Con lo que me gustó The Black Coast, estaba claro que no pasaría mucho tiempo antes de que continuara con la lectura de la trilogía de Mike Brooks. Brooks apuesta por ampliar el mundo y casting de personajes para evitar el temido síndrome del segundo libro, y a fe mía que la apuesta es ganadora.


El número de puntos de vista y de protagonistas cuyos caminos se entrecruzan crece exponencialmente (bueno, exagero un poco, pero crecer crece) en The Splinter King, pero el autor ha conseguido equilibrar todas las tramas y servirnos una historia absorbente e intrincada a la vez que divertida y emocionante. Lo que antes se desarrollaba prácticamente en un solo pueblo, ahora se expande por toda la geografía imaginada para estas crónicas. El hecho de las distancias sean tan grandes también le sirve a Brooks para ir jugando con la información de la que dispone cada personaje, mientras que nosotros lo sabemos todos desde nuestra posición omnisciente. El escritor ha salido jugar sus bazas presentándonos tanto batallas como relaciones románticas, en un tapiz donde mezcla hilos de distintas tonalidades para dar lugar a una obra mayor que la suma de sus partes.

Aunque el aumento de personajes vaya en detrimento del protagonismo de Daimon y Saana, también tendremos nuestra ración de los recién casados mientras siguen resolviendo los conflictos que surgen entre sus dos pueblos, unidos frente a la adversidad. La trama de la princesa Tila cobra más importancia y podremos verla enfrentarse a una amenaza terrible recurriendo a su inteligencia y a sus influencias, pero también repartiendo estopa a base de lanzamientos de cuchillos. Otros puntos de vista que me han gustado mucho son los de Zhanna, en un arco de rito de madurez muy bien construido y el de Darel, saliendo de la sombra alargada que tanto su padre como su hermano lanzaban sobre él y demostrándose a sí mismo que su título no es solo una herencia por ser vos quién sois. Y muchos otros como Jaya o Marin. Es que este libro es un no parar, una visión caleidoscópica de una historia muy completa.

Quizá resulte un tanto extraño que la amenaza exterior apenas aparezca en unos párrafos de todo un libro que por otra parte tiene una longitud considerable, casi 700 páginas, pero es que no hace falta. Bastante tienen ya los habitantes de este mundo con sobrevivir a sus rencillas internas y sus luchas de poder como para tener que preocuparse por una amenaza que apenas se vislumbra en el horizonte.

También es muy recomendable la lectura crítica de los choques culturales inevitables cuando se conviven miembros de distintas culturas, con lenguajes, usos y costumbres diferentes que habrán de armonizar.

Muy pero que muy recomendable.

Never thought I would give extra points to a sequel for its generous summary of the first book but here I am, after years of feeling lost at the start of sequels, finally a little happy. Maybe The Black Coast was more of a setup—which is why I could only clock it at that divisive three-and-a-half stars—but The Splinter King is much more in terms of stakes, viewpoints, and intrigue. Against the backdrop of an astonishingly detailed world (something the first instalment was appreciated for too) Brooks continues to braid various plot lines in a seemingly effortless manner. From unhinged characters to surprising betrayals, and from rumours about a god being reborn to dinosaur-like dragons, the plot threads continue to impress.
Epic fantasy told through multiple points of views usually instantly translates to nuanced perspectives worth appreciating. Did The Splinter King suffer through the middle book-itis at times? Yes. But it definitely progressed towards a bigger, more comprehensive picture as part of a series—slightly more than the previous title, and for that it gets back the half-star that The Black Coast couldn’t pull.

Another win for Mike Brooks.

I highly recommend everyone grabs this series. A merging of cultures, and I would guess a new way of thinking for many readers.

This story has many points of view and storyline’s happening, so you have to pay attention and remember what’s going on. Best to read in long sittings.
At about the 50% mark I got really sucked into the story and didn’t want to put it down. The first part was more world building which is what you expect from a chunky fantasy series but the action certainly picked up by the half way mark.

I honestly love this series and hope you pick it up and enjoy it as much as I did.

Amazon link when approved. Shared on Social media when released.

Part two of this epic fantasy series takes this story to the next level; something I didn’t think would be possible following the phenomenal first instalment. There’s more fights, more political machinations, and more dragons than ever before and my heart was in my throat the entire way reading. It’s just that good!

We rejoin old friends and meet new ones throughout this instalment of the God-King Chronicles and despite the constant changing perspectives, the story is easy to slip back into so keeping track of the narrative threads is surprisingly easy. The slim chapters give equal voice to the characters across Narinda and beyond, showing how the seat of Nari’s power is under as great a threat as the outer islands where The Golden lurks.

To summarise the plot is quite the complicated task, especially with so many characters in play. However the story picks up almost exactly where it left off, with Darel, thane of Blackcreek, heading north to petition the lives of the Tjakorshi; Damion, his law-brother and wife Saana protecting Black Keep; while the God-King and Princess Tila manipulate the political sphere to keep their place even in the supposed rise of Nari, their god reborn. There’s also a draug in the mix there too…

Unsurprisingly, like last time, the female led perspectives are my favourite - simply because they are the funniest and most conniving characters I’ve come across of late. Not only are Saana and Zhanna hilariously blunt and incredibly brawny but place them next to Tila and Jeya who are powerful in a disguised way, there’s a great variety of female characters that are, for once, powerful and useful to the plot line without being props. Despite this, Darel’s chapters did have me beaming throughout and the end of his narrative thread in this book had me so excited I yelped. I cannot wait to see what is in store for him next.

There’s so much action and lore to these novels; for me, it’s one of the only fantasy series out at the moment where the plotting and characterisation are this impeccable. Count me in for being incredibly excited for June 2022 to read The Godbreaker because that cliffhanger ending was cruel - I need answers now!

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing an eARC in return for a fair review.

The Splinter King is the sequel to The Black Coast. The book helpfully starts with a summary of the key events from the first novel. The narrative uses multiple POV, and expands and develops the world we were introduced to in the first novel.

Intrigue, politics and action too! Everything you could ask for from a fantasy novel, with added dragons!

LGBTQ+ representation, Fantasy

This is the second instalment in The God-King Chronicles.

A daemonic warlord caused two warring kingdoms to collide, as one fled to the safety of another's shores. The two people were forced to work together, understand their differences, and allow for varying cultures and beliefs to share the same space. But now the warlord has followed those who escaped him and freedom won't be granted to those he seeks to overrule again.

Just as in the previous series instalment, I became immediately immersed in this story. Book one focused on a growing understanding for the differences of these people, with skirmishes and bloodshed still also delivered. Book two upped the ante, with tension created from the increasing closeness of the new threat to the lives of this beloved and diverse cast.

I highly enjoyed all previously delivered and appreciated the knowledge it allowed me to possess. Reading the first book before diving directly into this sequel ensured my focus remained on the battlefield and on the new political drive behind it, instead of in attempting to figure out the surrounding rocky geographical, cultural, and bureaucratic terrain. I love fantasy series with such interesting and well-grounded foundations!

The multitude of perspectives also allowed for a 360-view of events to be delivered. It seemed no angle was spared the reader, and neither was any emotion. The reader was invited to see and smell and feel everything that occurred, which had me feeling devastated in some scenes and joyous during others. I truly felt I shared in everything the characters were exposed to.

Mike Brooks has crafted something of sublime brilliance with this series. The covers are as beautiful as all that is inside them and both ensure this is a real jewel of the adult fantasy genre.

This series keeps getting better and better with each book and UFF I'm in love.

Mike Brooks managed to subvert a lot of my expectations in The Black Coast and continues to do in The Splinter King.

The Black Coast was one of those books I was really surprised by when I first read it. It sits you down and talks about hope and how two sets of peoples can come together in spite of their differences and learn to live in harmony. Only, I had had two small complaints with the first book. One was the lack of flying dragons, cuz while the war dragons were cool, the dragon nerd in me wanted them to fly. The sequel has flying dragons and more. It was like the freaking Jurassic Park in there.
Two, I hadn't understood the need for a lot of the POVs we had in the first book. However, the sequel had me loving all the multiple POVs and a lot of them definitely made more sense. To anyone reading this, including past-me: The multiple POVs are justified.
The Splinter Kings also deals you political intrigue, scary dead gods awakening, queer rep, a queer-normative world and SO MUCH MORE.

I'm in love with these characters and all the mystery that has now unfolded in The Splinter King has me waiting for the 3rd part with bated breath.

Highly recommended!

The Splinter King picks up where The Black Coast left off with Darel Blackcreek heading to the capital to justify letting the Brown Eagle clan settle in Narida. The Splinter King’s family, the rival for the Naridian throne, have been slaughtered. All except the Splinter King, who must find a way back to the priests who have been protecting the family. Daimon and Saana believe the worst is behind them, but there is still conflict in Blackcreek with the natives not happy with the settlers. And now traders from the mountains have not come at their usual time, forcing Daimon to send a party searching for them. Is there a bigger threat closer to home than some dissatisfied farmers heading towards Blackcreek?
I approached the sequel to The Black Coast with some uncertainty. I enjoyed The Black Coast but found it a little too long with, dare I say it, too much showing of events. That wasn’t enough to put me off picking up The Splinter King, wondering how familiar characters were getting on. The start introduces new antagonists. There is a group claiming the God-King has been reborn and Natal is a fraud. There are also some of the defeated Golden One’s Tjakorshi who don’t want to report their failure. Due to this, I was hopeful the narrative would be more on point with fewer asides that were nice to read but not bringing much to the story.
But that didn’t last, unfortunately. Writing advice is to show rather than tell, and I am a big believer in that. Don’t tell me there are dragons; let me feel the heat from their fire, smell their rancid odour, hear their scales rustling. However, there are times when I’m happy with a little telling. Zhanna, Saana’s daughter, heads the mission to search for the missing traders. I do not need to ‘see’ her every footstep, but that is what we get. The expansive world-building continues from The Black Coast. Brooks covers every incident in the ten narrative points of view in minute detail, making for lengthy reading and uneven pacing.
An example of this is the chapters covering Darel’s journey to the capital. Darel and Southern Marshall accompanying him travel by boat, and they encounter pirates. There are eight chapters between the pirates first appearance and their attack on Darel’s ship. In those eight chapters, days pass for the other characters, so when I returned to Darel, all the immediacy was gone.
With that many points of view, it is hard to give the appropriate time to each of them. It can be hard to know who to invest in, and the storylines sometimes end abruptly with no further ramifications. Tila, the sister of the God-King, is charged with murder and is to face trial by combat by officials staging a coup. Once this storyline ends, it isn’t mentioned again. I like Tila, a woman succeeding in a male-oriented world on her own terms, and her events interest me more than others. But I felt her events were concluded too easily and then forgotten. It is the same for the Golden One, who is barely mentioned after being the first book’s primary focus.
The Splinter King continues in the same vein as The Black Coast, with well-rounded characters. The world-building is beautiful with a unique hierarchy and gender structure. But the wealth of characters stretches events a little too thinly, meaning I felt there were too many minor missions and minimal main story action. This leaves me in the same position as when I finished The Black Coast. I liked The Splinter King, but it didn’t blow me away.

The Splinter King is the second book in The God-King Chronicles series by Mike Brooks. If you've not read the first, it's not really a problem as the beginning of the book has a quick catch up and it's really easy to grasp how things are in this universe.

Following the events of the first book Darel, dragon knight and the new leader of Black Keep, begins his journey to Idramar, capital of the Naridan kingdom to plead with the God-King (Nari) for his people’s life; there are spreading of rumours of Nari’s pending death and rebirth upset the equilibrium and power that Princess Tila has fought to maintain in the Sun Palace. There's also Jeya, and her efforts to keep the survivor of an assassination attempt hidden, in a city that would very much like to see both of them dead.

Sounds like a lot going on, right? That's only the start of the characters who get a POV in this book. There's about ten different POV's throughout, eight of which are main characters and not all are interconnected - or if they were, I'm missing it. Some were enjoyable, others I could have done without. The ones that were enjoyable though I could have read a book just about them. Princess Tila for example was wonderfully written. Darel as well had some really good moments and the cross over into Princess Tila when a confrontation came to a head worked brilliantly to tie them together.

With fantasy stories, I always appreciate when references are made that are relatable. This world is so different to ours, but when someone says "you're going to stick out like a shark in a shrimp net", you can understand and relate to it, which is important. I've read some books where a similar statement is made but with made-up animals and it loses its meaning.

For all the good parts though, there were equal parts that just didn't do it for me. Some POV's I could have brushed over completely as they weren't grabbing my attention anywhere near as much as others. If they'd been a payoff and they'd joined up with the rest then I wouldn't have minded so much, but as it is, I could remove some and not feel like I've missed out on anything. Maybe there'd be an impact on the final book in the trilogy, but we're not there yet so as it is, a good portion of the book just felt like an entirely different story. And with so many POV's going on, rhythm is lost and attention comes and goes. You can get to a critical moment and then you're reading about 4 or 5 chapters of other people in an entirely different situation before you're back at the critical moment which makes parts lose their impact and everything feels all over the place.

One thing people should be prepared for though is how characters refer to themselves. Some might like it, but it really wasn't for me and it happens often. '"You are not going to try to shoot all of them, this warrior hopes." "This woman is not," Amonhuhe said.' All the time. What's wrong with saying "I will not"? It's something that started to really get to me the more the book went on, but it's only a little thing really.

Will I read the final book? Yeah, I think so. I'm invested in certain characters enough to want to know where it's going. I just wish that there were fewer POV's so more time was dedicated to others. The book could be cut down to three POV's and would be amazing. As it is though, it's probably not a series that I'd say I love, but it does have its moments that were enjoyable. It's just a shame that there's too many POV's to keep the enjoyment throughout.

Rating: 3.5/5

Hohum. If I hadn’t already been so invested in the future of Black Keep, The Splinter King could easily have been a DNF - too many meanders, too little tension, and some resolutions that feel heavily engineered. I love the themes and there’s plenty to enjoy on the way (my best boy Daimon, the most wholesome marital communication, Zhanna growing into her command, Ekram finding his feet, the focus on culture change and language barriers and open mindedness and loyalty), but overall I found The Splinter King awfully slow going.

The biggest problem for me was way too many POVs. In contrast to the first volume, where the plethora of POVs were mostly colocated and interconnected, here they’re largely parallel and in different locations - so it’s just loads of related but independent storylines that progress at a crawl (to the extent that some chapters start with recaps of that plot line within this book, which is a huge red flag for me. Love the book one recap, but reminding us what happened in the book we’re reading? Whew).

I really hope it sits better in retrospect / in the context of the completed trilogy, but I didn’t feel The Splinter King works on its own merits; the various plots just aren’t developed enough to be satisfying.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Orbit for providing me with an e-arc of this book! My opinions are my own.

After reading The Black Coast, The Splinter King became one of my most anticipated reads for 2021! I had already fallen in love with the world Mike Brooks created and could not wait to learn more about the characters, especially those in Blackcreek. While I wasn't as blown away as I was with the first book, this is a more than worthy sequel and by Nari am I anxious to read book 3 when it comes out!

After a summary of the first book (which was much appreciated!) The Splinter King takes off right where The Black Coast ended. The God-King's family is not the only thing to be splintered... It's also an apt description for the many POVs in this book. All of them are important to the story though - even if it is not yet clear how they will all come together. Nothing is certain yet, so many things are happening at once. While everyone is fighting for their own peace and the right to live their own lives, things are set in motion that will turn Narida and its neighbouring countries upside down.

If you haven't picked up this series yet, I suggest you quickly start reading it! This is one of those series you don't want to miss if you like a fantasy book that focuses on embracing differences instead of going to war over them.

This second book in this series I definitely enjoyed more than the first.

We hear more from the secondary characters that were introduced in the first book from different areas and their stories all start to come together in an interesting way.

I'm interested to see where this story goes in book 3.

THE SPLINTER KING is another big book that feels long, with highly unconnected POVs. As often happens later in a series, there are more POVs to contend with. I counted eight main POVs and two POVs with one or two chapters.

Usually, you'd expect POVs to get more interconnected as the series progresses because there are more chances for people to meet as the plot develops. However, if anything, this book felt like the characters and storylines were less interconnected than the previous. There were seven main storylines that fleetingly touched one another, but could have been read independently with only a glimmer of lost understanding.

That sort of story telling just doesn't feel satisfying to me because I don't feel like there's a "point" to having some of these characters in here as they could be removed and there'd be no impact. Oh, sure, maybe there'd be an impact on the final book, but I'm not reading the final book. I'm reading this one, and it's not feeling like a book, but rather like a bunch of novellas set in the same world got smushed together to engorge the size of it.

The individual storylines themselves feel under fleshed out as they get so little time and they're so spread out I kept forgetting what had happened. Not to mention a chapter might end mid fight and then I'd have to go through five or six other's character's events (which have moved time on) before getting the other half of the fight.

Will I keep reading? Yes - I'm pretty sure it's a trilogy, so there's only one book to go (though a mental run through of all the various conflicts and how little each storyline gets makes me wonder if it's a quartet.) Plus I am invested in the story of Black Keep - I want to know if they'll survive and thrive. That's the reason I kept ploughing through this book, because that storyline is so enjoyable, so engaging. I just wish I didn't have to wade through everyone else to get to their story.

DRC provided by Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: gay protagonists, queer protagonists, trans secondary character, secondary and tertiary characters of colour, queer secondary and tertiary characters.

Content Warning: death (graphic), war, mention of execution, enslavement, violence (graphic), misogyny, sexism.

The Splinter King by Mike Brooks is the second astounding instalment in Brooks’ The God-King Chronicles series.

Following the events of the first tome (which are generously summarised at the beginning), Darel, now thane of Black Keep, begins his journey to Idramar, capital of the Naridan kingdom to plead with the God-King for his people’s life while Daimon remains at Black Keep to act on his behalf; the remaining Tjakorshi warriors, sent by the Golden to kill Saana, unwelcome on Naridan land and facing certain death on their homeland, set off towards the City of Islands; the spreading of rumours of Nari’s rebirth upset the equilibrium Tila has fought to maintain in the Sun Palace; the uncommon nonappearance of the Smoking Valley people at Black Keep prompts Zhanna to request the launch of an expedition into the mountains to discover the cause of the atypical occurrence; while Jeya and Galem, after the attack to hìs house the previous night, start planning how to keep hìm safe from harm in Kiburu ce Alaba.

I loved this tome even more than the first one and I loved reading from Darel’s point-of-view the most as it was and still is my favourite character! I am adding a link to my review of the first volume as it holds some information about this fantastic world Brooks created that I do not wish to copy and paste. Every sentiment I held while writing of my reading experience of the first book only developed and grew.

https://queerbookdom.wordpress.com/2021/02/15/review-the-black-coast/

Both The Black Coast and The Splinter King are amazing epic fantasies that will hold your attention throughout the whole five-hundred and plus pages. I will be fervently looking forward to this series conclusion!

I’ve been a fan of Mike Brooks for yonks, ever since his Dark Run brought some punky fun to sci-fi. And I thought his new fantasy series started off rather well, with The Black Coast, a story of family, togetherness, politics, assassination, compassion, magic, and some explosive battles that dovetailed with a strong thread of humanity to make something rather special.

Happily, the sequel is here. The Splinter King takes a lot of the core themes from its predecessor, and expands on them or enhances their impact. It’s a clever book, with a story whose twists and turns will make you want to keep reading, and whose characters have enough flaws to make them feel human, as you cheer them on through their struggles.
And it’s a book which will show you more of its world, will ask a few more questions, and even provide some answers.

I will say that this is a book with what feels like a lot of point sof view. Fortunately, they all come with their own unique voices, and their various storylines are cool enough and interesting enough that they don’t feel spread too thin. Worry not, folks, because some of our existing friends are back in this book - Saana and Daimon and their struggles at Black Kepe are still here, though they’re not as much of a focus this time around, as the narrative camera pans out for the metaphorical wide angle shot. But they’re still a wonderful portrayal of a couple tied together by necessity, trying to find something in themselves and each other, and trying very hard to do the right thing, dancing a tightrope of obligation, affection and power to shape a community.

But Darel is here as well, Daimon’s brother, heading to the capital of an empire to plead the case for the people of Black Kepe and their old enemies to be able to live in peace. Darel is perhaps more bookish than his brother, arguably more learned, but equally out of his comfort zone, heading through violent seas toward a thronging capital filled with deadly politics. But he’s amiable and thoughtful as well as brave, and great fun to walk alongside every chapter or two.

The same can be said of Stonejaw, leading the survivors of a raid on Blackkeep, looking for somewhere else to be, and something else to do. Stonejaw is caustic, capable, and taking no crap from anyone.But also very much done with quests and leaders and orders. Maybe she was a bad guy in the last volume, and here isn’t exactly always making the heroic choices - but as someone with limited options, getting out from between a rock and a hard place, she’s easier to sympathise with, and puts a human face on what could have just been a foe without identity.

There’s also Jeya, and her efforts to keep the survivor of an assasination attempt hidden, in a city that would very much like to see both of them dead. Jeya has a painful shaping to her, someone grown on the streets of fear and pain, but also a kind of potential, and an honesty of the soul, a purity of affection which makes her great fun to read, as she ducks and weaves and dodges and talks their way into all sorts of trouble.There’s murder and mayhem and daring escapes aplenty, among moments of heartbreaking friendship and genuine love. I’ve got a lot of time for Jeya, and she really gets to shine here.

The same can be said of Tila, sometimes a princess, sometimes the head of a criminal underworld.If Jeya is at street level, Tila is the reverse - moving smoothly in a world of power politics, and occasional violence, with a collected cool that makes you want to cheer her on, even as she does necessary, terrible things. Of course, sometimes those things happen to terrible people, which always helps. And you know when you see her name come up, that something is about to go down. The political machinations of the city are her domain, yes, but it’s her calm, her agency, her refusal to be cowed, her ability to look for surprising solutions, which make her an engaging, compelling character. And she’s going to need to be a ruthless one as well, as there’s plots stacked on plots on...well, more plots, in the Empire her brother runs, and it’s possible not everything will go her way.

Zhanna is back as well; she was perhaps a bit overshadowed by Saana in the first volume, but here she has more of the focus. Watching her develop from a potential leader into a reluctant, decisive leader, well, that’s a delight. And the mistakes along the way are bloody and epic and heroic - and if I could sing a song of them without spoilers, I would. But for now, I’ll say this: the blood and bone and tears and terrors and deaths and sorrows and victories are here, a microcosm of the world on the page, and Zhanna stands among them, and you just want to cheer her on.

And then there’s Marin; sometime thief, fulltime bullshit artist, trying to be a good husband.
I always enjoy watching Marin run his lines on people, trying to do what’s best for his in-group, and ending up in what I’ll call shenanigans. His is another story woven with spoiler tags, but it’s a fast paced, snappy one, filled with some cracking dialouge, and more than its fair share of wry chuckles and “Wait what” moments.

The whole ensemble are a joy, and between them they cover off a huge amount of geography - from busy city streets to mountain passes, to the monster-infested sea depths, there’s something for everyone here. And it’s described in lavish, loving detail which pains the world into something living and real. You can smell the curling smoke of the woodfire on the breeze, hear the banter of the market, the ring f steel on steel, feel the hot breath of a dinosaur..er...war dragon on your neck.

And in between is woven a story that made me laugh more than once, wrung my heart more than once, and absolutely, one-hundred percent delivers. It’s got politics, it has best friends, it has stabbings, it has magic, it has war dragons and armies on the march. It has death and love and all of life right there on the pace, but woven together with such a pace, such tension, such gripping sensibility that you will probably, like me, end up turning the pages long ater you should have been asleep. It’s great fun, and a great sequel. Go read it!

I loved the Black Coast and found it an excellent fantasy novel. This is one is even better, if possible.
It's a mammouth story (672 pages) of adventures, humour, twists and turns and I read it quite fast as the gripping plot kept me hooked.
There are multiple POVs, we catch with the characters of the previous book and meet some new. This choral story is fascinating and we get to know more of this world and how they live.
An excellent story, gripping and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I kindly received a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the first book earlier this year I was excited to continue with the story. I enjoyed The Splinter King much more than book 1, I felt the addition of pronoun explanation at the start was really helpful as well as the synopsis of book 1. . This was a reason I only gave book 1 four stars. Although I read it a few months ago it was still helpful to have a recap.

I enjoyed the additional, and many, POV's in this book and felt it showed the differences in geographical people, cultures and beliefs. The variety in the POV's was also a strength with a mixture of heroics, humour, worry etc. being told to the reader.

The story flowed really nicely and despite the wide geographical range I didn't find myself struggling to keep up. There is just so much going on - assassins chasing down noble families, nobles with double lives, back stabbing thanes, scary golden demons, witches and great sea battles. The book is full of LGBT representation, battles, pirates, dragons, gods and assassins.

A fantastic read.

I said in my review for "The Black Coast" (book 1 in this series) that it's "everything you could wish for from a fantasy novel", and "The Splinter King" is just as wonderful. It was really easy to fall back into the story and the world, and I realised that I had missed "having some of the characters around" so I was very happy while reading! Mike Brooks's writing continues to be fantastic (the bar has been set very high for future work!).

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

Summary: The Splinter King by Mike Brooks is a fun sequel that develops excitingly on the plot threads set up in the first book. There are more dragons, more intrigue, and more of the hopeful attitude that helped me fall in love with the series.

From the blurb, you’d be forgiven for assuming that the people of Black Keep, and my personal favourites Saana and Daimon, get ignored in this entry. While they are less of a focus than in the previous entry, their storylines are still progressed, as unwelcome guests come to meddle in their affairs. Princess Tila and urchin Jeya get more satisfying continuations to their storylines this time round, and we get new adventures for theif Marin, newly made thane Darel, defeated raider Stonejaw, and Saana’s daughter Zhanna.

What works really well for me in this book is how Brooks expands and deepens the world, while still tying everything in to the plotlines that have already been established. Everything feels relevant, and I instantly attached to the new storylines because of how they tied back in to Blackkeep, and Narida as a whole.

The element of hopefulness is a through-line that continues into this book – while still focused mostly in Blackkeep, there is the feeling that if only the characters worked together, things would work out for the better. It’s one of the main things I love about the series – it doesn’t shy away from betrayal and violence and epic scenes, but infuses everything with a hopefulness that makes me feel like the protagonists (for the most part) will leave the world better than they left it.

Unfortunately, this book suffers badly from middle book-itis – many of the climaxes are relatively small, the spread of POVs meaning there were several climaxes this time. And like the last book, one of the storylines just sort of ends abruptly, this time leaving us in the middle of a conflict that we’ll have to wait to see the resolution of. If the next book comes out as quickly as this one, I’ll forgive it somewhat, but it does leave things feeling a little incomplete.

The dragons are back, and this time there are even more varieties! Since this is the sequel review, I’ll just come out and say it – the dragons are basically variations on dinosaurs (feathered ones at that). There’s definitely a couple of moments that put me in mind of Jurassic Park, in a very good way. There’s not really all that much in the way of magic in this entry, although there are hints to it becoming more prevalent in the next book(s?).

As far as the different plotlines go, the only lowlight for me would be Jeya, and even then, I didn’t mind her sections – I particularly love the City of Islands setting and its progressive approach to gender, and it was great seeing Galem figure out who they are past the obligations forced upon them. The politicking in Tila’s plotline was great, as was Darel’s introduction to Idramar and Zhanna’s journey to the mountains. This was one of those chunky books that doesn’t feel its length, and I am very much ready to read the next installment as soon as possible!

So, while it’s status as a middle book leaves it somewhat diminished, The Splinter King is still a great new entry to the series, bringing us more of everything that worked so well on the first book. If you enjoyed the first book, please read this one too. If not, go and get the first book!

Rating: 8.5/10

The Splinter King continues the different story arcs introduced in The Black Coast prequel. As you might expect, you once again follow along with the main characters as their story unfolds, with the addition of a handful of side characters to mix it up a bit. Overall the character- and world-building, along with the rather fascinating writing style, stays top-notch. I've learned to like the way people refer to themselves based on how they see themselves with others. Adds an interesting twist to the conversations.

If you read the first book and liked it, I can not think of any reason why you shouldn't give The Splinter King a shot.