Spoiler Free Summary: Heshayol by Joshua Robertson and J.C. Boyd is the second book in The Blood of Dragons series. It’s been a thousand years since Tyran and Drast have killed the Horned God, but their actions didn’t bring them eternal life; they brought the brothers imprisonment and the world in chaos as the old gods have returned. To remedy the situation, Tyran and Drast embark on a quest to recover the Horned God from the underworld.
Character: Tyran and Drast are why I enjoyed the first book in the series. While I didn’t get the same connection to them in this book that I got from the first, they’re still the stars of the show and the strongest part of the book. Their dependency and dedication to one another adds a degree of sympathy a lot of fantasy stories lack. I’m not actually sure why they have made the decision they made (rescuing the Horned God). This element of confusion is something I tried to understand throughout the book. Yes, it’s a question I had, but it didn’t ruin the story for me because Tyran is pretty headstrong anyway. Whatever his reason, he won’t let anything stand in his way once he’s chosen a course.
Exposition: The bulk of exposition that slowed this story down was actually in the dialogue. I think there was a bit more in this story that I’d like. Any time a story feels slow to me or I catch myself losing focus, I suspect exposition to be why. The story does slow down a time or two, but the authors offset this with compelling, well-written action scenes.
Worldbuilding: This is another strength for this series. This particular series is part of a deep saga called the Thrice Nine Legends. The meticulous attention to detail and deep mythology make this story a wonderful one for any who like expansive scope in their stories. While the pace might be slower than I like personally, people who want to study and immerse themselves in a different world will love this book.
Dialogue: This was better than the last book. Yes, above I mentioned a lot of loosely hidden exposition, and there was. However, there was also some adorable and witty exchanges. One of my favorite parts of the book was Drast’s interactions with another character (spoilers). I don’t remember much of the dialogue from the first book, but this book had some wonderful banter that built on the characters and revealed them even more.
Description: I know this book had solid description because I have a clear mental picture of the characters and some of the scenes. In this case, if I think there is a bit too much, it’s probably just about right. This book has several cinematic scenes that the authors really bring to life with solid, punchy description.
Sure, it slowed me down a bit as a reader, but that’s because I personally hate description. No, the book isn’t as well pictured as some other books I read, but it definitely activated all the senses.
Overall: This is action packed. I’m not such a big fan of the cliffhanger ending, but I liked seeing the characters. I think the first book was better, but this was fun to read. The action kept my attention, and I really wanted to learn more about the characters. The overall concept is pretty interesting, and I’d recommend it to any fantasy fans who like deep worlds and epic battles.
Thanks for reading
Matt
M.L.S. Weech 