The Dark Blood

August 22, 2016
Smith’s second epic fantasy novel (after The Black Guard) continues to chronicle the devastation of a meticulously described fantasy world as gods battle one another and drag their faithful followers along. Using multiple viewpoint characters, Smith weaves together the stories of a variety of people fighting the sorcerous Seven Sisters in their own ways, each with their own agendas. The Dokkalfar, nonhuman forest-dwellers, have confirmed that the Sisters are planning to raise the dreaded Forest Giant. The red knights have rained down destruction, supplemented by the hounds controlled by the Sisters. And the specter of the entities called the Dark Young continues to haunt both sides; they are used as weapons by some, and feared by all. Tinged with unexpected humor, the bloody and gleefully homicidal story unfolds at a surprisingly lugubrious pace given the amount of action. The large cast puts Smith in a bind: reminding the reader who the characters are bogs down the imaginative narrative in many places, but omitting that introduction leaves the reader backtracking in search of memory-joggers. However, the characters themselves are vividly depicted and practically leap off the page to chat with the reader. Agent: Diane Banks, Diane Banks Associates.

October 15, 2016
Kirin assassin Rham Jas Ramin is the only one capable of killing the Seven Sisters, invulnerable enchantresses who seek to raise the Dead God. For Rham Jas, the mission is more personal, as the Seven Sisters murdered his son. Up north, Alahan Teardrop and Halla Summer Wolf separately battle to take back control of Fjorlan from the traitor Rulag Ursa. Other favorite characters return in this second book in the Long War series, including Squire Randall, Utha the Ghost, and Al-Hasim. Smith does not skimp on the bad language or violence and creates a rough, richly detailed world. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, and characters that were background in The Black Guard (2016) headline chapters here. Because this book is the second in a proposed four-book series, the action and plot sometimes feel like setup for future books. But there are enough action scenes (including a spectacularly creepy one in a dark cavern with giant ice spiders) and complex characters to keep readers turning pages and feeling excited for the upcoming books.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)