Good news for everyone who liked Gods of the Wyrdwood: Warlords of Wyrdwood is at least as good.
The surprise ending of Gods plays a big part, obviously, but not in the way I expected at all. There’s a lot going on that Cahan & friends have no idea about; I had no idea either. But I enjoyed figuring it out.
The first book was very limited in perspective: we were almost entirely inside Cahan’s head, with Venn as a secondary protagonist, and occasional interludes elsewhere. This is much more of an ensemble book. We get a lot of Cahan still, and plenty of Venn, but other major perspectives include Ont (the butcher), Sorha (the ex-Rai), Saradis (yes that Saradis), and Udinny (YES!).
My one real disappointment in this book was with Venn. They don’t do all that much in this book; felt like a real stall in their story. But there’s a lot that sets things up for the next one, so I’m prepared to be patient.
Cahan remains frustratingly stubborn. I wanted more development with him & Furin, but I don’t blame RJ Barker for that; I blame Cahan. There’s a lot that goes on that is because of Cahan: his stubbornness, his personal walls, his trying to be responsible for everyone and everything. Irritating to read? Yes. Appropriate for the character he is? Absolutely. But boy do I want to smack the man.
The incredible worldbuilding continues apace. We learned so much in the first book, which led to so very many questions. We learn even more about the world of Crua in Warlords, and I have even more questions. Many guesses, but this is the best part of the books for me. I am so desperate to learn more about this world, its past, present, and future.
And Udinny! I don’t consider her presence a spoiler since the book literally begins with her reflecting on the events at the end of the first book, and her considerable surprise at her present situation. She’s, as always, a delight.
Last point: Thank you, RJ Barker, for including a synopsis of book 1 at the beginning of this. Every fantasy author writing a series should do this. Please?
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