Explore a mesmerizing fantasy adventure while a grieving but unstoppable young woman and her allies fight to restore justice to a kingdom in turmoil.
Table of Contents
Review
After the commotion and loss originated from the Guild of Takers’ greed and treachery, King Axil decides to put a stop to it and take them out for good. But things get messy when secrets and treason run rampant and added threats, such as the deadly prattlers, loom. Sibil, having lost her mother and one of her best friends, wants to join the King’s army while her beloved friend Tristan is out to avenge his brother’s death.
The second installment of Robert A. Walker’s The Legends of Baelon series, Two Crowns, Three Blades, follows Sibil as she discovers and puts into practice her abilities, the King’s army as they try to take out the Guild of Takers, and the members of the Guild and their questionable allies as they pursue their own agendas. Sometimes, it’s hard to get into a book in the second installment. While I recommend the first book, Walker found the perfect balance between helping readers who are new to the series find their ground without info-dumping or boring readers who are already familiar with the story. The alternating points of view give the reader a well-rounded perspective of the plot and help add nuance to the characters. One of my favorite discoveries was the story about how Spiro and Reynard became friends, showing the softer side of the two miscreants.
Walker makes exciting use of narrative techniques to keep the characters we’ve lost alive and to bend, at times, the limits between the living and the dead. The book’s format makes this easy for the reader, with each chapter titled with the name of the person whose point of view we are exploring. This proves especially helpful with such a diverse cast of characters. Another stellar aspect of this book is how the author handles the female characters. Sibil and Charise are both strong females without breaking the medieval atmosphere of the book. Unlike other fantasy stories, the author doesn’t neglect character development, balancing action, personal journeys, and world-building with expertise.
The author opens each chapter with a quote from Baelon’s lore; they are true nuggets of wisdom. For example, “Be mindful of the weight you ask your heart to carry; it will not be easy to shrug off.” The only thing that I missed in this book was King Axil’s charm. He had been one of my favorite characters in the first book, Six Moons, Seven Gods. His participation in this second book was mostly minimal and passive. He remains a just, kind, and brave ruler, but we don’t see that much of him, with Marshal Carson leading the battles. However, this perfectly fits the plot and gives an already endearing character, Carson, more time to shine. The author also pleasantly surprised me by devoting more space to Charise, a character who had remained mysterious in the first book.
Two Crowns, Three Blades has a little bit of something for everyone. There are mysteries and secrets aplenty for those of us who love a puzzle and a twist; there’s a bit of romance and whimsy—the legend of The Fekle Forest could be a fairytale in and of itself—lots of heart-stopping action, and plenty of mythology and lore.
About the Author
Robert A. Walker, originally from Northwestern Massachusetts, moved to California after college and now lives by the Pacific Ocean with his wife and dogs. He writes fantasy novels with elements of grim dark and romance. His debut, Six Moons, Seven Gods, earned multiple awards. Know more at rawalkerwriting.com.
Book Details
- Title: Two Crowns, Three Blades
- Author: Robert A. Walker
- Genre(s) and Sub-genre(s): Fiction → Fantasy, Young Adult
- Theme(s): War, Betrayal, Destiny
- Minimum Audience Age (per assessment): 14+
- Main Language Used: English
Book Themes
(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)
- Sexual Themes: 1 – Implied but not explicit.
- Religious Themes: 2 – Discussions of gods and faith.
- Violence, Self-Harm, etc.: 3 – War, bloodshed, and a suicide scene.
- Crude Language, Expletives: 2 – Some strong language and insults.
- Other Adult Themes: 2 – Drug-like substance, grief, and trauma.
Rating
- Content: 5
- Writing Style: 5
- Appeal to Target Audience: 5
- Uniqueness: 5
- Editing: 4
- Other Factors (Marketability, “It” Factor): 5
- Overall Average Rating: 4.83 out of 5 stars
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