The Scorched Earth

Karpyshyn Continues with a Strong Sequel

I would like to thank NetGalley & Del Ray for giving me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review.

"New York Times bestselling author Drew Karpyshyn has long thrilled readers with his kinetic, fast-paced storytelling style. Now he returns with The Scorched Earth, the second novel in his acclaimed series about four young people who will either save the world or bring about its destruction.

The Children of Fire—four mortals touched by the power of Chaos—each embody one aspect of a fallen and banished immortal champion: Keegan, the wizard; Scythe, the warrior; Cassandra, the prophet; Vaaler, the king. Grown to adulthood, the Children are in search of the ancient Talismans that can stop the return of Daemron the Slayer, ancient enemy of the Old Gods. But in acquiring Daemron’s Ring, they unleashed a flood of Chaos magic on the land—leaving death, destruction, and a vengeful queen in their wake.

Now, beset on all sides by both mortal and supernatural enemies, they realize that their strength and faith will be tested as never before. And their greatest trial will be finding Daemron’s Sword, the last of the ancient Talismans, before the entire mortal world is engulfed in the war and Chaos that will herald the return of the Slayer."

Thankfully all the time spent creating the world in which this story takes place pays off in the sequel. The pacing is much faster throughout this entire book, with far more action for all of the characters. Although the pace moves swiftly, it doesn't overshadow the necessary character growth. And each character does grow, though we see more of it in the trio than in the lone member of the fabled quartet, but that is simply because more of the story focuses on the actions of the members of the group. I'd imagine we'll see much more from, and about, the last member when all four of the potential saviors are united.

In the first book I had a difficult time really connecting with any of the characters, especially the four "main" members of the cast. This time around they are more fully developed, and as such they are much more appealing. I found myself more engrossed in this book than its predecessor, as both characters and story lines captured my interest in a much more natural way. As they grew I grew to care for, and about, each of them. For the most part they remain true to their nature, with each falling into their appointed role - though those roles aren't as clear to them as they are to the reader. By the end of this book each is much closer to defining their role than they are to being defined by them.

At times there seem to be obvious gaps in the reasoning of the quartet traveling together, even when at least three, if not four, know exactly what to look for or anticipate. All I could assume was those were being used as plot devices to extend the story, but personally I feel the story would have been fine, maybe even better, without drawing out those situations. There were just a few times when I felt as if a part of the plot line was being beaten like a dead horse, and fewer mentions of the same thing would have served better. But I can't explain that any better without going into spoiler territory, and that is a land even I fear to tread!

Given the rate with which the story moves along in this sequel, my guess is this series is destined to be a trilogy. Unless there is a massive change in the plot, I can't see how this would move past a trilogy. However I could see it spawning a spin-off from the original trilogy, now that the heavy world building is done. While a solid sequel, the characters have yet to truly capture my heart, and therefore my interest, in their ultimate outcome. As much progress as this book made with character development, I'm still not sure if it will be enough for me to actively seek out the final book in the series (still assuming this will be a trilogy).