This is a placeholder review - I loved Legacy of Ash and requested this book before I've even read the first one. Unfortunately I left too long between reading Legacy of Ash and Legacy of Steel that I found I had forgotten a lot of what had happened.

While I was enjoying book 2, I think I need to go back and re-read book 1 and work through the series again so I will update the review once I've done my re-read

After 2019’s fantastic Legacy of Ash, Matthew Ward’s epic Legacy Trilogy continues with Legacy of Steel, another hefty volume packed full of conflicted characters, dangerous power struggles and gripping fantasy action. Set a year or so after the events of book one, it’s very much a story of consequences, as the Tressian council tries to recover its power and influence while shadows loom both within and without the Republic. The sinister power of the Crowmarket waxes in the city of Tressia, while the Hadari Empire – now united by Kai Saran and his daughter, Melanna – prepares for war in the name of the goddess Ashana. The influence of the gods is rising, while the Republic’s greatest hero, Viktor Akadra, is nowhere to be seen.

Legacy of Ash was a rare trilogy opener that wrapped things up nicely as a powerful story in its own right, although it’s hard to imagine many readers not wanting to know what happens next. In a sense, Legacy of Steel delivers more of the same, only on an even grander scale with higher stakes, a bigger cast, more magic and more drama. All the major events and decisions in book one have tangible costs in this volume, with familiar names like Melanna, Josiri, Rosa, Sevaka, Malachi and Viktor all dealing in their own ways with what went before, and none of them having it easy. Once again, this is a power struggle on multiple planes, both political and military, but as the already-large cast grows further with newly introduced politicians and warriors, it also sees a variety of divinities step onto the ephemeral plane and take sides in the growing conflict. Of course, gods have their own motivations and goals, so even as the mortal characters’ secrets and justifications gradually become clear, so too do the gods’.

This is perhaps more of an outright war story than its predecessor, with Melanna in particular thrown quickly into one fierce, brutal conflict after another. It’s remarkably bloody in places and is sure to please fantasy fans who enjoy their battle scenes. At the same time, though, it’s also a deeper exploration of the world of Aradane, it’s magic and its history. The world is really coming to life, as Ward explores more of the Hadari Empire, the Tressian Republic and even Thrakkia – and not just their gods but their cities and power structures too. More than that, though, there’s a sense of magic coming to the fore – while the hints of magic shown in Legacy of Ash were one of its highlights, here it’s increasingly interesting to get to know a pantheon of gods (and their powers) that’s shared across different nations, with the Tressians and the Hadari each having their own interpretations of essentially the same divinities.

This is another big, chunky book with a still-growing cast to keep track of, but its length is once again belied by its clever plotting, great world-building and addictive readability, and the whole thing feels like a natural, satisfying progression from book one. While it has its own satisfying arc, it’s a little less of a standalone story this time, delivering some answers as to what happened after Legacy of Ash while posing as many new questions, but it works as an excellent ‘middle novel’ delivering plenty to think about and lots to look forward to in Legacy of Light. In this case, more of the same is a very good thing, when the characters are so well realised and engaging, the world so interesting, and the overall drama so compelling – and getting to know these characters, settings, and themes better proves to be deeply enjoyable. If it doesn’t quite have the full wow factor of the first book, given that the characters and world are all now well established. Instead, it goes deeper and darker and proves to be a rewarding story that only reinforces quite how good this series is.

Legacy of Steel took all of the beautiful writing and vividly realised descriptions of its predecessor, Legacy of Ash, and somehow improved upon them, to create a complex but brilliant second instalment to this trilogy. This book honestly had it all - a richly imagined history and mythology, a world where gods walk among men and attempt to determine the fate of nations, and strong, complicated, sometimes difficult characters with very real motivations and goals. It also included some moments of brilliantly written horror - I am not a horror fan at all, so maybe the Raven and Jack spooked me more than they ought to have, but I was enjoying the book to the extent that I didn't even mind... much. I eagerly await the final installment of this trilogy, and wonder what the gods have in store for this world next.

4.75 Stars

Synopsis: The Dark was defeated, or so it seems, Viktor has disappeared, Malachi is the Crowmarket’s puppet and Josiri has to fight the Council at every turn. If internal battles weren’t enough, the the upcoming war is. Tressia face another wave of Hadari threat, and this time the Gods and Goddesses have chosen sides. The Gods are playing war and Tressia is caught in the crossfire – can Tressia be saved yet again?

CW/TW: violence/death/gore/murder/grief/ others associated with epic fantasy may be present.

Spoiler Warning: This review may contain spoilers for book 1 in the Legacy Trilogy. Book 1 review:Book Review: Legacy Of Ash (Legacy Trilogy #1), by Matthew Ward.

Another belated review- I know *Sighh* BUT I finally read this AMAZING sequel and yes finally a review to follow!

So Book 1 in the series introduced us to an EPIC wold with a broad scope, rich history, and complex system of magic and Gods/Goddesses and I did not think the scope could go any further but Book 2 came along and blew it out of the water! We get more scope, more history, more magic and more mysteries. Everything I loved from book 1 is done as brilliantly here, and somehow we get even more on top of that.

Now this review is going to be rambly and brief because this series is far too easy to spoil but hopefully it gets how awesome I think this book was across.

So, Book 2 focuses on a few things; The Hadari and Melanna’s right to the throne, the Hadari’s war with Tressia, Tressia’s council conflict and the Crowmarket, and finally the God’s and Goddessess meddling – in between these larger issues we also have characters personal issues and obstacles that we see faced.

Firstly, Matthew Ward’s writing is as brilliant as it was in book 1. This is a chunky and dense read but the prose is easy to handle due to the mix of extraordinary descriptions, key details, emotional conversations and witty dialogue. The multiple POVs and extensive cast of characters keeps the book flowing at a good pace, and gives a great insight into every aspect of the story both from the Hadari’s view and the Tressian’s view. Ward weaves an intricate, unique and epic tale with a broad scope imbued with incredible depth.

Secondly, the plot is phenomenal yet again. Book 2 continues where book 1 left off and takes us on a WILD ride! I loved how each plot thread came together to create a wider web, a complex story. There are multiple plots running through that all come together but at the center is the Crowmarket and the Deities of this fantastic world. Book 1 ends with Viktor wiping out Malatriant, the Darkness threatening Tressia, but he takes a little of it into himself and disappears in fear of what he’ll become if it is used. Book 2 again sees the Dark as a threat, the Hadari going to war with Tressia in an attempt to free them of it – this also opens us up to Viktor’s personal struggle with his power, which is heartbreaking to watch. The war between Tressia and the Hadari is brutal – full of epic fight scenes, shifting beliefs and loyalties and will keep you on your toes and rushing through the pages. At the forefront of the war we get Rosa and Sevaka, a brilliant and deadly pairing, and watching them navigate the war, along with their new found statuses (Psanneque and the Reaper) – their part of the story is full of twists, is gut-wrenching and brutal from start to finish.

Alongside the Hadari war, we have Josiri, again protecting and fighting for his people but this time he has power and allies in Tressia and isn’t seen solely as an outcast. His people are going missing, and Josiri blames the Crowmarket. Watching him attempt to navigate the through the Council to save his people was thrilling, Ebigail may be gone but the council is just as tricky to navigate as ever before, espeially with Malachi under the Crowmarkets thumb. Josiri is bolder and more impulsive in this installment and it was incredible to see, watching him do everything he can to save his people, and even the Republic was dynamic and engaging. Josiri may be playing with tricky politics, but Malachi is dealing with death. Malachi, as First Councillor, is in a battle of his own, attempting to appease the Crowmarket but also rein them in. Watching him navigate this deadly tangle of loyalties added tension and suspense to the story – especially with Apara being the messenger and leashed by Viktor. I loved the political side of this book, as I did with book 1, and loved how the Crowmarket tied into the wider story of war.

The next key part of the story is the Gods/Goddesses involvement. This had to be my absolute favourite part of the plot because how often do we get a fantasy series where the Gods/Goddesses actually take part in the wars of humans? Not very often! So what happens when the Gods/Goddesses play war with humans? Well, this book is what. Firstly, the deities in this book are on another level, they are flawed and make mistakes, the are cruel and selfish, and they make binding deals that cause absolute chaos – and I loved it because chaotic Gods are the best!

Ashana, Jack, and The Raven are the three key Gods/Goddess we get to see in this war. Ashana, of course falling into place by Melanna, is crucial to this element of the story and is incredibly complex – a fascinating character that I don’t know whether to love or hate. She initially aids the Hadari, but her loyalties are with Melanna. Jack, I won’t say how he comes into play but, he is honestly the embodiment of chaos and I hated him but I also loved him because of his chaos. Jack, his story and his minions were really interesting, horrifying and comical – his bickering with the Raven had me chuckling. His introduction added a whole new layer to the story. Finally, my personal favourite, The Raven! The Raven, who never gets involved, chooses his side in the war for his Pale Queen – I loved this twisty storyline, the Raven is witty, sharp and complex – but beneath it all seems to be something more, something genuine and I loved watching his character in this book. The Raven is, by far, the most alluring of all the Gods/Goddesses in the book, and one I love! It was interesting seeing the God’s choose their sides in the war, we also get a glimpse into some other Gods/Goddesses as well as into a prophecy which – if it were to pass- would have drastic consequences for all characters deity or not. this added more to the history, lore and fabric of the world, and opens up a lot of possibilities for book 3!

From Melanna trying to prove herself worthy to be heir and Empress, to Apara’s internal struggles with the changing ways of the Crowmarket, to the Gods chaotic war, every element of this story, of the plot fell together perfectly aiding by the narrative and multiple POV’s creating one brilliantly epic story.

Every character goes through their own brilliant arc over the course of the story, developing in skill, power, personality and fighting their own demons. It was excellent watching these characters we had grown to love in Book 1 grow into themselves more and challenge previous traditions, as well as break the boundaries of who they are. Every single one of them goes through extraordinary changes and makes them more real, complex and flawed. – I love the cast of characters and cannot wait to see what happens with them next. Also, I love the character diversity, have to shout it out, we have disabled (and capable!) and LGBTQ+ characters naturally woven into the story and narrative which I highly appreciated.

Not only do we get incredibly character development we also get risks! This is a war, and war means loss – now while the risks could be more brutal they do exists and characters are not necessarily safe simply because they appear multiple times. We get loss and grief and it adds a lot to the story, and even those who may survive, perhaps do not actually do so, or at least they do not tend to do so without a cost – I really liked this. Have to shout out these three characters – Kurkas, oh how I love this witty man who calls the Serathi ‘plant pot’. Kurkas is one of those characters who you cannot help but adore, he is clever, kind and sarcastic, and his dialogue was always entertaining. Ana, has to be given recognition because this sassy, witty Serathi is hands down brilliant. I honestly love her, flaws and all, and her development was some of the best in the book. Sidara, a character to keep your eye on because she seriously comes into her own in this book. I loved how her character was explored in this book and I will be keeping my eye on her in book 3!

Now we have had wars, the Dark, the Gods themselves causing chaos, and yet Book 2 ends with big promises for book 3. Big changes seem to be coming, the ending of Book 2 sets up for something interesting, and also leaves Ana and Josiri with some newfound responsibilities. I cannot wait to see what happens in Book 3!

Honestly I could go on and write an essay about this book, there is just so much to it! But I will leave it here for now because spoilers. Ward truly breaks the fantasy barriers with this series, he has created something epic and phenomenal.

Overall Legacy Of Steel was just as epic as Legacy Of Ash, delivering on the epic platform book 1 created, and acting as the perfect sequel filled with twists, turns, and chaos.

I would highly recommend this to those who loved book 1, those who adore epic fantasy, and anyone who loves chaotic, bickering Gods/Goddesses!

*I received an eARC from #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – thank you!!*

Rating: 4.5

Reading one of my most anticipated releases of the year while in a reading slump wasn't easy but I thoroughly enjoyed this book anyway.

Usually I'd probably write a longer review but right now I just don't feel like it.

I loved it. The stakes were much higher, there was more magical and godly interference and I absolutely loved that! Gods meddling in mortal affairs is one of my favourite things to read about.

I just... Loved it.

Even though I couldn't care less about Melanna and Apara, I came to enjoy their parts bc they play crucial roles in the story but I enjoyed the most was the others' parts.

Rosa, Viktor, Josiri, Malachi, they are my guys.

I know the comparison isn't fair but Viktor gives me major Kaladin vibes especially in the middle of LoS. He's grown a lot, he's been through so much and maybe we are now seeing a different side of him.

Josiri's development from book one to the end of book 2 is so, so big, I love it. It's probably one of the best character arcs and he and Anastacia are just amazing.

Rosa surprised me in this one. She also developed, I loved reading about her and the challenged she faced, and after all the pain she went through, choosing what she did requires so much strength. I loved it.

Malachi has always been one of my favourite characters just bc of his sense of normalcy around all of these special people. In this book I could truly see and feel his struggles and I could understand him.

Again, I have so many tabs in the book, so many favourite scenes. Matthew Ward's prose is so masterful, his scenes inspire such deep emotion in me...

There's this one scene on page 540 of the hardcover that was so emotional, I loved it! All of the big scenes are so powerful and so emotionally wrecking i Love it!

If you haven't picked up Legacy of Ash and/or Legacy of Steel, what are you waiting for? It's the perfect combination of a traditional epic fantasy story with a modern writing, and diversity, and great characters who would leave you wanting for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for proving me with an eARC.

Legacy of Steel is the stunning, poetic and action-packed sequel to the debut marvel that is Legacy of Ash; forget the thrones of human men, this is a game of divine thrones, interspersed with vibrant, fully-realised battles that Ward brings the reader so close to you can feel the thundering of hooves, hear the cries of war, death and undead. This is how you do a sequel. Don’t leave it to chance. Fill it with an intense plot, bring it to life with beautiful imagery and prose and you’ll have one of Ward’s works – a masterclass in immersion, world-building and the very craft of story-telling.

The returning cast is wide – Malachi, Josiri, Rosa, Viktor, Kurkas, and more, all take their turn as POVs. Still reeling from the events of the last book, they’ve barely been given time to rest before the enemy returns. Then, there’s some new faces, or new POVS, in Sidara and Altaris, giving you a broader spectrum of the fight. All of these POVs, young and old, carry the harrowing message that none are unaffected, untarnished when the war calls. The sheer amount of POVs that are handled well – to an aspiring writer like me – is simply mesmerising. Ward controls all these characters whilst only ever saying enough, at the same time ensuring that enough is beautifully rendered. Of the characters, Sidara (the young Reveque chosen by the Sun) and Josiri were my favourite to watch, to follow. Sidara takes control of her own destiny here, and despite the little that she can do, the extent of her powers, her struggle is known, heard and felt. While Josiri, eclipsed last time by other heroes, the reluctance/inability to do what is needed, truly came into his own. His action only overshadowed by what it accomplished.

In a very brief outline of the plot, the Hadari are back to banish the Dark from the Tressian Republic and the gods are picking sides – now, this condenses some almost 800 pages into a sentence that doesn’t nearly tell the whole tale. One thing I will mention with this one is that it is a slower, winding road to the finish this time. After reading the first book, I often wondered how it would continue and in Steel we see the pieces edge towards eachother. The gathering of gods, the slower movement of players on the board – some having to overcome personal demons before they turn to those in the mist. Sometimes I wanted to dive back into the action, the great magics, to get a feel of fighting Malatriant again. But it is worth the wait.

Again, as with the last book, the true joys of Ward’s writings are twofold: the battle scenes and the dynamic prose. In battle all is a mess but one, here, that is accurately translated onto the page in the beating of hooves, the successful and missed parries, the whistle of arrows, the crunch of bones; the battles are visceral, they are felt not witnessed. The choice of words, sentences, lends itself to experience not to a stage directions and rules. This is war at its finest (cruellest). Camera switching (through POVs on the field) adds to the magic, and lends itself to what are very cinematic battles. Second, the dynamic descriptions, the success of nothing being told and everything being shown. Not only does Ward implant a fully-realised image into your mind but also does it speak to the individual voice of the many, many POV characters.

One of my favourite characters, Viktor, let me down this time; I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t like to spoil. But, having read the end of the first book, we see him in a new light, or Dark. A questionable one. Throughout the book, this is challenged – was he ever a hero? Will he be a hero again? Were the questions that came forefront to my mind. It is a good book that makes you question your favourites and a better book that scrubs away the heavenly light surrounding ‘heroes’ and present them as humans striving to do what they want, ultimately. If you have the power to bring about changes, would those changes suit you, or those around you?

Overall, it was a true joy to get my hands on an early copy of this one – thanks a lot to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with endless hours of enjoyment – and thank you to Matthew Ward who crafts such an intriguing story. To anyone reading this, I’d wholly recommend this book to you, your friend, your parents … heck, it’s almost the holidays. Do them a favour.

This series is huge! I liked the first installment and loved this one.
It's a gripping and highly entertaining story that kept me hooked and made me turn pages as fast as I could.
Great storytelling and world building, excellent character development.
I can't wait to read another book by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Nazia at Orbit Books, Orbit Books, and Orbit Books at Netgalley for providing with me an ARC! All thoughts are mine!

You know the feeling when you feel you’ve accomplished something huge and you have no words to describe it? That’s what I feel. This is an exhaustive, chunking, massive bible so to say. This book is like holding the lore of a new world that you’ve discovered in a library that differs completely from this world. I feel as if I have seen the death of fathers, their betrayals, and their morals becoming compromised. I have seen good men sacrifice themselves for nothing at some point. I felt at the end for Malachi and Kai Saran. Both characters are very similar, both loving their children. But they are compromised by forces that are greater than them. And thus, they get involved in a trap that is sprung by the Gods themselves.

This is as much of a story of the Raven as it is about Jack. Scheming brothers that want to manipulate both sides of this massive world of Tressia that exists. It is an exhaustive compendium written by an author that worked at Games Workshop, and I must applaud Matthew for keeping track of such an enormous world. That is arduous work. Neither are the multiple character sheets, the lore for the world-building, and keeping track of so many characters. This is Raven’s story. I won’t tell you what he is. You’ll figure it out quickly. Malachi’s wife, Lilly, is perhaps a character I felt, without spoiling too much, I needed more from her point of view. Malachi was a very lucky man to have a clever woman at his side because good men rarely prosper until they find someone that understands and protects them. Lilly is very much the essence of this. Sidara, daughter of Malachi and Lilyana, has a powerful role in this book. I won’t say much, but it is fantastic. Ashana, Goddess as she is, it exposes her backstory a lot in this novel which has some very wide-ranging implications. Very wide-ranging ones.

I didn’t see much of Constan’s character in this book, and I would have wanted to see more of him. Something tells me he’ll grow up to be a noble person as his father, but not as naïve either. Jack, as a special person (can’t spoil), was a very odd person. He was a very conflicting character, and I wasn’t too sure about what he got. His motives are, of course, like everyone else to manipulate. In terms of Apara, she matured. There’s an actual sense in this story of maturity. Characters come to confront the fact that their scheming is causing consistent chaos. Kudos on expanding Rosa and Sevaka’s story, although I felt it was a little over the place because there are so many battles in this book one wonders if I’ve stepped into a Total War game and I’m fighting battle after battle to defend my homeland against the relentless Hadari. Although it would make a very good total war modification.

There are many characters, many points of view from all sides. It would be difficult for me to summarise all of them, but it feels like a TV series to be honest with you. Plenty of interesting viewpoints, cinematic battles, and to show that the world is not all good, it’s more morally grey than we can ever imagine. But I would like to see good triumphing for once. I know Matthew in an interview to the Fantasy Hive said he wanted to see his good-natured characters facing consequences for the decisions of their choices. I, however, want to see just for once, that good decision making leads to a good consequence, not a bad one. As you will quickly figure out in this novel, the choices made from the first book unravel quickly in this one. Quickly. It is a vertigo of spiralling from one bad decision to the next, as enemies take sides, the Hadari (As a lovely empire inspired from many real life races, they just love to conquer everyone) and we also deal with the sexism that the Hadari race have and well shown in this sense. I would love to talk more about it, but I don’t want to reveal the plot of this story. It’s huge. And it could be very well adapted for a video game story. I mean Matthew’s worked for Game Workshop and Warhammer 40,000 and let me tell you, that is no easy feat by itself.

Kurkas’s the actual hero of this novel, If you want to understand the events happening, always watch out for him. He’s a real lad, a real homie, a real bro. He’s the good man. I liked him a lot. The Hadari got a lot of characters, new point of views, and I liked their perspective. I’d love to read a standalone novel on the Hadari to be honest with you because they have some epic potential to have a new world, a new way, a new everything I guess. The dialogue and the world-building are excellent. There are so many outstanding pieces of dialogue that you’ll be delighted in wanting to read this.

Although, I confess, how does Lord Trelan (a man that’s finally coming to real maturity) take all of this into account? Lady Melanna, the heir to the throne of the Hadari Empire, also goes through some enormous changes through this novel. The Gods and Goddesses take a bite out of this future that they’re creating and with so many battles...

It rambles my thoughts. This is how good this novel is. Truly, there was legacy, there was fame, there was sadness, there was love, loss, and regret.

And how do I feel at the end of it?

Peace.

But I know the fates will spin the fates of men’s lives, and Viktor Arkada, the man that in some ways, almost kind of started this conflict....(well, not to mention the whole other cast of characters....) Have some special thing to do. But for Lord Trelan? The dude is fast becoming a real man. He’s fast becoming the man he needs to be. I think generations after he is gone, he will be celebrated and remembered. What was, may come again? There is still hope, and I think book 3’s going to be over 2000 pages! Because the potential for this world, as a graphic novel, as a Netflix series, as a web series, is enormous. Orbit Books better do something about it!

Also, Lord Trelan and Anastacia have to marry. They must. Their chemistry is becoming very romantic. Even if Treland is afraid to admit it and Anastacia may reluctantly admit it..

I want a novel on the Hadari now!

I can’t wait for Book 3!

If you haven’t read my review of Legacy of Ash, then you should know that it was a book that I really loved. It was a very familiar-feeling European epic fantasy that played with some old ideas, added some original flourishes, and scratched an itch that I’d had since G.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.

Now, look. Playing the Game of Thrones comparison is the laziest thing that a fantasy reviewer can do, I know that. And in many ways, Matthew Ward’s Legacy trilogy is nothing like GRRM’s books. When I say it scratched the same itch, I’m specifically talking about something that I appreciated in Legacy of Ash, and something that I think comes to the forefront even more in the sequel: viewing a single conflict from multiple sides.

This is something that I think Ward handles really well, and is something that I love in books that have multiple points of view. I love it when the individual stories of different characters overlap and intertwine. When we have four or five people who want (or need) different outcomes from a single event. These books thrive on such conflicts of interest, and Ward manages to fold in character motivations, political situations, the chaos of war, and more in order to make these conflicts feel “epic” and personal at the same time. It means that most action sequences have context, motivation, and reason behind them, which made them feel more engaging for me than equivalent scenes from some other books.

For those who haven’t read the first book, the world of the Legacy trilogy focuses on a nation with a North/South divide (the Tressian republic) who are at war with a neighbouring empire (the Hadari). In this world there are gods who can interact with mortals via boons, blessings, possibly-manipulative deals, and outright threats. With gods come followers, and so there are raven-cloaked death-worshipping assassins, holier-than-thou sun fanatics, magic-sword-wielding moon warriors… you get the picture. War is waged on multiple planes.

Following the events of book 1 (and I’m trying to be spoiler-free here), the gods are taking a far more active interest in mortal politics. Champions are chosen. Deals are struck. Characters who only trying to make the world a better place are swept up in a momentum that they don’t fully understand. Traumas are revisited, wounds are reopened. What is “good” or “right” from one perspective may cause nothing but pain from another.

These books are large. The hardback of Legacy of Steel I read was 750ish pages long. This means that, realistically, it can’t be all action all of the time. There has to be some downtime. And I think Legacy of Steel handles that pretty well. It has an almost sinusoidal flow to it — building up towards a peak, and then calming down for some lower-key character moments. I wouldn’t say that it goes particularly in-depth with much of its characterisation, but it went deep enough for me to provide context, meaning, and emotion for much of the story.

However, there were some aspects that I wasn’t too fond of. Some scenes contained too much description for me, to the point where I would start to skim forward. The prose — which is very readable though with a classical fantasy lilt to it — contained a few quirks that would bug me, including a tendency towards the personification of inanimate objects. One of my favourite characters from the first book (Viktor) had a character arc which started off promising, but in my opinion paid off too early and left him somewhat rudderless until the end of the book. With all that said though, this book was still a solid 4-star read for me.

For those of you who enjoyed Legacy of Ash and are looking forward to diving into this one, I think you’ve got a lot to look forward to. I had a blast with this book. One scene in particular came very close to bringing me to tears. I would recommend, however, that you seek out a summary of book 1 if it’s been a while since you read it, and I wish one had been included in the front pages.

For all of you who haven’t read the first, but are intrigued by the sound of it… Well, what are you waiting for?

I really loved book 1 of this series (Legacy of Ash), so I was worried that book 2 might not live up to my expectations. Boy, was I wrong! "Legacy of Steel" sits you nicely on an emotional faultline and subjects you to many tremors and a full-blown quake or two. My heart is still pounding from reading this book. It's beautifully written, the story is beyond any words I can conjure, and the characters become far more solid. I can't wait for book 3, and hope there will be many more books from Matthew Ward in the future.

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

Where Matthew Ward's Legacy of Ash proudly announced his arrival at the party. Legacy of Steel firmly establishes his place at the dinner table with fist pumping roars and high fives all round.

Matthew Ward’s latest instalment in The Legacy Series is pure joy to read. This book has everything that will delight fantasy readers. Exhilarating battle scenes, political intrigue, Gods walking the land and a scope of utter Epicness!

Legacy of Steel continues the story a year in the future from where Legacy of Ash left off. The story begins with Melanna, the tradition smashing Princessa of the Hadari, finally being accepted as the Emperor Kai Sadarn’s heir. However, the ceremony is marred when an unknown assailant attacks her father.

Meanwhile, the Tressian council is rebuilding and order is being restored to the Republic after the events that ended the last book. Councillor Malachi is elected to lead the council as First Councillor. However, the promises and bargains he made in the past reverberate in the present, subsequently pitching the City of Tressia into a war with forces long thought dead. This will lead to horrifying consequences, both personal to First Councillor Malachi and to the people of the city itself.

However, this is not the only threat. The Emperor Kai Saran of the Hadari has raised the full might of the Hadari Empire in a Holy war against the Republic. He will lead his armies to the border, and with the aid of the divine Ashana, he overruns the impenetrable fortress of Ahrad. Vowing not to stop until he has tore apart the Tressian Republic, at any cost!

As the battles rage, one man is needed. Viktor Akadra, the champion of the Republic. But he has forsaken the Republic and his role as champion,lost and broken by grief.

I cannot tell you how much I adore this series. When I read Legacy of Ash, I gave it five stars. Legacy of Steel firmly blows the previous book out of the water and shatters all my expectations.

In this second book, Ward’s narrative gripped me from beginning to end. Building on the story that he had established in Legacy of Ash. He develops his characters superbly, bringing to the fore some of the minor players from the previous book and giving them major roles on the impact of the story.

He develops and builds on some of the questions that were brought about previously, such as The Crowmarket and the pantheon of deities only briefly mentioned in Legacy of Ash placing them directly at the centre of the action.

One of the main things that I love about this book are the characters. For me they simply walk off the page and reside firmly in my imagination. Ward masterfully builds on the relationships of the characters, such as the touching and, often laugh out loud funny, friendship between Captain Kurkas and Anastacia.

But that is not all! Ward’s action sequences are incredible and very well paced. There were many times I had to stop myself punching the air in exhilaration when he was in full swing describing the battle sequences. They are so well written you feel that you are front and centre of the action, dodging the swords as they rain down.

I simply did not want this book to end, and if I had a time machine, I would jettison myself forward to the moment that I am holding Ward's third book in my hands and continuing this mesmerising journey with the characters of the book, and seeing how this series will end.