We Lie With Death by Devin Madson

The Blurb:

There is no calm after the storm. In Kisia’s conquered north, former empress Miko Ts’ai is more determined than ever to save her empire. Yet, as her hunt for allies grows increasingly desperate, she may learn too late that power lies not in names but in people.

Dishiva e’Jaroven is fiercely loyal to the new Levanti emperor. Only he can lead them, but his next choice will challenge everything she wants to believe about her people’s future.

Abandoned by his Second Swords, Rah e’Torin must learn to survive without a herd. But honor dictates he bring his warriors home-a path that could be his salvation or lead to his destruction.

And sold to the Witchdoctor, Cassandra Marius’ desperate search for a cure ties her fate inextricably to Empress Hana and her true nature could condemn them both.

The Review:

I have been waiting so long to talk about this book. So long. I was lucky enough to receive a review copy shortly before its destined-to-be-cancelled self-published release. That was back in early 2019. A decade ago. Back in the good times. Pre-everything.

But, y’know, it’s a mark of a good book that We Lie With Death has stuck with me for that long. I have been dying to dive back into this world. The traditionally-published release of We Ride the Storm gave one of my favourite ever self-published books some minor touch-ups that elevated it to the next level. We Lie With Death, in my opinion, takes it a step further.

For me, the best sequels are those books that take what made the first book work and then build on those foundations. Those that dance with what brought them to the party, but with a few extra flourishes. That’s what We Lie With Death is. It’s a direct continuation of everything I loved about We Ride the Storm, but with more story, more context, and with bigger and clearer stakes.

Whereas it took me a few revolutions of the POV characters in We Ride the Storm to fully immerse myself, this time around I was able to dive right in. Dishiva is added as a fourth perspective, and I loved that we were able to see her heal from the events in the first book without giving them too much power over her. Cassandra, Miko, and Rah all return, and we finally get to see some interaction between them as Miko and Rah share some page time. These two have some serious chemistry, despite the cultural and language barriers, which bodes very well for other POV interactions down the road. (I’m so excited!)

But, unfortunately, Rah’s sweet bisexual heart is spoken for. Sorry Miko. (Devin, I will do whatever it takes to bribe you to make the correct decision here.)

I will admit that Cassandra was by far my favourite character from We Ride the Storm, but I thought the cast as a whole really came into their own in this book, so it’s hard to pick a favourite. Rah especially gains a certain presence, and it’d be a crime if I neglected to mention Leo Villius, who I think has grown into one of the most sinister and menacing characters in fantasy. (But always with a smile.) As for Miko, well… let’s just say I would hate to be in her shoes.

I maintain that Devin Madson’s books aren’t as dark as some others, but I can’t deny that they go to some very dark places. I’ve recently started to keep a “death count” for the stories I’ve read this year, and We Lie With Death currently makes up… quite a large percentage of that. Funny that, when it has such an innocent title. But I suppose sometimes people have to die to keep the plot moving (and wow does it move).

I loved that Madson treated us to more drip-fed information about how her world works. The magic system, though mostly kept in the background and never obtrusive, is truly fascinating. And a little bit creepy. There’s a certain witch doctor character that readers of book 1 might be familiar with, and honestly… I need all the information I can get on this guy. I would give anything for just a single chapter from inside his head. The things that this guy knows! Think Varys from A Song of Ice and Fire, but instead of political secrets, it’s magic.

If you were a fan of We Ride the Storm, then you’ll want to pick this one up as soon as you can. Storm might have been one of the best self-published books I’ve ever read, but I think the Reborn Empire series as a whole is turning into one of the best ongoing series in the fantasy genre.

Have I mentioned how long I’ve been waiting for book 3? Not much longer to go, right?

…right?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to Orbit UK for the review copy!

Buy We Lie With Death at: Amazon UK / Amazon US / Bookshop.org / Waterstones