Kingdom of Ice and Bone

August 1, 2020
Lira and Reyker face endless hardships as they search for a way to take down the Dragon. After the fall of Stony Harbor, Lira mourns the supposed death of Reyker and rejects her new powers from the blood of the Fallen Ones. All she knows is that she wants to kill Draki, the half-god known as the Dragon who's bent on conquering all. Now Veronis, the god who saved her from drowning, demands she free him, showing her visions of villages burning and her loved ones dying if she refuses. This propels Lira on a quest to find the serpent-goddess Ildja, Draki's mother, deep in the Dragon's kingdom. The sooner she frees Veronis, the sooner she can focus on the Dragon. Meanwhile, Reyker toils under Draki, having made a bargain that he'll be his Sword if he'll release captives after each raid. He's also certain Lira is dead. The two unknowingly orbit one another as the Dragon and the Fallen Gods skillfully manipulate them. If they can reunite and work together, maybe they can figure out the Dragon's weakness. Fueled by frustrating missed connections and a seemingly undefeatable antagonist, Lira's and Reyker's stories drag. Training and battle scenes trump character development, making the dramatic turns fall flat. The next installment hints at more of the same. Deep in lore but hollow in heart. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

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