A while ago, I had read the prequel to this novel, City of Stairs, which I thought was absolutely fantastic. However, it has taken me A LONG TIME to get to read this book. Why? Well, embarrassingly enough, I lost my review copy of this novel. Yes, I was careless enough to misplace the file and then I completely forgot about it, and I just found it again now. I feel like a terrible person but, hey, accidents happen! As it was, when I began to read this book, I was able to remember all of the details of its predecessor and I found myself instantly hooked! So here is my (long-awaited) review:
Voortyashtan is a city that was once under the control of the goddess of war and destruction. Now, after being conquered, it is simply a ruin. General Turyin Mulaghesh is trying (but failing) to enjoy her retirement but finds herself forced out of it in order to do a mission in Voortyashtan. Her mission? To find a secret agent who has gone missing in the middle of a covert operation. However, this task proves to be a challenge, as the civilians rebel against the military on site. Not only are tensions high, but there are signs of strange Divine things occurring: deaths of random civilians with no weapon found afterwards, the discovery of metals that have magical properties to them, and the ghosts of past battles whispering in the ears of soldiers. In a land that claims to have no Divinities, Mulaghesh has to wonder if there is something foul aplay. Are the dead still buried in their graves? Or do they have plans of their own?
I found this novel to be just as fascinating as the previous one in the series. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the author had replaced the protagonist, but I quickly grew to love General Mulaghesh; her no-nonsense attitude combined with her intelligence and sharp mannerisms made her one of my favorite characters of all time. As usual, the detailing in the story was magnificent and every character that was introduced was complex and interesting to read about. I liked that the author shifted POVs throughout the novel, as it kept me sharp on my toes. Reading this novel is like getting a glimpse of history (albeit a false one); I could easily believe that the events happening were real. The plot was intricate and flowed at a good pace; there was enough time to enjoy the scene being presented while not getting bogged down by all of the little details. I am curious to see how the story will continue in the next book, so I am definitely going to keep my eyes peeled for news of the release of the next novel in this series! If you like science fiction and fantasy, then this is the novel for you! I guarantee that those who like Game of Thrones would definitely enjoy this series and should give it a shot!
This book was given to me as an advanced copy from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
Happy reading ~