I came to Etaynia in search of the most important thing in the world. A story. A secret— the sort best held and better kept from the world. But I met with a prince instead. The second the stories will say I've killed.
And I did not find the story I came looking for. I wound up in the most dangerous one of all.

The Storyteller is locked up in a prison, accused of murdering the Prince of Etaynia.
From here, he tells more of his past which found him Etagnia and found him alone with a dead body.

Retelling the past, Ari completed his first season of the Ashram - place of learning the wonders of the world, and more than that—magic. Ari has one year to apprentice himself under Rishi Ibrahm to prove he has some level of control in the major bindings. Otherwise he faces the Crow nest or execution.

I was worried that this wouldn’t live up to my love of book one. Especially due to the criticisms that it was a copy of Name of the Wind and The First Binding was so well done because of this. Whilst I disagree that Virdi’s success is bought off NotW, this book cements Virdi as one of the most talented authors in my eyes.
His prose is gorgeous. Beautiful, touching, and insightful. Think Ken Liu.

Ari learns to look beyond himself and see what he’s missing out on as he constantly chases one thing after another. You can see he has such a big heart and just wants to help everyone and protect the weak.
The framing narrative allows this to be both a coming-of-age and a reflective political murder mystery.

Friends are the breath left to us when we run out of our own. They're the mirrors we need when we cannot see ourselves clearly. They point out our little flaws and, in times, the larger ones we must tend to. And, of course. they help us out of trouble as much as they help us into it.

The framing device is executed perfectly and allows Virdi to really explore the idea and importance and magic of storytelling.
A storyteller's job is to offer reprieve and escape to those who need it most.
Ari set out to hide his identity in stories told and expanded and grown, so he can lose his true self and walk hidden among others. To be so great a myth that the real man vanishes - a thing unbelievable.

Loneliness is a sort of poverty of the heart and soul. Many people confuse this with solitude. They are not one and the same. One is chosen, and in that space of aloneness, one can flourish, and one can heal. The other is a space shaped from the things lacking, and in that lack you are locked away to suffer— alone.

Whilst book two of the Kingkiller chronicles sees Kvothe becoming a sex god, Virdi seems to poke fun at this as Ari learns more about his world and magic in a legendary realm beyond the Doors of Midnight.

I did prefer the first 60% of the books. After this, it felt slower and episodic, trading stories and morals.

However, this is definitely a strong four stars, and I cannot wait to see what Virdi does next, even if I did feel slightly disappointed by the ending as nothing monumental to the overarching StoryTeller plot felt resolved.

Thank you to Gollancz for providing the arc in exchange for a review!!

I think this was a solid next book. I do think it was a bit too long and could have used some refinement but I think this is a solid next installation.

Virdi has created such a great world and story within his books. Rich in fleshed out and fantastic characters, in depth world building. A book that truly transports you into another world.
Would love love love to read more form this author!