I actually read this at the end of last year and was really impressed. I wanted to review it right away but when I went to buy the rest of the series (all 3 are out) they weren’t available.
The one time I’m reasonable with book buying it bite me in the butt.
So it was about a 6+ week wait to get the second book in the series (The Bitter Twins which just sounds awesome sign me up for anything with “bitter” in the title.) Books one and two are still currently available on Book Depository which I also know some people have a problem with so keep that in mind along with the fact that it’s a wait for book 3.
But back to actual book stuff- I was pleasantly surprised by this one. And I don’t want to give too much away about the story but we follow Tormalin a vampiric creature whose city is all but dead who sets out with his explorer friend Lady Vincenza de Grazon. They are looking for remnants from the wars that still infect their lands.
And I got some great fun Indiana Jones vibes from Vintage as she was called. She’s also searching for the love of her life lost on an exploration decades earlier.
There’s also a witch (yeah Witches!) running away from the prison/workhouse/sanctuary she was tossed into as a child due to her oh small little thing with fire.
I will admit the book does take a while to get going but once it does I loved the characters and the descriptions of the enemy they had fought and faced (on and off for several centuries) and the creepy carnage it left on the land was suitably dark and atmospheric. Same with Tormalin’s not as pleasant sister whose desperate to bring her people and city back to what was. There is a certain point with that story where you can see where it’s going but it only adds to the tension as the story ricochets to the end.
Recommend: Yes.
It was a fun fantasy that mixed things up and has some big elements I wasn’t expecting. I would recommend even if it is a pain in the ass to get your hands on.