I really enjoyed this sequel - there were new characters, creatures and entities introduced and I loved them all.
It was a really easy world to fall back into so I didn't need to re-read the first book - looking forward to the next!

This author is a genius at writing books that are unique and utterly unputdownable! It's perfect for fans of Harry Potter, The Spooks series and Percy Jackson. I cannot wait to see what else this author writes

This was a real step up in quality for me, which was a pleasant surprise. It tells the continuing tale of Lannigon and Astrid as they hunt down monsters and try to prevent Kelewulf from achieving his goals. The world has expanded a great deal in this second installment and there was a maturity to the writing that I felt was a little lacking in the first book. Lann has been crafted with more depth here, which is great to see and his nemesis is a far more nuanced individual in this book, which makes for a far more interesting conflict. I really enjoyed the plot here, which moved around the expanded world really well and made the best use of the characters. Overall, I thought this second book was far superior to its predecessor and will now be eagerly awaiting the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dark Blade, and have been looking forward to this one ever since. It didn't disappoint. This is a wonderfully imagined fantasy adventure with excellent characters. I loved the world Feasey has created, it feels very much like a decent amount of thought has gone into it. I also feel he does a really good job of character development, particularly with the leads, they come across convincingly and I liked their interactions a lot. Overall it's an above average fantasy for younger teens, younger confident readers should also enjoy this one.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first book in this series last year and really enjoyed it, so I was delighted to receive an ARC of this book and got to it as soon as I could. In a lot of ways, the books in this series have a very classical fantasy feel about them (which is just fine by me because I love that!) There's the farm boy who has to leave his village and go on a quest, a magical sword, plenty of politics and scheming, appearances from the gods (some of which are more of a hinderance than a help), dark magic and monsters.

However, this series also has several things that make it feel fresh and not just the same story being told all over again. The main character actually has several 'unherolike' weaknesses, he's not great at politicing or public speaking and without his sword, he's a long way from being an unbeatable champion. The better fighter by far is Astrid, (a Princess-turned-Shield-Maiden) who's skilled with a sword, dagger and bow and arrow. Plenty of characters and races also have well-thought out back stories and world building, so it's definitely not a clear cut fight of good against evil.

This sequel begins soon after the end of the first book and we get to see how the characters are dealing with the aftermath of those events. This time we are introduced to more of the world and visit lands outside the Six Kingdoms. The different viewpoints were handled well and I felt genuinely interested in the storyline for each of the POV characters (though I definitely have a favourite and I've got my fingers crossed that their story ends well). There were some clever questions raised about whether the ends justify the means and just how far you can go using this reasoning - in my opinion, they went too far! This book builds well on the action the first book, the various plots weave together brilliantly and the ending leaves you wondering what is going to happen next.

I particularly like the way the romance is handled in these books. Too many YA books either have instalove romances or, for me, go way beyond the content that I would be happy to recommend to a 12/13 year old! In this book, we see a genuine growth from friendship and attraction to the beginnings of a relationship. All with content suitable for younger YA and without getting in the way of the main plot.

I would recommend this book (obviously after reading book 1!) to readers aged 12+ who enjoy fantasy or are interested in getting into the genre. People who have enjoyed the Wereworld series, Inheritance Cycle (Eragon) and Abhorsen Series (Sabriel) will also like this.

Content warning: there is a rather gruesome death near the end of the book. It is not shown 'on screen' but it is discussed and what is left of the 'body' is seen afterwards.