Blade of Night and Winter, the thrilling sequel to Quest of Shadow and Ruin, picked up only a few days after Caden and Andromeda's escape from General Nox in Eleah. The writing and world building of both Ryver and Kris has improved greatly in the few months since Book 1 released. In both books, the information given is enough to be relevant and, in some cases foreshadow, but not enough to overwhelm the readers with needless information. From the prologue–using knowledge from rereading Book 1–I began annotating my ebook, speculating which pieces of the plot were going to come together in the end.
"Life and Death, right before me. Incredible." (approx pg 28) This simple phrase, spoken by a background character of mild significance, really begins to shape the novel’s plot.
Throughout Blade, we begin to see subtle hints of an older lore within the world of Shadow and Ruin–the lore of Life and Death, and the power of the Underworld. Based on what little is spoken about the mysterious Jester, I am confident this lore will be explored in Book 3. Additionally, there are several descriptions of either Caden or Andromeda to suggest ties to what I believe may be Life and Death incarnate.
“…under the Jester’s rule, the line between the living and the dead would be blurred.” (approx. pg 118) Now, more than ever, I am curious about the Jester and his or her connection to the character in the prologue of both Quest and Blade.
In Blade, we are introduced to several new characters of significance in this volume–and I love how each of them is written! Killian and Eris, though we only meet them at the end, add so much to the story, as does the Tracker. I am curious to see how the authors will integrate them into the story arc of Book 3.
As an ARC reviewer, I am tasked with giving my honest review of everything I agree to read, so there are a few pieces of constructive criticism.
There was one turn of phrase that was used in the last book (which I only noticed because I binged it before reading Blade): A character not realizing he or she says what they are thinking until someone responds to it. This is just one of those minor things that jumps out at me as I read, but quickly gets dismissed if I don’t mark where it is.
My second comment is that, while I feel the world is being more fleshed out, it still feels a little mysterious. I want to know more about Magus, what types there are, how they came to be and how their power is inherited. There are plot twists related to this question that could have been, in my opinion, slightly more foreshadowed if these things were fleshed out in Book 1. (To those of you who may interpret this as a criticism of the world building, I have grown up on a diet of fantasy worlds with heavier world building, and by default more information to wade through).
Overall, Blade of Night and Winter is a beautiful book with gentle world building, perfect for readers getting into the Fantasy-genre pool.
My only genuine complaint is that there isn’t nearly enough Aria! (At least in my opinion) It's hard to believe my favorite character might be the snarky changeling, but I love her interactions with Caden and Andi, and Elantris.
I had the pleasure of being part of Ryver’s personal ARC Team for this book, rather than reading through BookSirens. In exchange for a free, advanced ebook, I can honestly say that after reading Quest and Blade, I eagerly anticipate the next leg of Caden and Andi’s journey–which I hope will be released soon.
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Kez Marie
Another stunning action packed adventure
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2024