There is so much that happens in this sequel to Child of a Mad God that I really do not know where to start. So I will start at the start. It begins with a prophecy in a land full of power. A prophecy that begins its fulfillment during a solar eclipse which causes some elation and others a sense of oncoming doom.
Aoleyn, the female protagonist, returns to her tribe full of hope that the other female members of the Coven will celebrate her ordeal with the demon Fossa that dramatically ended the first book. However, (yes, the dreaded “however ” that dashes all hope and dreams) this is not the case! Mairen, the head of the Coven, (also, I personally believe she is a demon from hell) not only accuses Aoleyn of heresy but strips her of her magical gem jewelry. What follows is a lot of unpleasantness that I did not enjoy reading. But, as is typical in fantasy and fiction in general, my beloved heroine must be completely broken before she can truly become the ultimate hero.
Let’s talk about Talmadge, my favourite male protagonist in this series. We left him running back down to the near lake towns, away from the dangerous Usgar tribe that Aoleyn is a member of. He is trying very hard to move on from his broken past while still contemplating the intense chance meeting with the courageous and compassionate Usgar girl, Aoleyn. He doesn’t get a break long because he meets an interesting self-proclaimed Ranger who changes Talmadge’s life for the better, several times over. This strange man does not only help Talmadge but assists the tribes surrounding the Loch Beag lake when tragedy hits, once again I must say he helps several times over!
This story, like in the first book, focuses on the relationship between the tribes at the lake and the evil mountain Usgar tribe. But! But make way for a real Empire that’s making its move on this prime location! This Egyptian like people have been waiting for “the dragon to eat the sun” (solar eclipse) for generations and my friends, I must say these people not only have the numbers but the power to really impact and possibly overcome EVERYONE!
Aoleyn fights her toughest battle so far, Talmadge is not only coping with the inner demons of his past but continuously moving forward, and yet are we all doomed anyways because of these crazy new people and godly like power?
All I can say is Read And Find Out. This is a great series that I highly recommend for fantasy fans. I’m currently reading and loving The Stand by Stephen King, yet after that I will be reading an ARC of the third book in the Coven Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore.
Thanks for reading my review and Happy Reading!!!
Book Oracle 