Dark skies

Gr 8 Up--An exciting companion to Dark Shores. Lydia, the daughter of a senator from the Celendor Empire, escapes across the Endless Sea to a land thought only to exist in myth. There she meets Killian, a warrior "Marked" by the god of war. After suffering a crushing defeat by the Corruptor, he has sworn to protect the Mudamora princess in exchange for not being executed. Lydia is desperate to find her friend Teriana, one of the few who knows of the existence of both lands, and tell her about a pending invasion. When Lydia is "Marked" by the goddess of healing, she finds herself unable to ignore the injured and ill around her. Both the Empire and the Mudamora Kingdom are facing political upheaval fueled by those looking to increase their power at any cost. Lydia and Killian find themselves in the middle of these power struggles as their paths become more closely intertwined. Jensen expands the world-building from the first novel and introduces new compelling characters who make the prospect of a third installment all the more thrilling. VERDICT Those who have not read the first book will still enjoy this, as will readers who follow court intrigue and political fantasies. Consider committing to the trilogy.--Marissa Lieberman, East Orange Public Library, NJ

An infernal threat rises in the west in this story that takes place concurrently with Dark Shores (2019). Roguish Killian, son of a High Lord, has been marked by the god of war; under his command, trickery allows the enemy Derin (who worship the sinister Seventh god) to breech Mudamora. Killian is saved from execution by the king's daughter, who claims him as her sworn sword--and brings him into her conspiracy to depose her inept father and save their kingdom from Derin's foul magic. Meanwhile, Lydia navigates the political landscape of Celendrial, where her adopted status makes her position perilous. Her story begins slightly before Teriana's arrival, continuing until her fateful encounter with Marcus--who has been ordered to kill her--before a leap of faith brings her to Mudamora's capital, which is under an increasingly desperate siege. The magical elements of the story--from the miraculous works of the marked to disgusting blight and abominations--are seamlessly woven with storylines comparing the plight of common people to the complicated political games the powerful play. Responsibility is the grounding theme that unites the protagonists in their heroic strivings; trauma and the fully rounded characters' emotional vulnerabilities take their tolls. Readers will be delighted both by further exploring the expertly crafted world and the story's twists. Lydia is fair-skinned, Killian olive-skinned; race isn't significant in this diverse world. Readers will breathlessly anticipate their next venture into this exquisite world. (Fantasy. 12-adult) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.