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pagesofash's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
siavahda's review against another edition
5.0
HIGHLIGHTS
~#NotLikeOtherAfterlives
~beware places without rules
~suspicious book is suspicious
~put flowers in the skull for luck
~time to take down a god
Second Spear is everything I hoped for from a second visit to the incredible afterlife realm first introduced us to in The Border keeper!
I adored Border Keeper, but I always wanted to see and know more about Mkalis – a world made up of hundreds of strange, magical, intricate realms, each ruled over by a god or demon who can set any rules they please for those who live in or visit their dominion – like not being able to speak lies, or not being able to move in the presence of the Ruler. In Border Keeper we saw beautiful things and grotesque things (and others that were both) but we were viewing it all through the eyes of a visitor. Second Spear, on the other hand, is told from the perspective of Tyn, who has lived in Mkalis for as long as she can remember – which means we get so much more insight into this world than we had before!
The story here opens with Tyn being healed from the injuries she sustained at the end of Border Keeper, and the plot is in direct response to the fallout of what happened in that novella. I’m going to try and write this review without spoiling the specifics of Border Keeper, but bear in mind: this is not a standalone! Second Spear follows on directly from the events of Border Keeper, and you really need to read (or reread) that first before diving into this book!
Now that that’s said: let’s get to it!
I was immediately enchanted by Second Spear: the whole book reads as if Hall wrote it just for me. It opens with a look at (relatively) normal life within Tyn’s home; Tahmais, the City of the Spinelight, capital of the 194th Realm, ruled by the demon Lfae. We finally learn what being Second Spear actually means, and begin to see how the society of the 194th realm is arranged, the community Tyn is an intrinsic part of, with the nonbinary Lfae at the top and the Firsts of each tribe answering directly to said ruler. Glimpses we received in Border Keeper are expanded on here; tantalising hints from the previous book unfold and reveal themselves. What was esoteric and infinitely complicated to the main character of Keeper is Tyn’s daily life, taken for granted. One scene that drives this home pretty well is when the Spears gain a new member: Rion, who has just died in Ahri and been transported to Mkalis for his ‘afterlife’. Rion is, pretty understandably, freaking out, but for Tyn and the others, it’s just another Tuesday.
Lfae’s realm is…well, an idealised fantasy realm, in aesthetic; beautiful and strange, but not so strange as to be uncomfortable or feel alien, watched over by Lfae’s fey mechanical creations. Hall’s imagination and prose is simply breathtaking, and I was entranced by the pictures she painted in my mind as I read;
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
~#NotLikeOtherAfterlives
~beware places without rules
~suspicious book is suspicious
~put flowers in the skull for luck
~time to take down a god
Second Spear is everything I hoped for from a second visit to the incredible afterlife realm first introduced us to in The Border keeper!
I adored Border Keeper, but I always wanted to see and know more about Mkalis – a world made up of hundreds of strange, magical, intricate realms, each ruled over by a god or demon who can set any rules they please for those who live in or visit their dominion – like not being able to speak lies, or not being able to move in the presence of the Ruler. In Border Keeper we saw beautiful things and grotesque things (and others that were both) but we were viewing it all through the eyes of a visitor. Second Spear, on the other hand, is told from the perspective of Tyn, who has lived in Mkalis for as long as she can remember – which means we get so much more insight into this world than we had before!
The story here opens with Tyn being healed from the injuries she sustained at the end of Border Keeper, and the plot is in direct response to the fallout of what happened in that novella. I’m going to try and write this review without spoiling the specifics of Border Keeper, but bear in mind: this is not a standalone! Second Spear follows on directly from the events of Border Keeper, and you really need to read (or reread) that first before diving into this book!
Now that that’s said: let’s get to it!
I was immediately enchanted by Second Spear: the whole book reads as if Hall wrote it just for me. It opens with a look at (relatively) normal life within Tyn’s home; Tahmais, the City of the Spinelight, capital of the 194th Realm, ruled by the demon Lfae. We finally learn what being Second Spear actually means, and begin to see how the society of the 194th realm is arranged, the community Tyn is an intrinsic part of, with the nonbinary Lfae at the top and the Firsts of each tribe answering directly to said ruler. Glimpses we received in Border Keeper are expanded on here; tantalising hints from the previous book unfold and reveal themselves. What was esoteric and infinitely complicated to the main character of Keeper is Tyn’s daily life, taken for granted. One scene that drives this home pretty well is when the Spears gain a new member: Rion, who has just died in Ahri and been transported to Mkalis for his ‘afterlife’. Rion is, pretty understandably, freaking out, but for Tyn and the others, it’s just another Tuesday.
Lfae’s realm is…well, an idealised fantasy realm, in aesthetic; beautiful and strange, but not so strange as to be uncomfortable or feel alien, watched over by Lfae’s fey mechanical creations. Hall’s imagination and prose is simply breathtaking, and I was entranced by the pictures she painted in my mind as I read;
Curling strips of copper wire and old painted bones hung from the branches. Femurs, vertebrae, ribs, some wrapped in strands of precious stones and pearls. They served as mementos to Spears who had fallen defending Tahmais and Res Lfae.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
gavinsteyn's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
vaxis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
iblyth's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jakegray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
light_turtle's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stephjlw's review
3.0
3 stars
my overall thoughts…
it was tough to come to a rating for this book, since it can’t really be fairly compared to the Border Keeper. Though Second Spear is a direct sequel to the Border Keeper, is follows a different protagonist and has a VERY different writing style and tone. It also does not follow up on some of the major questions you are left with at the end of the Border Keeper which was a pretty major let down for me. Like the prior novella, this is a journey style plot, however it feels far more disjointed and aimless than in the Border Keeper. This books goes one without dwelling on anything important, but wastes chapters in what could have been paragraphs, and with little explanation. The lush style of the Border Keeper supported the ambiguity, without that, Second Spear is a plainly written fantasy with a confusing plot and underdeveloped characters.
the strongest points…
Tyn is this book’s only particularly strong point. As our point of view character we get a much more grounded point of view of Mkalis. Her fears and insecurities were incredibly relatable, and I would have put the book down if not for her character.
and everything else…
as you can tell from the three star rating, i don’t think this book is bad. but it is not nearly as interesting as the Border Keeper, and I think that leaving Vasethe’s point of view without answering the big questions about his character was a serious misstep.
Vein’s character was very testing to me. I felt so interest if sympathy for her and did not understand how I, as the reader, was supposed to. Besides understanding that Tyn felt a duty to protect Vehn and desired Vehn’s approval, I felt nothing for that character other than irritation. The other side character as well, whose name starts with an R but I have otherwise forgotten, also didn’t do anything for me.
I don’t know, this book was just fine. If you read the Border Keeper and want answers, unfortunately this book doesn’t really give them. It expands on everything from book 1 slightly, and continues the over arching plot with Kan Buyak, but i’m not sure how interested I am in reading the third novella whenever it comes out.
my overall thoughts…
it was tough to come to a rating for this book, since it can’t really be fairly compared to the Border Keeper. Though Second Spear is a direct sequel to the Border Keeper, is follows a different protagonist and has a VERY different writing style and tone. It also does not follow up on some of the major questions you are left with at the end of the Border Keeper which was a pretty major let down for me. Like the prior novella, this is a journey style plot, however it feels far more disjointed and aimless than in the Border Keeper. This books goes one without dwelling on anything important, but wastes chapters in what could have been paragraphs, and with little explanation. The lush style of the Border Keeper supported the ambiguity, without that, Second Spear is a plainly written fantasy with a confusing plot and underdeveloped characters.
the strongest points…
Tyn is this book’s only particularly strong point. As our point of view character we get a much more grounded point of view of Mkalis. Her fears and insecurities were incredibly relatable, and I would have put the book down if not for her character.
and everything else…
as you can tell from the three star rating, i don’t think this book is bad. but it is not nearly as interesting as the Border Keeper, and I think that leaving Vasethe’s point of view without answering the big questions about his character was a serious misstep.
Vein’s character was very testing to me. I felt so interest if sympathy for her and did not understand how I, as the reader, was supposed to. Besides understanding that Tyn felt a duty to protect Vehn and desired Vehn’s approval, I felt nothing for that character other than irritation. The other side character as well, whose name starts with an R but I have otherwise forgotten, also didn’t do anything for me.
I don’t know, this book was just fine. If you read the Border Keeper and want answers, unfortunately this book doesn’t really give them. It expands on everything from book 1 slightly, and continues the over arching plot with Kan Buyak, but i’m not sure how interested I am in reading the third novella whenever it comes out.