Stars: 5 out of 5
The biggest strength of this series is the characters. Yes, the worldbuilding is phenomenal – complex, but plausible, with rules that make sense and breaking which has real consequences. I enjoy discovering more facets of that layered world with each new book. But the characters, oh the characters… they make the story better in every sense of the way.
I love Rune and Brand and their bond. Yes, they are Scion and Companion, but they are also so much more than that – brothers, best friends, the two last shards of a shattered throne standing back to back against the rest of the world. Heck, they are almost two pieces of the same soul. I love their bickering, because it never feels malicious, and their love for each other shines through every action they take, even if sometimes those actions are ill-advised.
But it’s not just Rune and Brand, I love Addam and his unwavering support of Rune, as well as his love for his younger brother Quinn. and Quinn, oh Quinn… such an adorable little Prophet who still perfectly encapsulates what it means to be a teenager.
And we get a few other additions to Rune’s found little family, and they are just as fantastic. I love Corrine, and I’m glad she didn’t have to sacrifice herself. And Ana will be a force to reckon with when she grows up. It will be rather hilarious to see Rune try to navigate the choppy waters of parenthood with this one. He will have to grow a spine and learn to put his foot down, otherwise she will run circles around him. And Ciarran was back, so that is always a plus because I love him to pieces.
This book is also much darker than the first one. I mean OMG, the scenes on the Declaration are nightmare fuel. No, I’m serious, I had nightmares about that battleship after I finished this book. I am glad that the man (if you can call that monster that) has been dealt with. His death wasn’t even close to the torment he deserved for what he put all those souls through for decades.
I am glad that Rune finally claimed his seat at the Arcanum because he realized that he is not just Rune Saint John, he is Lord Sun, and people depend on him now other than Brand. People who will need the protection of his house and name, which means he needs to reclaim that house. Of course, this comes with a lot more problems – they are an official house now, so they can be officially attacked and raided. They need to build a compound, they will need to create alliances, they will need funds, they will need to play politics. In other words, everything Brand hates, and Rune has been avoiding until now.
I am looking forward, to and also dreading the next book in the series because things will get darker as Rune comes closer and closer to discovering who ordered the massacre of his family all those years ago. I am just hoping that in the end, all of them will still be alive and standing, but most importantly, happy, because they deserve it.
Onwards to the next book in the series!