The Kai Gracen Series: Book TwoKai Gracen has no intention of being anyone’s pawn. A pity Fate and SoCalGov have a different opinion on the matter. Licensed Stalkers make their living hunting down monsters and dangerous criminals… and their lives are usually brief, brutal, and thankless. Despite being elfin and cursed with a nearly immortal lifespan, Kai didn’t expect to be any different. Then … Kai didn’t expect to be any different. Then Ryder, the High Lord of the Southern Rise Court, arrived in San Diego, and Kai’s not-so-mundane life went from mild mayhem to full-throttle chaos.
Now an official liaison between the growing Sidhe Court and the human populace, Kai is at Ryder’s beck and call for anything a High Lord might need a Stalker to do. Unfortunately for Kai, this means chasing down a flimsy rumor about an ancient lost Court somewhere in the Nevada desert-a court with powerful magics that might save Ryder’s-and Kai’s-people from becoming a bloody memory in their Merged world’s violent history.
The race for the elfin people’s salvation opens unwelcome windows into Kai’s murky past, and it could also slam the door on any future he might have with his own kind and Ryder.
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Once you know Kai Gracen, you can’t help but love him. There is something about him that cultivates respect and at the same time brings my instinct to hug and comfort him. The more I get to know him, the more I see why he shuns everything elfin, and I don’t blame him. But like with everything else, there comes a time when one can’t outrun one’s nature or past, and that’s when a person needs courage and solid group of friends to stand by him, and Kai, despite at times being churlish and very difficult, has them in spades.
The tension between Ryder and Kai is escalating, but Kai avoids personal entanglements like the plague. I liked that Ryder took a different approach to Kai – he decided to become a friend, a person to be trusted and relied on. I enjoyed their musings under the stars and small but cherished moments they shared while traveling to fulfill Ryder’s quest. Their mutual attraction will imminently lead to a satisfying result for both of them so long as Kai let it happen and Ryder shows him how much he means to him. But for now, it’s firmly on the back burner because as always where Kai is, trouble and mayhem follow.
War between elfin and humans continues, and the victims fall on both sides. So many times they escape by the skin of their teeth but with constant betrayal and attacks dodging their steps, it’s harder than ever. I loved Ms Rhys’s flair for striking descriptions of the structures of old Unseelie city, the dark spaces made more dangerous by creatures of blood magic and evil spirits, the taste of victory and the sorrow of death that was inevitable and sometimes a mercy. When Ryder finds what he is looking for, the answer definitely is not what he expected. Will the elfin race survive or will Ryder stop pursuing his dreams? Will Kai let Ryder in or will he continue stand alone? Who knows? But I know that there is a third book with my name on it that’s calling me, and it’s going to be fantastic! Loved it so much! I highly recommend it!
I am very impressed by this story. I enjoy all of Rhys Ford’s books, but this series is proving to be exceptional. The bits and pieces of philosophy scattered throughout this book are worthy of serious contemplation. The conversations between Ryder and Kai are the sort of conversations we should all be having about race, faith, family, survival, respect, education, and so much more.
This book reminds me why fantasy became my favorite genre. You can read about a fantastic world full of dragons and adventure, and enjoy the philosophy and poetry of a masterful writer.
This story is a wonderful adventure, and the narration was an extra treat.
The entire series is action packed and full of romantic tension laced with action & adventure — or the other way around. Kai Gracen is back to tackle another deadly job for his elfin lord. He pushes Ryder away, but damn… you know he wants him!
I could NOT put this down. And now I’m diving straight into book 3.