The Battle of Medicine Rocks

The Crystal Calamity #2

by Rachel Aaron

Magic in the Great Sioux War!

When Mary Good Crow came out of the crystal into the arms of her sister, the last thing she wanted was another fight. But war is coming to the Great Plains. With crystal on their side, the Lakota are poised to annihilate the town of Medicine Rocks, forcing Mary to choose between the friends she’s found and the family she’s always longed for.

When Rel Reiner accepted her father’s dark bargain to save Josie and the others, the last thing she expected was to survive. But there’s more to the Reiner’s magic than ghosts and bones. Magic Rel will have to embrace if she ever wants to walk in her own skin again.

When Josie Price left the crystal mines one step ahead of death, the last thing she intended to do was quit. But the wolves in town are circling, and with the crystal going crazy and the cavalry riding to war, just finding a way to protect her people might cost her everything she came to Montana to build.

Three women divided by a war none of them wants. But Josie, Mary, and Rel have always been strongest together, and with the world’s magical future on the line, “together” might be the only way anyone survives.

Genres: Fantasy, Westerns, Historical, Magic, Weird West, Zombies, Urban Fantasy

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2023

About the author

Hello, my name is Rachel Aaron, and I write the Heartstriker books, a new Urban Fantasy series about misfit dragons, starting with Nice Dragons Finish Last. I also wrote The Legend of Eli Monpress fantasy series for Orbit Books about a wizard thief and the poor bastards who have to try and stop him. PLUS I'm also the author of the new, rolicking fun Science Fiction romance Fortune's Pawn under the name Rachel Bach.

I was born in Atlanta, but I currently live a lovely, nerdy, bookish life in Denver, CO with my lightspeed son, perpetually understanding husband, and far too many plants. Besides my own books, the internet knows me best for writing very fast. The best way to get to know me is probably to read my blog or follow me on Twitter.

Reviews

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review copy received from author in exchange for an honest review.

 The Battle of Medicine Rocks was a great sequel with a darker story that upped the stakes to drive incredible character growth and development. 

As I've mentioned in my previous review for The Last Stand of Mary Good Crow, stories inspired by the wild west are not my cup of tea. But in the hands of Rachel Aaron and with her knack of creating some of the most engaging and captivating stories of highly relatable and likeable characters, even a historical fantasy inspired by the gold rush amidst the Great Sioux War became one whose sequel I was most anticipating to read.

When I say that this was a darker story, it did not mean that Aaron has completely changed up her usual storytelling approach. At the crux of it, this story is inspired by a great war and war has never been anything but the darkest creation of all. Stakes are significantly higher, and lines have to be drawn, and often at the cost of loved ones. Aaron, however, still managed to instill a lot of heart into the story. Found family after all, could even be stronger than blood ties because those bonds are forged despite diversity.

This is where the characterisation truly shines. Mary, Josie, Rel and Lucas - all had really compelling storylines even though they spent most of the narrative apart as compared to the previous book where their arcs intersected substantially. Nonetheless, the impact that each of them had on one another through the shared experiences made a difference in how the story unfolded for these characters. Though apart, the thread that bound these characters together in a way that made them greater. But at the same time, being apart and fighting their own battles helped to push their growth and development further than what would have been possible otherwise. I had hoped to get more of Lucas' story and it pleased me greatly that he did feature a bit more prominently in this sequel.

Rounding up the engrossing story of these great characters was a great deal of the expansion in the worldbuilding and mythology. Well, part of why the narrative was so captivating was the insights provided into the lore of the crystals. The reason behind the erratic and mysterious happenings in the crystal caves was explained, and its implications were more significant than I could have imagined. I've always found myself impressed with Aaron's worldbuilding, which could somehow feel both original and familiar at the same time. I could be mistaken as I'm not at all familiar with Native American lore, but I felt that the worldbuilding could have been inspired at least by some of it.

While the entire narrative in this sequel was the lead up to and the eventual battle at Medicine Rocks, the battle in itself didn't feel as climactic as I thought it would be. There's a very good character-driven reason for it, and somehow felt right given the paths that Mary, Josie, Rel, and Lucas had been set upon. In short, even though a lot happened, and some of great significance, the story here was very much a set-up for even more crazy and bigger things to come. And I'm very much looking forward to it..

You can purchase the book from Blackwells | Bookshop.Org | Amazon US | Amazon UK

You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.

[Nirkatze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this entry--not as much as the Heartstrikers--even the early books, I think--but I like the creativity in the world, and the representation of the rather unsolvable situations and bigotry pulled from history--it's always fun to hate on a bigot. And hopefully they get what's coming to them. Some did so far--and I loved it. Some we still need to wait and see.

The resolutions in this entry were good for a middle book in a series I think--and the epilogue ending!! Great reveals, and oooh nice promises for a squirmy third book. This book was pretty squirmy itself from the beginning--great job dropping everyone in even hotter water than the end of book 1, and watching them flail to survival. Mary's crystal connection is pretty badass and I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve further...

[Bory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Medicine Rocks is one of those books whose plot and magic system I could nitpick to death, but I don't feel like it because I love the characters so much. Mary has my heart, and that's a fact.

So, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but book three when?

[Molly Mortensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was better than the first one. I particularly liked the added world building with the Songs. All of the new characters were great too like Oliver, Blackbird, and Chauncey.

I was so frustrated by Josie's POV at the beginning I considered stopping. I hate unfairness and it was just one thing after another. But thankfully it got better quite soon and even though she still annoyed me, at least she was less stupid.

Rel’s parts were pretty horrible, being trapped in her own body. I wanted her to learn more about necromancy.

I really enjoyed Mary's pov this time. I liked her sister, and Calamity. She's really grown as a character.

I wasn't a big fan of Lucas's POV in the first book (though I don't mind the guy) but here it was mostly just depressing. (I hate falsely accused.)

Jake got a POV. Surprisingly I liked him. He was smart and not totally evil.

There's still no romance in this series!!!

I was all happy to rate this a positive review, and then it ended to be continued. Evidently this isn't a duology.

If only I hadn't read the epilogue. It was just so awful! So, even though this isn't a duology, I'm going to pretend it was.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhh, this got pretty woo-woo for me, but I’ll still finish the series.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my thing but I enjoy Rachel Aaron’s writing style and verve. It’s a take on the settlement of the Great Plains and the wars with the native Americans given a supernatural twist.

This installment teased a lot and started to catch my attention more than book one. I’ll definitely read more of this if only to discover if my theories on Mary’s parentage are correct.

[Red Tide · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why no upload allowed, Amazon?

Wow! For many weeks now, I have had my reviews magically blocked from instant upload. Today suddenly, I got the sentence above through. This after two days of "something went wrong". I thought it strange that that my internet service was perfect for News, searches, etc. Only Goodreads was a problem and that only with uploading my reviews. Odd that. Now it seems that my reviews can be uploaded in less than 24 hours. As I am writing this, I am stopping and uploading a sentence or two at a go with childlike abandon. 🤗

I am so through with Amazon/Goodreads and their clowns. 😀 To wash the stench of this site from mental nostrils and prepare for the review, I must now watch YouTube. This section is brought to you by Fredda, KernowDamo, Lily Simpson, More Perfect Union, Science Insanity, The Digital Mermaid, Spark -Carrier Aviation History, Mandy, Military History Visualized, Heavy Spiders, Annie's Literary Empire, Lily Alexandre, No Justice MTG and Philosophy Tube.

Amazon never acknowledges my queries, so I must assume that my new ability to upload to be magic or possibly that a pathetic "rogue" tech or two can not exercise a 24/7 "blockade" or that the system record of manual command interruption of a specific member account is suddenly a concern. I admit that it is quite a mystery. 🤔

Amazon should perhaps post that "Corporate harassment of socialist, communist, pro-LGBTQ+, anti-racist, pro-woman or anti-fascist customers, may be expected". It would clear up any perception that their kit is rubbish (which it certainly is). I am as are many, not a fan of Amazon, their products, Bezos or Goodreads. Personally, this will be my last Amazon reader. I say, use their services when you must, avoid their corporate products as you can and seek alternative literary discussion sites to Goodreads. That should provide better customer service experiences, superior reader forums and improved spiritual health. 😊

Two years ago my reviews garnered a marked increase of negative comments from the usual arrogant, aggrieved and emotionally stunted American fanboys of some truly horrible science fiction. My Kindle service then suddenly for more than a month on and off, refused to load any Amazon content. No query was acknowledged by Amazon. I was left with my library and my internet service access only, during repeated several hour to day long plus interruptions. In one of the "on" periods, I wrote a quick review with a description of the above. After it uploaded, my interruptions disappeared and never appeared again. That was fortunate, since Goodreads, Kindle services and Amazon do not seem to acknowledge inconvenient customer inquiries. 😑

If you have experienced the same or similar unexplained outage, please leave me a comment. Perhaps as a group we can encourage the removal or relocation at least, of certain of their technical staff.

This volume answers many of the questions and brings all four main characters into focus, I am including the crystal. The identity of some major characters are made clear and villain motivations are shown. The setting was well described in book one and she takes advantage of that to present awesome interactions and intense action scenes.

I can not say more about the book, without spelling out plot turns. The characters are as good as in the first book. The plot follows logically from that of the first book. The setting acquires more depth and the action segments are possibly more brutal that those of the first book. I admit that I am a fan of Rachel Aaron and might accordingly be biased. 😇

The bulk of Amazon's library both loan and print fiction are not fit for purpose. This applies to every genre, that I have sampled. My evidence is anecdotal but it is a sample size of 1400+ titles, which if you are familiar with statistics will admit is compelling in and of itself. I watch my science fiction rather than read at the moment. The streaming services and YouTube Shorts channels -DUST, Omeleto, NITV and others offer a good selection of science fiction.

For the next section, I will need visit YouTube again. The following channels made this next possible Perun, MGW Studios, Anton Petrov, Spaghetti Kozak Media and Heavy Ind, LLC, Atun Shei, Dark Skies, Rebecca Watson, The Amber Ruffin Show, Second Thought, Kelly Loves Physics and History, The European, Jake Broe.

I only began using YouTube about two years ago, searching for science fiction video and commentary, It was months before I discovered educational and lifestyle channels, lastly I stumbled upon the book channels.😍 They are communities of thoughtful readers in love with all bookish things. The experience is somewhat different to that of Goodreads (an understatement). From educational channels I saw sponsor spots for the dedicated educational video sites, which beyond documentaries all seem to host essayist and lecture series. I think that all are worth a look.

I originally wrote a short two paragraph dismissal of Powers of the Earth, a sorry salute to the January 6, 2021 hero by Travis Corcoran (US Veteran, self-described libertarian, employee of an unnamed US agency, advocate of the return of chattel slavery and has a deep admiration of Russia's Putin). He did not take it well nor did a half dozen of his followers. They flooded my review with nasty, needy comments and then the channels which I suggested with foul racist and sexual comments. Their targets were a lovely couple rebuilding a wooden boat, a young girl and her mother, an Oxford astrophysicist and other female creators. Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 finally wrote a comment to Powers stating that They had "won" (?). To Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 and Travis Corcoran/JP.

Slava Ukraini !! --ta-- Slava Geroyam !!

I assume that these animals have decided that they needn't continue their commitment to increasing the world's store of unpleasantness. They have certainly given Europeans and others, a more accurate picture of the aggrieved American man-child and the culture which spawned them. USA! Yay??

My YouTube picks of the moment.
The Digital Mermaid, Joe Blogs, Verilybitchie, Alizee, Mia Mulder, Bobbing Along, Biz Barclay, Tom Nicholas, Abby Cox, Rowan Ellis, World of Antiquity, Eleanor Morton, Answer in Progress, Art by Annamarie, Alayna Joy, The Researcher, Cruising the Cut.

As for Amazon/Goodreads, please consider treating this as a potentially hostile site. 😐

Ominous music begins. 🙂 You have read some of the gross action by Goodreads themselves. You have read of and will see when you scan enough negative review comments of science fiction what certain members are made of. If that were the worse, it would be enough to distance oneself from Amazon. Unfortunately, both the organization and members are capable of much more.

Read my review of either "Stellar Heritage # 1" or Powers of the Earth for some seriously disturbing details. Spoiler - it involves giving personal message history to outside agencies, one of which was a government and not even the US. 🤔

Removing lurkers from the friend list, minimizing profile information and making screenshots of the odd and/or ugly are probably the base precautions, I recommend. You may not be targeted but the precautions will not hurt and might save you from harm if a member of a loosely organized clique (those who are offended by non-white faces, especially with white faces on the screen, etc), should take exception to a negative review. Ominous music ends. 🙂

May we all enjoy Good Reading! 😊

I am not a good choice for advice about YouTube channels but I found these channels entertaining and/or useful. Some of my favourite channels,

Linguoer Mechanic, Cruising Alba, Tara Mooknee, Belmarsh Conference, Owen Jones, Mrs Betty Bowers, Weir on the Move, Munecat, Novara Media, Philosophy Tube, Tom Nicholas, Mandy, Ben and Emily, Travelling K, Sabine Hossenfelder, Clockwork Reader, Prime of, A Cup of Nicole, Roomies Digest, A Day of Small Things, Karolina Zebrowska, J. Draper, Historical Fashion, Real Engineering, Austin McConnell, Make Better Media, Alexa Donne, Serena Skybourne, The Shares of Orange, Mala Armia Janosika, Cover in French, Real Time History, JohnTheDuncan, The Welsh Viking, Cambrian Chronicles, Some More News, Don't F@ck with Ukraine, Noah Samsen, What Vivi Did Next, Mike's Book Reviews, Sarah Z, Maioranus, AllShorts, Books with Brittany, The Northern History, Northern Narrowboaters, SandRhoman, Elina Charatsidou, Engineering with Rosie, Alt Shift X, Filaxim Historia, Paleo Analysis, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Savy Writes Books, With Olivia, Cecelia Blomdahl, Olly Richards, Battle Order, Bovington Tank Museum, The Cold War, Cold Fusion, Danica Patrick, Adult Wednesday Addams - 2 seasons, Meidas Touch, The Kavernacle, Up and Atom, The Black Forest Family, The lady of the Library, Renegade Cut, The Science of Science Fiction, Hello Future Me, Lady Knight of the Brave, Kidology, Strange Aeons, Kaz Rowe, MechWest Show, Sabaton, Luciana Zogbi, Knowing Better, Odyssey, Alina Gingertail, Then & Now, Medieval Madness, Well Deck Diaries, Narrowboat Pirate, Vampire Lore, Honest Trailers, Kathy's Flog in France, Lumber Capital Log Yard, Deerstalker Pictures, Spacedock, Ukraine Matters, The Russian Dude, Emma Thorne, Ancient Americas, Ocean Keltoi, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Paola Hermosin, The Leftist Cooks, The Chloe Connection, The Who Room.

I wish you a splendid morning, a brilliant afternoon, a pleasant evening, a restful night and may we all continue learning.

To silence others is a great Sin and is always portrayed as a Virtuous act by the Monster.
Lore, Dark Sisters

[HaZyBLuE · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love song to freedom and each individual person's power to affect change.

I love this book! Truly, Aaron once again creates a sequel that surpasses the first book by leaps and bounds. This author doesn't need crystal to have her own expertly utilized special powers! She outdoes herself with her character building (and rebuilding), and she most certainly causes her readers to become more and more invested as time goes on. Aaron shies away from nothing as she brings her powerhouse ensemble of characters through their own extremely difficult decisions, sacrifices, consequences, and changes. This book can get very gritty, and will challenge assumptions and prejudices and convictions alike. However, as usual, Aaron does bad to good things in order to temper them in the fires of terrifying, but necessary tribulations. But will the good triumph in the end? I can't wait to see!

Though the DFZ will always be a favorite, this book places this new series and its own special cast of awesome characters right alongside it! I can't wait for BOTH worlds to be continued. Thank you again, Mrs. Aaron! Also, the narrator of the Audible has grown on me so that I can't imagine the voices another way anymore as I read along with listening. I definitely give this 7 out of 5 stars!

[Susan Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

It was an excellent second novel in the series and I'm now eagerly waiting for the next. I've read all the dragon books and this is better.

[Layla Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

really original premise and alternate history

I have enjoyed Aaron’s other series but wasn’t sure about this one. Even after the first book in the series, I was hesitant. This book, however, was great! I really enjoyed learning more backstory on the characters and the action was great. Definitely looking forward to the next one!

[John E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old West magic

The crystals and the mutants they create continue to cause havoc and this continues to be a compelling tall tale. Wild West politics, the denigration of Native and African Americans by Caucasians, magic and necromancy, Lakota werewolves, a massive battle and a whole lot more, this is a compelling tale of 3 strong women and their secrets and struggles.

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read full review over at Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The second volume in the Crystal Calamity series was one of my most anticipated titles of 2023. At the end of TLSOMGC, things have come to a standstill for each and every POV character. Knowing Rachel Aaron’s penchant for complex plots, I was super-duper pumped to see where the story would be taking them next. I’ll do my best to avoid any major spoilers but there might be some little spoilers ahead.

The story begins with Mary Good Crow and we see that she has gained part of her actual family and her happiness knows no bounds. Josie Price is no quitter and the folks of Medicine Rocks just do not know that yet. The Price Mining company is down to its last legs but Josie and Mihir are determined to reverse this decline at all costs. Reliance Reiner is learning that her hatred for her father can reach hitherto new levels. She will have to dig deep and truly learn the meaning of forgiveness. Lastly, there’s Lieutenant Lucas who will showcase his true background and maybe even his true feelings. There’s a lot more revealed about the side character cast such as Vochitsa, Apache Jake, Dr. Pendleton, etc. The plot truly just explodes from every angle and draws you in spectacularly.

The main focus of this second volume is about the concept of family (blood, found and through martial bonds). Almost every character get a new revelation in terms of familial secrets, they then are further sucked into them, and most of the story is spent figuring out how to resolve the complications. The main plot of the story deals with a possible invasion by the Sioux tribes. Previously they have routed Custer and now are on the move. The people of Medicine Rocks are scared that the Sioux are coming to kill them all. It’s not entirely impossible and the entire town is on edge. The story then amps up as the crystal seems to be going through some changes as well. Overall this is a story that has changes in every aspect of the plot and thereby affecting everyone.

Once again, Rachel Aaron unsurpringly gives us a rich storyline and (again) her characters are such standout ones. Mary Good Crow is a fantastic protagonist, filled with kindness, empathy, the drive to do good and a never-ending reserve of energy. Similarly you have Josephine Price who’s brilliant as she is gifted at business. Filled with a drive to excel, it was fun to watch her and Mihir plot the resurgence of the Price Mining company. Lucas also gets a lot more to do this time around and we the readers are given crucial insights into his past and who he is as a person. Lastly Reliance Reiner goes through the most amount of change. She has been suffering from self-loathing and perhaps rightly so but in this volume, she truly has to confront who she is and why she is in the predicament that she finds herself in.

Lastly, this book spotlights the secondary character cast on every side. From Mary’s new found sister and Bear Woman, to Volchitsa and her underlings to Reiner and his new, ardent accomplice. Every character is three-dimensional and they are all playing for their own gains. This truly is a complex story even if the author does her best to present it in a straightforward manner. I loved the insight provided into Apache Jake and Mary’s biological family, they are very complicated people and I can’t wait to figure out their motivations for doing the things they have done in the past as well as their current preferences.

This book also goes big on the worldbuilding and mythology of the story. We get a huge insight into what the crystal actually is and why it arose from the earth. We find out about the song that only Mary and some others can hear. The “why and how” of it gets a huge spotlight and I loved this aspect. Rachel Aaron is really planning an earth-shattering epic story over here and it shows here. Lastly there’s some tremendous personal action sequences to be found. While each of the characters get to shine, Mary and Lucas do so more than the others do. Reliance finds herself in a different kind of magical action and I’m excited to see what happens in the next volume as she takes on more responsibility.

The cover if anything is a step up from its predecessor and that one was already a doozy. Luisa Preissler is a genius and I can’t thank Rachel Aaron enough for getting her to do the covers. Also speaking of the cover, there’s a minor hint about a minor character who features heavily within the story.

The one sorta issue that I experienced with this book is that it suffers a bit from the Middle book syndrome (even though it is only the second volume). While the main plot has a resolution (of sorts) and each character has an arc. There is no big-ticket battle that occurs and so I felt that this book sets up a lot for the next volume(s). The epilogue is an excellent example of such and it offers a tantalizing glimpse into a conflict that’s upcoming. It also hints at which character will be the major focus for the next book. Other than that I didn’t find anything else that bothered me much.


CONCLUSION: The Battle Of Medicine Rocks is a solid sequel and one that stood up to my high anticipation. Rachel Aaron truly knows how to concoct a complex plot while writing such engaging characters and not letting either be a hindrance to the readers’ enjoyment. The Crystal Calamity saga is shaping out to be an epic historical fantasy unlike any other. If you have not read book 1 yet, then jump on it and you won’t be disappointed.

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Info/Source: This is the second book in The Crystal Calamity trilogy. I borrowed this on ebook through Kindle Unlimited to read.

Thoughts: This book does an excellent job of continuing the story started in the first book. We continue to follow Mary Good Crow, Josie, and Rel as they struggle to make a living and survive the events unfolding in Medicine Rocks.

I continue to really enjoy the three women whose viewpoint we read from. They are all very different but also very determined to both make a living and survive the events of Medicine Rocks. In this book Mary Good Crow finds out a lot about both her past and her magic. Rel is forced to deal with her necromancer father. Josie is trying her best to save both Medicine Rock and realize her ambitions to make her uncle's mining company successful again. All of the characters are complex and undergo quite a bit of character development and growth throughout the story.

There is a lot of intriguing world-building and magic around the crystals in the area and around what the crystals' Songs mean. I found some of the crystal induced mutations and magic fascinating. There is quite a bit of action as well and the story moves at a good pace. There are definitely some politics in here too around the Natives and the settlers.

The book is easy to read and engaging and I really enjoyed it a lot.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this continuation of the Crystal Calamity series. I continued to enjoy the characters but also loved that we get more detail and world-building around the crystals and their magic. I would recommend to those who are intrigued by western fantasies and enjoy complex characters with some fun magical cave adventures.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time doing this. The story wasn't truthfully at fault. I loved the other books by Rachel Aaron. I just felt like this one was was racially abusive in word choices when it didn't have to be. Everyone, and I mean everyone, has proper words for describing an African American man. Even the confusion over Mihir being South Asian, not African in descent was cleared by the time he was cooking. But hearing the choice and blatant use of various forms of Indian derogatory terms splattered through out the book? It hurt to listen to. Ms. Aaron's writing is easily read by middlers and up. She spent enough time to find the common Lakota term for non-native. (Yes, I get it is sometimes used derogatorily) But the world is an oyster of shells to pick and a bed of clams to bake for snacking. There is no reason another turn of phrase, new word, new coinage, old but mix used verbage couldn't have been employed instead of calling out for filthy redskins to die or some other such lot.

I do admit to having an audible copy of the book. I would have to find a paper copy or relisten and actually annotate each use of what words I heard when. It just wasn't appreciated, wasn't appropriate when care to use corrective terminology for other racially identified characters was used, including the local native language specific to the area.

Hell, I would rather be called derogatory terms in my native tongue by a non-native because they were trying to use them correctly, than to listen to other colonizers use my birth taught language to demean me and mine as less than human. We are better than this. And I like the Narrator! Shouldn't be her fault either I was cringing to her voice.


Do better. Be better.

[Mary Dallenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two in the series and it definitely carried the story forward. I have always loved Rachel Aaron's writing but this book made me realize why. I am that person who is always looking ahead to try to figure out where the story is going. I'm always trying to discover the aha! of the story. I enjoy the journey more than the ending. But every time I thought I knew what direction the author was taking me, she yanked me in a totally different direction. It was always a surprise but a fun one as those twists and turns always deepened the characters.

Book two has us following Mary Good Crow to meet her Lakota family. Her welcome was a surprise as she was welcomed with open arms, something she herself had said they had denied her years before, but we soon learn there is so much more going on. Josie is back in Medicine Rocks fighting for her adopted home. Just when you thought she was completely outnumbered and outmaneuvered, she makes a discovery that will save her and all she loves. And Rel, poor Rel who is obviously a lost cause, has their own journey of discovery.

Rachel Aaron has a gift for writing fanciful stories that entertain you while hooking you utterly. Her use of language and setting is part of the emersion that takes you to a time in history that was not for the faint of heart, but her characters are so loveable you have to keep reading. You have to read through their journey and find out how it all ends.

I look forward to book 3!

[ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think i liked this one a bit less than the previous book. the strongest part about last book was the friendship between mary josie and rel and since they were separated in this book, it really suffered. i liked the personal journeys they each went on, but they felt a little rushed and sometimes anti climactic. and i feel like rel was really underutilized. i don’t like that her whole arc was spent inside her own mind i feel like it’s almost a little lazy. and i feel like lucas was pretty useless in this book. i had hope that he’d be explored a little more but he’s kinda just a way for the readers to know what the military is up to Which i don’t really care about and means that we Really don’t see that much about who lucas is as a character. regardless i’m interested in the third book When it is written

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Setting/Worldbuilding: 8.5/10
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 9/10
Technique: 9/10
Prose: 9/10
Romance: N/A/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 82.5/90 (4.58)

Well whoops. I practically inhaled that. It got so bad I was actually reading it while walking down the street.

We get an expansion of the Medicine Rocks world (including, as always, magic of world ending proportions), and delve deeper into our beloved characters. I love Mary, Lucas, Josie and Rel, and want nothing but the best for them. I’m only sad that this is over and we now need to wait months for the next release 😰

[Diana T-C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining audiobook. Sometimes I couldn't wait to get back to the story to see what happens next. There were some great imaginative ideas in the story. The only thing about this and the first book is that I feel as if the characters were at arms length and without connection. But the story told is so good that it isn't a major factor. The narration was good, although I got jarred out of the story a couple times due to pronunciation of a couple words - this is usually cleared up in production - one would think.

[Tomas Rofkahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

looking forward to book 3!

A great new entry from one of my favorite authors! In a world where so many people write broken people doing terrible things and only showing glimpses of humanity before they’re killed, Rachel Aaron’s protagonists want to be good and work hard to be better people and I appreciate that.

[Timelord Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one alot more than the first one, from alot earlier on in the story... exciting developments, exciting climax, and lots to look forward to in the next (final?) installment... reading a Rachel Aaron book always leaves me with high/unfair expectations, considering how much I love the Heartstriker series...

[Justin Baumgartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm no veteran of this kind of novel, with the alternative fantasy history that Rachel has going on.

But I really love these books.

I don't think I have a currently active series that I anticipate the next one more than this one. Maybe it's because it's a little outside my usual wheelhouse, but I'm pretty sure it's because Mary is one of the most compelling MCs I've read in a long time.

[Jacque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: After a magical showdown in the mines, all our characters are recovering and mostly separated. But as war tension continues to heat up, our heroes struggle to reunite and find peace for both sides.
Pros: Since I went straight to this one from the last one, I had no trouble getting reoriented to the world/characters and everything seemed to flow a lot smoother. There are still issues at the end (as I assume there are going to be more books in the future), but there is a satisfying fight/conclusion for SOME of the issues and I’m happy to wait for more.
Cons: Nothing new. Just sitting here . . . waiting. :P
Conclusion: I enjoyed this book even more than the last one (probably because I understood the world/characters better and could drive straight into the plot). Go and get it!

[Katie Topp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel was excellent. I loved every part of it. Mary is an excellent character, Josie's power is cool, and Rel coming into her own was delightful. Rachel Aaron continues to knock it out of the park with her lovely world building abilities.

[Thistle · Rating 1 out of 5]

No matter if you like the story or not, it's just too hard to stick with a book when you dislike all the main characters in it. Oh well, I tried. I forced myself to finish book 1, but I'm not going to do that for book 2. DNFed early on.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kevin McKelvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As is typical of a Rachel Aaron story, it starts off a bit slow then crescendos in an epic climax and leaves you with an epilogue that has you aching for the next book in the series.

[Noal Bastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking forward to seeing Mary, Josie, and Rel again!

[Kristy Aronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book.. unbelievably creative.. I really hope there is a 3rd book in the works!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grand in the way I'd expect from Rachel Aaron. She probably could have made this a trilogy, but it's refreshing that she didn't.

[Bel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really struggled with this one. I finished it mostly out of loyalty to the author.