It’s been six months since Xion and Haedes began their search for The Book of The Dead, and with the arrival of a warning from above, they know they can’t be far from their goal. Meanwhile in Mortaria, Luce and Thane are left scrambling to keep things running, putting their relationship under more strain than ever before and making Luce question her ability to wield the dark magic she finds so … finds so alluring. Then there’s Pandora, who has been quiet ever since that night at the colosseum, but why? Demon numbers are seemingly decreasing, and yet animalistic murders in downtown Chicago, which are leaving local authorities stumped, seem to indicate a shift in the way the Demon Lords are operating from the traditions they have observed for thousands of years.
Can Sephy be brought back?
And if she can, will she return as the sassy, sarcastic Sephy Sinclair we all know and love, or will something else entirely return from beyond the grave?
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This story just keeps getting better as we go along and the vivid detail and exciting and frightening action from one moment to the next is as unpredictable as it is enthralling. When we left Sephy at the end of The Opal Blade, she wasn’t in a good place. Or was she?
In this installment of the trilogy, we see how far Haedes will go to protect his daughter, how deep Xion’s love is for this woman he’s sworn to protect his entire life, and the lengths Lucifer will reach to prove she is more than a pretty face who was cast from the aetherial realm. These characters are each strong in their own right, and as the tale moves forward, we find what drives them in the course set ahead of them. This is a fight not only to save those most important to them but to keep Mortaria from being taken over by the demon legion who has been waiting for just the perfect moment and to keep a balance necessary to save all of the realms.
Her characters are extreme and evocative and take us unexpected surprising directions. I’m always astonished by what the author will risk to not only keep our attention but to take us someplace we never knew we wanted to go. We become invested in the lives of her characters. We laugh out loud when she has them do or say something that hits us just right. And we cry when she fearlessly takes a character out of the equation who we never thought could be touched. I have no idea where this story is going next, but I can guarantee it’s going to be somewhere I never would have predicted, and I’m in it for the long haul.
Hades and Xion travel the world in an attempt to find the book of the dead to resurrect Sephy. Luce agrees to help them attempt a resurrection, though Thane and others warn them that what they are attempting is dangerous. Pandora and Anubis hatch up a plan to use Luce to resurrect Ra, and Luce is drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness.
I always enjoy reading Kristy Nicolle’s books, and this one was wonderful just like the rest. This world is easy to get sucked into. One of the things I like about these books is the way the POV is done. Sephy is the “main character,” but Luce, Xion, and Pandora might as well be considered main characters as well. I am not a huge fan Sephy even still, but I often find myself thinking about things she has done and said, and I realize that the “imperfect/disliked” character is often the one you learn the most from. I like relating to the main character, but it’s a nice change of pace to not relate to her. One of the things that upsets me the most about her is how she is handling her relationship with Xion–it seems very unfair to him. I can see, though, the conflict that Sephy has about it. I am hoping that they can get their happily ever after (though from what Hades has said, that seems unlikely.)
SPOILERS:
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I found it very sad when Hades was killed, and I think he is my favorite character! I love the sass and the wit so much! I am interested to find out what, if anything, he can do from the Higher Plains to help Sephy and the others. I’m hoping we get to see more of what happens in that realm in the next book — and maybe even see Zeus himself, the big loser.
I was less sad about Thane’s “death” because I was getting so frustrated with her while reading this book. I realize that we see inside Luce’s mind, and thus we judge her on her motivations, but honestly, Thane really disappointed me with the way she handled Luce’s issues.
I am also interested to see how afterlife will be run now that the Mortarian sun has gone out. Can it even exist for long without Hades? Does Sephy have to take over? I think it’s possible Pandora has bitten off more than she can chew. And Anubis just needs to die already.
There were some very well-written scenes in this book that elicited some great emotions. I was practically crying when Luce had to sacrifice a goat. I also really felt Luce’s pain when she found Thane dead on the chair.
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I’m definitely heavily invested in the story now and will be snapping up the last of this trilogy as soon as it is available.
I don’t normally write reviews for a middle book in a trilogy but in this case I felt I should. Kristy Nicolle is a master word smith! I am not going to go into detail about the story in case you haven’t read the first one, which I highly suggest you do. What I will say is that the underworld that she has created is unique and, weirdly, a place I wish I could visit. I would sit and have a cup of tea with the Fates or take a visit to Luce’s lab. They are so well crafted they feel like real places to me. Her characters are also wonderful. Sometimes in a story secondary characters seem flat and lifeless just there to fill some space. Not in Kristy’s world! Each character seems to be alive and real. Each has their own feeling and voice; no two characters are the same.
I could gush on and on about how much I liked this story but I would rather you go get a copy for yourself and enjoy it first hand. At the time I am writing this review it is available for purchase or through the KU programme. Simply put this is fantasy at its finest. I can’t wait for the final installment! Enjoy.
It takes an egregious amount of effort to let our walls down, and show our vulnerability to another human being. The minute we experience something tragic, or hard, those walls immediately go back up and we tend to shut humanity out. Death is about as tragic as Sephy Sinclair can get.
We are six months after the shocking and brutal death of Persephone Sinclair from “The Opal Blade”. Everything is in absolute disarray: Luce and Thane are left in temporary charge of Mortaria. Xion is devastated with another love lost. Hades just met and lost his daughter. Yet the two polar opposites are united in finding the book of the dead to resurrect the one thing they have in common: an unrequited love for Sephy.
Running Mortaria is easier said than done, and Luce is feeling the pressure. Thane is busy patrolling the Ashen Wasteland, making sure the demons are under control; although since the last battle, it’s been relentlessly quiet. Luce is having trouble managing it all, which is making her rely more on alchemy. But tapping into her darker nature is causing some concern. The Fates come to pay a visit and voice their concern regarding the frequency of magical use, and how it can lead Luce down her darker path (clearly magic is the gateway drug). Thane, who claims she loves all of Luce, is less than accepting of the magic, and does not hide her disgust when she finds Luce using her power.
Desperately seeking a resolution to death, Xion and Hades go on a little road trip around the world, visiting any location that had a hint to holding the book of the dead. At the last destination, it’s through Xion’s adorable clumsiness that causes him to fall through the floor and into a hidden chamber containing the book of the dead. To their dismay, it burns those who do not hold a powerful link to the book. Seeing as Luce is the daughter of the former owner. . .you guessed it! Our very own Luce who is being admonished for such deplorable acts by some, is now being sought after by the ruler of the Underworld to retrieve and decipher the texts to resurrect his daughter.
Don’t worry. The villains, and just plain hate-able characters are still around too (::cough cough:: ANUBIS). Pandora is still out for her revenge. It seems the Demon Lords are showing her more respect in this book than the previous. They seem more open to discussing tactics to overthrow Mortaria. Lilliana and Katerina are working in tandem with Pandora to bring mortal recruits in; a play that pays off for Pandora as these mortals in search for immortality worship her as the Queen she knows she is. Anubis is still looking out for only herself. Ever the busybody, Anubis is still sticking her nose in everyone’s business- with particular attention to Luce and Thane’s relationship.
And of course we have our main character; Sephy Sinclair. Sephy has been dead for six months, caught in the Nether. The way I like to think of the Nether is a deprivation tank. Unbeknownst to her, she has a team trying to bring her back to life. What was thought at a failed attempt to raise the dead, actually took three days to take effect. Sephy wakes up buried six feet under, with no idea what’s going on. I mean how would you feel waking up after being dead six months, not breathing, sweating, moving etc. I don’t know about you, but I can barely make it up out of bed, searching for the light switch while my mouth and throat dry up making me feel as if I’ve inhaled and swallowed lava.
The character development in this book, was beyond amazing. If you’ve read the first book, you’ve already acquired the bookish relationship with them all; love ’em or hate ’em. We see a lot of inner turmoil- something I can particularly relate with in this moment of my life- but I do believe that about 90% of people can walk away with something they can relate to.