Salvatore is a masterful fantasy storyteller and world-builder. This is another book of his that continues that tradition well. He really dives into the storyline and weaves the tale in a engaging and entertaining way . This will hopefully be book two in a trilogy.
Recommend to lovers of fantasy and anything R.A. Salvatore!
#ReckonicgofFallenGods #Netgalley #MacMillanTorForge

I loved the setting and characters depicted in Reckoning of the Fallen Gods. I did not read the first book in this new series, and I feel like I should have. Even though I was able to figure out who everyone was, it took longer than I would have liked. I know R.A. Salvatore typically creates several important characters, I thought I would be able to keep up without that first novel. Luckily, he adequately introduces the reader to all the players, it simply took some serious reading to figure out the whos-who.
Aoelyn is the hero in this series, at least for me, much like Drizzt in previous series. Aoelyn has not been treated well by the people she knows as her own. After losing her parents and experiencing the darker side of her tribe, Aoelyn has come to realize she does not belong. At first, I wanted to see Aoelyn as an anti-hero, but that was only because I'd not seen everything from her point-of-view.
The multiple points-of-view can be confusing at times. You have to pay attention to names and that can be complicated if you're not familiar with the tribes.
R.A. Salvatore does a marvelous job in detailing rituals and magic. Right now, there are obvious good vs. evil vibes between characters and there are characters who make horrible mistakes out of jealousy. Everything works together to push the story forward and I'm anxious to read the next book in the series.
I requested a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Solid read, and very good for a second book. It did have the mid-book slump, in that I felt the book was preparing me more for the third installment, then being much of a stand-alone in and of itself. Even so, the pace was slow and steady, and there was enough character development to keep me turning the pages. An enjoyable sequel, looking forward to the third.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

I found this second instalment in The Coven series a really interesting continuation and what I hope will be a good bridge novel. It tells the continuing story of Aeolyn as she explores her abilities. What I really liked about this book was the world building. and more specifically, the expansion of the world. Salvatore has introduced some key elements in this novel that I am very excited about and that I think will really have a lot of impact as the series continues. I did think that the plot felt a little small here - strangely this seems to be a book in which not a great deal happens, although lots of important things DO happen! Overall however, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and found it a much quicker read than the first book, given the familiarity with the world. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where Salvatore takes things next.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Salvatore does a wonderful job of world building. Can easily get lost in the story and visualize what’s going on with each of the characters. The sacrifice scene in the prologue was descriptive enough to know what was happening. Salvatore can weave a story to come to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for the release of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this is what drew me into this book. The synopsis was pretty vague but I took a chance and I am glad I did . I enjoyed this. It had great world building and I love a good empire book setting. This one did not let me know.

I have liked other series by Salvatore, but this felt like it took forever to even start the book. There was so much background given (which is interesting, considering that everyone should have read book one already).

R. A. Salvatore is exactly who I think of when I hear someone asking for a fantasy adventure book. He is easily sold to gamers, fantasy lovers and with this latest series, woman. I am just in love with this series.and cannot believe that I have never read Salvatore before when I have read so many of the other big-series authors. I often recommend this series to my customers at Barnes & Noble and will continue to do so with this second book. Great pacing, wonderful characters. Keep them coming!

A great read, I didn’t think quite as good as the previous books by the author, but still good. I love the characters in this, relatable and real. Great world building, a wonderful fantasy plot. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

R. A. Salvatore is a huge name within the epic fantasy community and this series shows the many reasons why this man needs to be put on a throne!

This is the sequel to Child of a Mad God. A fantastic continuation of the Coven series. The original story follows Aoleyn, a girl from the Usgar tribe, they live on the mountain, surrounded by magic and are considered daemons by the Lake tribes. It's character driven fantasy. that is set in a small part of a much larger world. This next installment gives even more insight into the finer details of the cultures and people. It has very strong female characters, some.. okay actually a lot graphic sections about the human body... which I can easily handle in my dark fantasies but be warned, It can be pretty sexually graphic and barbaric at time.

Vicious, barbaric, magical, fantastic, enthralling, startling, terrifying … all words I’d use to describe this book. All I need to more to this awesome story.

This was an interesting read, I enjoyed book one a little bit more but still this one was also good.It jumps in directly after the events of the previous book.In this book things were a little bit complicated!I have a problem remembering everything.Overall, it was a great read!

Great start to a new series. Fast paced, strong characters and plot twists made me immediately pick it back up for a reread!

Thanks to the publishers, author, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Reckoning of Fall Gods in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, I didn’t enjoy this as much as Child of a Mad God. I feel as if I noticed more problems that were also in the first book, but I just wasn’t in the right mind set for this sequel. I’m not sure what happened. I really enjoyed the characters and story of book one and it just felt like this made it lose it’s thunder. I started caring less about the story and less about the characters the more I read and wanted to put the book down.

This being said, I still love Salvatore and am happy to have a signed edition of Child of a Mad God and may try this book again in the far future, but I think it would be better if the first and second book were read together. The long break in between books for this series just hurt my love for the series considering book two really just jumps off the events of book one. So I will try again with this, but I have to read the first book again to get back into the world and rediscover my love for it.

‘It is said and so it has been told.’

After the actions of Child of a Mad God, The Coven has circled tighter and tighter around Aoleyn. Angry at her transgressions, they need to preserve the power of their fold by any means possible... Yet, Aoleyn's role has now changed, and her moral center has now shifted dramatically against the core of the tribe.

A catalyst for change comes in the form of a solar eclipse, a natural occurrence that is easily explained to some, but a hard-to-define event by the standards of a closed, primitive culture.  The sun disappears and marks actions foretold... and the narrative branches out into vastly different regions of Salvatore's world. A shift is coming, one that will affect people around the lake, up the mountains, and much farther beyond. 

I want to warn readers that this one starts off quickly, and jumps in directly after the events of the previous book.  The setting and scale of the the events in Child of a Mad God stayed pretty consistent, but this one gets big, fast. Also, the swiftly shifting points of view seem different than the pacing of the last book, yet it's in tune with the ramping tension in this book as more peoples and races are brought in to face the war drums' beats. The characters meet with Salvatore's usual style, where actions speak louder than words. Aoleyn's character arc takes a number of the turns, and the reader is along for the ride. A ride where we are free to agree or disagree with any number of her decisions... and ultimately we ask, what will be the consequences in book 3?

This series is perfect for those looking to escape into a savage world, where magic can as easily save as it can destroy. A world where signs are read in the natural world, interpreted by beasts and witches alike.

4 out of 5 stars.

Releases on Jan 29th.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Books, and R.A. Salvatore for the advanced copy for review.

I don’t know what to think about this book. I started out excited to read since I really enjoyed the first book in the series, Child of a Mad God. I shouldn’t be too surprised though because now that I think about it, the first book was difficult for me also in some respects. The story line hinges on the mistreatment of women by a barbaric tribe and that can be a little hard to take, but the main character Aoleyn was excellent and I really came to like her. I was disappointed to start the second book and she is hardly anywhere to be found. But … but … she’s on the cover! Well now I’m bummed out, let’s hope she comes back in some respect later in the book.

So now we are introduced a whole new race of Orc-like characters who are admittedly not as backwards as your typical Tolkien-esque marauders but they strike me as orc-ish. I’ve got an ugly taste in my mouth lately for Orc kind after reading some articles by the inimitable N.K. Jemisin about the subjugation of certain races in fantasy. The fact that so many characters in Reckoning of Fallen Gods have similarities to ancient Maya and Inca people gives me pause. I may have drawn an unintended parallel between these new creatures in the book with orc-kind and the troublesome nature of those archetypes, I’m not really sure. I will admit to some confusion on this front, and a lot of misgivings about where this series is headed.

So there’s that. Then … there are the cocks. “Glorious cocks”. They are installed on thrones, on mountains, and in the wilderness. These “shafts of godly power” serve to remind womanhood of the bro-iness of this world of men and orcs. Bow down to the cock. I said BOW DOWN! So … many … cocks in this book.

So, I started feeling tired. Thankfully, Aoleyn returns to the story, and things start to go right for me again. Aoleyn recognizes that the cocks don’t really matter in the grand scheme of thins. She is a source of power in and of herself, and not in relation to any man. She recognizes that even the rites of the tribe that are reserved for women still just serve to bind them even further to the male members of the tribe. She gets it and she is having none of it.

More stuff happens, and by the end of the book I’m pretty into it again. I still can’t figure out though just what I actually feel about this book. I feel conflicted and a little confused. I wish I knew more about what the author was trying to say here. I think at heart it is a book about a young woman reaching her potential and growing beyond the confines of the society that has ensnared her. It’s … feminist?? It feels like that’s what is happening. Kind of. I hope.

I just wish there were less cocks. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

More Links: The Unbearable Baggage of Orcing by N.K. Jemisin

A rich, immersive world, excellent characterization and world/culture building. I did have trouble getting into the book initially because there were so many complicated names and elements. Once I connected with the characters, however, I couldn't put the book down.

One of Salvatores best ever. If you like his Drizzt series you will love this series. The Demon Wars Saga has become my new addiction.

Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the advanced copy!

So, I read this book twice. I had a hard time getting into it the first time and skimmed too much to really enjoy it but I liked it. I went back and read Child of a Mad God to get some of the back story because I'm a dummy and have never read any of R. A. Salvator's work before despite my husband reading several. I fell absolutely madly in love with these characters so I re-read Reckoning. It is such a great time! I couldn't put it down.

Pros:
There are amazing strong females all over this book without it being a man hating book.
Really there is a great balance of good and evil characters.
The magic system is really interesting.
I started to freak out a little toward the end because the story expands to bigger issues and I wasn't really prepared for a read of epic proportions but I'm intrigued. It didn't not end up being as overwhelming as I thought it was going to be.

Cons:
This is really stupid but toward the end of Aoleyn's time in the cave, I kind of started wondering about the lack of menstrual activity. I guess she just felt that real to me. I ended up deciding that her body was under so much stress that it stopped that process.

This is an imaginative and well written book. It is set in a unique world with all kinds of individual species. This book will appeal to people who enjoy sci-fi , scheming and war. My problem with it was that I really never became invested in any of the characters. The prologue was way too long and difficult to get through. Although I liked Lord of the Rings and this story could compare to that, I like the characters in LOTR and I just didn’t in this. Also, I know this is an ARC, the transitions between scenes were non-existent. That made it confusing to follow the story. One minute you’d be involved with a character from one scene and the next sentence was a totally different scene unrelated to the previous scene. Being confused made it much harder to read the book. I think this is a great story but the characters need to be more likable if I’m to care about what happens to them. Please clearly delineate the scenes so they don’t all run together; it will make it a much more enjoyable book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.