Just when they thought they were out…
Two years after defying the wizard Belthandros Sethennai and escaping into the great unknown, Csorwe and Shuthmili have made a new life for themselves, hunting for secrets among the ruins of an ancient snake empire.
Along for the ride is Tal Charossa, determined to leave the humiliation and heartbreak of his hometown far behind him, even if it means enduring the company of his old rival and her insufferable girlfriend.
All three of them would be quite happy never to see Sethennai again. But when a routine expedition goes off the rails and a terrifying imperial relic awakens, they find that a common enemy may be all it takes to bring them back into his orbit.
My thoughts: do not mess with creepy snake gods – that’s the main takeaway from this book. I suppose if you keep prodding a bear, it will eventually bite you. Which is essentially what Sethennai is doing. And the gang really need to stop getting mixed up with him. He’s always got another agenda. Csorwe and Shuthmili get the brunt of it after they awaken ancient scary goddess and world destroyer Iriskivaal. Tal of course gets to do his hero bit, reluctantly. And he gets a sidekick too, the latest Chosen Bride to the Unspoken, Tsereg, who might be more than just a complete handful of chaos.
This book was a lot of fun, the characters were more fully realised and their relationships cemented in and realistic. Csorwe and Shuthmili’s bond is unbreakable, even when they’re variously possessed by ancient gods. They’re Tal’s best friends despite his insistence that he doesn’t like them much and Oranna, even undead, is still annoying and knows way too much!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 