The spiral to madness begins with a single push.
Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien’s quest takes a turn for the worst as she stumbles upon a plot deeper and more sinister than she could have ever imagined, one that will displace her king and see her son dead. The road home beckons, strewn with a tangled web of deceit and impossible horrors that unearth the nation’s true troubles – creatures from the dark, mad dragons, and men with hearts hungry for power.
To save her land, Talyien must confront the myth others have built around her: Warlord Yeshin’s daughter, symbol of peace, warrior and queen, and everything she could never be.
The price of failure is steep. Her friends are few. And a nation carved by a murderer can only be destined for war.
(CW: violence) // Assume spoilers for Wolf of Oren-Yaro.
I mean, how do you even review this book coherently? I read the self-published version a few years ago and loved it. I recently read the traditionally published version and
absolutely loved it. surprised_pikachu.gif
The Ikessar Falcon picks up where Oren-Yaro left off. Cause, you know, that’s what sequels do (or so I’ve been told). For the most part, everything that was amazing about book 1 still holds true here. The characters from the major to minor are all incredibly alive. We see even more sides of characters like Tali, Ray, Agos, and Khine — as well as their messy, tangled relations with other people and each other. In my eyes, each of them discovered things about themselves and others they didn’t know before. For example, Tali learns that she’s probably one of the worst actresses out there. But that doesn’t matter if she can beat up or politic around the guard she’s trying to get past.
Where the first book had Tali in strange lands that were all but foreign to her, book 2 brings her closer to home and familiarity. Except not. Turns out Tali doesn’t actually know her kingdom that well, as she’s quick to discover. You know, just your average “Oh I didn’t know about this” stuff. Like dragons long thought to be dead. Or neighbors who are actually possessed shapeshifters. You know, the usual.
The Ikessar Falcon does a fantastic job at keeping the pace and excitement of the first book. There’s a lot of nuanced discussion to be had regarding privilege, such as how distance from or ignorance of an issue doesn’t mean it’s not there. We see Tali’s worldview practically shatter, but we also see her not making excuses for herself. She didn’t know what her lands were really like, but now she does.
Overall, this is definitely one to be excited about.
(I received a copy of the book from the publisher but also purchased an audio copy myself.)
Here is my review of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro. Click here to read Tam’s original review of the self-published version of The Ikessar Falcon.
