Lanie Brown

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Lanie is Currently Reading

Lanie Brown is currently reading

Daughter of Destruction (Astral Kingdoms Book 2)

by David Dalglish (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 14, 2026 09:47AM

Lanie Brown is currently reading

The Nihongi: Part I, II, III & IV (Forgotten Books)

by Ō no Yasumaro

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Sep 10, 2026 07:34PM

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Daughters of the Crosslands: An Epic Dark Fantasy

by Brian Kerr (Goodreads Author)

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Lanie Brown said: " Senya has been estranged from her brother Raedwin for quite some time so when a strange pale woman appears at Senya's door telling her that her brother has become trapped in the Crosslands, the space between the living and the dead, she is understand Senya has been estranged from her brother Raedwin for quite some time so when a strange pale woman appears at Senya's door telling her that her brother has become trapped in the Crosslands, the space between the living and the dead, she is understandably skeptical. However, she knows her brother too well whether this woman is telling the truth or not his curiosity was always going to lead him to a very bad place. Skeptical or not she doesn't see that she has very much choice but to go along with them, however, everything goes sideways almost immediately. The woman delivers Senya to a necromancer who gives her a concoction that knocks her out almost immediately, they then wrap her tightly and without her knowledge toss her in the back of a carriage. What Senya and her kidnappers fail to realize is that whatever they have done they have awakened her powers as a Brohndai, the keepers of Life, and she will risk everything to get her brother back.

I had a ton of fun with this one the characters were great, the magic was unique but familiar, and the bad guys were unhinged!

The story unfolds from several characters viewpoints; Senya and Raedwin's, as well as several side characters but for me the best part is we get to hear from not one but two bad guys which is always fun! I'll tackle Senya and Raedwin first cause ya know good guys. They are both pretty straight forward reluctant heroes. Raedwin just because he's kind of a selfish jerk who seems to only think of himself up until he finds out how awful the bad guy really is. Which honestly is fine, it could be argued that Crassica the big bad was drugging him or manipulating him in some way, but I think it does give a bit of relatability to his character. Many of us miss the suffering that's right under our noses, too concerned with our own lives we become aware of these things in many cases far too late. Luckily in the book Raedwin has the truth revealed in time to do something. Senya on the other hand is just really sick of dragging her brother out of the messes he finds himself in. As part Brohndai (basically a race of immortal beings who are on the side of light yeah, you can basically call them Jedi) they really shouldn't even exist so the fact that he calls attention to himself repeatedly just causes problems for Senya. She also doesn't really understand the powers that Crassica ends up awakening in her so like she doesn't necessarily even have control over them and using them seems to be more of intuition flashes than anything. But she's also one of those characters that is just trying to live ya know? Like she's not inherently good or bad so I think getting drug into this whole mess is hard for her because she just really isn't built for this kind of drama. I mean she is obviously by the end of the book so I guess she doesn't want to be is a better way to put it. Either way I loved her from pretty much page one!

Normally I'd go into the bad guys viewpoints here but I have to explain the "necromancy" (quotes used because I feel like this is the simplest form of necromancy ever but simultaneously the most complex) in this book. Crassica, the big bad, is the sentient form that basically Death itself takes on. In the Crosslands, Crassica and her sisters (the Daughters of the Crosslands) make up the Vallahnir, put in simple terms they are the extremely complex consciousness that guides souls across the passage that separates the living from the dead. They are not living nor are they dead; they simply are. At some point Crassica gains her own identity within this consciousness and becomes determined to become a real living being. Somehow, she figures out how too and is able to bring herself through doorways once protected by the Brohndai. So again, I am not sure the term necromancy applies here and yet it does in its simplest form, because what could possibly be simpler than Death giving itself life?

Okay back to the baddies.

Crassica has a very simple goal and that is to exist as humans do. Unfortunately, Crassica is unhinged and in order to reach her goal she has enslaved creatures she actually created, fanned the flames of war, became a drug lord...I could go on, she is completely without morals. To be fair this makes a bit of sense given her only interaction with humans were with their souls prior to her "life". However, you have just a classic "the bad guy simply cannot understand humans and that is their downfall". She is just the perfect example of this; Senya even tells her that is why she will lose and she simply doesn't listen. She's an excellent bad guy who you can almost feel sorry for if she wasn't so freaking insane. Now, Lanius is pretty much a mirror image of her, except he is human. By the end of the book you get the feeling that he's actually using Crassica because she allows him to be the murderous psychopath that he is. He says quite often that he is dedicated to Crassica's cause but I feel like if she had abandoned her cause and tried to get him to as well he would have turned on her faster than anyone. Absolutely a character that you love to hate!

Now to circle back to this whole Death gave itself life thing. This book is ultimately about balance The Brohndai and The Vallahnir. The former basically demigods on earth showing humans The Way of the Knowing (that's what it's literally called) while the Vallahnir are their counterparts ferrying them through the afterlife. Since this is a book about balance one cannot exist without the other. This is honestly a plotline I normally cannot stand; it makes life too simple. However, this is done exceptionally well, and I am not going to go into everything that makes it done well because that would be an uber spoiler. But I will go into the things that I have a ton of questions about! The fact that the Vallahnir were able to take any "living" form at all throws the whole balance thing into question, the fact that the Brohndai don't seem to respond to this, even though I find it hard to believe they wouldn't know it was happening does as well. Like, you get the feeling that if the Knowing (basically like the goddess that resides over the Vallahnir and the Brohndai) knew this would happen and allowed it to through most of the book. Especially since Crassica says several times that she's bringing something new into the world. And she does create completely new forms of actual life. Again, in a very black and white world that is the supposed basis of the Knowing an "existence" that should have never existed in the form it takes for itself creating creatures that should have never existed should have sparked some response somewhere! Like I don't believe this is supposed to be a series but I really kind of hope it does become one because I feel like there is just a whole line here to explore that will drive me bonkers for the rest of my life if we don't! And sure yeah, having at least one Vallahnir go back to the Crosslands may restore some balance but nope that doesn't answer my questions it just raises more. I won't even go into how a collective consciousness gained multiple distinct identities without the Knowing, well knowing. Just know that the question is there burning in the back of my brain.

World building was fantastic here as well. I found that the history of the world was told in such a manner that it doesn't drag the story down, it was done as stories within stories, and I love that kind of integration. The descriptions of the boneskins were freaking excellent though, like just throwing that out there, definitely shit straight out of your nightmares (which is why it makes no sense that the Knowing supposedly let this all happen). The magic system outside of Senya's isn't discussed often but it uses singing and I love that a lot. Any magic system that uses singing is simply good period end of story.

Pacing is really excellent too. Just enough battles to break up the story line, we switch to different character's POVs at simply the perfect time as well. Never waiting too long to find out the result of a battle but long enough that the tension builds and when you finally get back to that character you release a breath you didn't even know you were holding!

I highly recommend this one, even if I did have more questions than answers here. Even if it there isn't a book two it was a highly enjoyable read with great characters and some pretty amazing battle scenes to boot!

As always thanks to NetGalley and Sero Sed Serio for the eArc! ...more "

Sep 02, 2026 10:29PM · see review

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