What do you think?
Rate this book
After the War #2
Salvation's Fire
The Tzarkomen necromancers sacrificed a thousand women to create a Bride for the Kinslayer so he would spare them in the war. But the Kinslayer is dead and now the creation intended to ensure his eternal rule lies abandoned by its makers in the last place in the world that anyone would look for it.
Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident.
Will the Bride return the gods to the world or will she bring the end of days? It all depends on the one who found her, Kula, a broken-hearted little girl with nothing left to lose.
Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident.
Will the Bride return the gods to the world or will she bring the end of days? It all depends on the one who found her, Kula, a broken-hearted little girl with nothing left to lose.
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 4, 2018
63 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Justina Robson
65 books287 followersJustina is from Leeds, a city in Yorkshire in the north of England. She always wanted to write and always did. Other things sometimes got in the way and sometimes still do...but not too much.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
September 5, 2018
Very disappointing after the brilliance of the previous book. Just didn't click the same way and this time far to much was inexplicable. The previously strong character didn't feel as strong and didn't really see too much in the way of development and as for the plot.... well after the book had finished I wasn't entirely sure what the plot was really, pretty confusing actually.
Gutted.....
Gutted.....
October 5, 2024
Salvation's Fire serves as the second installment in the After the War duology, picking up where Tchaikovsky's Redemption's Blade left off. Solaris, the publisher, evidently contacted a range of authors and had some 'pair up' to tell a tale. Tchaikovsky led the effort here, creating the world and the main characters, and then Robson picked up the tale for another adventure. Neat concept, and I liked both stories, but taken together, it did leave a bit of a disjointed feel overall.
The background. For ten years, the demigod Kinslayer (formerly known as the Reckoner) wages all out war on the world, brutally conquering all in his path. A band of warriors, now know as the Slayers, managed to infiltrate his stronghold and kill him. Since then, one of the slayers, Celestaine, a human, has been trying to 'make the world right again'. She, and a small band of fellow slayers, including some 'Yoggs' (Kinslayer's shock troops), had a quest in the last volume to find an artifact to help a winged hominoid race get back their wings.
Salvation's Fire begins with Celestaine returning home with her crew. Shortly thereafter, another demigod, the 'wanderer', showed up to give them another quest. Apparently, the Kinslayer opened some portals between the worlds (where he got some of his minions) and if these are not closed, the world may end. So, a new quest and adventure!
While we have our former band of heroes here, Robson quickly introduces some new characters. One group of necromancers being threatened by the Kinslayer, came up with a 'deal' to make him a wife. They completed their task, but when they had finished, the Kinslayer was dead. The last of the necromancers tried to ditch her body (she was not 'animated' yet) into a 'soul fire' the Kinslayer started, but no dice. Finally, we have a little girl, from a branch of the necromancer's people, who became a refuge after the slaughter of her family (and entire village). The girl, Kula, deaf, found the Kinslayer's bride and 'activated' her.
The story really kicks off with Celestaine's band finding the bride and Kula. We also have the pair of treasure hunters from the last novel here, one a demigod laying low, who get involved once again. Another new character is 'Tricky', another demigod, who teams up with the un-dead bard on their own quest. Whew!
Robson did the world justice, but the story meanders a bit, oscillating among several plot lines. Too busy? Maybe a tad. Robson also 'broadens' the world quite bit, taking us to new places and new 'people'. The pacing became erratic at times, and the denouement? Hum. Still, a good follow up and a neat little duology. 3 stars!!
The background. For ten years, the demigod Kinslayer (formerly known as the Reckoner) wages all out war on the world, brutally conquering all in his path. A band of warriors, now know as the Slayers, managed to infiltrate his stronghold and kill him. Since then, one of the slayers, Celestaine, a human, has been trying to 'make the world right again'. She, and a small band of fellow slayers, including some 'Yoggs' (Kinslayer's shock troops), had a quest in the last volume to find an artifact to help a winged hominoid race get back their wings.
Salvation's Fire begins with Celestaine returning home with her crew. Shortly thereafter, another demigod, the 'wanderer', showed up to give them another quest. Apparently, the Kinslayer opened some portals between the worlds (where he got some of his minions) and if these are not closed, the world may end. So, a new quest and adventure!
While we have our former band of heroes here, Robson quickly introduces some new characters. One group of necromancers being threatened by the Kinslayer, came up with a 'deal' to make him a wife. They completed their task, but when they had finished, the Kinslayer was dead. The last of the necromancers tried to ditch her body (she was not 'animated' yet) into a 'soul fire' the Kinslayer started, but no dice. Finally, we have a little girl, from a branch of the necromancer's people, who became a refuge after the slaughter of her family (and entire village). The girl, Kula, deaf, found the Kinslayer's bride and 'activated' her.
The story really kicks off with Celestaine's band finding the bride and Kula. We also have the pair of treasure hunters from the last novel here, one a demigod laying low, who get involved once again. Another new character is 'Tricky', another demigod, who teams up with the un-dead bard on their own quest. Whew!
Robson did the world justice, but the story meanders a bit, oscillating among several plot lines. Too busy? Maybe a tad. Robson also 'broadens' the world quite bit, taking us to new places and new 'people'. The pacing became erratic at times, and the denouement? Hum. Still, a good follow up and a neat little duology. 3 stars!!
November 30, 2020
This picks up immediately after the end of Redemption's Blade, and is more of a straight up adventure story than exploration of the costs of war, as we return to the gang, who are getting antsy at Celestaine's ancestral home. Deffo's information about the land's lost gods, though minimal, is enough to ignite Celestaine’s need for action.
Meanwhile a young girl, Kula, is hanging about a trading post and stealing food from under the kind eyes of an Oerni trader named Bukham. When Kula flees the post, Bukham and an elderly priest, Murti, insists Bukham must accompany him in pursuit of the girl.
Also, some Tzarkommen priests are transporting a strangely and heavily inscribed box, coffin-sized, past the perpetually burning Hathal Vale (and a watching Kula) when something goes wrong, and it’s revealed that the box contains a woman. When the woman arises, she does something fantastic and amazing, and Kula and she bond immediately.
All these people come together, and end up joining together to find the errant/lost gods.
There’s much less introspection from Celestaine here, though she does spend some time wondering why she needs to keep moving, and what this says about her, and her need for validation, post-Kinslayer.
Kula and the woman, Lysander, both of whom are just one unfolding mystery after another, forge a relationship together, finding such fun and joy in every new experience.
And the character whom I loved in book one was a delight here: Nedlam remains uncomplicated but insightful, happy to chew on her Ora root, and equally happy to take on new challenges and fights. She has some terrifically funny moments (her take on weddings was sweet and grin-worthy), and her loyalty and kindness are not a surprise, considering her behaviour in book one. I can see Ned, big hammer over her shoulder, and Kula and Lysander all running joyfully to the bakery together by book’s end.
Meanwhile a young girl, Kula, is hanging about a trading post and stealing food from under the kind eyes of an Oerni trader named Bukham. When Kula flees the post, Bukham and an elderly priest, Murti, insists Bukham must accompany him in pursuit of the girl.
Also, some Tzarkommen priests are transporting a strangely and heavily inscribed box, coffin-sized, past the perpetually burning Hathal Vale (and a watching Kula) when something goes wrong, and it’s revealed that the box contains a woman. When the woman arises, she does something fantastic and amazing, and Kula and she bond immediately.
All these people come together, and end up joining together to find the errant/lost gods.
There’s much less introspection from Celestaine here, though she does spend some time wondering why she needs to keep moving, and what this says about her, and her need for validation, post-Kinslayer.
Kula and the woman, Lysander, both of whom are just one unfolding mystery after another, forge a relationship together, finding such fun and joy in every new experience.
And the character whom I loved in book one was a delight here: Nedlam remains uncomplicated but insightful, happy to chew on her Ora root, and equally happy to take on new challenges and fights. She has some terrifically funny moments (her take on weddings was sweet and grin-worthy), and her loyalty and kindness are not a surprise, considering her behaviour in book one. I can see Ned, big hammer over her shoulder, and Kula and Lysander all running joyfully to the bakery together by book’s end.
August 21, 2018
Publishing Date: June 2018
Publisher: Solaris
ISBN: 9781781086087
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1.2/5
Publisher’s Description: The Tzarkomen necromancers sacrificed a thousand women to create a Bride for the Kinslayer so he would spare them in the war. But the Kinslayer is dead and now the creation intended to ensure his eternal rule lies abandoned by its makers in the last place in the world that anyone would look for it. Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident.
Review: We pick up where the last novel left off with a new author. Why they did this, I have no idea but it makes for an interesting take, right?
Well before we get into that, Dr. Catt, “Fishy”, Celestaine, Nedlam and all the rest are back to quest the shjt out of everything. In this case to find out why the Gods have left and to undo their inability to get back.
What we never get is a real cogent and specific why to anything. Like why would you want to bring the Gods back and why is there a convenient God enabling vehicle in the form of Lysandra and Kula suddenly a part of that skimpy picture? A bit too deus ex for me, but what the hay. This haphazard way of continuing a story line will wear you the fuk down to nothing. You will have to swallow so many plot holes that you will shjt chaos donuts.
What was really disappointing was that the characters were thinly developed and Celestaine’s crew were relegated to this sameness that saddled the novel with boring interludes. There are side quests for sure, but they seemed a contrived and additive part of the plot in order to showcase a new character or lend relevance to a thinly developed story line.
Adrian Tchaikovsky really should have continued this series and brought it to grander heights, but sadly was hijacked and killed by the publisher.
Read all of my reviews, here.
Publisher: Solaris
ISBN: 9781781086087
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 1.2/5
Publisher’s Description: The Tzarkomen necromancers sacrificed a thousand women to create a Bride for the Kinslayer so he would spare them in the war. But the Kinslayer is dead and now the creation intended to ensure his eternal rule lies abandoned by its makers in the last place in the world that anyone would look for it. Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident.
Review: We pick up where the last novel left off with a new author. Why they did this, I have no idea but it makes for an interesting take, right?
Well before we get into that, Dr. Catt, “Fishy”, Celestaine, Nedlam and all the rest are back to quest the shjt out of everything. In this case to find out why the Gods have left and to undo their inability to get back.
What we never get is a real cogent and specific why to anything. Like why would you want to bring the Gods back and why is there a convenient God enabling vehicle in the form of Lysandra and Kula suddenly a part of that skimpy picture? A bit too deus ex for me, but what the hay. This haphazard way of continuing a story line will wear you the fuk down to nothing. You will have to swallow so many plot holes that you will shjt chaos donuts.
What was really disappointing was that the characters were thinly developed and Celestaine’s crew were relegated to this sameness that saddled the novel with boring interludes. There are side quests for sure, but they seemed a contrived and additive part of the plot in order to showcase a new character or lend relevance to a thinly developed story line.
Adrian Tchaikovsky really should have continued this series and brought it to grander heights, but sadly was hijacked and killed by the publisher.
Read all of my reviews, here.
January 27, 2019
Finished reading it a few hours back, and I gotta say, it improves upon the world and characters of Adrian Tchaikovsky's Redemption's Blade with depth and loving poignancy. Justina Robson did an exceedingly fine job in telling a brilliant story that brims with spirit, humor, and magic. I loved this more than the first book, though it lacks the lustre of Tchaikovsky's worlbuilding, but make it shine through the empathetic and lovable characters fleshed out proportionately.
I won't forget the characters of Kula and Lysandra here. They are one of the most enduring and beautiful duos ever written in fantasy. There is a sense of tender innocence to them which made me smile every time I came across them. Justina imbues passion and feeling in every page concerning their actions. Who wouldn't want to love a broken-hearted little girl with powers, and a powerful woman who nurtures her like a mother? This book has the smooth flow of equal focus on characters as well as the events, and some of those were written awesomely. I was amazed at the vision of Nydarow, the fortress of the Kinslayer, which was mindboggling in its complexity and malevolence. Justina writes about the indescribable in a vivid manner which is poetic at times, and she masterfully navigates the emotional spectrum of the characters regarding the situations and circumstances.
The story mainly focuses on Celestaine's band of warriors to find about the reason of the gods disappearance from the world, along with the two guardians Deffo the trickster, and the Wanderer. But, along the way they meet a powerful creation of the Tzarkomen necromancers which was meant as a gift for the Kinslayer. Meanwhile, even dead the Kinslayer has set into motion his plans, and it is upto Celestaine and her crew to outmaneuver his nefarious machinations. We get to know a lot of the actions that caused the war, get to know about the secret 'Book of All Things.' The most favourite parts were however about Tricky the half-guardian, who is full of tricks and her interaction with Ralas. Like the world Tricky is broken and flawed, but her wit and a desire to make things right shines bright in her core, and Ralas finds his love in her. Of Kula and Lysandra I have said already, and there wouldn't be enough space to write of them here. I leave it to the readers to find it for themselves.
This is one of the best reads I had in this month, and I hope that Tchaikovsky's shared world has more stories about to come. I'm wondering why some people have disliked this novel, saying they couldn't connect to the characters and the story. In fact, I found more emotional connection here than the previous book which was equally good. But, this book will remain a joy to me in 'After the War Series.'
I won't forget the characters of Kula and Lysandra here. They are one of the most enduring and beautiful duos ever written in fantasy. There is a sense of tender innocence to them which made me smile every time I came across them. Justina imbues passion and feeling in every page concerning their actions. Who wouldn't want to love a broken-hearted little girl with powers, and a powerful woman who nurtures her like a mother? This book has the smooth flow of equal focus on characters as well as the events, and some of those were written awesomely. I was amazed at the vision of Nydarow, the fortress of the Kinslayer, which was mindboggling in its complexity and malevolence. Justina writes about the indescribable in a vivid manner which is poetic at times, and she masterfully navigates the emotional spectrum of the characters regarding the situations and circumstances.
The story mainly focuses on Celestaine's band of warriors to find about the reason of the gods disappearance from the world, along with the two guardians Deffo the trickster, and the Wanderer. But, along the way they meet a powerful creation of the Tzarkomen necromancers which was meant as a gift for the Kinslayer. Meanwhile, even dead the Kinslayer has set into motion his plans, and it is upto Celestaine and her crew to outmaneuver his nefarious machinations. We get to know a lot of the actions that caused the war, get to know about the secret 'Book of All Things.' The most favourite parts were however about Tricky the half-guardian, who is full of tricks and her interaction with Ralas. Like the world Tricky is broken and flawed, but her wit and a desire to make things right shines bright in her core, and Ralas finds his love in her. Of Kula and Lysandra I have said already, and there wouldn't be enough space to write of them here. I leave it to the readers to find it for themselves.
This is one of the best reads I had in this month, and I hope that Tchaikovsky's shared world has more stories about to come. I'm wondering why some people have disliked this novel, saying they couldn't connect to the characters and the story. In fact, I found more emotional connection here than the previous book which was equally good. But, this book will remain a joy to me in 'After the War Series.'
August 23, 2018
Qué gran decepción. Quizá es que el listón con la anterior novela de Tchaikovsky estaba alto, pero este libro tiene méritos para lograr esta nota por sí solo. Una trama inconnexa, con poco sentido narrativo y carente de interés (aunque eso último quizá sea objetivo). Personajes sosos. Estilo narrativo confuso. Durante decenas de páginas literalmente no me enteraba de nada, y es que ¡no estaba pasando nada! Seguiré con las demás obras que salgan de esta serie, pero el segundo volumen es un fracaso monumental. Una lástima, porque Robson es una autora que, en general, me gusta, tanto en realto como en novela.
September 25, 2018
TLDR: I bought this on faith from the first novel. If I buy book 3, it will only be after reading the reviews.
I liked the first book. It was not perfect, there was a ton of worldbuilding that was presented as taken for granted that the reader knew about that left me a little popped out of the narrative, but ultimately still enjoying the story.
This second book has a completely different writing style, which makes sense for a different author. But this time I found it highly inaccessible. I never could immerse myself in the narrative. I always felt that we were reading from the perspective of the character who knew the least in a given situation, so very little made sense, or from the perspective of the character who knew the most and felt no need to explain.
It felt like a chore to get through this second book, and I read (partially) to escape chores. I will need a really good reason to come back to this series if it continues. Which is too bad, I really liked Celestaine, Nedlam, Heno and Rallas as characters. Just not in this second outing where they felt like window dressing, and not characters with agency in this narrative. They just... got pulled along in the current like driftwood, relegated to the role of thugs and bodyguards.
I liked the first book. It was not perfect, there was a ton of worldbuilding that was presented as taken for granted that the reader knew about that left me a little popped out of the narrative, but ultimately still enjoying the story.
This second book has a completely different writing style, which makes sense for a different author. But this time I found it highly inaccessible. I never could immerse myself in the narrative. I always felt that we were reading from the perspective of the character who knew the least in a given situation, so very little made sense, or from the perspective of the character who knew the most and felt no need to explain.
It felt like a chore to get through this second book, and I read (partially) to escape chores. I will need a really good reason to come back to this series if it continues. Which is too bad, I really liked Celestaine, Nedlam, Heno and Rallas as characters. Just not in this second outing where they felt like window dressing, and not characters with agency in this narrative. They just... got pulled along in the current like driftwood, relegated to the role of thugs and bodyguards.
October 2, 2018
Bride of the Kinslayer
Here is the second in the After the War series, not on this occasion written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but instead by Justina Robson. This second outing features many of the same characters as volume 1, but with the addition of two new entrants, a feral but powerful little girl and her adoptive mother, an immensely powerful female, created as a bride for the now defunct Kinslayer. Or is he defunct? And what will his bride do when she realises her own powers. Is she evil? Can she be stopped? These are the questions answered at the conclusion of a long quest to find the gods, now divorced from mankind, sending messages such as 'Be kind to each other', a message which appears to be interpreted as 'Be unkind to anyone who disagrees with you.'
Here is the second in the After the War series, not on this occasion written by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but instead by Justina Robson. This second outing features many of the same characters as volume 1, but with the addition of two new entrants, a feral but powerful little girl and her adoptive mother, an immensely powerful female, created as a bride for the now defunct Kinslayer. Or is he defunct? And what will his bride do when she realises her own powers. Is she evil? Can she be stopped? These are the questions answered at the conclusion of a long quest to find the gods, now divorced from mankind, sending messages such as 'Be kind to each other', a message which appears to be interpreted as 'Be unkind to anyone who disagrees with you.'
September 19, 2021
Good solid story, cool addition to the world of Redemption's blade. Like the mains and how diffirent they saw the world and fashinating story full of both sad and good moments.
January 19, 2023
An excellent read and definitely on-par with the first book in the series. Readable as a standalone, but I suspect you'll get more out of it if you read Redemption's Blade first.
January 30, 2020
A fun expansion on the first book - which makes my head hurt to think how you even approach a sequel to someone else's story. But Justina made it her own, added greater texture to the world and told a great sequel. From the cover copy I'd imagined it would be more separate to book 1 but it isn't, it follows on directly and all the better for that. There's a bit of a lag in the middle as there's just so much to do and so many places to go, but a hugely enjoyable journey all the same.
February 6, 2020
Boring. Nowhere near the same excellent level as the first one.
The comparison:
Redemption's Blade is the GOAT of [insert sport] while Salvation's Fire is that arm chair quarterback who has never played something athletic in their life.
The comparison:
Redemption's Blade is the GOAT of [insert sport] while Salvation's Fire is that arm chair quarterback who has never played something athletic in their life.
September 8, 2018
So does this one work? Oh yes – this is an amazing premise. The Bride returning to the world long after the tyrant she was designed to partner, has been vanquished. What is her purpose now? And perhaps even more importantly – what will she decide to do, now her bridegroom is dead? The opening sequences surrounding the circumstances where we see the Bride return are really gripping, though I have a hunch if you haven’t read Redemption’s Blade, you might not appreciate the importance of the place and significance of what is happening. This is one sequel that should not be read as a stand-alone, in my opinion – apart from anything else it would be a crying shame to miss out on the joy that is Redemption’s Blade.
Part of the fun of reading a series is to chart the development of the main characters. If I have a niggle with this particular story, it is that Celestine, whose energy and concerns pinged off the pages in the first book, is a pale shadow in this adventure. While she is constantly around, I did find it frustrating not to have her opinions as vibrantly represented as in Tchaikovsky’s tale.
The other issue, which is more of an observation rather than a criticism, is that Robson’s style is denser than Tchaikovsky’s and I had to slow down and pay more attention to the text than when reading the first book. That said, I am a fan of Justina Robson’s writing – see my review of Down to the Bone – and am familiar with her style. I was fascinated to see how each author presented this interesting, complex world. I very much enjoyed the strong relationship between the newly resurrected Bride and the orphaned child, Kula – it isn’t often we see any form of parental relationships explored in science fiction and fantasy and I was delighted to watch how this partnership developed throughout the story.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would be happy to see Angry Robot approach another author to take this story on further. Or maybe have both Tchaikovsky and Robson follow up their efforts with another book each. However it’s done, I really, really hope this series continues – there is so much more I would like to know about these characters and this world. Recommended for fans of epic fantasy with a difference. While I obtained an arc of Salvation’s Fire: After the War from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
Part of the fun of reading a series is to chart the development of the main characters. If I have a niggle with this particular story, it is that Celestine, whose energy and concerns pinged off the pages in the first book, is a pale shadow in this adventure. While she is constantly around, I did find it frustrating not to have her opinions as vibrantly represented as in Tchaikovsky’s tale.
The other issue, which is more of an observation rather than a criticism, is that Robson’s style is denser than Tchaikovsky’s and I had to slow down and pay more attention to the text than when reading the first book. That said, I am a fan of Justina Robson’s writing – see my review of Down to the Bone – and am familiar with her style. I was fascinated to see how each author presented this interesting, complex world. I very much enjoyed the strong relationship between the newly resurrected Bride and the orphaned child, Kula – it isn’t often we see any form of parental relationships explored in science fiction and fantasy and I was delighted to watch how this partnership developed throughout the story.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would be happy to see Angry Robot approach another author to take this story on further. Or maybe have both Tchaikovsky and Robson follow up their efforts with another book each. However it’s done, I really, really hope this series continues – there is so much more I would like to know about these characters and this world. Recommended for fans of epic fantasy with a difference. While I obtained an arc of Salvation’s Fire: After the War from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
December 16, 2021
It was.. okay. Descriptions were sometimes off, or names assumed to be known while never properly introduced.
Story was ok (ending didn't feel built up to and was quite difficult to decipher what the hell was happened), worldbuilding a big step below Adrian's book.
Story was ok (ending didn't feel built up to and was quite difficult to decipher what the hell was happened), worldbuilding a big step below Adrian's book.
dnf
December 7, 2019Another DNF for me... I finally made a DNF shelf on GR. Gosh.
November 21, 2018
You can also read this review on my blog - https://irregularfiction.wordpress.co...
Rebellion Publishing are an interesting bunch. They publish great new sci-fi and fantasy, and also have bought the rights to older classic comics such as 2000AD, Misty and Scream. This year they’ve brought out a number of novels that form new series’ – but in which books within this have different authors.
Salvation’s Fire falls into the second book category. I reviewed the first – Redemption’s Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky – a little while ago and it’s fair to say I loved it. It is proper old school fantasy fellowship with a charismatic hero, Celestaine, set after the final battle with the original Big Bad.
I was delighted when Rebellion / Solaris sent me the ARC for Salvation’s Fire via Netgalley. Actually, I was excited. I couldn’t wait to see where the motley band of heroes had staggered too next.
Then I damaged my neck and learned the hard way just how many muscles you actually engage when reading. I had to park the Kindle. Stop carrying rucksacks full of books home from the library. Stop myself from anything but essential reading while my body cobbled itself back together again. The frustration! My to-list was breeding furiously and all I could do was look at it with sorrow and curse my sagging trapezius.
So it took me a while to read Salvation’s Fire. And I wasn’t disappointed. I got a little confused, granted, but the heart of the book remained. Damaged people looking to repair things, just a little. Bit like my wonky neck.
The confusion arose around the application of the system of magic. I suspect this was my confusion in following that thread through the novel rather than the novel itself. I have a feeling there were clues laid down in Redemption’s Blade that I didn’t pick up on or misremembered.
The fellowship finds a new quest and it’s no spoiler to say that they go looking for the missing gods. New members join – Tricky and Horse, Kula and Lysandra I did spend a lot of time in the second half of the book wondering which one was going to break my heart. Without spoiling the outcome there was a satisfying conclusion to this quest with doors opening for new ones to follow.
I did miss having Celest as a focal point for my emotions. This book is more generous in giving time to all of the characters, rather than a focus on her particular thoughts and whims. There are some wonderful descriptions and settings – I was reminded both tonally and in monsters of Stephen King. However, I didn’t connect quite so much with Salvation’s Fire as I did with Redemption’s Blade. My girl crush wanted a little more Celest time.
That said, this is a good book, very readable and I loved the introduction of Kula and Lysandra and their mysterious background as Tzarkomen with all the darkness that entailed. The very real perspective of Kula as a refugee child fighting to survive was poignant, as where the wisps of ghosts and memory that threaded throughout this book. Robson handled the intricacies and mythology of this world extremely well – it must be daunting for an author to work with and expand upon another’s vision.
If you are thinking of stepping into Rebellion’s world and following a ragtag band through a twisted test you can’t go wrong with this series. I would suggest you read them both together to keep the continuity flowing between books (unlike I did).
With huge thanks to Justina Robson, Rebellion Publishing and #Netgalley for the ARC of #Salvation’s Fire. And apologies for the long delay in my reviewing it.
Rebellion Publishing are an interesting bunch. They publish great new sci-fi and fantasy, and also have bought the rights to older classic comics such as 2000AD, Misty and Scream. This year they’ve brought out a number of novels that form new series’ – but in which books within this have different authors.
Salvation’s Fire falls into the second book category. I reviewed the first – Redemption’s Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky – a little while ago and it’s fair to say I loved it. It is proper old school fantasy fellowship with a charismatic hero, Celestaine, set after the final battle with the original Big Bad.
I was delighted when Rebellion / Solaris sent me the ARC for Salvation’s Fire via Netgalley. Actually, I was excited. I couldn’t wait to see where the motley band of heroes had staggered too next.
Then I damaged my neck and learned the hard way just how many muscles you actually engage when reading. I had to park the Kindle. Stop carrying rucksacks full of books home from the library. Stop myself from anything but essential reading while my body cobbled itself back together again. The frustration! My to-list was breeding furiously and all I could do was look at it with sorrow and curse my sagging trapezius.
So it took me a while to read Salvation’s Fire. And I wasn’t disappointed. I got a little confused, granted, but the heart of the book remained. Damaged people looking to repair things, just a little. Bit like my wonky neck.
The confusion arose around the application of the system of magic. I suspect this was my confusion in following that thread through the novel rather than the novel itself. I have a feeling there were clues laid down in Redemption’s Blade that I didn’t pick up on or misremembered.
The fellowship finds a new quest and it’s no spoiler to say that they go looking for the missing gods. New members join – Tricky and Horse, Kula and Lysandra I did spend a lot of time in the second half of the book wondering which one was going to break my heart. Without spoiling the outcome there was a satisfying conclusion to this quest with doors opening for new ones to follow.
I did miss having Celest as a focal point for my emotions. This book is more generous in giving time to all of the characters, rather than a focus on her particular thoughts and whims. There are some wonderful descriptions and settings – I was reminded both tonally and in monsters of Stephen King. However, I didn’t connect quite so much with Salvation’s Fire as I did with Redemption’s Blade. My girl crush wanted a little more Celest time.
That said, this is a good book, very readable and I loved the introduction of Kula and Lysandra and their mysterious background as Tzarkomen with all the darkness that entailed. The very real perspective of Kula as a refugee child fighting to survive was poignant, as where the wisps of ghosts and memory that threaded throughout this book. Robson handled the intricacies and mythology of this world extremely well – it must be daunting for an author to work with and expand upon another’s vision.
If you are thinking of stepping into Rebellion’s world and following a ragtag band through a twisted test you can’t go wrong with this series. I would suggest you read them both together to keep the continuity flowing between books (unlike I did).
With huge thanks to Justina Robson, Rebellion Publishing and #Netgalley for the ARC of #Salvation’s Fire. And apologies for the long delay in my reviewing it.
September 26, 2018
*copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review*
Salvation’s Fire: After The War is the second book in the ‘After the War’ universe; the first, by Adrian Tchaikovsky, having come out earlier this year. This book follows on from the events of the first, but it can be read as a standalone – though you may lose some useful context by doing so.
This is the world after the end. After a dark threat has arisen, raised its armies and broken them against heroes. After the darkness has seeped in and poisoned the soil After the darkness has killed the Gods. After it has shaped a new world, one which necessitates co-operation and incentivises action. The great villain drew peoples together even as he broke them. In their shattering, they recombine into a stronger whole. And this book is part of that process. The war is over, that’s for sure. But remnants of the past are difficult to shift.
There’s a sense here of spaces in recovery. Things are quieter, perhaps, than previous. Though there are still the poor, the destitute, the wandering remnants of armies, these things are less visible than before, though still a factor. This is also a world coming to terms with a lack of religion; in a space where the gods have been active and real, and where their servants and avatars have been embedded in the day to day, life without them is a complex, difficult, damaging work in progress.
We wander forests – only some of which are on fire – and seas here. There’s the opportunity to catch up with several cultures, and delve into the harrowing depths of the broken citadel of the enemy. The description is tightly written, giving enough detail to set the reader’s imagination to filling in the blank spaces. It avoids baroque prose and gives out what it needs you to know, and invites you to fill in the remainder. This builds a living, breathing world from the struts of the narrative – though yours may look different to mine, they carry the same story. The world breathes, its denizens living, suffering, hopeful creatures, its locales a smorgasbord for the imagination.
What I’m saying is, if you came here from the first book in the series, the world will feel familiar, but with enough differences to make you sit up and take notice. If this is your first step into this space, then I’ll say this: the depth and complexity of the world on display is impressive.
This is more of an ensemble piece than the last book. Though there are some old favourites, there’s enough new people around to keep us guessing. Celestine, slayer of evils, whose search for redemption defines much of the series so far, is still here. She’s still tired, still questioning herself, and still unwilling to take any crap from any of the various gods, monsters and everyday idiots that cross her path. Celestine kicks arse, in between worrying about what she’s doing and why – which makes her feel rather human, in her competences and her doubts.
There’s a focus here on Kula, one of the newer members of the group; a girl who has very little, and now has to decide exactly what she wants. Watching the other members of the team – demi-gods, old monsters and struggling heroes all – try to interact with a young girl is a delight, exposing as it does some of their own troubles, and the darker secrets beneath the personalities they put out for public consumption. Kula is thoughtful, strange and frightened, and those attitudes seep off the page as you turn the pages – and as her understanding of her purpose and that of the team grows, sodoes yours.
At heart this is a character piece webbed into an ensemble adventure. Fortunately the characters are convincing, crafted with a precision which leaves them stepping off the page to pick up a snack and ask when youre getting to the next chapter. As an ensemble, they work well together, the conflicts and bickering keeping the wheels going, and a sense of deeper issues acting as a shadow over the lighter moments.
Another new arrival carries a wonderful dichotomy about them – in things they have done, actions performed, regrets created. Yet they live and laugh and love with an energy and passion which belies that quieter emotional flow beneath. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers, but rest assured – these are people, and their struggles and triumphs, losses and hopes will compel you to find out what they do next, and what choices they make.
The plot – well, I won’t spoil it. But I’ll say this. It has moments which are truly epic, struggles which are also spectacle. It has moments of heart-rending sorrow, of people making appalling, difficult choices. It has some wonderfully dry wit in the dialogue, which made me chuckle, and some sting that made me bleed as I turned the page. It’s got individual stories, moments of personal growth and suffering which show us individuals shaping themselves, and it has explosions of magicn and power which (also) shape worlds.
This is a clever, vivid, cunningly crafted work of fantasy, one which moves from the personal to the epic and back with swift, assured prose. It’s a good story, and one which will make you think in between seeing what happens next. Give it a try.
Salvation’s Fire: After The War is the second book in the ‘After the War’ universe; the first, by Adrian Tchaikovsky, having come out earlier this year. This book follows on from the events of the first, but it can be read as a standalone – though you may lose some useful context by doing so.
This is the world after the end. After a dark threat has arisen, raised its armies and broken them against heroes. After the darkness has seeped in and poisoned the soil After the darkness has killed the Gods. After it has shaped a new world, one which necessitates co-operation and incentivises action. The great villain drew peoples together even as he broke them. In their shattering, they recombine into a stronger whole. And this book is part of that process. The war is over, that’s for sure. But remnants of the past are difficult to shift.
There’s a sense here of spaces in recovery. Things are quieter, perhaps, than previous. Though there are still the poor, the destitute, the wandering remnants of armies, these things are less visible than before, though still a factor. This is also a world coming to terms with a lack of religion; in a space where the gods have been active and real, and where their servants and avatars have been embedded in the day to day, life without them is a complex, difficult, damaging work in progress.
We wander forests – only some of which are on fire – and seas here. There’s the opportunity to catch up with several cultures, and delve into the harrowing depths of the broken citadel of the enemy. The description is tightly written, giving enough detail to set the reader’s imagination to filling in the blank spaces. It avoids baroque prose and gives out what it needs you to know, and invites you to fill in the remainder. This builds a living, breathing world from the struts of the narrative – though yours may look different to mine, they carry the same story. The world breathes, its denizens living, suffering, hopeful creatures, its locales a smorgasbord for the imagination.
What I’m saying is, if you came here from the first book in the series, the world will feel familiar, but with enough differences to make you sit up and take notice. If this is your first step into this space, then I’ll say this: the depth and complexity of the world on display is impressive.
This is more of an ensemble piece than the last book. Though there are some old favourites, there’s enough new people around to keep us guessing. Celestine, slayer of evils, whose search for redemption defines much of the series so far, is still here. She’s still tired, still questioning herself, and still unwilling to take any crap from any of the various gods, monsters and everyday idiots that cross her path. Celestine kicks arse, in between worrying about what she’s doing and why – which makes her feel rather human, in her competences and her doubts.
There’s a focus here on Kula, one of the newer members of the group; a girl who has very little, and now has to decide exactly what she wants. Watching the other members of the team – demi-gods, old monsters and struggling heroes all – try to interact with a young girl is a delight, exposing as it does some of their own troubles, and the darker secrets beneath the personalities they put out for public consumption. Kula is thoughtful, strange and frightened, and those attitudes seep off the page as you turn the pages – and as her understanding of her purpose and that of the team grows, sodoes yours.
At heart this is a character piece webbed into an ensemble adventure. Fortunately the characters are convincing, crafted with a precision which leaves them stepping off the page to pick up a snack and ask when youre getting to the next chapter. As an ensemble, they work well together, the conflicts and bickering keeping the wheels going, and a sense of deeper issues acting as a shadow over the lighter moments.
Another new arrival carries a wonderful dichotomy about them – in things they have done, actions performed, regrets created. Yet they live and laugh and love with an energy and passion which belies that quieter emotional flow beneath. I won’t go into details for fear of spoilers, but rest assured – these are people, and their struggles and triumphs, losses and hopes will compel you to find out what they do next, and what choices they make.
The plot – well, I won’t spoil it. But I’ll say this. It has moments which are truly epic, struggles which are also spectacle. It has moments of heart-rending sorrow, of people making appalling, difficult choices. It has some wonderfully dry wit in the dialogue, which made me chuckle, and some sting that made me bleed as I turned the page. It’s got individual stories, moments of personal growth and suffering which show us individuals shaping themselves, and it has explosions of magicn and power which (also) shape worlds.
This is a clever, vivid, cunningly crafted work of fantasy, one which moves from the personal to the epic and back with swift, assured prose. It’s a good story, and one which will make you think in between seeing what happens next. Give it a try.
December 5, 2018
TL;DR
Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an enjoyable if confusing return to the world of Guardians and Yorughan. Recommended to those who liked Redemption’s Blade but put some time and other works between the two readings.
Disclosure
I was provided an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Review cross-posted at my website: PrimmLife
Review
Shared worlds got me into reading fantasy. It started with the various Greek myths while eventually moving on to Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms tie-in fiction. (I didn’t know anyone that played Dungeons & Dragons; so, I was stuck reading only.) But it’s been years since I stepped back into any novels of shared worlds. Recently, I read and reviewed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade without knowing that it was a shared world setting. As it became available, I read Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson, which takes place in the same world shortly after the events of the first book. I admit to being hesitant to start this book because different author means different narrative. I really enjoyed Redemption’s Blade and the world it introduced. It’s a world big enough for multiple people to play in, and I commend the author for stepping into someone else’s sandbox. That’s a special kind of courage that I wouldn’t have. While I enjoyed Salvation’s Fire, it didn’t live up to the shadow its predecessor cast.
Story
The previous book ended with the Guardian Wanderer questing after the world’s missing gods. This book takes up that quest with a too large cast of characters. Our favorites – Celestaine, Heno, Nedlam, Heno, Ralas, Deffo, Dr. Catt, and Fisher – return. Ms. Robson introduces readers to new characters Kula, Lysandra, Wanderer, Bukham, and, last but never least, Tricky. The characters coalesce into a group, then split the part, and then return together for an epic if rushed finale. Wanderer is in search of the gods, and Lysandra, the Kinslayer’s Bride, is accidentally loosed upon the world. But for what purpose?
Like Redemption’s Blade, Salvation’s Fire is a quest novel. Each of the characters is after something with poor Celestaine, Heno, Ralas, and Nedlam along for the ride. Seriously, this group just can’t catch a break, which probably suits them as they can’t sit still either. The core party meets at one of the best pieces of scenery from the previous novel: a forest that is perpetually on fire with the spirits of the forest tormented by the flames. Ms. Robson puts her own touch on this setting, and I found it quite effective. Along the way, we stop in at Ilkand and Nydarrow as we head north to our final destination.
The story confused me. I understood that the goal was to find the gods, but the how never got fleshed out. This volume seemed more like a way to show off the cool geographical locations and peoples rather than an action driven plot. It meandered, took its time getting to the reason why it was a story, and then rushed the ending. I didn’t understand where the story was going until over halfway through the novel, but then the final battle, climax, and denouement all occurred in the last five percent of the book (per my kindle app). The unevenness meant I really struggled to get into the story, and it failed to keep me glued to the chair until the last quarter of the book.
Characters
Between the new set and the inherited characters, I preferred the new. They were more interesting and fun. Tricky was my favorite after her eventual introduction, and I found myself looking forward to her chapters. Kula and Lysandra made great additions to this world, and I’m sad that the Tzarkomen are no more. That people and their ways have deep potential for fascinating stories. Their nation was truly strange and, if I had my way, explored more. Of the inherited characters, Heno and Ralas shine. Heno’s character starts as traitor/resistor (depending on your perspective), and his arc has been how he deals with what he did under the Kinslayer. This arc continues and is explored more here. Though page time isn’t dominated by Heno, we get a look at some of his demons and see him strive for the better.
In the last book, I loved Dr. Catt and Fisher the best, but here, it’s Ralas and Tricky that shine. Their interactions through music, magic, and subterfuge interested me the most. I still don’t know what to make of Tricky. How complicit was she in the Kinslayer’s crimes? And yet was she responsible for bringing Heno, Nedlam, and Celestaine together? Tricky is an entity all her own, and Ralas is our surrogate for traveling with her. What a trip it is. For me, these two make the book. The third installment should be four characters only, Dr. Catt and Fisher on one storyline with Tricky and Ralas on another.
Nedlam had some interesting character moments here. Again, her character didn’t get much page time, but solid work happens when she does. She is becoming more interesting with each installment. Bukham was bland. He didn’t do much for me. This is possibly because the others were so great. Celestaine, in this book, was overshadowed by the last. This characterization didn’t live up to the first book, and it’s possible that is being unfair to this installment. If so, I’m okay with being unfair. Celestaine just didn’t seem as compelling this go around, and I believe that’s because she was so fully fleshed out in the previous book.
Shared Worlds
I think the shared world concept works to varying success for Ms. Robson. Her additions, her creations are excellent. They shine, and there are some really weird moments in the novel that I loved. But the material she picked up, didn’t succeed as well for me. For the inherited characters that did work for me, it was because Ms. Robson was starting with less of foundation than the other characters. Celestaine was fleshed out in the previous novel, and her portrayal shows a wide difference between the two stories. My impression might have suffered due to the previous portrayal and differences in writing style.
But it might have also kept me in the book. The pacing was so slow. The journey was pretty and took us to a lot of places at too slow of a pace for me. Your mileage may vary. Until the last ten percent of the novel, I thought this novel was the first of a larger story. I was prepared for a cliffhanger and part two to finish the novel, but the end comes fast and hard. It was partially satisfying but the speed of the end makes me wonder what I missed earlier on.
Conclusion
Overall, I liked the book. I think I might have liked it more if I’d have spaced out the read between it and Redemption’s Blade. The two books are vastly different, but both provide a view into an interesting setting. This book builds upon the foundation that Adrian Tchaikovsky set. The characters and scenery are lovely, and it’s an interesting journey. Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an uneven but enjoyable read.
6 out of 10!
Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an enjoyable if confusing return to the world of Guardians and Yorughan. Recommended to those who liked Redemption’s Blade but put some time and other works between the two readings.
Disclosure
I was provided an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Review cross-posted at my website: PrimmLife
Review
Shared worlds got me into reading fantasy. It started with the various Greek myths while eventually moving on to Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms tie-in fiction. (I didn’t know anyone that played Dungeons & Dragons; so, I was stuck reading only.) But it’s been years since I stepped back into any novels of shared worlds. Recently, I read and reviewed Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade without knowing that it was a shared world setting. As it became available, I read Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson, which takes place in the same world shortly after the events of the first book. I admit to being hesitant to start this book because different author means different narrative. I really enjoyed Redemption’s Blade and the world it introduced. It’s a world big enough for multiple people to play in, and I commend the author for stepping into someone else’s sandbox. That’s a special kind of courage that I wouldn’t have. While I enjoyed Salvation’s Fire, it didn’t live up to the shadow its predecessor cast.
Story
The previous book ended with the Guardian Wanderer questing after the world’s missing gods. This book takes up that quest with a too large cast of characters. Our favorites – Celestaine, Heno, Nedlam, Heno, Ralas, Deffo, Dr. Catt, and Fisher – return. Ms. Robson introduces readers to new characters Kula, Lysandra, Wanderer, Bukham, and, last but never least, Tricky. The characters coalesce into a group, then split the part, and then return together for an epic if rushed finale. Wanderer is in search of the gods, and Lysandra, the Kinslayer’s Bride, is accidentally loosed upon the world. But for what purpose?
Like Redemption’s Blade, Salvation’s Fire is a quest novel. Each of the characters is after something with poor Celestaine, Heno, Ralas, and Nedlam along for the ride. Seriously, this group just can’t catch a break, which probably suits them as they can’t sit still either. The core party meets at one of the best pieces of scenery from the previous novel: a forest that is perpetually on fire with the spirits of the forest tormented by the flames. Ms. Robson puts her own touch on this setting, and I found it quite effective. Along the way, we stop in at Ilkand and Nydarrow as we head north to our final destination.
The story confused me. I understood that the goal was to find the gods, but the how never got fleshed out. This volume seemed more like a way to show off the cool geographical locations and peoples rather than an action driven plot. It meandered, took its time getting to the reason why it was a story, and then rushed the ending. I didn’t understand where the story was going until over halfway through the novel, but then the final battle, climax, and denouement all occurred in the last five percent of the book (per my kindle app). The unevenness meant I really struggled to get into the story, and it failed to keep me glued to the chair until the last quarter of the book.
Characters
Between the new set and the inherited characters, I preferred the new. They were more interesting and fun. Tricky was my favorite after her eventual introduction, and I found myself looking forward to her chapters. Kula and Lysandra made great additions to this world, and I’m sad that the Tzarkomen are no more. That people and their ways have deep potential for fascinating stories. Their nation was truly strange and, if I had my way, explored more. Of the inherited characters, Heno and Ralas shine. Heno’s character starts as traitor/resistor (depending on your perspective), and his arc has been how he deals with what he did under the Kinslayer. This arc continues and is explored more here. Though page time isn’t dominated by Heno, we get a look at some of his demons and see him strive for the better.
In the last book, I loved Dr. Catt and Fisher the best, but here, it’s Ralas and Tricky that shine. Their interactions through music, magic, and subterfuge interested me the most. I still don’t know what to make of Tricky. How complicit was she in the Kinslayer’s crimes? And yet was she responsible for bringing Heno, Nedlam, and Celestaine together? Tricky is an entity all her own, and Ralas is our surrogate for traveling with her. What a trip it is. For me, these two make the book. The third installment should be four characters only, Dr. Catt and Fisher on one storyline with Tricky and Ralas on another.
Nedlam had some interesting character moments here. Again, her character didn’t get much page time, but solid work happens when she does. She is becoming more interesting with each installment. Bukham was bland. He didn’t do much for me. This is possibly because the others were so great. Celestaine, in this book, was overshadowed by the last. This characterization didn’t live up to the first book, and it’s possible that is being unfair to this installment. If so, I’m okay with being unfair. Celestaine just didn’t seem as compelling this go around, and I believe that’s because she was so fully fleshed out in the previous book.
Shared Worlds
I think the shared world concept works to varying success for Ms. Robson. Her additions, her creations are excellent. They shine, and there are some really weird moments in the novel that I loved. But the material she picked up, didn’t succeed as well for me. For the inherited characters that did work for me, it was because Ms. Robson was starting with less of foundation than the other characters. Celestaine was fleshed out in the previous novel, and her portrayal shows a wide difference between the two stories. My impression might have suffered due to the previous portrayal and differences in writing style.
But it might have also kept me in the book. The pacing was so slow. The journey was pretty and took us to a lot of places at too slow of a pace for me. Your mileage may vary. Until the last ten percent of the novel, I thought this novel was the first of a larger story. I was prepared for a cliffhanger and part two to finish the novel, but the end comes fast and hard. It was partially satisfying but the speed of the end makes me wonder what I missed earlier on.
Conclusion
Overall, I liked the book. I think I might have liked it more if I’d have spaced out the read between it and Redemption’s Blade. The two books are vastly different, but both provide a view into an interesting setting. This book builds upon the foundation that Adrian Tchaikovsky set. The characters and scenery are lovely, and it’s an interesting journey. Salvation’s Fire by Justina Robson is an uneven but enjoyable read.
6 out of 10!
September 1, 2018
I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for a review.
When I initially requested it, I wasn't aware that it was a second book in there series, let alone another author taking over. So that alone makes it a bit strange.
Most second novels at least try to give a summary of what went on and where it left off and this does a really poor job of that. I can't even get through this. I DNF this. Which kills me. I never bail on anything. I had to bail on this and I've reviewed almost 70 books for publishers, this has never happened to me.
The prose and writing style dove me nuts, it's so overly heavy on description, with all these flowery words that seem completely unnecessary. It's just really beating you over the head with it, maybe it was an editing problem.
And it takes a while to really fill the reader in on past events.
The whole experience was like wading through mud. Which is really unfortunate. Somewhere in the description and ideas in here there could have been a great book, but the execution just doesn't seem to get there.
I would not recommend anyone to repeat my experience.
When I initially requested it, I wasn't aware that it was a second book in there series, let alone another author taking over. So that alone makes it a bit strange.
Most second novels at least try to give a summary of what went on and where it left off and this does a really poor job of that. I can't even get through this. I DNF this. Which kills me. I never bail on anything. I had to bail on this and I've reviewed almost 70 books for publishers, this has never happened to me.
The prose and writing style dove me nuts, it's so overly heavy on description, with all these flowery words that seem completely unnecessary. It's just really beating you over the head with it, maybe it was an editing problem.
And it takes a while to really fill the reader in on past events.
The whole experience was like wading through mud. Which is really unfortunate. Somewhere in the description and ideas in here there could have been a great book, but the execution just doesn't seem to get there.
I would not recommend anyone to repeat my experience.
March 5, 2025
This is fairly different from the first novel, but not so much that I found it off-putting. The main questions of the post-war world were asked and addressed in that first book, though it does offer a lot of fodder for thought more in the way of how the world deals with the divine and how the divine should deal with the world. The plot is rather meandering – fitting since the band is being led by the Wanderer and another Guardian named Tricky – but that mostly gives the characters a chance to grow. And they mostly do that fairly well. My only real complaint about this is that I kept coming across sentences that either didn't quite make sense or seemed to be referencing thoughts that hadn't actually been expressed. It felt a bit like some sloppy editing cut out paragraphs or chopped up garden-path sentences but didn't clean up after themselves properly. There are a lot of typos, too, which supports this theory. It wasn't enough to detract from the story, but it did occasionally pull me out of it.
February 26, 2021
This "shared world" sequel to Redemption's Blade starts out with plenty going for it: an interesting fantasy world with a rich but non-prescriptive backstory, and a group of well-defined and appealing central characters. What it does with this material is ultimately underwhelming. The heroes and anti-heroes of the first book are barely recognisable bit players in a story that begins by struggling for comprehensibility, passes through sections of boredom, and ends up ragingly incoherent. There are ideas aplenty, along with some picturesque additions to the scenery; and Justina Robson's prose is for the most part very good to excellent, but Salvation's Fire is marred throughout by jarring and unpredictable changes of tone from meta-generic flippancy to high-fantasy lyricism. By halfway through the book I was looking forward to it being over, and a few times in the last third I even thought of giving up on it altogether. For me, a disappointment.
November 17, 2018
An excellent follow-on from Adrian Tchaikovsky's first venture into this new shared world - Justina Robson develops the main characters we've met previously, and throws some new ones into the mix, including the morally dubious Tricky and the undoubtedly dangerous Lysandra. Familiar favourites Catt and Fisher are included too, though they don't have quite the same impact as in the first book.
Story-wise, this is a quest to bring the gods back... but something else wants to come back with them. The atrocities visited upon entire cultures and races play major parts too, and Heno's revelations in particular give you a deeper insight into the conflicted anger of his race, brutalised as it was by the Kinslayer.
There's clearly a lot of room within this world for further explorations, both of the world itself and the characters and their lives. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
Story-wise, this is a quest to bring the gods back... but something else wants to come back with them. The atrocities visited upon entire cultures and races play major parts too, and Heno's revelations in particular give you a deeper insight into the conflicted anger of his race, brutalised as it was by the Kinslayer.
There's clearly a lot of room within this world for further explorations, both of the world itself and the characters and their lives. I'm looking forward to seeing that.
January 16, 2019
I greatly enjoyed Redemption’s Blade and seeing a sequel released quickly, I scooped Salvation’s Fire and dug into it, returning to the world of After the War.
I was not disappointed.
Some days, you pick up a book and hope to enjoy the ending. Here, the twisted path that separated the party of characters and then brings them back together is a great ride, where a woman who was to be the Dark Queen to the Kinslayer has found a different path to walk. And as life shows you, it’s who you walk with that makes the trip interesting.
I greatly enjoyed Salvation’s Fire, and hope to see more booms in the world of After the War.
I was not disappointed.
Some days, you pick up a book and hope to enjoy the ending. Here, the twisted path that separated the party of characters and then brings them back together is a great ride, where a woman who was to be the Dark Queen to the Kinslayer has found a different path to walk. And as life shows you, it’s who you walk with that makes the trip interesting.
I greatly enjoyed Salvation’s Fire, and hope to see more booms in the world of After the War.
June 5, 2019
Intrigued to see what would happen in the series with a new author picking up Salvation's Fire after Redemption's Blade. Overall it was a bit disappointing, the main four characters, apart from one, don't get fleshed out at all really and are merely passengers. I am really not sure if I should be cheering them. If anything happened to them I think I would be a bit 'meh' There is also a lot going on with new characters being introduced and slightly bizarre plot that jumps around.
It all felt a bit rushed.
It all felt a bit rushed.
January 4, 2020
I would have probably rated this higher if I hadn't loved the first one so much.
The beautiful old-timey, effortless feel that the first had is lost. This one tries but ends up with incredibly forced and awkward sounding sentences. The writing just isn't there.
I'm disappointed because this world held sooooo much promise. It was so well built, expansive, logically sound. The characters too were promising. Now we have 2 new characters one of whom is a bit of a robot and we spend way too much time on her perspective.
I'm sad. Sigh.
The beautiful old-timey, effortless feel that the first had is lost. This one tries but ends up with incredibly forced and awkward sounding sentences. The writing just isn't there.
I'm disappointed because this world held sooooo much promise. It was so well built, expansive, logically sound. The characters too were promising. Now we have 2 new characters one of whom is a bit of a robot and we spend way too much time on her perspective.
I'm sad. Sigh.
April 26, 2020
I was so looking forward to another book in this series, after reading Redemption's Blade. I was worried when I found out it was by another author, but I figured what the hell. Disappointing. Her writing style sort of got on my nerves -- lots of run-on sentences, mixed with short sentence fragments. Not sure what the hell was going on towards the end of the book. Anyway, I hope that, if there is another book in this shared world series, they find a better writer (and do a better job of editing as well.)
April 20, 2021
This will be a short review as I DNF this novel at 35%. I couldn't get into the plot at all and I found my mind drifting off as I read it. The characters were bland and uninteresting. I didn't like the writing style as I found it took forever for anything to happen (the Kinslayer's Bride wasn't introduced until 20% into the novel). On a positive note though is I loved the cover.
Thank you to Netgalley and Solaries for this ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and Solaries for this ARC.
October 16, 2018
There is a good story in here somewhere, but there are major issues with the writing. Essentially the author just over-complicated the story, and jumped from plot point to plot point so quickly, that it just confused the whole book.
On the other hand the author did a good job at writing the same characters who were in the first book in a very similar manner, which was impressive.
On the other hand the author did a good job at writing the same characters who were in the first book in a very similar manner, which was impressive.
March 8, 2025
Very good sequel to Redemption's Blade. Justina Robson seamlessly steps into the narrative started by Adrian Tchaikovsky. The writing style, plot and character development mirrors Adrian's perfectly. Very well done!
July 13, 2020
Regrettably, I was barely able to finish this. I think it was mostly let down by the editing, but the last quarter in particular was extremely disappointing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews