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The Trianid #2
Slayer of Monsters
A world in peril. A fading faerie king. A lie that could shatter the Trianid.
The Battle of the Second Slayer is won, but peace in Dúramair is short-lived. Ylvain’s darkling elementals still roam the kingdom in a violent storm, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Even Faer Dinnán, the faerie king, is fading, and unless the darklings are stopped soon, all of Dúramair will find itself in mortal danger.
It falls to Alyen and the new Trianid to stem this evil and restore balance before all hope of victory is lost. But soon Alyen finds herself facing more than just the storm. Forced to confront her past and tame her own shadow side, Alyen finds that the only path to salvation may come at a steep a betrayal that could rend her heart—and the Trianid—asunder.
The sequel to Keeper of Scales, Slayer of Monsters continues the Trianid saga, a young adult fantasy series with adult appeal, featuring medieval settings, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, elemental magic, and a strong female lead.
The Battle of the Second Slayer is won, but peace in Dúramair is short-lived. Ylvain’s darkling elementals still roam the kingdom in a violent storm, leaving chaos and destruction in their wake. Even Faer Dinnán, the faerie king, is fading, and unless the darklings are stopped soon, all of Dúramair will find itself in mortal danger.
It falls to Alyen and the new Trianid to stem this evil and restore balance before all hope of victory is lost. But soon Alyen finds herself facing more than just the storm. Forced to confront her past and tame her own shadow side, Alyen finds that the only path to salvation may come at a steep a betrayal that could rend her heart—and the Trianid—asunder.
The sequel to Keeper of Scales, Slayer of Monsters continues the Trianid saga, a young adult fantasy series with adult appeal, featuring medieval settings, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, elemental magic, and a strong female lead.
- GenresFantasy
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2024
3 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Anne Mollova
3 books11 followersAnne Mollova is an award-winning young adult fantasy author living with her family in Pittsburgh, PA. Aside from writing, she loves being in nature, making music, eating chocolate, drinking tea, and creating things out of yarn and needles.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 22, 2024
The Trianid consists of a great warrior known as the Slayer, a weaver of visions who is called the Seer, and the Keeper of Scales that is a healer with the ability to see faerie world. Their job is to ensure the safety of the kingdom of Duramair by keeping a peaceful balance between the forces of light and dark.
Having defeated the source of the most recent threat, they thought there would be a time to rest, regather and strengthen their abilities and their bonds. For Aaron and Alyen, that also means being able to explore their relationship fully. That's not to be, however, because the darklings created as an army to be used to bring chaos to the land still exist, and the storm they're stirring up will destroy everything in its path.
Worse yet, the power wielded by the darklings is tipping the balance and draining the magic from the faerie king. He is fading, and if he disappears completely, the world will cease to exist. The bulk of the work will rest on the shoulders of Alyen, the Keeper of Scales, and the sacrifice she will need to make may be one that will tear the Trianid apart.
Slayer of Monsters by Anne Mollova is the second in the Trianid series and really should be read after Keeper of Scales in order to fully understand what events brought about some of the consequences that will come up in this book. Also, attempting to read Slayer of Monsters as a standalone will take away from the nuances of the relationships built during the first volume and water down the personalities.
In general, this was an enjoyable book. I think part of that lies in being able to revisit the characters and the kingdom of Duramair. The author does a very good job bringing the world to life, but I was disappointed to find that there seems to be a pattern of filling much of the book with a slow buildup and leaving the action to the final 30-40%. Had it just been the trap some second books fall into of acting as a bridge, it would have been more understandable, but I noted the same thing in my review of the first novel. That's not to say I won't keep reading this series. I'm invested in the lives of these characters and the kingdom they fight to protect. Let's see if the rift can be mended and what foes they may face next. Bring on book three!
I received an ARC of this title and have chosen to leave this objective review.
Having defeated the source of the most recent threat, they thought there would be a time to rest, regather and strengthen their abilities and their bonds. For Aaron and Alyen, that also means being able to explore their relationship fully. That's not to be, however, because the darklings created as an army to be used to bring chaos to the land still exist, and the storm they're stirring up will destroy everything in its path.
Worse yet, the power wielded by the darklings is tipping the balance and draining the magic from the faerie king. He is fading, and if he disappears completely, the world will cease to exist. The bulk of the work will rest on the shoulders of Alyen, the Keeper of Scales, and the sacrifice she will need to make may be one that will tear the Trianid apart.
Slayer of Monsters by Anne Mollova is the second in the Trianid series and really should be read after Keeper of Scales in order to fully understand what events brought about some of the consequences that will come up in this book. Also, attempting to read Slayer of Monsters as a standalone will take away from the nuances of the relationships built during the first volume and water down the personalities.
In general, this was an enjoyable book. I think part of that lies in being able to revisit the characters and the kingdom of Duramair. The author does a very good job bringing the world to life, but I was disappointed to find that there seems to be a pattern of filling much of the book with a slow buildup and leaving the action to the final 30-40%. Had it just been the trap some second books fall into of acting as a bridge, it would have been more understandable, but I noted the same thing in my review of the first novel. That's not to say I won't keep reading this series. I'm invested in the lives of these characters and the kingdom they fight to protect. Let's see if the rift can be mended and what foes they may face next. Bring on book three!
I received an ARC of this title and have chosen to leave this objective review.
January 7, 2026
3.75/5
28 Chapters, 296 pages
Published: February 6, 2024 by Rose Leaf Press
2 POVs (Alyen, Lirianna), 3rd-person narration
Mid-length chapters; Pacing was mid
No spice
Read in 3 days
So, this review will be very short and to the point.
LOVE LOVE LOVED IT. This is precisely what I like to read + there was an adventure (travelling involved with taverns and inns), which I wanted to read about for the LONGEST time.
I think that this book is deserving of the 4 stars I rated it.
The way this was written was very simplified, a bit juvenile too; however, I'm not sure if it's the author's writing itself or because it's YA. Once you get into it, however - and don't skim-read - it's good food for thought.
It's not gritty action, but more of a herbology, one-bed, female mind study, minor spells type of fantasy. This was a typical, old-school, medieval type of fantasy.
[I had an inkling that the story would end the way it had].
-> Chapters are named and numbered
-> Chapters begin with a big letter (aesthetics)
-> The plot was original
-> One bed trope
-> Interesting plot (concept)
-> The plot revolves around Alyen mostly, and her decisions (not saying that there's nothing else, but this is the core of the plot)
-> Alyen's reasoning is top-notch, but she's still a bit naive (trusting Faer Dinnán about the gorge - for all she knew, he could've pushed them in)
-> A conflict of love
-> A rhyme and a reason
-> A relationship on the brink of ruin
-> Betrayal, as a right decision to the cause
Two members of the previous Trianid have passed on. It is time to pass on the titles, jobs and magical powers to the youth next in line. As such, they take on some life-threatening, dangerous tasks on their travels. The ultimate goal was to defeat or turn the darklings, which roamed, remained and killed the nature in their wake, even after the evil Ylvain's death in the first book.
Footnotes:
- The author hadn't spoken about what season it was, so not sure if the howling wind is in Summer, Autumn or Winter (there was rain as well, but mostly due to the darkling storms).
28 Chapters, 296 pages
Published: February 6, 2024 by Rose Leaf Press
2 POVs (Alyen, Lirianna), 3rd-person narration
Mid-length chapters; Pacing was mid
No spice
Read in 3 days
So, this review will be very short and to the point.
LOVE LOVE LOVED IT. This is precisely what I like to read + there was an adventure (travelling involved with taverns and inns), which I wanted to read about for the LONGEST time.
I think that this book is deserving of the 4 stars I rated it.
The way this was written was very simplified, a bit juvenile too; however, I'm not sure if it's the author's writing itself or because it's YA. Once you get into it, however - and don't skim-read - it's good food for thought.
It's not gritty action, but more of a herbology, one-bed, female mind study, minor spells type of fantasy. This was a typical, old-school, medieval type of fantasy.
[I had an inkling that the story would end the way it had].
-> Chapters are named and numbered
-> Chapters begin with a big letter (aesthetics)
-> The plot was original
-> One bed trope
-> Interesting plot (concept)
-> The plot revolves around Alyen mostly, and her decisions (not saying that there's nothing else, but this is the core of the plot)
-> Alyen's reasoning is top-notch, but she's still a bit naive (trusting Faer Dinnán about the gorge - for all she knew, he could've pushed them in)
-> A conflict of love
-> A rhyme and a reason
-> A relationship on the brink of ruin
-> Betrayal, as a right decision to the cause
Two members of the previous Trianid have passed on. It is time to pass on the titles, jobs and magical powers to the youth next in line. As such, they take on some life-threatening, dangerous tasks on their travels. The ultimate goal was to defeat or turn the darklings, which roamed, remained and killed the nature in their wake, even after the evil Ylvain's death in the first book.
Footnotes:
- The author hadn't spoken about what season it was, so not sure if the howling wind is in Summer, Autumn or Winter (there was rain as well, but mostly due to the darkling storms).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2024
I’m so excited Slayer of Monsters by indie author Anne Mollova is out in the world today! A huge thank you goes to Book Sirens & the author for letting me read an early copy of this epic YA fantasy, which is actually book two in The Trianid series. So let’s give you an overview, shall we?
Alyen hoped that the worst was finally over for Dúramair, after the Battle of the Second Slayer. But darkling elementals are now gathering in force, & the faerie king is fading. If Faer Dinnán falls, there will be no coming back… To save the world from being covered in darkness, Alyen & the Trianid must find a way to defeat the darklings. But as they travel to the source, could a lie bring everything undone? Will a betrayal to save the world be worth the cost to Alyen’s heart? Can the Keeper of the Scales find a way to embrace her own shadows in this new war?
Within Slayer of Monsters, Anne has continued to craft a vibrant world of faerie in a medieval setting. This YA fantasy is not only brimming with magic, but also a fragile hope in the face of utter darkness. I adore how Anne has steadily built up the tension & danger, just waiting for the spark that will set everything alight!
Although there’s the end of the world to deal with, I love that in Slayer of Monsters we also get light-hearted moments. This is largely due to Brother Hugh, who has such a high amount of energy & adorable goofiness! Paired with Nah’dar (a former assassin), this unlikely duo help make the second instalment of The Trianid what it is: a YA fantasy masterpiece...
*** You can read my FULL REVIEW on my blog via this link: https://www.immersedinbooks.com/slaye... ***
Alyen hoped that the worst was finally over for Dúramair, after the Battle of the Second Slayer. But darkling elementals are now gathering in force, & the faerie king is fading. If Faer Dinnán falls, there will be no coming back… To save the world from being covered in darkness, Alyen & the Trianid must find a way to defeat the darklings. But as they travel to the source, could a lie bring everything undone? Will a betrayal to save the world be worth the cost to Alyen’s heart? Can the Keeper of the Scales find a way to embrace her own shadows in this new war?
Within Slayer of Monsters, Anne has continued to craft a vibrant world of faerie in a medieval setting. This YA fantasy is not only brimming with magic, but also a fragile hope in the face of utter darkness. I adore how Anne has steadily built up the tension & danger, just waiting for the spark that will set everything alight!
Although there’s the end of the world to deal with, I love that in Slayer of Monsters we also get light-hearted moments. This is largely due to Brother Hugh, who has such a high amount of energy & adorable goofiness! Paired with Nah’dar (a former assassin), this unlikely duo help make the second instalment of The Trianid what it is: a YA fantasy masterpiece...
*** You can read my FULL REVIEW on my blog via this link: https://www.immersedinbooks.com/slaye... ***
February 27, 2024
Slayer of Monsters is one of those books that takes the reader on an emotional journey because the author does an excellent job of drawing the reader in and making the story come to life with feeling and colour and depth. This is the second in a series and at times there was a filling that this book is simply a bridge to the next but overall it is just a delightful read that has a lot to do with the writing style of this author. I will keep reading this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 3, 2024
Slayer of Monsters is book 2 of the Trianid by Anne Mollova. I liked that book 2 perfectly picks up the storyline and moves the story forward. The darklings attack the castle and the Keeper and the Ceremony of all 3 Trianid must combine to destroy the evil power of Ylvain. I think the characters are fantastic and the story is an epic adventure with evil, magic and a fabulous story. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
February 10, 2024
I could not put this book down!! The magic system the author immerses you in is so original, beautiful, believable, and FUN! Her writing is as beautiful as the fantasy world this story is set in, with lots of wit and humor along the way. The characters are strong and complex, and take you on the kind emotional journey readers crave! I could not recommend this book more highly. A+
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews