What do you think?
Rate this book
The Heretic Gods #2
Cursebreaker
Book Two of The Heretic Gods
Demonspawn. Gifted. Godtouched. Banebringers are called by many names, but will they ever be called human?
After being exposed by Vaughn and the Ichtaca, the Conclave has now cast off all pretense and seized the reins of power in the Setanan Empire—and they just might have a god on their side.
Vaughn is thrust into the center of this conflict. While the Ichtaca seek political allies, he seeks a way to counter the might of a god. But the only lead he has is written in a language no one understands, and time is running out.
Ivana wants nothing more than to be left alone, but her past has a way of finding her. With the Setanan Empire falling apart around her, she'll have to make a decision that will determine more than just her own destiny.
Demonspawn. Gifted. Godtouched. Banebringers are called by many names, but will they ever be called human?
After being exposed by Vaughn and the Ichtaca, the Conclave has now cast off all pretense and seized the reins of power in the Setanan Empire—and they just might have a god on their side.
Vaughn is thrust into the center of this conflict. While the Ichtaca seek political allies, he seeks a way to counter the might of a god. But the only lead he has is written in a language no one understands, and time is running out.
Ivana wants nothing more than to be left alone, but her past has a way of finding her. With the Setanan Empire falling apart around her, she'll have to make a decision that will determine more than just her own destiny.
- GenresFantasy
Unknown Binding
Published December 12, 2019
4 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 21, 2019
Cursebreaker was a very satisfying sequel to Banebringer. This is a really solid series. The worldbuilding--with its Aztec influence and its language translation issues-- is not your run of the mill medieval fantasy, the magic system is interesting, the monsters are cool, the action keeps the pace moving, and the banter balances the character angst. Really, it has something for everybody. Since this is the second book in the series and more dependent on politics in the wider world than Banebringer, the pace is a little slower at the beginning. But by about 30% I kept finding excuses to keep reading.
Cursebreaker also adds a new point of view character to the series that I really liked. Driskell begins the book as a respectable and intelligent (and somewhat nerdy) young attache, providing a necessary point of view into all the politics that will ultimately affect the outcome of the book, but I mostly liked watching his character develop. I thought his story thread provided some of the best moments of the book.
Vaughn and Ivana's relationship continues to evolve in this book as well, but I was glad that I had read Sweetblade, the standalone book about Ivana's backstory, before I read Cursebreaker. Although not technically necessary, I did think that having more insight into why Ivana is who she is helped me, as a reader, to be a little more patient with her in the difficult parts. Ivana is a complex, prickly character, and I have to admit that there were some points in the book where I definitely admired Vaughn's persistence.
All in all, Cursebreaker was a great sequel, and I'm eager to read book 3!
Cursebreaker also adds a new point of view character to the series that I really liked. Driskell begins the book as a respectable and intelligent (and somewhat nerdy) young attache, providing a necessary point of view into all the politics that will ultimately affect the outcome of the book, but I mostly liked watching his character develop. I thought his story thread provided some of the best moments of the book.
Vaughn and Ivana's relationship continues to evolve in this book as well, but I was glad that I had read Sweetblade, the standalone book about Ivana's backstory, before I read Cursebreaker. Although not technically necessary, I did think that having more insight into why Ivana is who she is helped me, as a reader, to be a little more patient with her in the difficult parts. Ivana is a complex, prickly character, and I have to admit that there were some points in the book where I definitely admired Vaughn's persistence.
All in all, Cursebreaker was a great sequel, and I'm eager to read book 3!
January 17, 2020
I was really excited for this one because Sweetblade was such a solid follow-up/prequel to Banebringer and I was looking forward to seeing which direction Carol A. Park took Cursebreaker after some of the more interesting discoveries in Banebringer – particularly to do with the Blood Magic’s, Aether and its potential uses.
***
The Conclave, following the discovery of their recent actions, has dropped all pretenses and taken control of Weylyn city; even requiring blood tests to gain entry or departure to and from the city. The Conclave is positioned well – with the King bowing to them they essentially control the Setanan Army.
The Ichtaca are looking for allies against their enemies and are willing to share their gifts and knowledge. Prejudices are making it difficult to gain any ground but the people are starting to see that the Conclave and its leaders are bordering on tyranny, and the “demon-spawned banebringers” may be the lesser of the two evils.
Vaughn and Ivana are reunited, when Vaughn seeks her help with the translation of half a book discovered in the Weylyn Library. This discovery – if it turns out to be as good as Vaughn hopes, might give them the edge they need against the Conclave and their supporters.
The translation gives Vaughn the excuse he needed to get in touch with Ivanna and it gives Ivanna a unique opportunity to dole out some retribution for some past misdeeds.
There is a lot happening on so many levels in this story.
World-wise
We are seeing the fall-out from the events in Banebringer, the forces are gathering (so to speak) and it’s time to choose a side. Also, the borders are widening as we learn about some of the other cultures and gain a new character in Driskell, who plays a fairly a large role in the story.
The scope of this world felt like it grew quite a bit and even took a direction I wasn’t expecting with Vaughn and Ivanna’s findings from the translation. This added an interesting little twist to one of characters stories and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the turn.
I did wish there was a little more to do with the magic because it is still one of the most interesting magic systems I have read. At this point there wasn’t a huge amount of impact to their discoveries about the aether. Mostly their findings were being used to help temper an alliance between the people, which is fair since this story follows fairly soon after book one and the findings aren’t widely known yet.
I had mixed feelings on the new character, Driskell. It’s not a new thing to add a character in a second book and his position as Nahua’s scribe gave us insight to some of the politics and pieces of the story that would be missing without him. In that way I didn’t mind him and getting to see more of the world view through him. But at the same time during the time getting to know him, his life, his people, etc, I kept wanting to get back to Vaughn and Ivanna or even Danton and Aleena, who I liked a lot, knew from book one, and was excited for their return. Eventually Driskell grew on me but it did take awhile.
On a personal level– In other words ‘will they make up or won’t they’ (let’s face it, this is the question we all want the answer to)
Vaughn and Ivana have a lot of feelings for each other that need to be addressed and it’s a slow process because before we can get to those feelings, Ivanna especially, needs to come to terms with the regrets and anger that the decisions of a past life left her trying to bury. She has a lot of baggage she’s packing around.
Ivanna and Vaughn’s baggage is similar – both are dealing with regrets over the loss of their families (just in different circumstances) and both with feelings that they are monsters.
There are a lot of walls that need to come down between the two and we are still trying to get across the moat but (to continue with the analogy) the bridge does seem to be in place now.
To sum it up (because this isn’t the most cohesive review I have written – there is just so much I wanted to touch on)
All in all, this is a good entry into the series with lots of interesting turns to the plot and some good character growth, maybe not a huge step in relationship growth for the two of them, but there is one and that’s a good sign.
I didn’t think this story was quite as smooth as Sweetblade, but that was also a less complicated story, purely focused on Ivanna’s backstory – who the author knows very well as a character and it showed in the confident writing. You see glimpses of that confidence here but there are also moments of that careful writing too, that doesn’t feel as assured as the rest.
I’ll be curious to see how this wraps up in the next book or if it’ll take a couple to gather all the threads.
A huge thank you to Carol A Park for supplying a copy in exchange for a review.
also posted over here-
https://starlitbook.com/2020/01/07/cu...
***
The Conclave, following the discovery of their recent actions, has dropped all pretenses and taken control of Weylyn city; even requiring blood tests to gain entry or departure to and from the city. The Conclave is positioned well – with the King bowing to them they essentially control the Setanan Army.
The Ichtaca are looking for allies against their enemies and are willing to share their gifts and knowledge. Prejudices are making it difficult to gain any ground but the people are starting to see that the Conclave and its leaders are bordering on tyranny, and the “demon-spawned banebringers” may be the lesser of the two evils.
Vaughn and Ivana are reunited, when Vaughn seeks her help with the translation of half a book discovered in the Weylyn Library. This discovery – if it turns out to be as good as Vaughn hopes, might give them the edge they need against the Conclave and their supporters.
The translation gives Vaughn the excuse he needed to get in touch with Ivanna and it gives Ivanna a unique opportunity to dole out some retribution for some past misdeeds.
There is a lot happening on so many levels in this story.
World-wise
We are seeing the fall-out from the events in Banebringer, the forces are gathering (so to speak) and it’s time to choose a side. Also, the borders are widening as we learn about some of the other cultures and gain a new character in Driskell, who plays a fairly a large role in the story.
The scope of this world felt like it grew quite a bit and even took a direction I wasn’t expecting with Vaughn and Ivanna’s findings from the translation. This added an interesting little twist to one of characters stories and the more I thought about it, the more I liked the turn.
I did wish there was a little more to do with the magic because it is still one of the most interesting magic systems I have read. At this point there wasn’t a huge amount of impact to their discoveries about the aether. Mostly their findings were being used to help temper an alliance between the people, which is fair since this story follows fairly soon after book one and the findings aren’t widely known yet.
I had mixed feelings on the new character, Driskell. It’s not a new thing to add a character in a second book and his position as Nahua’s scribe gave us insight to some of the politics and pieces of the story that would be missing without him. In that way I didn’t mind him and getting to see more of the world view through him. But at the same time during the time getting to know him, his life, his people, etc, I kept wanting to get back to Vaughn and Ivanna or even Danton and Aleena, who I liked a lot, knew from book one, and was excited for their return. Eventually Driskell grew on me but it did take awhile.
On a personal level– In other words ‘will they make up or won’t they’ (let’s face it, this is the question we all want the answer to)
Vaughn and Ivana have a lot of feelings for each other that need to be addressed and it’s a slow process because before we can get to those feelings, Ivanna especially, needs to come to terms with the regrets and anger that the decisions of a past life left her trying to bury. She has a lot of baggage she’s packing around.
Ivanna and Vaughn’s baggage is similar – both are dealing with regrets over the loss of their families (just in different circumstances) and both with feelings that they are monsters.
There are a lot of walls that need to come down between the two and we are still trying to get across the moat but (to continue with the analogy) the bridge does seem to be in place now.
To sum it up (because this isn’t the most cohesive review I have written – there is just so much I wanted to touch on)
All in all, this is a good entry into the series with lots of interesting turns to the plot and some good character growth, maybe not a huge step in relationship growth for the two of them, but there is one and that’s a good sign.
I didn’t think this story was quite as smooth as Sweetblade, but that was also a less complicated story, purely focused on Ivanna’s backstory – who the author knows very well as a character and it showed in the confident writing. You see glimpses of that confidence here but there are also moments of that careful writing too, that doesn’t feel as assured as the rest.
I’ll be curious to see how this wraps up in the next book or if it’ll take a couple to gather all the threads.
A huge thank you to Carol A Park for supplying a copy in exchange for a review.
also posted over here-
https://starlitbook.com/2020/01/07/cu...
December 17, 2019
This was an amazing sequel. I couldn't put it down. Carol Park definitely did not disappoint with this one. Banebringer was an awesome book, and where it really hit me was with the emotions of the characters. There was a scene in Cursebreaker that absolutely destroyed me emotionally. I don't know if it would have had the same impact if I hadn't also read Sweetblade, but it was still a deeply emotional moment. So, the characters are really great in this one.
In fact, we're introduced to a third viewpoint character in this book. Driskell took awhile to grow on me, but by the end of the book I couldn't imagine the story without him. All three of the viewpoint characters have intense and emotional character arcs in Cursebreaker. Carol isn't nice to her characters. They go through the ringer, but that's part of what makes the read so addictive. The story itself also gets bigger...for lack of a better term...in this novel. We see more of the world, are introduced to a wider cast of characters, and it feels like by the end things are set up for a truly climactic end game. Even with that though, there isn't a slump in this book. It's almost self-contained enough I could see it as a standalone. If someone read this without reading Banebringer, I feel like aside from some confusion at the beginning, and missing out on where these characters had come from, they'd still get a very enjoyable read.
There is also more revealed in this book about the magic, and those reveals keep coming until almost the last page. For sure one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read. I hope more people read it and talk about it, because I have theories!
In fact, we're introduced to a third viewpoint character in this book. Driskell took awhile to grow on me, but by the end of the book I couldn't imagine the story without him. All three of the viewpoint characters have intense and emotional character arcs in Cursebreaker. Carol isn't nice to her characters. They go through the ringer, but that's part of what makes the read so addictive. The story itself also gets bigger...for lack of a better term...in this novel. We see more of the world, are introduced to a wider cast of characters, and it feels like by the end things are set up for a truly climactic end game. Even with that though, there isn't a slump in this book. It's almost self-contained enough I could see it as a standalone. If someone read this without reading Banebringer, I feel like aside from some confusion at the beginning, and missing out on where these characters had come from, they'd still get a very enjoyable read.
There is also more revealed in this book about the magic, and those reveals keep coming until almost the last page. For sure one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read. I hope more people read it and talk about it, because I have theories!
December 23, 2019
I am related to the author and so this review should be read from that perspective. I have endeavored to provide a fair and unbiased review even so.
Cursebreaker, the sequel to 2018’s Banebringer, is a wonderful, character-driven story that builds on all the things I loved so much about the first book. Picking up around a year and a half after the events of Banebringer, it continues Vaughn and Ivana’s story. There’s lots of magic and mythology, ample character development for the two main characters, and some wonderful development for side characters as well. Lots of the questions we had at the end of Banebringer receive answers, but more often than not those answers drop tantalizing clues for new reveals sure (I hope!) to come in the third book.
Readers who loved Banebringer won’t be disappointed by Cursebreaker. It builds on every facet of the original. The first thing I loved was the continued story of Vaughn and Ivana, especially as individual characters. They both have their own character arcs in this novel. This allows the opportunity for some intense emotional beats throughout the story. There is one scene, in particular, that just gutted me, and several others that threatened to do so. One of the things I love about fantasy is when I connect with the emotions of the characters, or at least feel deeply for them. That’s certainly the case in Cursebreaker, for both Vaughn and Ivana. Don’t worry! Their two stories continue to intersect, but we also see them grow as individuals. In fact, sometimes the way that their individual arcs interact with one another is so powerful. Though there are plenty of places where the two characters frustrated me as well, often in very realistic ways. Park also introduces a third viewpoint character, Driskell. It didn’t take long until I was loving his viewpoints. He’s quite different from Vaughn and Ivana, younger and much less worldly-wise. In some ways, he serves as a foil for their own character arcs, something to compare against and—most of the time—lighten the mood a bit. The attaché to the Ri of Donia, Driskell is incredibly earnest, perhaps a bit nerdy, and swept up into events he never imagined. In the midst of this he strikes up the best bromance with a character readers of Banebringer will already be familiar with, and I absolutely loved it. There continues to be exceptional banter between all the characters, so if you are like me and love some fun banter, this is one not to miss. Thrax may take the crown from Vaughn for snarky comebacks. The magic of the world continues to play a huge role in the story, and I loved every aspect of it. I can’t say much more than that, as nearly any reveal concerning this would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the magic in the first novel, you’re going to love it in the sequel. Those who love the magic in Sanderson or Weeks will be right at home here. The novel is long, 600 pages, but the pacing and plotting, especially after the first twenty percent, is so tight that it doesn’t feel like it’s that long. After an initial period of setup, it reads much more like an action-adventure story than a nearly 200,000-word epic fantasy.
It’s possible that the initial period of setup and getting reacquainted with the characters could have been a little shorter. Of more significance to me were the lack of villains I cared about. In Banebringer, the main villain remains off stage for much of the action, but he is somehow incredibly menacing and threatening even so. In Cursebreaker, the villains might have more screen time, but they failed to capture my imagination as much as Gildas. On the other hand, other things tended to serve as the antagonists in this story, so I’m not sure that I noticed that lack of a menacing villain as I was reading.
Cursebreaker takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It’s a magnificent character story wrapped in an epic fantasy. It’s heartwarming at times, and heart wrenching at others. If you love deep character work, fascinating and exciting magic, and explorations of mythology, you’re going to find a lot to love in this one. I left loving the cast of characters even more than before, and I can’t wait to see what Park does in the final volume of the trilogy!
9.2/10
4.6/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
Cursebreaker, the sequel to 2018’s Banebringer, is a wonderful, character-driven story that builds on all the things I loved so much about the first book. Picking up around a year and a half after the events of Banebringer, it continues Vaughn and Ivana’s story. There’s lots of magic and mythology, ample character development for the two main characters, and some wonderful development for side characters as well. Lots of the questions we had at the end of Banebringer receive answers, but more often than not those answers drop tantalizing clues for new reveals sure (I hope!) to come in the third book.
Readers who loved Banebringer won’t be disappointed by Cursebreaker. It builds on every facet of the original. The first thing I loved was the continued story of Vaughn and Ivana, especially as individual characters. They both have their own character arcs in this novel. This allows the opportunity for some intense emotional beats throughout the story. There is one scene, in particular, that just gutted me, and several others that threatened to do so. One of the things I love about fantasy is when I connect with the emotions of the characters, or at least feel deeply for them. That’s certainly the case in Cursebreaker, for both Vaughn and Ivana. Don’t worry! Their two stories continue to intersect, but we also see them grow as individuals. In fact, sometimes the way that their individual arcs interact with one another is so powerful. Though there are plenty of places where the two characters frustrated me as well, often in very realistic ways. Park also introduces a third viewpoint character, Driskell. It didn’t take long until I was loving his viewpoints. He’s quite different from Vaughn and Ivana, younger and much less worldly-wise. In some ways, he serves as a foil for their own character arcs, something to compare against and—most of the time—lighten the mood a bit. The attaché to the Ri of Donia, Driskell is incredibly earnest, perhaps a bit nerdy, and swept up into events he never imagined. In the midst of this he strikes up the best bromance with a character readers of Banebringer will already be familiar with, and I absolutely loved it. There continues to be exceptional banter between all the characters, so if you are like me and love some fun banter, this is one not to miss. Thrax may take the crown from Vaughn for snarky comebacks. The magic of the world continues to play a huge role in the story, and I loved every aspect of it. I can’t say much more than that, as nearly any reveal concerning this would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that if you enjoyed the magic in the first novel, you’re going to love it in the sequel. Those who love the magic in Sanderson or Weeks will be right at home here. The novel is long, 600 pages, but the pacing and plotting, especially after the first twenty percent, is so tight that it doesn’t feel like it’s that long. After an initial period of setup, it reads much more like an action-adventure story than a nearly 200,000-word epic fantasy.
It’s possible that the initial period of setup and getting reacquainted with the characters could have been a little shorter. Of more significance to me were the lack of villains I cared about. In Banebringer, the main villain remains off stage for much of the action, but he is somehow incredibly menacing and threatening even so. In Cursebreaker, the villains might have more screen time, but they failed to capture my imagination as much as Gildas. On the other hand, other things tended to serve as the antagonists in this story, so I’m not sure that I noticed that lack of a menacing villain as I was reading.
Cursebreaker takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. It’s a magnificent character story wrapped in an epic fantasy. It’s heartwarming at times, and heart wrenching at others. If you love deep character work, fascinating and exciting magic, and explorations of mythology, you’re going to find a lot to love in this one. I left loving the cast of characters even more than before, and I can’t wait to see what Park does in the final volume of the trilogy!
9.2/10
4.6/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
March 5, 2020
Cursebreaker delivers on the excitement and intrigue I’ve come to expect from the Heretic Gods series, and I definitely could not put it down! The plot builds on the premise of the previous two books in complex, interesting, and unexpected ways, and the author continues to ingeniously use the changing perspectives to deliver unique insights and context we could not have gotten any other way. It is a long one, and at times you can feel like “really? Vaughn and Ivana are having this argument again??”, but the introduction of Driskell is a breath of fresh air. He quickly became my favorite character and I loved seeing events unfold from his perspective. My only regret is that (spoiler alert) he and Danton don’t end up together ;)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2021
I was blown away by Banebringer (the first book in The Heretic Gods series), and Cursebreaker continues to amaze me with its deep characters, entertaining dialog, and intriguing plot. Cursebreaker deviates in style from Banebringer; Banebringer focused almost exclusively on Vaughn and Sweetblade, limiting POV to the two protagonists and their missions. Cursebreaker opens things up to feel more like an epic fantasy novel. The narrative is expanded in scope and incorporates a more extensive cast of characters and a more expansive setting, focusing on the larger political structure and further exploring the pantheon and mythology of the Heretic Gods.
Both books check all my boxes for what a good fantasy novel should have, but Cursebreaker’s characters and dialog are most likely what makes this book (and the series) great. The characters are well developed, deeply flawed, and unbelievably raw with their collection of fears, foibles, and vulnerabilities. There are no heroic, shining paragons of good; the protagonists are human, fallible, and carry plenty of physical and mental scars. The relationships presented in the novel are equally realistic, as characters attempt to balance issues of trust, betrayal, love, and lust. The interactions, particularly the interplay and tension between Vaughn and Ivana, are so strained at times that it’s almost unbearable to read.
Eric Bryan Moore narrates the audiobook version of Cursebringer, and his masterful performance may be one of the reasons I like The Heretic Gods series so much. He creates distinct voices for each character and performs both male and female voices well. Moore is able to portray the characters, particularly the primary protagonists, in a way that brings their personalities, imperfections, and emotions to life.
Special thanks to Eric Bryan Moore who provided me with a copy of this book at my request.
Both books check all my boxes for what a good fantasy novel should have, but Cursebreaker’s characters and dialog are most likely what makes this book (and the series) great. The characters are well developed, deeply flawed, and unbelievably raw with their collection of fears, foibles, and vulnerabilities. There are no heroic, shining paragons of good; the protagonists are human, fallible, and carry plenty of physical and mental scars. The relationships presented in the novel are equally realistic, as characters attempt to balance issues of trust, betrayal, love, and lust. The interactions, particularly the interplay and tension between Vaughn and Ivana, are so strained at times that it’s almost unbearable to read.
Eric Bryan Moore narrates the audiobook version of Cursebringer, and his masterful performance may be one of the reasons I like The Heretic Gods series so much. He creates distinct voices for each character and performs both male and female voices well. Moore is able to portray the characters, particularly the primary protagonists, in a way that brings their personalities, imperfections, and emotions to life.
Special thanks to Eric Bryan Moore who provided me with a copy of this book at my request.
August 18, 2025
I adored Banebringer by this author and immediately downloaded the sequel. It is, in short, equally awesome and completely worth your time. It builds on the worldbuilding beautifully, expanding on it and opening the world up as characters find themselves in different places and with far wider reaching issues than the personal issues the first novel largely concerned itself with. It's got action, adventure, drama and politics along with managing to stay down to ground level with the characters as they come to terms with their own individual struggles.
Vaughn and Ivana continue as main characters, Ivana living a very different life to the one she had fashioned for herself as Sweetblade and Vaughn stuck in the middle of Ichtaca politics and determined to bring an ancient text to life rather than step into the role the group have decided for him. We then meet Driskoll, an attaché and scribe for the Ri of Donia and his daughter and a direct view into the politics and alliances going on behind the scenes in order to stop the Conclave from getting their own way. The Vaughn/Ivana storyline is the more personal of the two, with Vaughn in particular on a quest to find his way to the Abyss and speak directly to the Heretic Gods. Driskoll's narrative is more used to set the scene on a larger scale, particularly in the first half of this, although there is certainly personal struggle and relationships on view.
It took me a while to warm up to Driskoll, but he becomes a key player in and of his own right. His characterisation was strong, but his position as attaché meant he wasn't causing the change but documenting the change and that is a huge difference to Vaughn who is dead centre of any chaos going on. Vaughn and Ivana's relationship was beginning to wear on me by the end, but thankfully the 'will they/won't they' is very much a subplot and could be ignored for the most part.
Where this truly excelled was in the world building and the scope. This opens up the novel hugely, giving a view of different countries and even realms, offering far more depth with the magic and the politics and well, just about everything you can think of. I enjoyed the tightrope of the politics and the alliances being created on the spot as they try to fight back against the Conclave. The first novel had a very personal quest feel; it was Vaughn's mission to eliminate his father and everything else kind of happened accidentally. This puts the war and the politics and the overcoming tyranny front and centre and it makes for a far more epic feel.
All in all, an excellent continuation to this series and I really hope book 3 drops soon.
Vaughn and Ivana continue as main characters, Ivana living a very different life to the one she had fashioned for herself as Sweetblade and Vaughn stuck in the middle of Ichtaca politics and determined to bring an ancient text to life rather than step into the role the group have decided for him. We then meet Driskoll, an attaché and scribe for the Ri of Donia and his daughter and a direct view into the politics and alliances going on behind the scenes in order to stop the Conclave from getting their own way. The Vaughn/Ivana storyline is the more personal of the two, with Vaughn in particular on a quest to find his way to the Abyss and speak directly to the Heretic Gods. Driskoll's narrative is more used to set the scene on a larger scale, particularly in the first half of this, although there is certainly personal struggle and relationships on view.
It took me a while to warm up to Driskoll, but he becomes a key player in and of his own right. His characterisation was strong, but his position as attaché meant he wasn't causing the change but documenting the change and that is a huge difference to Vaughn who is dead centre of any chaos going on. Vaughn and Ivana's relationship was beginning to wear on me by the end, but thankfully the 'will they/won't they' is very much a subplot and could be ignored for the most part.
Where this truly excelled was in the world building and the scope. This opens up the novel hugely, giving a view of different countries and even realms, offering far more depth with the magic and the politics and well, just about everything you can think of. I enjoyed the tightrope of the politics and the alliances being created on the spot as they try to fight back against the Conclave. The first novel had a very personal quest feel; it was Vaughn's mission to eliminate his father and everything else kind of happened accidentally. This puts the war and the politics and the overcoming tyranny front and centre and it makes for a far more epic feel.
All in all, an excellent continuation to this series and I really hope book 3 drops soon.
January 16, 2020
Cursebreaker is every bit as good as the Banebringer. Entertaining and well written, this is a story that is anchored in strong characters and a fascinating world. It is a great book and I look forward to the last in this trilogy.
September 19, 2022
Love the world, the conflict and the characters. But dear lord, how annoyed I am by Ivana. Almost as much as by Shalan from the Stormlight Archive. Hence 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews