Adrian Collins's Blog, page 16

REVIEW: The Radiant King by David Dalglish

David Dalglish’s The Radiant King presents a unique premise and follows through with intricate world-building, relentless actions, sick twists, and a somewhat sobering reflection on the toll immortality takes. With a ballsy ending and a plot that explodes, The Radiant King is an immensely promising start to a new series.

“I am Sariel, ever-living child of Kaus. I am no creature, no beast, no monster.”

The Radiant King has an undeniably cool premise: six immortal siblings, five are sworn to peace; one wants a crown. These six siblings have been around for thousands of years, watching humans make mistakes and living in their midsts. Periodically, one of the siblings will tap out and commit suicide, which causes them to go into a comatose state until their body can heal.

We start with one of the siblings, Faron, waking up from one of these events. His human lover has died, as they do, and he’s elected to let the pain fade with time.

When he awakes, he learns that one of his siblings has broken their mantra. The six ever-living siblings in The Radiant King have two core rules: no crowns, and no giving Radiance to humans. Eder has broken both of these rules. With his brooding, cynical brother Sariel, Faron sets out to join a war with the intent of helping the war-front to take down Eder.

The world-building of The Radiant King I just adored. That premise grabs me, and Dalglish adds just enough introspection and melancholic musing to bring the Faron, Sariel, and Eder to life. Then we have some really excellent lore details. For example, humans live in a constant state of reincarnation. When one dies, they are reborn with only the faint echoes of memories of past lives. One of the ever-living siblings is in love with a human. Sometimes he tracks her down and they live a full life together, sometimes not. Details like that will make The Radiant King stick in my mind for a long time.

The plot is just as good as the world-building. We have crusades, mysteries, side-plots, torture cults, and long buried blood feuds. There’s many threads going on, but Dalglish has a firm hand on all of them. The narrative can be confusing, but never confused. I can’t go into much detail without spoilers, but if you’re a fan of Kallor’s POVs in Malazan, Covenant of Steel by Anthony Ryan or Castlevania, The Radiant King is going to be in your wheelhouse.

“No crowns. No thrones.”

Both the action and the prose in The Radiant King is serviceable. There’s moments of greatness, including a castle raid of nightmares, but for the most part, it’s good, if at times familiar. It kept my attention well, especially once I got about halfway.

My biggest critique of this book lies in the side characters. While Sariel, Eder, and Faron often feel nuanced and intriguing, the other characters–regardless of their amount of screentime–felt one-note and essentially like characters instead of people. Their dialogue, as a result, doesn’t always feel alive.

My remaining complaint of The Radiant King is the pacing feels off in the beginning. Getting through the first chunk wasn’t a chore, but the back-half is significantly better.

With those complaints mentioned, I do still highly recommend this for readers whose primary interest in fantasy books is plot or world-building centric. There’s tons of great stuff in The Radiant King, and the ending is one that blew my mind with its moxie. I’ll be waiting for book two with great anticipation.

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REVIEW: Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up by David Niall Wilson

Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up is a crime thriller/sci-fi black comedy by David Niall Wilson in the style of Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch (Lost Highway more than Twin Peaks). David Niall Wilson is a two-time Stoker award winning author, and I’ve enjoyed his horror novels before this slightly more grounded but nevertheless deranged story of murder, cops, and mad science. If you want an enjoyable romp with a copious body count, then this is the book for you.

The premise of Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up is that a man, Sam, walks into a diner after having committed murder and in his stunned state, gives his gun to the waitress, Delilah. Delilah promptly eliminates her perverted boss and becomes his best customer/partner in crime. From there, the pair end up on the run with their bodies being cleaned up by a deranged professor experimenting with his new corpse-based biofuel. The surreal cast of characters just keeps growing as they head down toward a natural disaster in Mexico in hopes of finding more bodies for their experiment.

From the beginning to end, Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up is a great story of oddball characters in a heightened reality. The stakes begin with a pair who decide murder is the best way out of their shared humdrum lives and then just keeps growing alongside the body count. The science element of the biofuel has the potential to change the world but it’s also something that has the practical benefit of getting rid of corpses very quickly.

Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up is a world where there doesn’t appear to be much morality, but it’s played for laughs rather than horror. Each character is more concerned with how the bodies impacts their immediate plans rather than any actual worry regarding the loss of human life. Their ability to escape any consequences for their action also encourages more gleeful mayhem. The comparison with Tarantino is deliberate and you can’t help but wonder if they’ll end up at a bar full of vampires (they don’t but instead the scientists get mistaken for a UFO at one point).

While the sci-fi elements of Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up are light, they are still very relevant with the looming crisis of global warming and the lack of renewable resources being a subtle but consistent theme. The biofuel is something that has the potential to be a game changer to the planet, but everyone is too busy figuring out how to get rid of the people they don’t like to worry about its greater potential.

Sam and Delilah are fantastic characters, and their story is both comedic as well as dramatic in a way that mixes well with the larger issues. However, just about everyone leaps across the page. The sheriff and police officers are as bamboozled by the weird events and strange cast as anyone else.

In conclusion, Closing Time at the Sunny-Side-Up a solid and entertaining novel that is enjoyable from beginning to end. If you want a crime drama with just the barest hints of how futurism will only make humanity’s worst impulses easier then this is the book for you.

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REVIEW: The Burial Tide by Neil Sharpson

Neil Sharpson officiates an unholy marriage of Irish folklore and psychological horror in The Burial Tide, an expertly crafted novel that hooked me from the first page and never released its iron grip on my attention till the very end.

The opening scene of The Burial Tide will haunt me for years to come, as our lead protagonist, Mara Fitch, awakens in a daze, realizing that she’s been buried alive and must claw her way out from her wooden coffin. The claustrophobia of Mara’s entombment is just a precursor to her isolation on the remote Irish island of Inishbannock. Stricken with amnesia, Mara must rely on the suspicious small-town populace to reconstruct her own sense of self.

Inishbannock is full of secrets and proves to be the perfect setting to blend mystery and horror. The influence of Irish folklore is not obvious at first but gradually builds throughout the novel. The Burial Tide is highly recommended for fans of Shauna Lawless, especially if her Gael Song grimdark fantasy series left you hungry for more hauntingly dark Irish lore. It is especially interesting to see how Neil Sharpson and Shauna Lawless begin with the same mythos but then take it in wildly different directions.

Sharpson’s razor-sharp prose is a joy to read. My only minor criticism of the novel is its use of multiple points of view. I feel like the carefully cultivated claustrophobia of the novel would have deepened even more if we were to remain trapped in Mara’s mind for the full duration of the story. But this is a minor complaint in a novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Altogether, from its first scene to the last, The Burial Tide is a delectable feast for readers craving their next dose of folk horror.

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REVIEW: The Ice by Ryan Cahill

The Ice is the third accompanying novella in The Bound and the Broken series by Ryan Cahill, and is meant to be read between books 3 and 4 (Of War and Ruin, Of Empires and Dust, respectively). If you read it too soon, you might encounter spoilers, if you don’t read it before Of Empires and Dust, you’re missing out on valuable information that enriches the vast story of this series.

The Ice focusses on Aeson Virandr as a singular POV as he leads a dire, bloody and deadly trek across the frozen lands of Valacia to find a dragon egg. The dragons of Epheria haven’t hatched in 400 years and Aeson, in his desperation, hopes an egg from Valacia could offer a sliver of hope for something different. The Ice shows us a side of Aeson we haven’t seen much of in the novels; a man steeped in desperation and fear, struggling to handle the emotions he experiences after nearly 400 years of feeling very little of anything.

Aeson is afraid for the lives of his sons, Dahlen and Erik, and will do anything to keep them safe. Everything he feels is exacerbated in their quest across the Valacian tundra, as their party is slowly and brutally whittled down by the strange, unknown and dangerous creatures seeking to protect their home. From the novels, we know Aeson, Dahlen and Erik make it back with a dragon egg, and The Ice is here to expand on just how much was sacrificed to get it.

Despite being a supporting novella, The Ice has a lot to offer. There’s beauty, mystery and secrecy in Valacia as Cahill expands the known world beyond the continent of Epheria and adds a great deal of extra flavour that will broaden the scope and horizon of any theories you may have for where The Bound and The Broken is heading. My heart sings with the potential!

Although we know the Virandr trio are going to survive Valacia, Cahill has managed to write The Ice in such a way that nevertheless instills tension. The story ties nicely back into Of Blood and Fire towards the end as Aeson, Dahlen and Erik escape a betrayal at sea and make it into Milltown just as, we know, Calen, Rist and Dann are celebrating their successful Proving.

Cahill has, once again, brought us a grimdark gem with The Ice that fits in perfectly with the rest of the series while offering something new and exciting in the same package. As companion novellas go, those in The Bound and the Broken are proving to be essential reading.

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REVIEW: A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

I’ll admit it: I judged a book by its cover. I saw a giant flaming figure towering over a smaller warrior and thought, “Oh wow, that looks cool,” and decided M. H. Ayinde’s debut novel, A Song of Legends Lost, would be a good read. Luckily for me, this snap judgement proved to be correct; Ayinde’s science fantasy epic was a tremendous read and one I enjoyed, even though it isn’t quite what I expected. I was genuinely surprised to realise that this was Ayinde’s debut novel. It is exceptionally well written. She keeps on top of the multiple perspectives and blends the plot and the characters in an engaging and entertaining way. Also, props to artist Richard Anderson because that cover is superb.

Set in secondary fantasy world of the Nine Lands, A Song of Legends Lost is a story of war and rebellion. Here, a small group of noble bloods are called to be Invokers. They are warriors who can summon the spirits of their Ancestors and wield their powers in battle. Until Temi, a low-blood commoner, accidentally invokes and discovers it could be the key to ending the war that has been waging for generations and tipping the balance of power away from the nobles.

If you like epic fantasy with a slightly darker edge, A Song of Legends Lost is probably a read you will enjoy. If you like your epic fantasy with a slightly darker edge and a science fiction twist (like, for example, Mark Lawrence’s The Library Trilogy), then A Song of Legends Lost would definitely be a good book for you to pick up.

Ayinde has given us many treats as fans of the genre, with maps, an extensive character list, and multiple points of view to follow in the novel. Temi, the commoner who can invoke, is one of the five perspectives in the story. There is also Jiano, a noble, Father Boleo, a monk, Elari, a warrior, and Runt, a pot girl. Ayinde’s ensemble cast covers almost all walks of life, and it creates a story that the reader hears from a range of people and places in this vast world. Rarely for a multiple POV novel, I did not have a favourite viewpoint in A Song of Legends Lost. I found each of them equally as compelling and enjoyable as the others.

However, the science fiction elements surprised me as, initially, there was nothing to suggest that A Song of Legends Lost wasn’t a straight-up epic fantasy novel. I tend not to enjoy science fiction books, so when these elements came into play, I was worried it would spoil the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find it did not, and Ayinde wove fantasy and sci-fi together in a way that would make the novel appeal to fans of both genres. Also, A Song of Legends Lost is a rare bird in today’s fantasy world because it has no romantic plot elements. This might feel very refreshing to some readers and certainly makes the novel stand out at a time when everything else seems to be being shoved under the romantasy label.

An element that I struggled with in A Song of Legends Lost was the novel’s structure. It isn’t that there are multiple POVs; it is the fact that we switch between only two perspectives for the first part of the novel, and then the others are introduced. It felt like it was jarring to follow these new voices suddenly, and then it was too long before we returned to the earlier characters. But I am reserving judgment on this and won’t go so far as to call it a fault because I know I was reading A Song of Legends Lost in a very disjointed way. Reading it in tiny chunks and spreading it over a few weeks may be why the structure didn’t click with me rather than the writing. Reading like this also means I can’t comment on the pacing of Ayinde’s writing. However, I was interested enough to keep coming back, and it flowed nicely when I could read more than a chapter at a time.

A Song of Legends Lost is a massive science fantasy epic, with a wide cast of characters and detailed worldbuilding. Ayinde is a writer to keep an eye on in the fantasy world and hopefully we will get more of the same from her as The Invoker Trilogy continues. Thank you to M. H. Ayinde and the Orbit team for sending us a copy of A Song of Legends Lost.

A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

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REVIEW: Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill

The third instalment in The Bound and The Broken series by Ryan Cahill, Of War and Ruin turns up the heat as everything gets bigger, darker and more sinister. This deep into a series, some spoilers are almost certainly going to slip into the reviews – you have been warned! The end of Of Darkness and Light left us with some shocking revelations and satisfyingly frustrating cliffhangers, as Cahill kept tantalising answers just beyond our grasp, ready to hook us back in with Of War and Ruin.

The Knights of Achyron – a small, elite cohort of warriors imbued with a semblance of a god’s power – are reeling from the loss of their Grandmaster who had guided them for centuries. His replacement, Kallinvar, is already conflicted about his ascent to lead the Knights when he begins to hear Achyron’s voice in his head. To make matters more complicated, one of the Knights is Calen’s older brother, who was thought to be years-dead from an Uruk raid on their village. A Knight is expected to leave their past behind them when they accept Achyron’s sigil, and Arden finds it difficult to learn the rest of his family are dead and Calen is the new Draleid.

What neither Calen or Arden know, however, is that their sister Ella is alive and joining the same fight they are elsewhere on the continent. Having escaped the Empire in Of Darkness and Light, Ella has joined the rebellion and is going through her own path of self-discovery. Ella has druid blood and her bond with the wolfpine Faenir is growing stronger as she leans into it. Working with the rebellion, she is captured by the same Imperial company that both Farda and Rist are with, prompting an explosive reunion.

Rist has ascended to the ranks of the Battlemages and continues to be unknowingly manipulated by those he has grown to trust. Many times I found myself mentally screaming “FOOL OF A TOOK” at Rist through these pages, frustrated to see the anguish coming in his future when he can’t. Farda, meanwhile, is continuing to question his faith and commitment to the Empire since catching feelings from his time with Ella. When you’ve cared about nothing and no one for 400 years, I imagine suddenly feeling something again is a bit of a shock.

Our trio of D-named lads – Dahlen, Dann and Dayne – are all facing struggles, battles and pain in their own ways. Dahlen is the character to look to for exploration of the development of what we would call Post-Traumatic Stress, as the fighting and suffering within Durakhdur continues to take its toll on him mentally. Dayne has numerable pressures exerted on and over him now he has been revealed as still living to the rest of Valtara, pulling his loyalties left and right. Dann is caught in evermore dangerous situations and shows a lot of growth in Of War and Ruin, slowly growing into a hero in his own right.

There is a lot going on throughout Of War and Ruin and, at over 1,400 pages, that could be an understatement. As with all of Cahill’s writing, it feels fast-paced and despite being the longest book I’d ever read (at that point) it didn’t feel arduous at any point. Clearly, Cahill has exerted some reverse-TARDIS magic over his books as they are epic and expansive enough to feel like 1,400+ pages, while at the same time the actual reading of them feels like it wasn’t that long. Truly, he is a druid of the pages.

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REVIEW: The Gorge

The Gorge is a movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller. It is an Apple TV movie and thus something that a lot of people will miss because they don’t pick up a particular streaming service. That would be a shame because this is the sort of movie that really deserved a theatrical release. Is it a groundbreaking piece of cinema?

No, it’s very much a standard sci-fi action movie with a few twists as well as an unusually well-developed love story. Really, I’d argue it reminds me of a lot of video game plots and wouldn’t have been out of place as a Resident Evil installment but that isn’t an insult. Because it would have been a very good Resident Evil installment.

The premise is that Levi Kane (Teller) is a US Marine sniper that has found himself drifting through life after his term of service. Levi takes jobs for private military contractors less because of the money, which he’s implied to have plenty of, and more because he simply doesn’t know what else to do with himself.

Contrasting him is Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Lithuanian sniper, who has sent most of her money home to her family but will soon no longer have one as her father is in the final stages of cancer. Both end up hired by a mysterious employer to watch opposite sides of a gorge in an unknown location.

This assignment is bizarre from the start with most of their duties consisting of watching the automated defenses and only rarely taking pot shots at strange creatures that emerge from the gorge called Hollow Men. Okay, less strange than tree zombies. Yeah, I said tree zombies. They’re zombies that are part tree: it’s in the name. Perfect for video game enemies.

Our snipers have no backup and the opposite sides of the gorge have apparently been watched since the end of World War II. Neither Levi or Drasa are especially curious individuals but even they are deeply troubled by the fact that zombies are real and are being contained in a single unmarked location.

What’s interesting about this movie is that it is mostly not about the zombies or the role of the snipers in keeping the monsters imprisoned below. No, oddly enough, it is the burgeoning romance between two broken people who mostly communicate with signs as well as music. Levi and Drasa are a surprisingly cute couple and I would have happily watched the entire movie with just them falling in love despite their tortured pasts. Roughly halfway through the movie, though, they get into the Gorge and exposed to the evil done by the Umbrella Corporation. Err, Darklake Corporation.

The latter half of the movie results in them exploring the gorge itself and that is full of some genuinely creepy body horror and monstrous events. It feels very video game-y with found footage that just so happens to reveal everything that is going on and is still intact decades later. Oh, and it’s right next to some of the evidence that shows their employers are, GASP, not on the level. From there, the movie continues to its expected conclusion and is a solid ride.

The Gorge could have been a bad sci-fi action movie that was, nevertheless, a lot of fun. Instead, the romance and chemistry between the lead actors make it so it’s a good sci-fi action movie that is cheesy as hell. The writers remembered that we might want to care about the protagonists and gave us reason to do so. Even those who don’t like romance will probably enjoy the unconventional one between two super-snipers.

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An Interview with James Lloyd Dulin

We got the chance to sit down with James Lloyd Dulin—author of the dark fantasy Malitu trilogy—to talk about writing, basketball, life, and his upcoming series finale Only A Grave Will Do. James has three books out and Only A Grave Will Do releasing on June 24th, 2025.

[GDM] Hey James, thanks so much for doing this interview! To get things started, can you give a quick pitch of your series to the people reading this interview?

[JLD] A recluse warrior faces his past, risks warring factions, and delves back into the rebellion he abandoned to mentor a war orphan hell-bent on revenge. He will fight an empire to keep her from recreating his life of regrets.

If you enjoy Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss, or Evan Winter, Malitu should be on your TBR.

[GDM] Only A Grave Will Do, the culmination of your series, comes out on June 24th. How are you feeling about everything?

[JLD] I’m still processing it all. I have been looking forward to jumping into new worlds and new stories. At the same time, I tear up reading the final chapters of Only a Grave Will Do, realizing that this will be the last time I write about these characters. This story has existed in my head for over 6 years. It is extremely satisfying to finish sharing it with the world, and sad to say goodbye to it.

[GDM] What are you currently reading?

[JLD] I am juggling a couple of books. I just finished listening to The Will of the Many, and I’m working my way through the Murderbot novellas. I usually have an audiobook and an ebook/physical book going at all times.

[GDM] In your interview with Rebecca Crunden, you stated that Hakeem is one of your favorite basketball players. What’s your ideal staring five?

[JLD] My favorite team ever was the 2004 Detroit Pistons because they were a bunch of amazing role players who came together as a team to win a championship without the star power of other teams. So I’m not throwing the best players out there in each role. I want a team I think will work well together.

Isiah Thomas (81-94, not current NBA), Reggie Miller, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon. I think these guys would know how to move the ball around and work together.

[GDM] This is a bit of a darker question, but what’s the closest you’ve ever been to quitting?

[JLD] I’ve never been close to quitting writing. I come close to quitting or at least stepping back from publishing all the time. It’s hard when you aren’t meeting your personal metrics for success and you reflect on what you are giving up to keep everything going. I am investing time and money on publishing that could go to my family. I do my best to find balance, but there are always sacrifices—nights that I could spend relaxing with my wife. My hope is to look back on this and feel like I made the right decisions with my time. If I don’t make space for my creative pursuits, I cannot be the best version of myself. However, I can never let my creative needs take priority over the people I love.

There is never enough time. I will probably always wonder if I am making the right decisions.

Dark enough for Grimdark Magazine?

[GDM] Other than writing, what fills your time?

[JLD] Mostly, work and family. I have two young children who have enough energy to replace that damn bunny with the bass drum. We play basketball, color, and roughhouse until they fight sleep like it was their worst enemy on a daily basis.

I am fueled by anything that allows me to be creative. I love cooking, especially trying out new dishes. Although, age is really trying to steal my love for spicy food. Which is my way of saying, my time is filled with getting older, and it sucks.

[GDM] Have any movies impacted or inspired your writing?

[JLD] Pan’s Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies, and it has definitely had an impact. I want to find the flicker of imagination in the dark realities of the world. There is something so stirring about beauty surrounded by darkness.

I’m also a sucker for movies with redemptive father/son relationships. In a similar way to Pan’s Labyrinth, there is something that affects me about love pushing through pain and trauma. Warrior (2011) is my favorite example of that, and I would definitely say those relationships inspire the way I think about characters.

[GDM] What’s the best album to write to?

[JLD] Silence. Absolute silence.

I am drawn to lyrics. So writing to music is a good way to distract me. My mind latches onto the words. Occasionally, I will throw on some lofi instrumental music, but that is mostly when I’m editing.

[GDM] What’s next for James Lloyd Dulin?

[JLD] More stories. There will always be new stories. I have a rough idea of a spinoff series in the same world as Malitu, but I think I will come back to that later.

For now, I want to explore a new world. During the breaks when editors have had Only a Grave Will Do, I have been outlining a series loosely inspired by Arcane. And when I say loosely inspired, I mean vibes only. I loved the show, and it made me want to write something with a similar style. So I hope to start writing that soon.

[GDM] Thanks for doing this interview! Wanna leave a last message for the readers? Beg them to pick up your books or spit at them in bloody defiance?

[JLD] Does begging work? I’ll do it. Do I need to film it?

Seriously, for anyone who has read this far in the interview, thank you. Give Malitu a try. If it doesn’t do it for you, just buy the rest and read something else. Is that too much to ask?

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REVIEW: Hostile by Luke Scull

Hostile, the debut horror novel from grimdark fantasy author Luke Scull, delivers a deceptively deep psychological thriller on par with the best work of Catriona Ward or Gemma Amor.

Hostile opens at the Longleat Safari and Adventure Park in the Wiltshire countryside of southwest England. Savannah Grace is a new animal keeper at the animal sanctuary, home to an assortment of creatures from around the world, including a rare silverback gorilla. However, there is trouble in Savannah’s wildlife paradise when a chimpanzee goes missing and is discovered later with blood-red eyes and a sudden, uncharacteristic thirst for violence.

The chimpanzee incident is just the start of an affliction that spreads rapidly across animal life in Wiltshire, affecting everything from insects and spiders through domesticated pets, whose unexpected violence catches their owners especially off guard.

What is the origin of this abrupt change in animal behavior? Could they be infected with a newly mutated virus? Or is there a supernatural force at play taking control over these otherwise innocent creatures?

Although Hostile opens with Savannah Grace, the main protagonist of the novel is John Sharrock, a fantasy author who has just scored his first major book deal. But the pressure of writing a bestselling novel proves too much for John, whose mental health takes a significant toll, alongside the relationship with his beloved wife:

‘I lost myself,’ John said. ‘I became someone else. I lost sight of what was important.’

I honestly thought I knew where Luke Scull was heading with these various plot threads, and I was prepared to write a review saying that Hostile is an entertaining thrill ride but too predictable. Then the last quarter of the book knocked me senseless. I wasn’t prepared for the psychological depth (and associated plot twists) that emerged in the latter part of the book. By the end, Hostile left me genuinely shaken up in a way that few books have done before.

Altogether, Hostile is highly recommended for fans of psychological horror. Luke Scull’s first entry in the horror genre proves to be an expertly crafted, emotionally raw journey into the dark recesses of the soul. Although Hostile is Scull’s first horror novel, I hope it won’t be his last.

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REVIEW: Attack on Titan Season 2

Mysteries are only unlocked through pain. Knowledge only gained by sacrifice. Wins achieved by stepping over the bodies of comrades and friends on a blood-soaked battlefield.

This is the mantra of Attack on Titan: Season Two. The finest written T.V. show I’ve ever seen marches on with a harrowed look in its eyes and the weight of triumph on its shoulders.

“You’re not soldiers. You’re not warriors. You’re just murderers.”

Season one of Attack on Titan centered on the cat and mouse game between the Scouts and the Abnormal Titans. Season two continues that, but instead of cat and mouse, it feels like a brutal chess match where pawns, bishops, knights, and rooks are being taken off the board in a furious crescendo.

We start off with the aftermath of season one’s thrilling climax, which leaves us picking up the pieces and asking questions. Before we can get those answers, however, new threats appear. More Abnormals, more death. The plot juggles all the pieces in a dazzling dance. Never does a ball get dropped, merely thrown in the air to hover for a moment before it crashes down upon the characters with thunder.

Season one set up the world and some of its intricacies in a gorgeous fashion. The tension was high and the losses even higher, but we’re starting to see the game, the players, and the stakes. On top of that, the animation may be the best piece of it, which is truly saying something. It’s a collection of greatness in every metric.

Season two of Attack on Titan steps every facet of it up.

The action and animation is as breathtaking as ever. It’s intense, it’s bloody, it’s a breath away from killing and dying. I said breath-taking two sentences ago and I’m going to say it again. It. Is. Breath-taking. There’s no other word to describe it.

Just as heart-stopping is the mysteries. Attack on Titan is absolutely loaded with twists and mysteries, and when one is solved, two more come about. Everything driving the mysteries is logical and will be explained (which is the best kind) and the ones we do get solved are jaw-dropping. The plotting is genius level, comparable to only a few works I’ve read and none that I’ve seen in television before. While we do get a few mysteries from season one answered, season two introduces to even more, forcing intense and immensely enjoyable ruminations.

It is interesting, however, to talk about Attack on Titan on a plot versus character level. In some ways, Attack on Titan reminds me of Black Company or Malazan: Book of the Fallen. People die in large scales and you have to pay attention to understand the story at large. It’s confusing, and the creator of these worlds will blatantly show you foreshadowing that won’t make sense until later. In the meantime, the individual characters draw you in with just the right touch. Brooding soldiers, sarcastic banter, hopes and ambitions. Attack on Titan, Black Company, and Malazan strike these same chords. I don’t think it’s for everyone, and with the gore and viscera surrounding it it’s for even fewer, but if you’re a grimdark fan who likes animation, I don’t even really know why you’re reading this review instead of rushing to get a Crunchyroll subscription and turn it on.

“As long as we continue to fight, we are not defeated!”

Ultimately, Attack on Titan is as close to a flawless show as I’ve ever seen. Season two is a phenomenal entry into the series, but I do have a few nitpicks. There’s not a ton of room for bantery-dialogue. The pacing is ever so slightly odd. The climax feels a touch cloying with its resolution. Some of the newer characters aren’t as fully palatable as the old ones.

Reader of this review, I had to dig deep for those nitpicks. They are so minor, so forgettable, that it’s essentially not worth mentioning. If you like grimdarks, blood, animation, foreshadowing, or just gorgeous writing, I implore you to watch Attack on Titan.

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