readers in, and I think the storytelling approach that he opted for here struck a perfect balance between the two.

I loved the glimpses into daily life provided by the greater plot threads in the city of Mahn Fulhar, not just for the liveliness it brought to the world of Kallattai, but for how effortlessly easy it made visualising the setting when things did escalate. Which, speaking of escalation, I was again brightened by the delicacy with which Andrew D Meredith handled conflict. Gods are ever present in Kallattai, and often visit the mortal world to impress their will upon their followers. Which besides being an absolute delight to read, and a teeming Pandora's box of opportunity, also succinctly asks some of Bone Shroud’s key questions: is agency and free will still achievable in such a world? And is it truly villainous to desire freedom from the whims of such powerful beings?

And it’s the nuance that these questions bring forth that prevents Bone Shroud, even at its darkest points, from ever feeling too simplistic in its morality. If the first book inspired hope, traced the path from hurt to vengeance, and sought to champion kinship, then this second book in turn pulls back the curtain to add texture and depth to the tales few would take the time to tell. I can’t help but appreciate any author that stops to ask “why?” when confronting readers with harsh people and harsher realities, especially when the writing still clearly stands for something.

It’s one thing to bottle up a lively setting and mix it with thematic poignancy, and entirely other matter to add solid character writing on top – but like its predecessor, Bone Shroud manages it anyway. I simply adore every point-of-view character. The dialogue makes it feel like I’m sharing a room with people I could know, not just putting me in the moment but making me feel like I can reach out and touch them if I wanted to. Even the side characters have their own perceptible place in the world, and it’s because they’re so well realized that they’re able to function masterfully as mirrors with which to reflect on the main characters own personality, beliefs and motivations.

And if we step away from matters of theme and character, and look with more detachment at the functional progress in Bone Shroud, then I’d argue that no momentum is lost. It would still be accurate to say that this series is a slow-burn experience, but I expect that many will be surprised by just how much happens here to bring things forward. Yet despite accomplishing this we've not even reached the peak of the narrative mountain, which merely from the expectation that has been set-up in Bone Shroud, truly puts the ‘epic’ in epic fantasy.

I think my complaints this time around are largely reserved for editing issues. I never really noticed any problems with Deathless Beast, which is impressive for any work, let alone an indie. But here there was enough instances of extra or missing words, and occasional grammar mistakes, that I can’t avoid commenting on it. I know for some people this is a big source of disengagement, and so any potential reader has to be prepared to catch the odd line like “It must get not get cold here...” or misused idioms like “They could care less”. I’m very forgiving of this because, as previously mentioned, very few books are able to escape having at least something that slips through editing, but on that same note, you have to be able to accept that this book will have more issues than your average traditionally published work.

However I am once again left with the feeling that any negatives here pale beneath the majesty of everything that is good in the Kallattain Saga. If nothing else, I experience pure happiness when reading these books – and I truly mean that. Andrew D Meredith has solidified himself in my mind as not just an author to pay attention to, but as one of the finest fantasy writers I’ve encountered. I’ve never before felt such overwhelming faith in someone to deliver me works that will utterly engross and electrify me.

And the best part? There’s still more to come...

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

Slow Burn Fantasy Masterpiece

The schism widens. Secrets & deception slither inside. The past a warning but long forgotten. A dark horizon dawns.

I love a slow burn fantasy. I love deep lore. Forgotten history and an ominous darkness in my worlds.

This is exactly that.

Deep & rich and grounded.

The characters feel incredibly human. Struggling to do what’s right.

I find this series has had such an intricate build towards its end. The mystery being slowly rolled out in a masterful manner.

Looking forward to book 3!

[Antonio Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeper Faith

Atrocities of war performed in the name of Faith test the mettle of all and drive some to a deeper faith.

This installment of the Kallattian Saga delivers.

Revelations are had.

Suspicions confirmed.

Oh, so many new questions arise.

[Lorewarden · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great novel. The Kallattian saga is definitely forming up to be top notch epic history. The author does a great job balancing the different scopes in the lives of the main characters, from day-to-day interactions to church politics to the machinations of gods. The worldbuilding is excellent too - you don't see many fantasy series where the followers of various gods have developed different church cultures and then you see them interact through the story.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Deathless Beast was the slow, steady ascent up the rollercoaster to the peak, Bone Shroud is the exhilarating drop down the other side! All the world building and character development in Deathless Beast comes to fruition in Bone Shroud as Andrew weaves continued character development with a building momentum as world shaking events unfold like falling dominos. In all the action, the focus remains on the characters and there is genuine development. Andrew's characters are realistic and his invitation to explore the meaning of faith through them is genuinely achieved. I found myself reflecting on my own faith in Christ as I read about Jined, Hanen and Rallia, Katiam, Ophedia, and others as they get swept up in events far out of their control. It is a rare work of fantasy that strikes such a chord while not feeling like a theological treatise. Rather, I found it difficult to focus on work till I finished the book. It called me like a siren on the table, beckoning me to read just one more page, one more chapter...

[K.E. Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew D. Meredith once again brings a book full of sweeping details, men entangled in the web of the gods, and bread. So much bread. Rallia and Ophelia took center stage for me in this book and became some of my favorite characters, besides Whisper. I was feeling that the pace was a bit slow for me up until the middle when a bunch of stuff starts happening and the seeds from the first book sprout their revelations. Guess the rotha isn't a terrible thing like I theorized it was. I did think some of the pacing of the character POVs was spread out a bit too much, especially with Seraih who I felt came into the story a bit too late. The ending leaves off on an interesting cliffhanger and I'm interested to see what will unfold for Hanen and Katiam.

[Anitha]

RTC

[Madison Goodyear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m gonna circle back around and write some more thoughts about this book, but I liked the book and I’m very excited to continue!

[Derek Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This still doesn't click with me in exactly the same way that the author's NEEDLE AND LEAF series does, but I enjoy it a great deal even though other epic fantasies have been hit or miss for me.

CHARACTERS
As with book one, a huge amount of this story's appeal comes from the in-depth character work. Jined finds himself wrapped up in a conspiratorial schism within his order. Hanen and Ralia work to build up the Black Sentinels in a city where their reputation has been sullied. Katiam's journey takes her down a rather mystical path and Seriah gets caught up in a godly affair. I found the expanded role that Seriah plays to be an interesting addition. I wasn't initially sure how her parts would ultimately connect to the other arcs for each character, but I think she ended up contributing to the overall plot in an interesting way and I enjoyed spending more time getting to know her. Jined continues to be one of the most interesting members of the cast to me and I liked that he has more antagonistic interactions with Dane, who is both fundamentally unlikeable, but also oddly relatable in the sense that I have definitely met people exactly like him. I also enjoyed how his relationship with and understanding of his god develops over the course of the story. I really enjoyed that Hanen and Ralia's chapters became a little more separate. Their sibling relationship is still a focal point and that aspect is developed in some interesting ways ,but I also enjoyed seeing them operate separate from one another as well. Katiam's story takes some interesting turns that I don't want to spoil at all. I feel like her arc gave us a much better glimpse into the mysticism of this world and it was nice to see her come into her own a little as she navigated it all. I also fell in love with the little bipedal dragon-like creatures that dwell within the city. They were an adorable little touch that made things feel that much more fantastical.

PLOT/TONE
Although the last book ended with quite the series of splashes and reveals, this one picks up again after the dust has settled somewhat. The main characters have gone their separate ways and are again sent down individual paths. Things split even further as Hanen and Ralia each have a little more space to operate as individuals and we get to spend more time with Seriah who played a much more minor role in the first book. Some of the interludes give us a bit more insight into what Sern's deal is and I found myself pretty invested in each of their main story beats. I liked that the chapters for each character tended to be clumped together. There are some cases where having the perspective rotate every chapter can work super well, but I think in this case, giving each perspective a few chapters to develop before switching definitely felt like a good call for keeping a good pace and a momentum for the main plot. As with the previous book, there is indeed a central story being formed even if things seem relatively compartmentalized for much of the narrative. The final act didn't necessarily bring everyone physically together like it did previously, but there are a lot of different moving pieces and parts that do converge like Sern's scheming, the schism in the Paladin order, and the more mystical entanglements that Katiam and Seriah are involved in. While I definitely prefer stories where the core narrative is more apparent and central to a book's events, I can also appreciate the craftmanship of the way that Meredith approaches the storytelling for this series. The fact that things are relatively clean, even during the admittedly hectic action scenes, also makes this series easy to recommend to a lot of different readers.

SETTING/WORLD
This time around, we get to spend most of our time in the region of this world that our characters were heading to in the previous entry. We get to see a bit more of the city life during the chapters that focused on the Black Sentinels. It was really interesting to delve into the politics of this place and how everything seemed to center around the various guilds that run much of the economy. On the Paladinial side of things, we get to see an enchanting temple as well as more stone monastery-like fortresses. What was most interesting here though was more of the worldbuilding we got for the order itself as well as the rogue branch that conspires to overtake Jined and his fellows. We also get a lot more exposure to the gods which was definitely something I was hoping for after how things ended in Book One. I enjoyed getting to know these deific beings better and it was fascinating to see how they interact with their worshipers as well as those who oppose them in some way or another. Given how relatively grounded this series has been so far, I was a bit surprised by how deeply mystical things got and was not expecting Katiam to end up in an entirely different realm. I think this was a pleasant surprise overall and it left me wondering how these more magical elements might play a part in future books. I also just think it's impressive how much Meredith was able to expand this world even though all the characters don't seem to physically travel all that far.

THE AUDIOBOOK
The author himself returns as the narrator. If you liked his performance in the first book, then I think you will find this outing to be just as good. There are some cool effects that he does for some more mystical-sounding lines of dialogue and I found myself appreciating this experimentation to create a more immersive experience. There's not much more I can say other than that it is just super impressive that the author can pull this off and I think it's cool to hear the audio version exactly as he intends it to be rather than listening to someone's artistic interpretation of someone else's story (not that there's anything wrong with the latter, this is just a novel aspect of this particular audiobook). One drawback of this format though is that Meredith doesn't spoon-feed and he rarely repeats himself. While I generally value those qualities in books, I'm sure that there were some finer details that I missed while listening to this in the car (mental priority goes to the road after all).

CONCLUSION
If you enjoyed DEATHLESS BEAST, then you absolutely have to pick this one up as well. It has even more great character moments, more exciting action, and more expertly crafted worldbuilding along with a plot that slowly, but meticulously materializes over time.

(+) Characters that are still both likeable and realistic
(+) I even enjoyed the antagonists of this story, often feeling like I could kind of understand where they were coming from even if I still thought they were evil
(+) The way faith is represented is still one of my favorite aspects of this story and I enjoyed how the schism within the Paladin order was handled
(+) Some exciting action sequences to break up the more character-centric moments
(+) The fascinating mythology of this world is expanded upon
(+) Some promising narrative threads that are left open for the next book in the series
(+) A unique fantasy setting that contains wholly original non-human races as well as otherworldly animals
(-) I still prefer stories that have a tighter narrative focus even though I enjoyed this very much
(-) Listening to the audio can sometimes lead to me missing things and briefly getting confused

[Major Havoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stakes are raised considerably in the second book of the Kallattian Saga as the Paladins of the Hammer and Paladames of the Rose are threatened from without and within by nefarious forces of darkness and chaos. Bold action is taken by usurpers causing great upheaval and strife throughout the civilized world. Riveting stuff! And yet, what makes this book eminently entertaining is the day to day life of the principal characters as they strive to live their lives in a world being torn asunder. It just feels so real, like history instead of fantasy - history of living, breathing people doing the best (or worst) they can in a world where war is imminent and malicious machinations have become diabolical deeds.

One aspect of this saga that I find very entertaining is the "religious magic system" where ones faith is what moves things forward. As characters nurture and grow their faith, they become more powerful and are capable of greater feats of light and dark (and, in the case of one Paladin, take on a greater number of vows as well). I also enjoyed the presentation of the gods as they walk among men, showing themselves to those who have the faith to see. Sure there is one great God (The Existence), but the rest of them are somewhat humanized. One character describes the gods as, "creations, just as we are. They are simply greater than we." This humanizing of the gods adds depth to the tale and puts the gods in just as much peril as any of the "less god-like" characters, a smart way to keep the tension high for all the characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale ('Enshrouding' and 'Prayer' were just masterful chapters at the end of the book) and cannot wait to see where the author takes us next, especially when it comes to Jined, Cavian, and Loic who have emerged as favorites of mine. I would rate this book a 4.5 but Goodreads doesn't allow half ratings so I will round down to a 4. But I reserve the right to round up to a 5 depending on how things pan out in the next two books!

[Tony Adventure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew D. Meredith was kind enough to send me the audiobook for Bone Shroud.
Once again Meredith spins a wonderful, real tale of life, adventure, and faith. As with Deathless Beast, the focus on the reality of faith, and the interaction with religion is not only incredibly well done, but also extremely refreshing. But with all the important happenings, the book never fails to pause and give us a moment to breath and enjoy life.

I’ll have a full review on the channel in a few weeks, so keep an eye out for that.

EDIT: 9/12/23

I loved this the first time around, and that hasn’t changed. But this was a necessary reread. Not only because I need to prepare for Gloves or Eons (book 3), but also because there were some events that happened that my mind wasn’t completely clear on. The memory has been refreshed, and the events have been clarified.
The religions of this world, and the upcoming wars had me super invested this time around. The way they’re being dismantled from the inside. The heretical sects, the direct communication and interference of the gods, and the continued character growth built upon the decisions (both good and bad) of our many characters. It’s an exciting time, and I like tree people, so I’m looking forward to book 3.

[Sara Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where the first book in the Kallattian saga was a great adventure story with hints of evil and subterfuge, Bone Shard dives in even deeper as the evil forces step into the light to fight those who still stand for good. I loved the Paladins and the Paladames and their relationships to their gods. The joy they experienced when they spoke with their gods was so beautiful, as was seeing the gods interact with them.

I also really loved seeing more of the Paladames and their religion. It seems a lot more mystical than that of the Paladins, and in places, I even wondered if it was a dream sequence or a vision or if it was really happening. But those stories wove seamlessly in with the others. They also reminded me of my studies of the early Christian church and how the female sects often veered into the territory of dreams and visions. I was captivated.

And then, the Black Sentinels. Some deep and dark happenings were uncovered...and they were dealt with, but it got ugly and more than a little unsavory. I love Hanen and Rallia Clouw as characters. I look forward to their parts of the story as the lives of the common but courageous folk in the midst of all the larger religious and political dealings, but their stories are beginning to overlap with all of the other forces.

I'm so happy that this series is continuing (indefinitely?). I needed an epic saga to be caught up in, and this is far more captivating and wonderful than I could have imagined. I'm loving every bit of it and can't wait for book three. Also, Andrew Meredith narrates his own books and does a fantastic job. I highly recommend these on audio, although, I do like having the ebook as well for when I forgot something (too hard to search through epicness on audio). There's also a fantastic glossary/pages of appendices in the back of the book.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair warning: this is not the kind of book you want to listen to while driving. Not because it's bad, but because so much is happening that it makes focusing on the road very hard. I drive the same highway so often I joke that I can do it in my sleep. The same can't be said, it seems, for this series.

Ove the time I was reading this, I came down with a nasty cold. I'm unsure what effect the meds had on my enjoyment, but I certainly spent more time listening to this book than I would have healthy. Everything else was too hard, but lying down and listening to a book was about all I could manage.

I'd forgotten some of the events of Deathless Beast, such as Ophedia's connection to Searn. The author integrates reminders into the text with such a subtle hand that I felt less bad about forgetting.

I hadn't noticed prior to getting sick that he narrates is a soft, even tone. It makes for a relaxing experience.

As to the story itself, it's easy to get lost in the little things. I enjoy the small day-to-day moments he includes. It helps the characters and their world feel deeper. I like that the members of the pantheon have thought out personalities and aren't just Scary Gods.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first. Much happens within, I was 2/3 through and felt like enough had transpired for a novel of this size but still there was more!

There is some heavy worldbuilding centered largely on faith and secular politics. There’s also a good amount of magic that feels progressive enough for a modern fantasy fan but not overly crunchy, which would turn me off, if I’m being honest.

I really like how familiar and unfamiliar Meredith makes this. There are certain worldbuilding elements which are weird (not in an eldritch sense, though there were a couple parts [the interludes with the baddies] that reminded me of say Sheelba of the Eyeless Face) a la Sanderson worldbuilding, but also familiar beats to epic fantasy that contrast and mix well.

Reading this book made me feel good. Not everything is going to plan, people face injustice and some die. But there’s a hope present. This one focuses much on heresy, and I think it’s handled with care. It doesn’t come off like so angsty post-Christian mad at his/her parents/God, but it isn’t on the level of the Albigensian Crusade nonsense.

A wonderful novel! I eagerly await reading book 3.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Kallattian Saga feels more like epic fantasy and less like introduction to an epic fantasy. All of the characters find a variety of conflicts both internal and external in this installment. Plenty of intrigue regarding the members of the secret sect and the various plots they are planning. More suspense as the plots begin to have higher stakes. In short - much harder to put down.

I again listened to the audiobook. The second book transitioned to audio much more easily than the first, as there was considerably less traveling so we didn't have to meet a whole host of new characters at each destination, and the major players and geography have been well established at this point.

Overall, very good. Not nearly as many twists and turns as I might have hoped for, but still enjoyable.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed book 1 (Deathless Beast), but boy does Bone Shroud kick everything up a notch with seemingly random threads from book 1 coming together to create a whole with the confluence of the religious, political & personal in a well-drawn fantasy world. The societies & how they interact continue to fascinate and the characters continue to endear themselves, but the stakes for the entire world heighten with major creative twists along the way. The ending satisfies, yet leaves one longing to know how on earth this masterful author is going to continue some of the characters' stories. 5/5, HIGHLY recommend.

[Michael Roberti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc

[J.R. Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up! I really enjoyed this continuing adventure- so many complicated threads I can’t wait to see where it goes!