Gadzooks! Where do I begin? How about with the amazing audible talents of Jeff Hays and Annie Ellicott. What wicked warbling this pair doth make together! Hays is far and away my favorite narrator, and Annie has blown my mind with her own skill, talent, and versatility as well. They make a dynamic duo doling out dimensionally vocal magic. They flow into each other’s voices effortlessly, and if they did any editing then it was done seamlessly. As much I as love hearing Jeff do female voices I have to say that Annie manages to steal the spotlight quite a few times, and her vocalizations of one thief in particular made me wish I was in Ivalis. You hear that Murmur? In all sincerity this is an impressive pair that not only works well together, but really elevates the story into the stratosphere. I am quite content just listening to Jeff do his manly voices while Annie carries along with the ladies.
How about story? Well, the writing is fast, humorous, and utterly gripping. One thing I noted in the first book was that I appreciated how much Edward used his head more than his hands in a fight. The same thing goes here, at every opportunity he out schemes, outwits, or out plays his opponents. Even when all hope is lost, he doesn’t give up and thinks of something that he has in his bag of tricks that he can use to defeat his opponent.
We get to see some of the Keep finally being upgraded, some new monster allies, and a business venture that should put Lord Wraith in the black, if he can stop bleeding long enough to take care of all the red. The characters continue to grow and develop, and each one get a point to shine in their own little spotlight. Edward might carry the story, but his allies come together and survive on their own thanks to his training and the impression he has made on each of them. Ed does find love, but her dad has some issues with anyone but him being around his daughter. Nicholi returns and has a nasty secret surprise hidden up his sleeve for Ed and co. Ha, now that I think of it, Ed has a nasty surprise up his sleeve at the end of the book, too. You need to see it for yourself. I’m not giving anything away.
Basically, the battles and blood balance out the training and building that the team does. The fight scenes are some of the best I’ve read, and the training should come with some montage music. I’m not sure how long this series is going to go (a long time, I hope) but readers should beware that the next big bad is someone you already know and hate. Book three looks to be epic if the Epilogue lives up to its promise. Can I just as Hugo to hurry along book three and four? Waiting more than an hour or so between books is just murder.
Oh, I have to mention the cover. I love it. I enjoyed the book one cover, too, but this one does its job. It catches you eyes, makes you want to learn more about the story, and is something I would hang on my wall if it were a poster. This is what a cover should look like; dark, dangerous, mysterious, and foreboding. If you are scrolling along it will make you stop and go back to see what the book is about. Great choice on some excellent artwork.
Huesca has created a bevy of interesting characters, each replete with their own drives, goals, and personalities. The story never relents, it is always pushing forward, and the ending is most satisfying. If you are looking for something that is LitRPG, fantasy, horror, or even action then this is the book (and series) for you. You will not regret getting this, although I do suggest reading book one first. So, get book one now if you haven’t, and if you have but are worried that the story suffered from a sophomore slump . . .DON’T. No need to fear. This book takes and builds on everything in book one and improves upon it. Don’t miss out. Start reading NOW!!! Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.
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