Rating: 4/5 stars
Series: The Alchemist Saga
Pages: 436
Genre: Fantasy, high fantasy
Release Date: April 20, 2019
Just as his world is faced with an impending war with a powerful necromancer, Ryris Bren must deal not only with the physical trauma of the previous battle, but also the emotional scars it’s left. The world around him is changing, and in the wake of the rise of a necromancer, turning back to the magic that’s been banned might be the only way to survive.
Ryris must as the truth he’s been running from his entire life—that he is far more than just an alchemist. Faced with a choice that could impact the entire world, he must decided if he'll rise to the greatness that those around him say he's destined for.
So, quick note for readers who don’t know, this is the second book in the Alchemist trilogy! I reviewed the first one a few months back, and that review can be found here!
Ah this book! Though I found the first half a little slow, I got really invested in the second half, and I was stoked to see a little more of this world. Even more, I loved the addition of some new characters, the return of some old favourites, and of course the continued tradition of beautiful writing, with the absolute worst thing that could happen, happening (which I as a reader, absolutely love!).
One of the things that really got me in this book was how much darker than the first one it was. I mean, the ending to the first definitely hinted that shit was about to hit the fan, but damn. It really did. And I loved it. I’m definitely eager for the next book in the series! When I said after reading the first one that the author didn’t pull any punches, I had no idea how right I was.
Anyway, I’m still not super sold on Ryris as a character, and it’s since been pointed out to me that I never like the classic boy hero of fantasy books, so that’s probably just down to personal taste. The person whose story I’m completely invested in is Kaia at this point. I actually don’t remember liking her that much in the previous book, and well, yeah, I’m at the point where I full-heartedly want to see her kick some dumb boy ass (not saying who cause spoilers). As for the other characters, the ones I felt were type-casted, definitely felt a little better well-rounded this go ‘round, and of course, as always, I felt the secondary characters were particularly well-done.
Anyway, I definitely enjoyed this book, and I would recommend the series to anyone who is a fan of classic high fantasy, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And I eagerly await the next book!
To learn more about the author:
http://www.lawasielewski.com/
Twitter: @AuthorBebedora
Facebook: @LAWasielewski
To buy this book:
It’s also available on Kindle Unlimited!
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