Genre: Fantasy, Romantic Arc
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay, Bisexual
Reviewer: Rari
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About The Book
Half a year after the events of Heart of Dust, Doran Ó Seanáin now finds himself trapped between two worlds while belonging to neither: held in contempt by the Bronze for the turmoil he caused during Archon Bryson’s reign, and resented by the miners for selling out. Leonora Darkwater’s pursuit to own the mines may be the answer to all of his problems, but the offer is far more complicated than it appears, and the only person Doran trusts is the same man who threw his life into chaos.
Haunted by his past, hostage to a debt that cannot be repaid, and a slave to the poison that keeps him alive, atonement has never felt further out of reach for Nathaniel Morgenstern. Though the damage between him and Doran is too devastating to begin to mend, they have no choice but to face each other as their lives collide once more.
There is a rot in Iole City. The mines aren’t finished with Doran, and the sand in Nathaniel’s hourglass is running out.
The Review
This one continues the story. The Archon is dead, and Grace, as his widow, has taken charge of Iole City. She ends the strike by acceding to the miners’ demands, but Doran, her father, lives with her in the Archon’s palace now. He is not trusted by the miners, and is out of place among the nobles.
This second book in the series adds Nathaniel’s POV, and he is struggling. Grace spares his life, but he is now indentured to the mines, and required to pay back the money the Nameless took, even though he wasn’t the recipient of the full amount. Aside from finances and a guilty conscience, he is also struggling with his feelings for Doran and his addiction to the drug Death’s Embrace.
Grace has to find a way to appease the nobles without making the lower classes suffer, and she is increasingly struggling to keep up with the demands of being the Dowager Archon and the ruler of the city. She has been reaching out to the Valley, to seek the High Druid’s help, but the High Druid has refused every one of her invitations.
Doran is also struggling with reconciling his feelings for Nathaniel with his guilt over Rhian, his ex wife whom the Nameless assassin killed. When Lenora Darkwater, one of the nobles whose roots, like Doran’s, are in the Valley, wants to buy the mines, he is beginning to consider it. But Lenora is hiding something, and her secrets may destroy more than the mines and the miners’ dreams.
Once again, this second book in the “Death’s Embrace” series is fast paced, but with enough room for the characters to grow, to find themselves, and to deal with their own inner monsters while having to survive a world that seems determined to trample them underfoot. I loved that Nathaniel got his own PoV in this – he is such an intriguing character.
Despite having been an assassin for most of his adult life, and a killer since fourteen, he comes across as a good person, with a capacity for kindness that is astounding.
Incredible character work, a compelling plot, and evocative writing all combine to form yet another unforgettable book. I’m off to read book three!
The Reviewer
Rari is an author and editor writing under the name of Niranjan K. She is an avid reader of all things fantasy, and loves to discourse at length about her favourite books as well as shows. This blog is the space where she will be sharing her views and insights of the books, shows and movies that she likes.