Set two years following the events of The Stone Knife it follows Xessa, Lilla, Tayan and Enet. Xessa has been put in the fighting pits, Lilla into training as a slave fighter, Tayan as a slave and Enet seeks to become the singer.

War is on the precipice as the song becomes unhinged. Uprising is inevitable when the suppressed are trodden into the dirt and told they are less than the Pechaqueh.

‘The Pechaqueh had sown this crop in arrogance and over-confidence. Now it was time they harvested their bloody fruit.’

The character development in this book is epic. The book is so intense I swear I couldn’t take a full breath. Every chapter had me hooked. I read it in days. There was goosebumps, tears, shock. The battle scenes were long and brutal and grim. I loved it. I think this book does not get the hype it absolutely deserves!

‘War makes monsters of us all.’

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic follow up! I think Jaguar Path upped the ante from book one. I do think the middle was a bit too slow but it's probably setting up for the finale! I enjoy Stephens' prose quite a bit.

The absolute strength in this book is twofold: the characters and the unpredictability that comes along with it!

I loved the world building that seems inspired by Aztec society, and the deep ideas behind it.

The prose is smooth, easy to fall into, with some really nice turns of phrase that had me back track to really appreciate them.

I actually can't point to anything I did not like, outside of it being over...

This book, the second in the Songs of the Drowned series was everything I hoped for and more. I shouted at this novel multiple times when the rich characters drove me to emotional outbursts. I absolutely cannot wait for the next instalment!

Sexy, action-packed and heart-rending! Dark, magical and exciting.

Get this into your eyeballs / earholes immediately!

DNF, I really didn’t like the first book but tried to give this one a shot and just could not connect to the characters.

"Jaguar Path" by Anna Stephens is a fantasy novel that creates an interesting world, inspired by Mesoamerican cultures, and provides a unique backdrop for the characters' journey. While the pacing and world-building could be improved, the book explores themes of grief and transformation that add depth and intrigue to the story. The writing style is descriptive, evocative, and at times poetic, creating vivid images and a sense of atmosphere. The characters, while not fully developed, have distinct personalities and motivations that keep the reader invested in their journey. Despite some flaws, "Jaguar Path" is a worthwhile read for fans of the fantasy genre, as it offers an immersive and imaginative world, with themes that resonate beyond the page.

The Stone Knife was amazing and this sequel is no different. Anna Stephens knocks it out of the park.

Not only is the story, world building and characters are amazing but I love her writing style.

Everyone needs to read these books!

I really enjoyed the first book in the Empire Of Songs trilogy, though noted quite how grim the scenario was. This is a Mesoamerican inspired fantasy, though there is a slab of magic, gods, and creatures transformed from humans which makes it very much its own thing beyond some spelling conventions and a light smattering of references. What I found a little daunting embarking on book two was the sheer number of characters and storylines to check in with. I had remembered the broad sweep of the first book and that our plucky independent tribe and warriors had been cheated and overcome by the evil empire, with its bloodthirsty song mage who can at a low-level influence and enslave the whole nation.

It did take a while to get up to speed, and what was interesting was the more villainous characters connected first. The power behind the throne who wants to seize power for herself, yes she I remembered. The mute gladiator slowly came to me too (particularly when she mentioned her dog). But a few others took a while to coalesce, not least because now enslaved their situation was very different. As mentioned, the first book ends on a massive downer - well let me tell you Stephens double downers here - the last third of this book being really quite jaw-dropping in its reversals of certain characters stories, how it messes with what felt like the natural flow of the book and creates even greater stakes for the final book. I had to stop a few times just because it was upsetting how the goal is in sight and then snatched away.And considering how breathless the ending is, that's pretty high praise.

There are a lot of ideas pinging around in this trilogy, though it is happy to revisit some classics about how power corrupts. Its central motif, which I haven't seen dealt with an awful lot, is looking at the workings and decline of a slave state, where you have generations of slaves, or even non-citizens, instrumental in running the military and other levers of state. Some of the twists in the narrative here make complete when you consider how this state runs, and despite the obvious influences in its setting there are also hints like the decline of Rome in there. This is the second book of a trilogy (though I wasn't sure of that when it ended and was quite taken aback that it could end like this!), and its often tricky to make them feel important. This is the best second book of a trilogy I have read in a long time, it takes the desperate straits of book one, develops the world and the characters, and leaves us in an even more desperate situation. Along the way Stephens has been willing to be ruthless with her cast, discarding some of her best characters because the story demands it. I am looking forward to the last volume, and cannot say I expect anything that looks like a happy ending.

The Jaguar Path by Anna Stephens is the sequel to The Stone Knife and book two in the epic fantasy trilogy: The Songs of the Drowned.

Stephens has created a breathtakingly immersive world full of rich, brutal and determined characters. Experiencing the cruelty of empire through different eyes was, at times, heart-breaking and frustrating. You can't help but become invested in this cleverly crafted cast of morally ambiguous characters.

The Jaguar Path is definitely slower in pace than book one and a lot dark and gritter. It's very characters driven which I appreciated. Providing depth to much loved characters as well as propelling their stories towards one ultimate conclusion. Prepare to lose yourself in this legendary tale as well as having your heart ripped out... repeatedly.

I knew this was the second book in a series but the world described in the blurb reminded me of the ancient Maya reigns and I read a lot of good reviews.
It wasn't easy at the beginnning but it was worth the effort as it's a well plotted, gripping and brilliant story.
Storytelling, characters, and world building creates an excellent reading experience that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Can't wait to read the next book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

The Songs of the Drowned is back, with even more politicking, backstabbing, and a heavy dash of sex. In this heart-pounding sequel, Stephens continues her blood-soaked thesis on colonisation; simmering its conflict and politics inside a pressure cooker of fear, guilt, paranoia, and claustrophobia to examine its horrible toll on the human psyche.

Even as one has been violently ripped from loved ones, faith, and culture, life finds a way. The question is, how? People bend, people fight, and people break. People change. The Jaguar Path goes a myriad of ways, and there is no right way in the world of Ixachipan. The second book, already a masterful demonstration of Stephens' grimdark craft at its peak, changes the game entirely and aptly sets the stage for an even wilder and more explosive final book.

P.S. This is also by far Stephens' *horniest* book. Trust me, the sexual tension is OFF THE CHARTS.

Anna Stephens is back with the next installment in her brilliant Songs of the Drowned series and we pick up with our main characters two years after the events of The Stone Knife – Lilla is a slave warrior, training to be part of the biggest and most ruthless army the world has ever known. He secretly hopes to spark a rebellion amongst his fellow slaves, but how can they overcome the might of the Empire? Xessa is a slave in the fighting pits, tasked with providing entertainment to those she despises, she knows she will never get out alive, but can she help her fellow Tokob survive long enough to claim freedom? Tayan is stuck in the heart of the Empire, surrounded by the most ruthless and power hungry people, but the Singer’s magic speaks to him in a way no one thought possible – can he survive long enough to understand how to wield it? Meanwhile, on the other side of the conflict, Pilos and Enet are at each other’s throats, each one determined to outwit the other.

Anna Stephens is one of my favourite authors so this book was one of my most anticipated releases for 2023. It has all the things that I love about her books – incredible world building, an intriguing plot with some surprises I didn’t see coming, and brilliant, complex characters you can’t help but become attached to. Despite the book being over 600 pages I raced through this and I am already desperate for more. Stephens has created such an interesting world in this series. The magic is so fascinating and I loved learning more about the song and the world as the story progressed.

I would say that this is a bit more on the slower paced side compared to The Stone Knife, but if anything that gives the reader the chance to become even more attached to the characters. It was fascinating to see how things changed for the characters compared to book one and there was so much growth and evolution for them. I absolutely adore Xessa (and Ossa), she is one of my favourite characters and I am terrified of how things might go for her in book three. All of the POV characters are really fascinating and I really liked Enet’s chapters as she’s so ruthless and determined to make all her plans come to fruition.

Just like The Stone Knife, The Jaguar Path is dark, gritty and has more than a few gruesome moments. Stephens does a brilliant job writing dynamic fighting scenes, with moments that practically leap off the page. I enjoyed every second of this book and I cannot wait to see how the story ends.

How do you match the brilliance of "The Stone Knife"? Can any follow up do it justice? Anna Stephens lobs us another gem in "The Jaguar Path" that fully lives up to the expectations planted in the first book. I love this book for the same reasons...and maybe a few more. Characters, plot, setting - it all just feels so solid, so real! And, of course, there's awesome writing!!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

The Jaguar Path picks up two years after the events of The Stone Knife, and now the evil song empire of the Pechacueh reigns supreme,.dominating, eradicating and engulfing the land of Ixachipan.

Meanwhile, the heroes of the last book, Lilla, Tayan and Xessa find themselves broken and scattered. Each of them given new roles within the Empire of Song.

Lilla is forced to fight for the people that destroyed the Tokoban Empire and finds himself enslaved to the Melody.

Tayan is a house slave in a cruel twist of fate.

Xessa is now a trained fighter, despised for her god killing ways and yet in equal measures the ultimate entertainment for the crowds of The Singing City, endentured to Pilos, the disgraced High Feather that led the assault on Sky City.

There are no two ways about it, The Jaguar Path is amazing and I think the only way that another book would knock this book from its lofty position of best book of the year, it is going to have to be utterly and completely mind-blowing.

In The Jaguar Path we follow our heroes following the devastating ending of The Stone Knife and it continues the sweepingly epic tale of The Songs of The Drowned. Anna Stephens intricately plots this story and blindsides you at every turn.

Each of the characters has their own individual arcs in the story, and I loved following each of the different strands of each character. I was utterly gripped by the separate elements of the story, There were some that I liked more than others, and I must say that I was getting a little exasperated at times with Lilla's arc, but that goes to show how invested I was in the book. However, much like the rest of the book I had no idea where each of different points of view was going or what was going to happen and there were many twists and turns that bring a differing perspectives to each of the characters.

As usual, the world building is second to none and we get to see more of Singing City, as it gets fleshed out to be a living, breathing entity.

What I like about The Jaguar Path is that Anna Stephens manages to make the book an individual story but continues the overall ark of the main story.

Ok! I have tried to do a measured review where I get all the points across that you are supposed to put in a review, but let's just get right down to it - this book is friggin awesome! I loved The Stone Knife and didn't know how it could be topped, but The Jaguar Path actually bleedin beats it. It's like Anna Stephens just went 'hmm, how can I top The Stone Knife?' and then she went 'I know, let's just rip everyone's heart out and this time it's gunna hurt!'

If you haven't read this series then you need to get on it and start reading it coz it's ace!

I had to take a bit of time to decide what I was going to rate The Jaguar Path. It’s one of those books I just had to let sit and stew for a couple of days before I could write a review and, ultimately, I decided it did deserve five stars. For me anyway.

The reason was that, for quite a lot of the book, not a great deal happens in terms of pushing the plot forward but, on the other hand, it was exceptional for character development. The story skips ahead two years from the ending of the first book, meaning the characters are all firmly entrenched in their new circumstances. Lilla is being forced to be trained as a soldier, Xessa is being forced to fight in the pits and Tayan is at the heart of it all with The Singer. As the story progresses, we get a lot more insight into who the characters are and how they are surviving and I really liked that development. Every character is doing what they need to do to stay alive (although Xessa is also trying to do what she can to get herself killed on occasion as well) and, sometimes, certain characters certainly make some choices. Not saying if they are good or bad ones but they are definitely choices. Especially Tayan. Especially at the end.

The ending is a very strong one. It all kicks off in the last third of the book as the story races to its conclusion and it very definitely sets up the next book in a big way. The end made my jaw drop and I am now wondering how the characters are going to get back from that moment. It was very well written.

If you’re into a quick moving plot with lots of action, then The Jaguar Path may disappoint you, however, the characters are all excellently realised and I feel that makes up for the slow plot. I also love the worldbuilding Stephens has done for the series and the magic system is very interesting. I am looking forward to seeing how the story ends even though, going from her previous trilogy, it’s probably going to be a little bit heart breaking.

The Jaguar Path
By Anna Stephens
Published by HarperVoyager on 16 Feb 2023

The Empire of Songs reigns supreme.
Across all the lands of Ixachipan, its hypnotic, magical music sounds. Those who battled against the Empire have been enslaved and dispersed, taken far from their friends and their homes.
In the Singing City, Xessa must fight for the entertainment of her captors. Lilla and thousands of warriors are trained to serve as weapons for their enemies. And Tayan is trapped at the heart of the Empire’s power and magic, where the ruthless Enet’s ambition is ever growing.
Each of them harbours a secret hope, waiting for a chance to strike at the Empire from within.
But first they must overcome their own desires. Power can seduce as well as crush. And, in exchange for their loyalty, the Empire promises much.




Short Version: Yay! Wait, what? No!? Noooooo… Incoherent random words is all I was capable of for a good 48 hours after reading this emotionally devastating book. Amazing.

Long Version:

I think I figured out how Anna’s brain works.. Basically they are all “so you’re comfortable with who is who and what is what?” *flips this a bit, flaps that a bit, gives this character over here a twist, throws in a couple on devastating one liners* “how about now?” *sees readers cowering on the floor in complete emotional overload and skips away grinning*.

Anna’s ability to set readers up and then totally blindside them with twists that are so perfect and should have been so bloody obvious, is unparalleled. It doesn’t matter how good you are at spotting twists or even that you know a twist is coming you will not see it and this is glorious for a reader.

Plot: Intricate and twisty but never gets too complicated, a really skillful balancing act done well.

Characters: I’m resisting the urge to just type random words here because Anna’s characters are just so … magnificent. Every single character is three dimensional, nuanced and interesting. You will be invested in all of them, even (especially) the ones you don’t like. The dialogue and interactions never feel forced and flow quite naturally.

Settings: The settings and locations are important to the base story and are used skillfully to add accents to bits of plot and character development.

Prose: Really nicely written throughout, never gets jarring or takes you out of the story.

Pace: Perfectly paced, not a single missed beat in the book.

Ending: The ending is so good, it left me in a stunned silence for a good few hours after finishing. I am very much looking forward to book three.



Who Would Love This: Robin Hobb fans need to be reading Anna Stephens - the emotional impact is of a similar quality. Anyone who likes their fantasy a bit on the darker side with characters who live in the grey.

I absolutely loved the stone knife so reading the second book in this trilogy was a must!

I did struggle with it but I just think that I wasn’t really in the mood to read this sort of fantasy when I picked it up as it is a unique world and setting so maybe this will offer insight to those who are wanting to read this series!

It’s action packed and the magic system is really cool so I’d definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys adult fantasy!

Truly top-tier fantasy. Fantasy fans, this series is unique and unlike anything I have read before. This series as a whole is not to be missed and I cannot wait for the concluding volume.