Blade of dream

Bestseller Abraham's rich second Kithamar epic fantasy (after Age of Ash) takes an unexpected path; rather than directly continuing the prior volume's complex tale, Abraham instead provides a parallel narrative, making this clever outing equally accessible as a standalone. The opening is almost identical in both books, introducing the autonomous city of Kithamar, which is at a turning point following the mysterious death of its ruler, Byrn a Sal, who reigned for less than a year. His death gives citizens hope "that the season of darkness will end and something new begin," even as some wonder whether his daughter and heir, Elaine a Sal, committed patricide. Abraham then flashes back to the start of Byrn's regime, when Elaine has a fateful romantic encounter with Garreth Left, the son of a powerful merchant family, who falls in love without realizing that Elaine is princess. Now his quest to reunite with her leads him into a political morass. Meanwhile, Divol Senit, captain of the city guard, may finally be in a position to bring Kithamar's most notorious criminal, Aunt Thorn, to justice, thanks to a cooperating prisoner. Abraham's patient storytelling pays off, perfectly setting up the trilogy's finale, and his intricate worldbuilding makes Kithamar a pleasure to explore. Readers will not be disappointed. Agent: Danny Baror, Baror International. (July)

The second in a political fantasy trilogy concerning Kithamar, a powerful city-state in turmoil. The first book, Age of Ash (2022), covered the monthslong reign of Prince Byrn a Sal of Kithamar, who inadvertently interrupted the centuries-old secret rule of a ruthless body-switching entity by not actually being part of the royal line and therefore incapable of hosting it. This installment takes place in that same year and begins with the exact same prologue but instead follows a separate group of characters who only appeared tangentially in the first book. It's love at first sight for Elaine a Sal, daughter and heir to Byrn, and merchant's son Garreth Left; their initial encounter is just the beginning of a profound shake-up in both their lives. As Elaine adjusts to palace life and begins to suspect sinister, impossible things about the dead Prince Ausai, Garreth defies his parents' wishes to seal an important business transaction with a foreign marriage and runs away to join the city guard. Meanwhile, Captain Senit of the city guard makes it his mission to go after Aunt Thorn, a powerful crime kingpin apparently named after a trickster god, unaware that Aunt Thorn actually is the trickster god in question, among other things. Many authors have chosen to tell a story from two different perspectives in separate books, but Abraham's effort is unusual in that it uses two different casts of characters, which allows for a more extensive tapestry of plot. It also serves to illuminate how profoundly people can be interconnected and never even understand how they are linked or even that they're linked in the first place. The motivations and actions of a stranger can have a profound effect on someone's life without the other person ever knowing about it. This parallel book both fills in the noticeable gaps in the previous volume and continues to highlight a favorite Abraham theme: the complex outcomes stemming from personal choice. Garreth's decision to abandon the circumscribed position his family has established for him and his subsequent inability to fully devote himself to the city guard because of his newfound love for Elaine are understandable parts of his journey to find his own path and be true to himself; but they have significant, sometimes damaging consequences for those around him. Great character work and interesting plot development make this an exceptional middle volume. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.