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Formats
Paperback Details
  • 04/2019
  • 78-1-7324083-6-4
  • 700 pages
  • $22.99
Hardcover Details
  • 04/2019
  • 978-1-7324083-7-1
  • 700 pages
  • $29.99
Ebook Details
  • 04/2019
  • 978-1-7324083-5-7 B07NDM2TD1
  • 700 pages
  • $9.99
L. James Rice
Author
Trail of Pyres: Sundering the Gods Book Two
Murder came to the lords of the Silone Clans upon the Eve of Snows, and the survivors scattered to the sea in a desperate journey to safety. They surrendered Kaludor, their island and home, to the demonic Shadows of Man and the Taken they possess. Eliles and the twenty souls who stayed behind on Herald’s Watch, surrounded by a tower of impenetrable fire, find they are not alone. Ivin, along with other surviving Silone lords, negotiate a desperate peace with the Hidreng of the Hundred Nations, a bargain which could cost his people the Seven Heavens and forfeit his soul. Solineus travels to bargain a treaty with the Edan of the Mother Wood to protect the Silone from the Hidreng. His journey will return him to the frozen Treaty Lands and the Tomb of the Touched. Meliu once again holds the Codex of Sol, and even as she questions her faith in the gods, she finds that her prayers have their favor: She’s more powerful than she ever imagined, but it’s a power with a terrible risk. The Silone people are desperate for peace, desperate for food and shelter to survive the coming winter. What they desire is to return victorious to their homeland, but their hope and refuge lies at the end of a path which will leave their dead burning behind them: The Trail of Pyres.
Reviews
In Rice’s exciting sequel to Eve of Snows, most members of the Silone Clans have abandoned their home, Kaludor, to the demonic Shadows of Man. They find uneasy refuge in one of the Tek nation’s Hundred Kingdoms. The three series protagonists are separated. Eliles and the small group who remained behind in Kaludor discover that the towering walls of flame she conjured have mysterious repercussions, and something seems to be moving inside them. Ivin’s attempt to negotiate a formal peace with the Hidreng ends in a stalemate, as he is forced to make the impossible choice between sacrificing his people’s lives and severing their connection to their gods. A desperate plan to find allies sends Solineus to seek the protection of the Edan people; in return, he must arrange a meeting with the Touched, a being of immense power.

The plight of the Silone refugees is central in this installment, so many questions raised in the first book remain unanswered, which may frustrate some readers. Inconsistencies in the plot might confuse others. But Rice takes every opportunity to add depth and nuance to his convincing fantasy world. He also provides a gripping plot, with the determined clan leaders trying desperately to save their people from Tek aggression, and the threat of starvation punctuated by fierce battles.

The constant pressure to outwit the enemy and protect the Silone people is a great crucible in which Rice’s characters grow and develop over the course of the book. Ivin comes into his own as a diplomat and strategist; Solineus’s charisma earns him a rival, and his meeting with the Touched provides new clues and insight into the enigmatic being. The thrilling battles and poignant struggles of the Silone refugees make for a captivating read.

Takeaway: The second Sundering the Gods novel will appeal to epic fantasy readers who love layered conflict and complex story lines.

Great for fans of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, R. Scott Bakker’s The Darkness That Comes Before.

Production grades
Cover: A+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: C
Marketing copy: A

IndieReader

TRAIL OF PYRES is an engaging read from the first page, with characters that leap off the page, a rich and well-designed world, and a vigorous plot... a vital part of a dramatic, sweeping fantasy saga set in a rich and beautifully-designed world, with compelling characters and an action-filled plot. -- IndieReader

Formats
Paperback Details
  • 04/2019
  • 78-1-7324083-6-4
  • 700 pages
  • $22.99
Hardcover Details
  • 04/2019
  • 978-1-7324083-7-1
  • 700 pages
  • $29.99
Ebook Details
  • 04/2019
  • 978-1-7324083-5-7 B07NDM2TD1
  • 700 pages
  • $9.99
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