This books works differently than the one preceding it and the one following it. It digs deeply into a new and unfamiliar situation the geroo find themselves in, and lingers there. The only goal any of them has is survival–and as such, Kanti takes a back seat for most of this story. Because it’s not about him, it’s about a village that starts as a collection of strangers slowly learning to live with each other.

Well… until they don’t anymore.

Piers is still the best, by the way. He delivers all the voices with conviction, attitude and distinct personalities.

I think it would have flowed a bit better if it was broken into parts on top of the chapters, since they tend to flow into one another without regard for the passage of time. This story is episodic, and the primary episodes are, firstly, their departure and arrival on Krakuntec, secondly, the life of Dekka, and thirdly, Saquel building his security force. (also there’s the fourth one but that’s just the last two chapters and leads into book 3) But this is a minor nitpick about the structuring of the story that only occurred to me when I listened to it all the way through. Regardless of this, you NEED to read this book if you want to really grasp the depths of where this story plunges in book 3… which should be out *checks fictional watch* any day now~