Karou has fled after finding out what
happened to Brimstone and her chimaera family. Betrayed by Akiva, she takes refuge in the
desert and joins the chimaera revenants as their resurrectionist. She uses the portals to
slip between the human world and Eretz, buying supplies for the revenants and gathering
teeth for her work. Watched closely by Thiago, the general of the chimaera revenants, her
skin crawls whenever hes near as he was the one to order Madrigals execution.
Shes viewed as a traitor by most of the soldiers, for loving an angel when she was
Madrigal.
Akiva is reunited with Liraz and Hazeal, after choosing Karou over them in
Daughter of Smoke and Bone. They find they all want the senseless killing
between the seraph and chimaera to stop and try to figure out a way to do it. Meanwhile
someone is slaughtering the seraph, and using their bodies to send a message. In the
subplot Zuzana finally figures out from Karous cryptic emails where she is, and with
Mik sets off to find her. They succeed and stay with the chimaera in order to help Karou
with her work.
I really enjoyed this book, a lot more than the first which I found slow.
Now I can see it was a lot of world building and setting the scene. The plot was tightly
woven and there was quite a bit of action going on, with the fighting between the beasts
and the angels. The political manuvering was well thought out, with lots of little twists
I didnt see coming. Karou is a bit too meek and accepting of being treated like dirt
by Thiago I thought. I also felt sorry for Akiva and wished shed give him a bit of
forgiveness.
I recommend you read the first book before this one to get the full
backstory, though you can dive right in. The twist at the end was brilliant, though
unexpected, and it seems so right for the story. Im eagerly awaiting the final book
in this trilogy, especially after the last lines - Tomorrow they start the apocalypse.
Tonight, they let themselves look at each other, just for a little while.
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