[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and DAW in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
The king is dead. Poison. And his relative has taken the throne and the crown.
Valdas is a king’s guard, on the run, looking for the truth. He’s the scapegoat for the new king, just like his men were.
Mirza is a witch and healer trying to take her place in her roving band.
And Lind? Lind is the king’s assassin.
But when Valdas is almost killed and Mirza must use her gifts to bring him back from near death, the two encounter the ghost of the murdered king. And he binds them to the quest for the truth.
Review
The writing here is enjoyable, and the characters and their situations were engaging. But the story was slow and drawn out for me. For example, the encounter with the king’s ghost didn’t happen for a quarter of the book. And while I usually don’t mind stories where you know the different characters are moving toward one another eventually, I was missing a driving story that pushed me forward to get to that place. The pace made the book too easy to set down and not pick up for awhile. And in the end, I didn’t finish it.
I think fans of longer, more intricate fantasy will find a lot here to enjoy. I did like several of the characters, and I found their situations interesting. The world building is well done, too. But I seem to be in a reading space where I need the author to get to the point. I need fast paced stories that grab me from page one rather than slow builds. There’s nothing wrong with a slow build for a story, but it’s not a great fit for me right now. (Language, sex, violence/gore, reference to sexual assault of a minor)
Rating: ♥♥♥* – did not finish
*♥♥♥ = Solid/fine