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Aeons' Gate #2
Black Halo
Lenk and his band of fellow mismatched and grumpy adventurers are shipwrecked on an island - an island inhabited by lizard men. And back in civilisation Bralston, a very different Librarian, is being sent out to learn exactly what has happened to the Tome of the Undergates and to punish those that have misused magic.
784 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
20 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Sam Sykes
90 books1,215 followersSam Sykes is the author of Tome Of The Undergates, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage. Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 4, 2013
4 Stars
Black Halo, book two in the Aeons Gate series by Sam Sykes is almost as fun to read as the first book. This epic quest styled sword and sorcery series is on the dark and dirty side. It is filled with potty humor, violence, and action galore. The cast is a unique bunch of sort of good guys, but mostly bad, people and more. As I said with book one, Sam Sykes throws everything into these fun novels. You will find lots of magic, demons, swords, and bows, and dragonmen and monster too.
The good and the bad of this book are the characters themselves. As a motley crew of anti-heroes, villains, monsters, and bad ass people, they can be tough to like. Lenk, the leader of the group is a human with some serious mental issues. He is the heart of the story and thus the character that I liked most. Gariath comes in a close second as who would not love an extremely large and angry red dragonman. This book does shed more light on our heores, but it also makes it clear what a serious bunch of self-centered, whiny, and gloomy bunch they are. Suicide is a serious thought that each have at one point or another or another or another. I found myself distracted while reading this book as they are so damn filled with doom and gloom, and they are not afraid to whine about it.
On a positive note, Sam Sykes makes these books so much fun to read as they are filled with action and humor. I found both novels one and two to be serious page turners that I did not want to put down.
A sort of synopsis that demonstrates his style:
“I suppose I also neglected to mention that I haven’t been alone in this endeavour. No, much of the credit goes to my companions: a monster, a heathen, a thug, a zealot and a savage. I offer these titles with the utmost respect, of course. Rest assured that, while they are undoubtedly handy to have around in a fight, time spent in close quarters with them tends to wear on one’s nerves rather swiftly.
All the same … I don’t suppose I could have done it without them. ‘It’ being described below, short as I can make it and ending with a shict’s ass pointed at me like a weapon as she slumbers.
The importance of the book is nothing worth noting unless it is also noted who had the book. In this case, after Miron, the new owners were the Abysmyths: giant, emaciated demons with the heads of fish who drown men on dry land. Fittingly enough, their leader, the Deepshriek, was even more horrendous. I suppose if I were a huge man-thing with a fish-head, I would follow a huge fish-thing with three man-heads.”
Sykes pens an awesome action scene:
“She was first.
She heard him approach, felt his breath on her neck, knew his presence; that was all so unimportant. She whirled about, the blade in her hand, the curse on her lips, the shield rising; that was just insignificant.
His own blade rose swiftly. He could see himself in its reflection, see the dead, pupilless eyes staring back at him. Then, he was gone, vanished in a bath of red. He couldn’t remember when the blade had found her neck. He couldn’t remember what he had said that made her look at him with such pain in her mouth, such fear in her eyes.
But he remembered this sensation, this strength. He had felt it in icy rivers and in dark dreams, in the absence of fever and the chill of wind. He remembered the voice that spoke to him now, as it melted and seeped out of his skull. He remembered its message. He heard it now.
‘Strength wanes, bodies decay, faith fails, steel breaks.’
‘Duty,’ he whispered, ‘persists.’”
This book is much less an epic adventure than book one and it mostly takes place in one location. The story line itself hardly advances at all from where Tome of the Undergates ends. Our cast of misfits end up scattered, apart, and all have dream of killing one another. The world itself is fascinating and the way the story seems to be heading is as well. I hope that in the third book Sykes can bring the best out of our characters and make us route for them one way or another.
To sum it up, these are seriously fun anti-hero based, witty, and funny, sword and sorcery novels that should not be missed by fantasy fans. I cannot wait to read the third book!!!!
Highest recommendations!!!!
Black Halo, book two in the Aeons Gate series by Sam Sykes is almost as fun to read as the first book. This epic quest styled sword and sorcery series is on the dark and dirty side. It is filled with potty humor, violence, and action galore. The cast is a unique bunch of sort of good guys, but mostly bad, people and more. As I said with book one, Sam Sykes throws everything into these fun novels. You will find lots of magic, demons, swords, and bows, and dragonmen and monster too.
The good and the bad of this book are the characters themselves. As a motley crew of anti-heroes, villains, monsters, and bad ass people, they can be tough to like. Lenk, the leader of the group is a human with some serious mental issues. He is the heart of the story and thus the character that I liked most. Gariath comes in a close second as who would not love an extremely large and angry red dragonman. This book does shed more light on our heores, but it also makes it clear what a serious bunch of self-centered, whiny, and gloomy bunch they are. Suicide is a serious thought that each have at one point or another or another or another. I found myself distracted while reading this book as they are so damn filled with doom and gloom, and they are not afraid to whine about it.
On a positive note, Sam Sykes makes these books so much fun to read as they are filled with action and humor. I found both novels one and two to be serious page turners that I did not want to put down.
A sort of synopsis that demonstrates his style:
“I suppose I also neglected to mention that I haven’t been alone in this endeavour. No, much of the credit goes to my companions: a monster, a heathen, a thug, a zealot and a savage. I offer these titles with the utmost respect, of course. Rest assured that, while they are undoubtedly handy to have around in a fight, time spent in close quarters with them tends to wear on one’s nerves rather swiftly.
All the same … I don’t suppose I could have done it without them. ‘It’ being described below, short as I can make it and ending with a shict’s ass pointed at me like a weapon as she slumbers.
The importance of the book is nothing worth noting unless it is also noted who had the book. In this case, after Miron, the new owners were the Abysmyths: giant, emaciated demons with the heads of fish who drown men on dry land. Fittingly enough, their leader, the Deepshriek, was even more horrendous. I suppose if I were a huge man-thing with a fish-head, I would follow a huge fish-thing with three man-heads.”
Sykes pens an awesome action scene:
“She was first.
She heard him approach, felt his breath on her neck, knew his presence; that was all so unimportant. She whirled about, the blade in her hand, the curse on her lips, the shield rising; that was just insignificant.
His own blade rose swiftly. He could see himself in its reflection, see the dead, pupilless eyes staring back at him. Then, he was gone, vanished in a bath of red. He couldn’t remember when the blade had found her neck. He couldn’t remember what he had said that made her look at him with such pain in her mouth, such fear in her eyes.
But he remembered this sensation, this strength. He had felt it in icy rivers and in dark dreams, in the absence of fever and the chill of wind. He remembered the voice that spoke to him now, as it melted and seeped out of his skull. He remembered its message. He heard it now.
‘Strength wanes, bodies decay, faith fails, steel breaks.’
‘Duty,’ he whispered, ‘persists.’”
This book is much less an epic adventure than book one and it mostly takes place in one location. The story line itself hardly advances at all from where Tome of the Undergates ends. Our cast of misfits end up scattered, apart, and all have dream of killing one another. The world itself is fascinating and the way the story seems to be heading is as well. I hope that in the third book Sykes can bring the best out of our characters and make us route for them one way or another.
To sum it up, these are seriously fun anti-hero based, witty, and funny, sword and sorcery novels that should not be missed by fantasy fans. I cannot wait to read the third book!!!!
Highest recommendations!!!!
November 18, 2017
Sykes's Aeon's Gates Trilogy uses all the usual fantasy tropes but with inventive, vivid energy. I found this second book to be even stronger than the first, which sometimes felt slow due to the excessive spats between characters. Here, the characters are attacked at sea and they each end up on a blighted island, most of them separated and assuming the others are dead. The perils on the island are many, but the adventurers may be their own worst enemies.
I will continue onward to the third book soon; I am reading them in the collected volume An Affinity for Steel.
I will continue onward to the third book soon; I am reading them in the collected volume An Affinity for Steel.
April 13, 2011
The adventurers led by Lenk have managed to retrieve the Tome and are attempting to return it to their current boss, Miron - but life is never simple. An attack by a gigantic sea serpent - an Akaneed - leaves the adventurers split up and stranded on the island Teji. Lenk, Kataria, Dreadaleon, Denaos, Asper and Gariath first have to decide whether they even WANT to meet up again! What follows is a rollercoaster ride of fighting, sneaking, magic and a few hallucinations involving talking monkeys - there might even be a little romance as well... - as the band of not-so-merry adventurers try to win the tome back, learn a little about the netherlings and Ulbecetonth, and learn a lot about themselves.
I have been waiting to get my hands on Black Halo for AGES, having thoroughly enjoyed Tome of the Undergates. I'd had a few quibbles about that book, but Tome was the debut novel of Sykes, and I figured those problems would be ironed out as Sykes grew into his trade as a novellist. Is Black Halo better than Tome? Yes, in a lot of ways - in fact, in most of the ways that Sykes was criticised about in reviews following the release of Tome! In some ways, it is still a little shaky - but again, never enough to spoil my overall enjoyment.
First of all, I really appreciated the splitting up of the gang for a portion of Black Halo. That really worked for me. For one thing, it kept me turning those pages because I wanted to a) get back to finding out what was going on with each of them since Sykes employed some rather pesky and effective cliffhangers and b) see the adventurers as a glorious dysfunctional team again. In addition, since they weren't snarling at each other, there was a lot of revealing of inner thoughts as they pondered the nature of life, the universe and everything which helped to continue the character development that Sykes hinted at in the last third of Tome.
Secondly, Sykes is possibly the most breathlessly imaginative author working right now. Seriously. I say this because I literally never know upon turning the page what I will encounter - from various lizardmen, to purple women, to giant sea serpents, to fiery pee, to roaches that expel defensively from their anus.... Yep... And I guess therein lies the main problem. Sykes is genuinely not afraid to follow the thought 'Wouldn't it be cool if...?' to its unnatural conclusion, but sometimes the ideas are wacky for the sake of it. I use as an example the heralds we encountered in Tome. In that novel they were rather freaky, fluffy seabirds that totally freaked me out - one of the best parts of Tome. In Black Halo they have morphed into truly odd birds with mouths where their foreheads should be. Which felt unnecessary!
In Black Halo Sykes shows us some more of the world he is building than just sea and islands, and his worldbuilding is rewarding if still a little sparse. He doesn't hold his reader's hands in info-dumping the nature of the world we're reading about - there are hints that the netherlings come from off-world, that there have been various titanic battles in the past, mentions of cult-like Jackals, and much more about the nature and rules of magic. This adds a richness and a depth that was absent at times in Tome of the Undergates.
As I mentioned in my review of Tome, Sykes demonstrates a skill with prose that is rather stunning at times. Oddly poetic, even in the midst of all the killing. That is very much present in Black Halo.
Oh, and there were a couple of scenes in Halo that I had been waiting for through the WHOLE of Tome - involving Lenk and Kataria! *cheeky hinting*
Okay, in conclusion - after my rather rambly discussion of Black Halo - this was a very fun book to read, with some surprising depth. The humour prevents it being at all po-faced - which other author would include scenes involving a monkey discussing philosophical ideas or trees with latent desires for peace? Or a conversation about the nature of hallucinations by three men wearing just loincloths? For those slightly disappointed in Tome of the Undergates, I think you'll find what you're looking for in Black Halo. For those who loved the first - hold on to your pants, you're in for a wild ride!
I have been waiting to get my hands on Black Halo for AGES, having thoroughly enjoyed Tome of the Undergates. I'd had a few quibbles about that book, but Tome was the debut novel of Sykes, and I figured those problems would be ironed out as Sykes grew into his trade as a novellist. Is Black Halo better than Tome? Yes, in a lot of ways - in fact, in most of the ways that Sykes was criticised about in reviews following the release of Tome! In some ways, it is still a little shaky - but again, never enough to spoil my overall enjoyment.
First of all, I really appreciated the splitting up of the gang for a portion of Black Halo. That really worked for me. For one thing, it kept me turning those pages because I wanted to a) get back to finding out what was going on with each of them since Sykes employed some rather pesky and effective cliffhangers and b) see the adventurers as a glorious dysfunctional team again. In addition, since they weren't snarling at each other, there was a lot of revealing of inner thoughts as they pondered the nature of life, the universe and everything which helped to continue the character development that Sykes hinted at in the last third of Tome.
Secondly, Sykes is possibly the most breathlessly imaginative author working right now. Seriously. I say this because I literally never know upon turning the page what I will encounter - from various lizardmen, to purple women, to giant sea serpents, to fiery pee, to roaches that expel defensively from their anus.... Yep... And I guess therein lies the main problem. Sykes is genuinely not afraid to follow the thought 'Wouldn't it be cool if...?' to its unnatural conclusion, but sometimes the ideas are wacky for the sake of it. I use as an example the heralds we encountered in Tome. In that novel they were rather freaky, fluffy seabirds that totally freaked me out - one of the best parts of Tome. In Black Halo they have morphed into truly odd birds with mouths where their foreheads should be. Which felt unnecessary!
In Black Halo Sykes shows us some more of the world he is building than just sea and islands, and his worldbuilding is rewarding if still a little sparse. He doesn't hold his reader's hands in info-dumping the nature of the world we're reading about - there are hints that the netherlings come from off-world, that there have been various titanic battles in the past, mentions of cult-like Jackals, and much more about the nature and rules of magic. This adds a richness and a depth that was absent at times in Tome of the Undergates.
As I mentioned in my review of Tome, Sykes demonstrates a skill with prose that is rather stunning at times. Oddly poetic, even in the midst of all the killing. That is very much present in Black Halo.
Oh, and there were a couple of scenes in Halo that I had been waiting for through the WHOLE of Tome - involving Lenk and Kataria! *cheeky hinting*
Okay, in conclusion - after my rather rambly discussion of Black Halo - this was a very fun book to read, with some surprising depth. The humour prevents it being at all po-faced - which other author would include scenes involving a monkey discussing philosophical ideas or trees with latent desires for peace? Or a conversation about the nature of hallucinations by three men wearing just loincloths? For those slightly disappointed in Tome of the Undergates, I think you'll find what you're looking for in Black Halo. For those who loved the first - hold on to your pants, you're in for a wild ride!
June 7, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/black-ha...
Lenk and his merry albeit sociopathic band of adventurers are back in Black Halo, the second book in The Aeons’ Gate series. Having recovered the Tome of the Undergates and stopped a giant fish demon from escaping Hell, Lenk and his crew are now stranded at sea, waiting for rescue from the mainland. However, as you would expect, all does not go according to plan, and soon the group is separated and washed up on island reeking of death. What follows next? Deadly Librarians, fiery urine, giant lizardmen and much more, as Sykes makes a grand return in his second book and does what he does best, crafting a compelling story with humor, pathos and just a little bit of insanity.
Spot-on writing
By this point, fans of Sykes should know that he can write, and he can write pretty damn well. Tome of the Undergates had plenty of humor, a tight plot, great characterization, and a surprising amount of pathos. Black Halo continues this trend and in better form. Sykes steps his game up in this book, and you really get the sense that he’s coming into his own. The dialogue is crisper, the scenes crackle with tension and description flares to life with beautiful prose. Black Halo does have its fair share of obscene humor and moments of questionable sanity, but they always serve the story and they are always well written.
The world is bigger than you know
Tome of the Undergates took place on a ship for the majority of the book. We heard names of cities, cultures, religions, and so on through the characters, but the reader never got the chance to experience them except through memories. This time, however, Sykes makes a wise move and begins to pull back the curtain, showing what the rest of the world is like and who occupies it. Several new characters are introduced; my favorite is Bralston the Librarian, but every reader will find their own. The world is growing under Sykes’ steady hand, and by the end of the book, you’ll have a better appreciation for the magic you see, the cultures you come to know and the demons that you come to fear.
Double edged sword
Ah, the plot, the double edged sword, so to say. On one hand, I’m really happy with the plot of the book, because not only is it well written, it continues the wonderful characterization of our main characters while showing us a living, breathing world. However, by the end of the book, I couldn’t help but feel that this book was just used to get certain players into place for the third book.
Don’t get me wrong; what Black Halo lacks in advancing the threat, it more than makes up for in its characters and their discoveries. We understand more about where everyone comes from, and their relationships together grow in strange and interesting ways (I’m looking at you, Lenk and Kataria!). In a way though, it seems that was the main purpose of Black Halo: to continue exploring the inner conflicts and desires of the Adventurers. Lenk’s sanity, Kataria’s identity crisis, Denaos’ guilt, Dreadaleon’s complex, Asper’s condition, and Gariath’s search for life are all written very well and are as compelling as they’ve ever been. My only problem was that I felt these explorations of character did not balance well with moving the plot of the demons forward; that only reappears towards the last third of the book.
So why should you read this?
If you enjoyed the insanity that was Tome of the Undergates, then you are going to love Black Halo. Not only does Sykes continue his streak of intense characterization, larger than life monsters and hilarious moments, he does it all better than before. Even though the plot sometimes takes a backseat to the exploration of character, it is not something that holds the book back from being a wild ride from start to finish. I have a feeling book three, The Skybound Sea, will deliver.
Lenk and his merry albeit sociopathic band of adventurers are back in Black Halo, the second book in The Aeons’ Gate series. Having recovered the Tome of the Undergates and stopped a giant fish demon from escaping Hell, Lenk and his crew are now stranded at sea, waiting for rescue from the mainland. However, as you would expect, all does not go according to plan, and soon the group is separated and washed up on island reeking of death. What follows next? Deadly Librarians, fiery urine, giant lizardmen and much more, as Sykes makes a grand return in his second book and does what he does best, crafting a compelling story with humor, pathos and just a little bit of insanity.
Spot-on writing
By this point, fans of Sykes should know that he can write, and he can write pretty damn well. Tome of the Undergates had plenty of humor, a tight plot, great characterization, and a surprising amount of pathos. Black Halo continues this trend and in better form. Sykes steps his game up in this book, and you really get the sense that he’s coming into his own. The dialogue is crisper, the scenes crackle with tension and description flares to life with beautiful prose. Black Halo does have its fair share of obscene humor and moments of questionable sanity, but they always serve the story and they are always well written.
The world is bigger than you know
Tome of the Undergates took place on a ship for the majority of the book. We heard names of cities, cultures, religions, and so on through the characters, but the reader never got the chance to experience them except through memories. This time, however, Sykes makes a wise move and begins to pull back the curtain, showing what the rest of the world is like and who occupies it. Several new characters are introduced; my favorite is Bralston the Librarian, but every reader will find their own. The world is growing under Sykes’ steady hand, and by the end of the book, you’ll have a better appreciation for the magic you see, the cultures you come to know and the demons that you come to fear.
Double edged sword
Ah, the plot, the double edged sword, so to say. On one hand, I’m really happy with the plot of the book, because not only is it well written, it continues the wonderful characterization of our main characters while showing us a living, breathing world. However, by the end of the book, I couldn’t help but feel that this book was just used to get certain players into place for the third book.
Don’t get me wrong; what Black Halo lacks in advancing the threat, it more than makes up for in its characters and their discoveries. We understand more about where everyone comes from, and their relationships together grow in strange and interesting ways (I’m looking at you, Lenk and Kataria!). In a way though, it seems that was the main purpose of Black Halo: to continue exploring the inner conflicts and desires of the Adventurers. Lenk’s sanity, Kataria’s identity crisis, Denaos’ guilt, Dreadaleon’s complex, Asper’s condition, and Gariath’s search for life are all written very well and are as compelling as they’ve ever been. My only problem was that I felt these explorations of character did not balance well with moving the plot of the demons forward; that only reappears towards the last third of the book.
So why should you read this?
If you enjoyed the insanity that was Tome of the Undergates, then you are going to love Black Halo. Not only does Sykes continue his streak of intense characterization, larger than life monsters and hilarious moments, he does it all better than before. Even though the plot sometimes takes a backseat to the exploration of character, it is not something that holds the book back from being a wild ride from start to finish. I have a feeling book three, The Skybound Sea, will deliver.
July 7, 2012
This book was reviewed by Michael Cummings, senior reviewer with the Fantasy Book Addict.
Book two of the Aeon's Gate trilogy picks up mere moments after the
end of Tome of the Undergates with the intrepid Lenk recording recent
events in his journal. The Tome of the Undergates has been recovered,
and yet the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions
set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of
Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst
the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when
their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a
war long dead.
And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts
from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their
concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by
their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their
greatest foes may yet be themselves.
You can read the rest of the review here: http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/2012...
Book two of the Aeon's Gate trilogy picks up mere moments after the
end of Tome of the Undergates with the intrepid Lenk recording recent
events in his journal. The Tome of the Undergates has been recovered,
and yet the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions
set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of
Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst
the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when
their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a
war long dead.
And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts
from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their
concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by
their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their
greatest foes may yet be themselves.
You can read the rest of the review here: http://www.fantasybookaddict.com/2012...
February 23, 2018
If for some reason you picked up Black Halo BEFORE Tome of the Undergates, stop what you're doing and read the first book first silly.
For the rest of you, you probably already know what I'm going to say because you are familiar with Mr. Sykes work. A blend of ultra violence and side splitting comedy, an epic quest hinting at a larger world hidden underneath, and a group of characters unique and enthralling.
This guy knows what he is doing. This is a love letter to Fantasy Fiction. This is elf butts.
If I'm being honest though, I did prefer the first book. The Island that Lenk and crew find themselves on wasn't as interesting a setting as the Riptide to me. It's cool, I mean, there are giant Sea Monster skeletons, and keg shaped lizard people, and some kind of demon angler fish thing that walks on land, but it didn't feel lived in or developed. It felt hollow, just a tool to serve the story, completely serviceable, but lacking when compared to the Riptide and the Smugglers Den from the previous book.
There was also some pacing issues I had with the chapters, they sometimes felt too long with too many points of view splitting them up. I think I would have liked smaller chapters to space things out more.
These are both small complaints, overall Black Halo is an excellent sequel and I'm excited to finish the trilogy so I can begin the next three book by Mr. Sykes.
Favorite things were, Bralston, he's awesome and I would read a series of books just about him being a Librarian, Gariath kicking ass, the interactions between Daneos and Xhai, and Lenk's running gag of being upset by a lack of pants.
Best way to describe these books is It's Always Sunny meets D & D. Swords, Magic, and a bunch of assholes in between.
Read this is you've read Tome of the Undergates and loved it, and lets be real, if you read Tome of the Undergates you loved it.
Hurry, those hostages are running out of food and water!
For the rest of you, you probably already know what I'm going to say because you are familiar with Mr. Sykes work. A blend of ultra violence and side splitting comedy, an epic quest hinting at a larger world hidden underneath, and a group of characters unique and enthralling.
This guy knows what he is doing. This is a love letter to Fantasy Fiction. This is elf butts.
If I'm being honest though, I did prefer the first book. The Island that Lenk and crew find themselves on wasn't as interesting a setting as the Riptide to me. It's cool, I mean, there are giant Sea Monster skeletons, and keg shaped lizard people, and some kind of demon angler fish thing that walks on land, but it didn't feel lived in or developed. It felt hollow, just a tool to serve the story, completely serviceable, but lacking when compared to the Riptide and the Smugglers Den from the previous book.
There was also some pacing issues I had with the chapters, they sometimes felt too long with too many points of view splitting them up. I think I would have liked smaller chapters to space things out more.
These are both small complaints, overall Black Halo is an excellent sequel and I'm excited to finish the trilogy so I can begin the next three book by Mr. Sykes.
Favorite things were, Bralston, he's awesome and I would read a series of books just about him being a Librarian, Gariath kicking ass, the interactions between Daneos and Xhai, and Lenk's running gag of being upset by a lack of pants.
Best way to describe these books is It's Always Sunny meets D & D. Swords, Magic, and a bunch of assholes in between.
Read this is you've read Tome of the Undergates and loved it, and lets be real, if you read Tome of the Undergates you loved it.
Hurry, those hostages are running out of food and water!
July 3, 2018
As the first, this was an honest to goodness adventure. Chapter by chapter, it is a race to figure out who will figure out the story's dilemma, the characters or the readers. So what happens when a shict ranger, a boy wizard, a fighter, a priestess, a rogue, and a legit dragonman get stuck on a desert island? Somehow, they don't resort to cannibalism, much to my great surprise.
Sam Sykes' writing is fluid and witty, full of tongue twisters such as "fist-curled, curse filled charge" that left my dyslexic brain hurting for five minutes. Fun lighthearted banter follows blood-chilling realizations, and large portions of narration are led by an unreliable narrator. These twists, turns, and mobius-bands lead to fast-paced adventure and a book I read in a day. The second book in a trilogy is difficult, always, stuck between a strong opener and a strong ender, and most second books are just okay. But between the first, second, and third books in this trilogy, the second read like the other two. The only thing distinguishing them as different are the numbers on the cover.
Sam Sykes' writing is fluid and witty, full of tongue twisters such as "fist-curled, curse filled charge" that left my dyslexic brain hurting for five minutes. Fun lighthearted banter follows blood-chilling realizations, and large portions of narration are led by an unreliable narrator. These twists, turns, and mobius-bands lead to fast-paced adventure and a book I read in a day. The second book in a trilogy is difficult, always, stuck between a strong opener and a strong ender, and most second books are just okay. But between the first, second, and third books in this trilogy, the second read like the other two. The only thing distinguishing them as different are the numbers on the cover.
October 15, 2017
I really struggled to figure out why I didn't like this book. The characters are funny, the violence is violent, the threat is significant. And then about 75% into the book I realized I didn't like it because it feels like nothing matters. The characters don't care about saving the world, they don't care about their own lives -- they aren't fighting for or against anything, they're just fighting because it's what they do. The lack of intention makes it really hard to care what happens to the characters or the world.
October 7, 2019
Some of the writing is excellent, but this storyline is slow, plodding, and repetitive. It's a large cast, some very entertaining characters, and yet he seems to enjoy just having each one in their own chapter. Disappointing overall.
How stories like this are getting 4 stars is neyond me. Kids who've never read excellent fantasy must be the voters. Go read something by Gemmell before you give 'new' stuff such lofty ratings.
How stories like this are getting 4 stars is neyond me. Kids who've never read excellent fantasy must be the voters. Go read something by Gemmell before you give 'new' stuff such lofty ratings.
April 6, 2024
I have no problem with snarky banter, provided that there are genuine emotions behind it. And that is my problem with this series. It's 80% snark, 18% self-pity, and 2% genuine emotion. Get your fucking shit together, you contemptible morons.
June 25, 2020
Did the 2nd book need to be as long as it was? Probably not. Did I enjoy every minute of it? Yes, yes I did. As someone who plays D&D I liked reading where the campaign clearly derailed a number of times. And when it gets serious it gets very serious. I'm excited and afraid to read the final book.
April 7, 2025
Reading this book is exceedingly weird. It jumps from action and bloodshed to introspection and back again. Most definitely different to most fantasy novels.
July 7, 2012
Book two of the Aeon's Gate trilogy picks up mere moments after the end of Tome of the Undergates with the intrepid Lenk recording recent events in his journal. The Tome of the Undergates has been recovered, and yet the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.
And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.
Critics of the first book lamented that the characters were too thinly sketched, the bulk of the book being taken up by some longer than usual action scenes. In this second volume, Sykes flips that expectation on us. We delve deeper into each of the characters, getting more tantalizing glints of their depth and background as they recover on the island of the dead. To be sure, while the first book was a book of struggling, this second volume gives us a better understanding on why each of our characters - and I don't just mean our protagonists - are struggling and what it is they are trying to achieve. Which in the case of our (un)lucky band of adventurers is largely what they are struggling to run away from.
The problem, of course, is that we spend most of the book introspecting the characters, their flaws, backgrounds, motives, and favorite past times that we never quite make any headway in the story. In fact, the only real progress in the books is delivered by two new characters that are external to the adventurer party, one a librarian (don't snicker, librarians can kick your butt) on a mission to step any who use magic without paying the price (Oh Netherlings...), and the other who is commonly known as the Moth, a vassal of the Deep Shriek sent out to release the Father. The story advances under the stewardship of these two characters, but they have scenes too far and few between to give the rest of the novel momentum.
And this is why the second volume of a series usually drags. The first volume hit us with such force and speed, the second volume had a bar set higher than it could reasonably achieve.
And yet I will still recommend this book to you. It was a well written and fine addition to the series, with all the Shict loving you can handle. Hopefully in volume three, now that we understand what compels most of the POV characters in such detail already, we will return to the tour de force that was book one, but with a better understanding and appreciation of what is driving Lenk and his merry band.
And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.
Critics of the first book lamented that the characters were too thinly sketched, the bulk of the book being taken up by some longer than usual action scenes. In this second volume, Sykes flips that expectation on us. We delve deeper into each of the characters, getting more tantalizing glints of their depth and background as they recover on the island of the dead. To be sure, while the first book was a book of struggling, this second volume gives us a better understanding on why each of our characters - and I don't just mean our protagonists - are struggling and what it is they are trying to achieve. Which in the case of our (un)lucky band of adventurers is largely what they are struggling to run away from.
The problem, of course, is that we spend most of the book introspecting the characters, their flaws, backgrounds, motives, and favorite past times that we never quite make any headway in the story. In fact, the only real progress in the books is delivered by two new characters that are external to the adventurer party, one a librarian (don't snicker, librarians can kick your butt) on a mission to step any who use magic without paying the price (Oh Netherlings...), and the other who is commonly known as the Moth, a vassal of the Deep Shriek sent out to release the Father. The story advances under the stewardship of these two characters, but they have scenes too far and few between to give the rest of the novel momentum.
And this is why the second volume of a series usually drags. The first volume hit us with such force and speed, the second volume had a bar set higher than it could reasonably achieve.
And yet I will still recommend this book to you. It was a well written and fine addition to the series, with all the Shict loving you can handle. Hopefully in volume three, now that we understand what compels most of the POV characters in such detail already, we will return to the tour de force that was book one, but with a better understanding and appreciation of what is driving Lenk and his merry band.
December 30, 2017
I enjoyed the first book in Sam Syke’s Aeon’s Gate Trilogy (Tome of the Undergates), but I truly loved this second installment in the series. In this book, Sykes steps up the emotional intensity and complexity of his characters, leaning more heavily on their relationships to drive the story than in his previous writing. The result is a more emotionally impactful and smoother read. Curiously while this book has a smaller scope than the last, it feels like we see more of substance in the work Sykes has built.
This novel finds our heroes stranded on a strange island, facing new enemies and continuing their struggle to secure the Tome. As they slowly work their way back to one another and a sense of unity, each must re-examine their motivations for joining and maintaining the quest, their loyalties to one another, and what their ultimate goals are. Readers are shown greater compassion for the characters than in the previous novel; previously underdeveloped characters like Denaos and Gariath become plainly tragic figures over the course of the story, and we see Kataria and Lenk seek to solidify their identities under the pull of culture and romance. Dreadalon and Asper are shown with greater strength and vulnerability than in the prior novel. We also meet some fascinating new characters – in particular, the greater development of the Venarium and Bralston add new dimensions to an already complex conflict.
The new depth of emotion does not mean that humor is lost; to the contrary we see a great deal of Syke’s clever wordplay and slapstick humor throughout. For instance, never before had I considered that wizards might accidentally urinate fire. In general, the tone of this book feels brighter even though our heroes suffer greatly throughout it. The story feels more hopeful and dynamic.
The conclusion capitalizes on the depth of relationships Sykes has built over the course of this and the preceding book. Although aspects of the final battle are fuzzy, the tension between the characters is sustained effectively. As reader, you want to go directly to the third book, if only in the hopes of seeing certain villains die a horrible, terrible death.
This book is a lot of fun. If you enjoyed the first book, then you should continue with this one.
This novel finds our heroes stranded on a strange island, facing new enemies and continuing their struggle to secure the Tome. As they slowly work their way back to one another and a sense of unity, each must re-examine their motivations for joining and maintaining the quest, their loyalties to one another, and what their ultimate goals are. Readers are shown greater compassion for the characters than in the previous novel; previously underdeveloped characters like Denaos and Gariath become plainly tragic figures over the course of the story, and we see Kataria and Lenk seek to solidify their identities under the pull of culture and romance. Dreadalon and Asper are shown with greater strength and vulnerability than in the prior novel. We also meet some fascinating new characters – in particular, the greater development of the Venarium and Bralston add new dimensions to an already complex conflict.
The new depth of emotion does not mean that humor is lost; to the contrary we see a great deal of Syke’s clever wordplay and slapstick humor throughout. For instance, never before had I considered that wizards might accidentally urinate fire. In general, the tone of this book feels brighter even though our heroes suffer greatly throughout it. The story feels more hopeful and dynamic.
The conclusion capitalizes on the depth of relationships Sykes has built over the course of this and the preceding book. Although aspects of the final battle are fuzzy, the tension between the characters is sustained effectively. As reader, you want to go directly to the third book, if only in the hopes of seeing certain villains die a horrible, terrible death.
This book is a lot of fun. If you enjoyed the first book, then you should continue with this one.
June 3, 2012
Well, that took way too long to read.
A portion of that is my fault with having an extremely busy month, but Syke's material, while written with a superb voice and tone is full of fluff that just didn't do anything for the story. There's something to be said for surprising the reader but leading the reader along through a darkened room while throwing darts at him or her w/out provocation isn't the best way to get me through a book.
It was good to get to know the adventurers on a deeper level, especially my favorite, Gariath. They were fleshed out with more history and were given more depth to their personality. I just had to wade through a lot of "stuff" to find out all that stuff.
Syke's first book was essentially two battles and a little convo and background in between. I think he went the opposite direction w/ this sequel and there was a lot time spent in stagnation and the story suffered for it. Consequently my favorite part was the end when a sense of completion to their time spent on the island started to crop up and the presence of one of the stories antagonists arrived to really press down the pedal.
I'm going to continue reading Syke's books even if it was just for the writing. It's imaginative, creative, and extremely well written. But what I want to see is a tighter story. A story that has an arc where you're not confused as to who's talking, what's going on, and where things are heading.
A portion of that is my fault with having an extremely busy month, but Syke's material, while written with a superb voice and tone is full of fluff that just didn't do anything for the story. There's something to be said for surprising the reader but leading the reader along through a darkened room while throwing darts at him or her w/out provocation isn't the best way to get me through a book.
It was good to get to know the adventurers on a deeper level, especially my favorite, Gariath. They were fleshed out with more history and were given more depth to their personality. I just had to wade through a lot of "stuff" to find out all that stuff.
Syke's first book was essentially two battles and a little convo and background in between. I think he went the opposite direction w/ this sequel and there was a lot time spent in stagnation and the story suffered for it. Consequently my favorite part was the end when a sense of completion to their time spent on the island started to crop up and the presence of one of the stories antagonists arrived to really press down the pedal.
I'm going to continue reading Syke's books even if it was just for the writing. It's imaginative, creative, and extremely well written. But what I want to see is a tighter story. A story that has an arc where you're not confused as to who's talking, what's going on, and where things are heading.
July 14, 2016
Let me start by saying I am a very, VERY slow reader. I take my time when reading -- I like to read word by word, really paint myself a picture of what's happening. So, when I say that by page 200 I was skimming through chapters, I want you to fully comprehend the implications.
I have to agree with other reviews -- this book is entirely too long and wordy for what it's trying to convey. While I enjoy authors that take time to give us details, this is not what Sykes provides. He ends up rehashing the same exact ideas over and over again, making us read what has already been established in previous chapters, but with no additional information to make it worth our time.
I find myself getting bored with the story. Which sucks because he's got a really fun cast of characters here. They're all the biggest cookie-cutter tropes ever, but it's still intriguing to see how he moves them through the world and how they interact with each other, as well as within themselves. Denaos, Asper, and Dread are my favorites in this respect. Their personal conflicts and backstories intrigue me where others do not. But we don't get a lot from them, unfortunately, and so I'm left wanting.
I'll read the final book because, hell, I've made it this far -- but I have to admit that at this point, I could really just leave it all entirely. It's more a sense of duty than any real desire to see the conclusion.
I have to agree with other reviews -- this book is entirely too long and wordy for what it's trying to convey. While I enjoy authors that take time to give us details, this is not what Sykes provides. He ends up rehashing the same exact ideas over and over again, making us read what has already been established in previous chapters, but with no additional information to make it worth our time.
I find myself getting bored with the story. Which sucks because he's got a really fun cast of characters here. They're all the biggest cookie-cutter tropes ever, but it's still intriguing to see how he moves them through the world and how they interact with each other, as well as within themselves. Denaos, Asper, and Dread are my favorites in this respect. Their personal conflicts and backstories intrigue me where others do not. But we don't get a lot from them, unfortunately, and so I'm left wanting.
I'll read the final book because, hell, I've made it this far -- but I have to admit that at this point, I could really just leave it all entirely. It's more a sense of duty than any real desire to see the conclusion.
June 25, 2015
Black Halo is a great follow up to Sam Sykes' Tome Of The Undergates. It does exactly what a sequel should: improve any flaws while still retaining everything that worked in the previous novel.
Sykes' well written characters still continue to be the highlight. He's in the same league as Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch with them, evoking their talent for penning quirky and unique individuals that continuously captivate and delight. The page count of Black Halo exceeds Tome Of The Undergates, yet Sykes' great writing still carries you through with ease.
That's not to say that everything has improved. While the narrative has a little more cohesion, it moves slowly and I still found it hard to get a sense of direction of where everything was heading. Obviously, the Tome is the main plot point, but it feels unimportant when the characters own problems and various battles between the multiple races of this world are thrown in the mix. Maybe that's the whole point though; the Tome is the catalyst that enables all the exciting parts of the story to happen.
In any case, I enjoyed Black Halo more than Tome Of The Undergates, and that's really all I look for from a sequel. Here's hoping Sykes brings it home in the Skybound Sea.
Sykes' well written characters still continue to be the highlight. He's in the same league as Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch with them, evoking their talent for penning quirky and unique individuals that continuously captivate and delight. The page count of Black Halo exceeds Tome Of The Undergates, yet Sykes' great writing still carries you through with ease.
That's not to say that everything has improved. While the narrative has a little more cohesion, it moves slowly and I still found it hard to get a sense of direction of where everything was heading. Obviously, the Tome is the main plot point, but it feels unimportant when the characters own problems and various battles between the multiple races of this world are thrown in the mix. Maybe that's the whole point though; the Tome is the catalyst that enables all the exciting parts of the story to happen.
In any case, I enjoyed Black Halo more than Tome Of The Undergates, and that's really all I look for from a sequel. Here's hoping Sykes brings it home in the Skybound Sea.
September 7, 2013
The thing I like most for this series is how Sykes is developing the contrast between wizards and the, uhhh guess we'll just call them clerics. There seems to be a parallel between religion and our world vs. science and this rational atheism belief and religion vs. the academic knowledge of the wizards in the Undergates world.
The character development is nice. Each character has their own demons or gods or both, that they're carrying around inside them. We finally get to see who some of the voices are talking to Lenk, and we get some background on the other characters.
There were pretty funny bits in there too.
I'm not a huge huge fan of epic fantasy, and for me that was the real trip-up. Epic fantasy loves its lengthy descriptions long passages and flowery writing. Nothing wrong with that, just makes for slow reading for me, so it took me for-freaking-ever to read this and for that reason, I'll probably put the third one off for several months.
The description WAS all well-done and Sykes is a very funny writer and talented in other ways as well. Overall, it's worth the read, but this stuff'll generally live in the middle of my too-read list.
The character development is nice. Each character has their own demons or gods or both, that they're carrying around inside them. We finally get to see who some of the voices are talking to Lenk, and we get some background on the other characters.
There were pretty funny bits in there too.
I'm not a huge huge fan of epic fantasy, and for me that was the real trip-up. Epic fantasy loves its lengthy descriptions long passages and flowery writing. Nothing wrong with that, just makes for slow reading for me, so it took me for-freaking-ever to read this and for that reason, I'll probably put the third one off for several months.
The description WAS all well-done and Sykes is a very funny writer and talented in other ways as well. Overall, it's worth the read, but this stuff'll generally live in the middle of my too-read list.
July 23, 2015
Well, where do I begin with this one? I have to say that with this book I had some difficulties (hence the 3 stars only). It kicks off pretty much exactly where the previous one ends. And then it all gets nightmarish... don't get me wrong, it's not the writing that becomes terrible, but the reader is basically dropped into the worst (or close to worst) nightmares and fears of the main characters. And as much as it revealed quite a bit about them, it was sometimes difficult to keep track of what is real and what is not... and in the end I felt that this part was a bit too long for my taste. After that, however, the things go smoother - not for the adventurers, but the reader.
At the same time, I did like that we finally got to know a bit more about the main characters (where they come from and what have they done) and historical background of the events. There are new creatures introduced once more (which also is getting a bit much, but not yet annoying, you just need to pay attention) and the plot thickens. Now, I'm really curious how this all will play out (and yes, you don't get to know what 'all' means unless you read the books).
At the same time, I did like that we finally got to know a bit more about the main characters (where they come from and what have they done) and historical background of the events. There are new creatures introduced once more (which also is getting a bit much, but not yet annoying, you just need to pay attention) and the plot thickens. Now, I'm really curious how this all will play out (and yes, you don't get to know what 'all' means unless you read the books).
August 13, 2013
Ah well, it is hard for me not to finish a fantasy series once I have started it. Lenk is an interesting character, and he has a mystique I can't help but want to figure out. But the relationship between him and the pointy eared elf-like character is horrid. I'd rather read pages and pages of Lenk talking to the voice in his head than read Sam Sykes try to develop romantic relationships.
Sykes does well at writing action scenes, the plot progressed painfully slowly in this book. The whole story is very reminiscent of a Pen and Paper Role Playing campaign. I have read a multitude of a reviews that have stated that the Aeon's Gate genius is the banter between the adventuring party. I feel like Sam Sykes has also heard this praise since he really floored it on silly conversations in this one. Overall, this book is worth reading, and you may fall head over heels for the series, but, there seems to be more hype over these books than is necessary.
Sykes does well at writing action scenes, the plot progressed painfully slowly in this book. The whole story is very reminiscent of a Pen and Paper Role Playing campaign. I have read a multitude of a reviews that have stated that the Aeon's Gate genius is the banter between the adventuring party. I feel like Sam Sykes has also heard this praise since he really floored it on silly conversations in this one. Overall, this book is worth reading, and you may fall head over heels for the series, but, there seems to be more hype over these books than is necessary.
July 5, 2015
Okay, I was wowed by the carnage in"Tome of the Undergates" (amazing how much damage six really determined characters can dish out). So, how would the next book play out? Less carnage, more introspection, it turns out. Lenk and his companions get shipwrecked and find themselves stranded on an island. Initially separated, they eventually reunite in a village of friendly natives. While separated, each character ponders his or her relationship to the others, as well as individual fears, doubts, and just what in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? The companions get their heads together (more or less) just in time for an onslaught of those badass purple warrior women, not to mention the horrors of the deep they also ran afoul of. The Tome is still at stake and remains so, thus leading to the next book, "The Skybound Sea." It's on my list...
August 30, 2016
Too many pages of too many creatures having too many voices in their heads. I loved book 1 of this series and was looking forward to further adventures in this one. Instead, it almost got boring and I found myself re-reading sections trying to figure out who had spoken to whom.
In chapter 24 the author mistakingly uses Denaos when he should have used Dread.
"Hallucination and delusion are two different things," Denaos replied. "This isn't a matter of heart or mind, but of instinct. I mean, she'll kill you."
"That's what I said," Denaos muttered.
It was good to get some background and more feel for the characters, but it dragged on far too long. The action, when it came, was a letdown.
This book rates a 2.5 from me but I'll round up to a 3 just because I'm hopeful it will sort itself out in book three.
In chapter 24 the author mistakingly uses Denaos when he should have used Dread.
"Hallucination and delusion are two different things," Denaos replied. "This isn't a matter of heart or mind, but of instinct. I mean, she'll kill you."
"That's what I said," Denaos muttered.
It was good to get some background and more feel for the characters, but it dragged on far too long. The action, when it came, was a letdown.
This book rates a 2.5 from me but I'll round up to a 3 just because I'm hopeful it will sort itself out in book three.
June 6, 2015
Same as a lot of others (thankfully!) I found this book way, way too long. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the first book and it actually caused me to buy the second and third books, but this just seemed like a long slog and ultimately at the 70% mark I found myself just skimming pages.
A decent editor should have chopped out a lot of the dross, and probably pointed out that not all sentences need three adjectives or to constantly be repeated every time a character comes back into a scene.
The first one clipped along at a good pace, but this just felt like wading through treacle to get to any kind of actual point.
I'm going to take a break before I attempt the third one, otherwise I may not finish what was a really promising trilogy.
A decent editor should have chopped out a lot of the dross, and probably pointed out that not all sentences need three adjectives or to constantly be repeated every time a character comes back into a scene.
The first one clipped along at a good pace, but this just felt like wading through treacle to get to any kind of actual point.
I'm going to take a break before I attempt the third one, otherwise I may not finish what was a really promising trilogy.
February 3, 2016
This one was a bit of a downer after the amazingly fast and furious first book. Very little happens for most of the first 2/3rds as the main characters are stuck on an island doing very little of note. Then there's a big battle and setup for the third book, which I have no idea whether or not will be the final book or what. A few questions from the first book are cleared up rather nicely, but I really wish that there would have been more goodness, and less lazing about on the island. Still, can't wait for the next one. It's gonna be a doozie. :)
See my full review at: http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.co...
See my full review at: http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.co...
October 19, 2014
Black Halo is book 2 of the Aeons Gate series. I absolutely loved book 1, Tome of the Undergates, but unfortunately, Black Halo left me a little short. The humour was there, but in much smaller amounts, the action was there as well, but only in 2 or 3 places throughout this rather large book. I feel like we went a little too far into the character's psyches. As much as we like to know what they are all feeling and thinking, there was a little too much introspection for my liking. Having said that, I am a fan and will be looking forward to book 3 when I find it.
July 7, 2011
I really wanted to like this one. But honestly there was just way too much betrayal, death, murder and emo head-wrestling and it just became a slog. Sure there were moments of humor and underneath all that other stuff a pretty cool story which is why I stuck through it until the end. But, I feel actually kind of relieved now that I've finished. I have no idea whether I will continue with the series yet. I suppose I'll see.
August 10, 2011
I really loved the first book. I think Sykes can write some fantastic prose that is both beautifully verbose and crude. The problem was that it can sometimes weigh the novel down. As a result it can feel a bit of a slog in places. Whereas the last novel had a lot of action, this one had a lot of thinking. Thinking and soul-searching are great but it sometimes felt like very little was happening. Still there's some great characters and I look forward to reading the next in the series.
July 26, 2012
I only gave this book 3 stars because it is the second book in a series. Which I feel means it is the book the author has to use to develop the characters. The author did a wonderful job doing this, but had to sacrifice violence for internal debate. There is a lot of internal debate in this book. However it was all necessary and the end of the book makes up for all of the "why me's" you have to endure. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to the next installment!
August 27, 2012
I enjoyed this book, but overall I was left a little disappointed after the first book. By the end of Black Halo, the story is essentially right where it started off, in fact they actually went backwards a bit. Some of the characters relationships have changed, but none of them really evolved. However, the author has created a wonderful world with this series, and I look forward to the next installment.
May 22, 2014
These books are just fun to read and have that special quality that engages you without you ever really being able to put your finger on it. All the characters are likeable in their unlikeability. I found the character building to be the strongest feature of the book. Characters who simultaneously depend on each other and want to kill each other make their dynamics fascinating. This is highly recommended if you like James Maxey or vice versa.
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