Legacy of Steel // written by Matthew Ward

I had so many good things to say about Legacy of Ash, book 1 of this amazing trilogy, and honestly, I'm not really sure what to add to that. Writing reviews for later books in a series after raving about the first one has always been something I disliked because how can I rave about all this awesome action without spoiling it for anybody? Sigh. The struggles of a reviewer. Hah. But really though, this is an incredible continuation with great character work, epic action that keeps you on the edge of your seat, depth into things you only got a glimpse of in book 1, and the same conflicting feelings about your personal alliances to the characters. I loved returning to this world and am excited to be reading book 3 right now!

Thank you to the author and publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a bloody intense read this was. Where Legacy of Ash was a perfect laying out of the setting and class system culminating in a fantastic ending, Legacy of Steel is a full-stop power play where the fate of humanity is at stake and the chess maneuvering of gods plays out for everyone to see. This book is also quite a bit bigger in page count than its predecessor.. But please don't let that deter you from reading it because there is so much going on that I didn't even realize I had just read a hefty book.

The awesome world-building is still there, the ridiculously insane magic and sorcery has gotten even better, and I'm happy to say that Ward's signature penchant for a little bit of the ultraviolence (okay a lot) is also turned up considerably. All of this is terrific news and it made me enjoy Legacy of Steel even more than the first book. If you like medieval fantasy or really outstanding dark fantasy, Mattew Ward should be at the top of your list of favorite authors.

Rating: 9.5/10

Earlier this year when I reviewed the first book in The Legacy Trilogy, Legacy of Ash, my biggest takeaway was how epic the book was; and, honestly, I did not think it had anywhere else to go on a grand scale. But author Matthew Ward found a way to make Legacy of Steel bigger, broader in scope, and even more bombastic than the first.

Truth be told, I was not actually sure where the plot was going to go, what story was left to tell in a second book. There were a few loose ends, but Legacy of Ash felt pretty wrapped up to me. What happened to Viktor? is a great question, but you cannot write a whole book about it. This is why Ward is the author, here, and not me, because he certainly proved me wrong. There was so much more of this world left to explore! Legacy of Steel takes the reader deeper into Dregmeet and the Otherworld, and explores parts of The Tressian Republic and Hadari that were not addressed in the first book. Typically, the second book in a series is meant to open up things up, and Ward accomplished just that.

I hate to use the word “typically”, though, because absolutely nothing is typical about this series. I have never read a story that is so action-packed; Legacy of Steel had me on edge from the first word to the last. I found myself lost in the story, completely encompassed by the events taking place, and oftentimes found myself biting my lower lip while reading (in the same way I do when I am playing video games). That is how enveloping this book is, so much so that I did not even realize I was doing it. The writing is so engrossing that as a reader I never felt passive, like a spectator watching the events play out. There is so much action, description, emotion… it drew me in and before I knew it I was an active participant in the narrative, halberd raised, rushing into battle. Even though it is words on a page, it feels interactive, because there is so much happening and every scene is full of tension that the reader gets pulled right along with it.

I am very imaginative when I am reading, especially with a well-written and descriptive book. The story plays out very cinematically in my head, and when it is a book like Legacy of Steel which is so illustrative that takes it to another level. As I have been reading The Legacy Trilogy books the main backdrop has just been fire. I am not sure that is exactly what Ward meant to evoke to with in this series, but I think it is both quite literal and metaphoric. Whatever is happening in the story, be it a battle, a political discussion, a discovery – in my mind the world is burning in the background. And, while the story is full of action, as I mentioned, the author left plenty of room for political strife and all the deal-making, deal-breaking, alliance-forging, and backstabbing that comes along with it. I actually got Lightbringer (Brent Weeks) vibes when there are scenes involving Council discussions. The hidden agendas, behind-the-scenes dealing, the lobbying for votes reminded me a lot of watching the Spectrum debate And, just as in the Lightbringer series, these decisions (and sometimes indecisions) were a jumping off point for the engagements that followed.

Another aspect of Legacy of Steel that I was really happy about was the evolution of the characters. With Legacy of Ash, Ward does a phenomenal job of introducing and developing the characters initially, and that is saying something because there are a lot of people (and other beings) to get to know. The author successfully accomplishes this through action, dialogue, and inner monologues. Legacy of Steel sees those same characters grow in both expected and unexpected ways that make logical sense based on the world around them. The book also allows the reader to get to know a few characters better than in the first book, and introduces a couple new ones, as well. Not many, though, as I am not sure the story has room for any more (I can just hear Matthew Ward saying “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!”, even though he is well into it with Book 3, already).

The one drawback in this book for me is the portrayal of the Gods. This is something I pay attention to acutely when stories include Gods involving themselves in the lives of humans. Ward does them better than most, as in Legacy of Steel their presence is both a gift and a curse. The Gods here have likes and dislikes, disagreements, and strife. They feel love (and unloved, at times) and hate, have their own motives, and are oftentimes passionate to a fault. Ward’s Gods mimic the human condition (or is it the other way around…?). What is unclear to me is the fact that if they are so powerful what is stopping them from destroying things they want to destroy or making the world to be exactly what they want. I know there are other machinations that come into play, but I do not understand what limits them to ultimate chess players. That being said, they bring a lot of excitement and intrigue to the story, so I am not mad at them. It is just something that would come up in my thoughts every once in a while, and as I look forward to book 3 I wonder if this is an area of evolution and growth yet to be explored.

Overall, Legacy of Steel is a wild ride. I have never been good at genres and sub-genres, but “epic” does not even being to describe it. With all of the elements at play, “transcendent” is more fitting (did I just invent a new sub-genre?). This is fantasy at its most glorious. I give Legacy of Steel my highest recommendation.

War is coming to the Tessian Republic, and so starts a mortal and divine battle.

After reading the second book in the Legacy Trilogy, I’m still not sure why I’m drawn to these books. I did enjoy the first book, Legacy of Ash, so I suppose being offered the second book made me feel like I ought to read it. I hadn’t gone back to at least look through the first book, nor did I look back at my review, but Legacy of Steel nicely caught me up and threw a dark blanket over the week and half it took me to read this over 700 page novel that practically dripped with blood. Considering I strongly dislike bloodshed, I’m surprised I keep reading this trilogy, but then I got back into the character’s lives and remembered I desperately want to know what happens to them.

The Plot: Bloodthirsty
Legacy of Steel picks up about a year after the events of Legacy of Ash. Changes have come to the Tressian Republic and they are yet to come to the Hadar Empire as they crown a female heir for the first time. With Kai Saran seeking to leave a powerful legacy for his daughter Melanna, their goddess Ashana bestows her blessings on their invasion of the Tressian Republic, lending her power to them.

As battle unknowingly begins on the far reaches of the Republic, the other end, in the city, also sees it’s own battle. The Crowmarket is rising as it now has a sympathetic ear on the Council. But Josiri Trelan is fighting hard to save his people, the southwealders, from the clutches of the Crowmarket, which have kidnapped them for nefarious purposes. As the Crowmarket and Josiri clash, the Tressian Republic finds itself fighting the Hadari at one end and the Crowmarket at the other.

And then the gods become involved, making deals with mortals while twisting their promises to suit their own needs and wants.

Legacy of Steel is a story of war, both divine and mortal. It’s bloody, violent, and bloodthirsty. It’s out to claim blood and flesh, and does so unapologetically. There are losses that cut deep into the characters, the Tressian Republic, and the Hadari Empire. And yet it doesn’t stop. As soon as the killing started, I started questioning why I’ve chosen to go forward with this trilogy, but there’s something riveting about the story. I loved the overlay of the gods becoming involved, of making bargains and being petty. There were so many surprises, so many turns, that I simply couldn’t stop reading. Once I could get past all the bloodshed, all the battles, I could see the characters I had grown to like in the first book dealing with their own demons, their own paths, and found myself thirsty for more.

There’s a lot going on in this book, but it felt a little more straightforward and less complex than the first book. I think it had to do with the fact I’m more familiar with the writing, world, and characters. But it really is all just about the battles. The Hadari are trying to take over the Tressian Republic and the Tressian Republic is just trying to defend themselves. And the gods are having their own fun. I do worry a little about what the last book in the trilogy will hold and where the overarching story is going. The first book set up the events in the second book, which went a lot differently than I expected. This second book provided the battles I would have expected at the end of the series. So, now I’m wondering what could possibly be coming in the third book.

The Characters: Driven by Their Demons
Legacy of Steel presents a lot of characters. There are a lot of major characters, and a lot of minor characters who get their own perspectives squeezed in. It’s reminiscent of The Wheel of Time with the vast number of characters and minor characters getting their own say. But it also makes the story richer and gives the reader a view of events from various points of view. It was a little hard to tell which characters to pay more attention to since I was never really sure if one of the side characters would become a major player. In the end, they all did play their own role.

At times, it was difficult to keep track of all the characters and where, exactly, they were. The major characters all had their own unique traits, their own ways of speech and behaving, that helped set them apart. Most of them were seen in the first book, so it was easy to pick them out and see how they had changed and what was now driving them. They all had their own demons that wouldn’t let up, and just added to the story.

In the first book, I wasn’t thrilled that some of the characters felt a little one note. I don’t feel I had that problem in this book. I felt there was something a little deeper to all of them, that more heavily weighed on their shoulders. I also really enjoyed the light (and I do mean light) touches of romance. They’re untraditional and touched something in my heart. One of them sliced through me and even left me heartbroken.

The Setting: Expanded with More Gods
The world was exactly as I remembered it, and then it spread it’s wings. While much of the first book focused on one area, this book opened it up. The reader is taken on a journey across the Tressian Republic and into the Hadari Empire and the land of the Thrakkians. While they all kind of blended together in my mind, there are differences in their customs and how they are run that set them apart. More of the world is seen and explored, and all of it supported the story.

I also loved the inclusion of all the gods. More of the world is introduced through them, which hints at a deeper level of world building that added a nice touch of the divine to the mortal struggles. Each god was different and interesting, though the reader only really gets to know Ashana, the Raven, and Jack O’ Fellhallow. Through them we also get to wander Otherworld and Fellhallow, which lent eerie and dark overtones to the already dark and bloody story.

Legacy of Steel did a lovely job of building up on the world. It adds new layers that create a richer tapestry for the story to unfold on. It makes it feel like a real, breathing world, but also hints at more left to be explored.


Overall: A Story of Intricate Battles
I loved that everything in Legacy of Steel followed directly from the events of the first book. I thought everything initially presented was followed through, every detail remembered and added where appropriate. I wasn’t a big fan of all the battles and blood and gore, but can’t say it wasn’t action-packed and wasn’t intricately planned and plotted out. This proved to be yet another serious, dense addition to the trilogy with a lot going on, though it never felt too overwhelming. It’s character-driven in some of the best ways. There’s a lot of heartbreak, a lot of losses, but also the most tender scene yet. Since it felt like this book contained all the big, bloody battles usually seen at the end of series, I’m very curious about what lies ahead in the last book.

Thank you to Angela Man at Orbit for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.