Raz i’Syul Arro is a hunted man. To the south, the Mahsadën of Miropa are gone. The šef lay dead, slain at Raz’s own hands, their cruel will ripped from the shadows of the city. In response, riders careen to every reachable corner of the known realms, telling anyone with a mind to listen of the boundless riches promised for the Monster’s head. The world now turned against him, Raz is forced to flee, escaping along the northern roads just as the summer months come to an end. For a time the coolness and breathtaking verdure of the great rolling woodlands he finds himself in are a welcome change, offering a sublime peace from a life that has rarely known more than brutality and bloodshed.
But that peace – as is so often the case – is a shallow trickery. The North, it seems, is not far-gone from the corruption and wickedness Raz had hoped to leave behind in the fringe cities. Before long he finds himself embroiled in the savage politics of this new land, forced to play a part in the ugly game of intrigue and violence once more. To survive, Raz must again give way to the Monster, making his stand within the devouring walls of the cruel coliseum the Northerners call simply “the Arena”. Blood, after all, freezes as hard and cold as anything else.
Love it or hate it WOW-Not much to say don’t want to spoil anything-very few books go where this author went to in this book. Love it or hate it, this author did and I give him credit for doing it.Though it was sad to read. If what you liked about the first book was that it was dark and heartrendingly brutal. This one doesn’t disappoint. But excellent book and can’t wait for this next one.
Enthralling page turner I Couldn’t put down. This novel is probably better than the first in my estimation. I consume fiction novels of this and similar genres, and have rarely taken to writing reviews, but this one merited it. I’m not going to include plot summaries in a review. You can get that elsewhere. I would point out this has strong female characters and exceptionally developed secondary characters. As for Raz, the main character, is he a hero or villain. The writing carefully straddles the line mirroring life- we are rarely one…
A Reawakening I rarely find fiction interesting and engaging nowadays. Dystopic novels are overwritten and repetitive, fantasy is too cliche, and I just can’t bring myself to tackle nonfiction. The Wings of War and Raz, however, fulfill all my hopes and dreams, and gave me the same sense of excitement and adventure that first sparked my love for reading. I couldn’t put down this book, and I couldn’t stop thinking and speculating about the fate of Raz (and hopefully his relationship with Syrah?!). The…