I found this book to be very enjoyable and a pleasant challenge for readers, as there are many characters and concepts that must be followed in order to understand any of the story. It also helps if one has read the first book of this series, “The Obsidian Blade,” which further explains some of what is mentioned in this book. The author put a lot of work into creating distinct worlds in the different timelines that each chapter follows, to the point where it can be difficult to understand the order of events or who each character really is. The tone and narrative voice change perceptively with each character speaking, from Lah Lia to Tucker and to one other character at the end.
I feel that the author was very strong within the areas of grabbing the reader’s attention and making them continue to want to read the book. Even though there were some pieces that I didn’t understand, they were further explained later and I was still inspired to continue with the book. This book was exceptionally interesting, with the characters guessing about what was going to happen next, just like the reader. Each side character, especially Yar Song, entertained me a lot with their wisdom, cruelty, or even just their accent. It has definitely convinced me to continue with the series. It may be difficult for younger readers to really understand the events of this book, so I recommend this book to those 14 and up.
