3.5 Stars

Second Spear deposits the reader a complex and rich world that continues to be built out as the novella continues. It's a little jarring at first with very little explanation, but over time more becomes clear as the story continues on. While this is presented as a story that does not require reading the other novella in this world, I do wonder if having read that first would have made things a little clearer early on.

We're introduced to a world that is compromised of hundreds of realms each ruled by a god or demon, each with its own unique elements, and each with its own rules. A lot of terms are thrown out with little explanation, but patience will get you more answers as the story continues. Hall utilizes a very much "show, don't tell" approach for most of the book (barring some more in depth explanation on God Instruments which are an important part of the plot) which means many answers are not handed to you, but have to be inferred from other details in the story.

My biggest complaint overall is the lack of explanation on the motivation of the characters on a large scale. The main character, Tyn, and other characters as well do have fairly clear motivations in regards to their personal struggle, but I felt an overall look at the broader implications was a bit lacking. That said, while this was a slow start for me, I found myself very engaged by the end, and the ending itself to be quite satisfying.

Reading this story feels like just scratching the surface of what the world has to offer, and certainly has me curiosus to read more stories in this setting and start to uncover more of the mysteries it hides.

This book can be read as a standalone, however you might miss some backstory. I read this without reading the first book in the series and completely understood it.

I really enjoyed this writing style, it was easy to understand and follow along. However, I felt like some parts dragged on. I really loved Tyn. I understood her insecurities and really felt for her. She made an excellent FMC.

Overall, this was a quick and easy read. I will probably go back and read the first book now! Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OK, yes. Second Spear did exactly what I was hoping it would do for The Border Keeper. It added so much more to the world of Mkalis and our understanding of it and the souls. It was beautiful and sad and I greatly enjoyed this read.

Second Spear is more like a traditional, straight forward read. There are still hints of of the languid and lush prose we got in the Border Keeper, but there's less dream like states and more actual plot. We get to spend a lot more and in-depth, time with Tyn, our main character - who is fantastic btw. We are given a much more comprehensive understanding of how Mkalis works and cycle of lives between the two worlds. I was deeply captivated by the different realms and their environments. Each one is so unique and has their own rich history/culture that the stories for the Mkalis Cycle could be endless. I am looking forward to the exploration.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Second Spear has a such a different feeling than The Border Keeper, and honestly I think I enjoyed it a bit more. Since the ‘world’ of Mkalis was set in The Border Keeper, Hall was able to really dive into the plot, action and characters a bit more. I love Tyn so much, they are a great protagonist and I really enjoyed seeing the world through their eyes. My biggest complaint is that I wish it was longer (the struggle I have with all novellas). I’m already itching to go back to Mkalis and see what new tales Hall has up her sleeve.

Once again, we visit Mkalis and Kerstin Hall’s beautiful prose. She weaves a beautiful world centering this time around Tyn and the fallout from the Border Keeper. If you enjoyed the first book in the cycle, you will enjoy the return of the characters from the first book and seeing how everything is still happening in Mkalis.

HIGHLIGHTS
~#NotLikeOtherAfterlives / beware places without rules / suspicious book is suspicious / put flowers in the Skull for luck / time to take down a god

Second Spear is everything I hoped for from a second visit to the incredible afterlife realm first introduced us to in The Border keeper!

I adored Border Keeper, but I always wanted to see and know more about Mkalis – a world made up of hundreds of strange, magical, intricate realms, each ruled over by a god or demon who can set any rules they please for those who live in or visit their dominion – like not being able to speak lies, or not being able to move in the presence of the Ruler. In Border Keeper we saw beautiful things and grotesque things (and others that were both) but we were viewing it all through the eyes of a visitor. Second Spear, on the other hand, is told from the perspective of Tyn, who has lived in Mkalis for as long as she can remember – which means we get so much more insight into this world than we had before!

The story here opens with Tyn being healed from the injuries she sustained at the end of Border Keeper, and the plot is in direct response to the fallout of what happened in that novella. I’m going to try and write this review without spoiling the specifics of Border Keeper, but bear in mind: this is not a standalone! Second Spear follows on directly from the events of Border Keeper, and you really need to read (or reread) that first before diving into this book!

Now that that’s said: let’s get to it!

I was immediately enchanted by Second Spear: the whole book reads as if Hall wrote it just for me. It opens with a look at (relatively) normal life within Tyn’s home; Tahmais, the City of the Spinelight, capital of the 194th Realm, ruled by the demon Lfae. We finally learn what being Second Spear actually means, and begin to see how the society of the 194th realm is arranged, the community Tyn is an intrinsic part of, with the nonbinary Lfae at the top and the Firsts of each tribe answering directly to said ruler. Glimpses we received in Border Keeper are expanded on here; tantalising hints from the previous book unfold and reveal themselves. What was esoteric and infinitely complicated to the main character of Keeper is Tyn’s daily life, taken for granted. One scene that drives this home pretty well is when the Spears gain a new member: Rion, who has just died in Ahri and been transported to Mkalis for his ‘afterlife’. Rion is, pretty understandably, freaking out, but for Tyn and the others, it’s just another Tuesday.

Lfae’s realm is…well, an idealised fantasy realm, in aesthetic; beautiful and strange, but not so strange as to be uncomfortable or feel alien, watched over by Lfae’s fey mechanical creations. Hall’s imagination and prose is simply breathtaking, and I was entranced by the pictures she painted in my mind as I read;

)Curling strips of copper wire and old painted bones hung from the branches. Femurs, vertebrae, ribs, some wrapped in strands of precious stones and pearls. They served as mementos to Spears who had fallen defending Tahmais and Res Lfae.(

That’s an effect that lasted throughout the book; Hall freely and deftly unleashes her signature fantasticality on Lfae’s realm and the others explored throughout Second Spear; on the dwellers who live in them and the rulers who rule them, and the complex web of politics, history and magic that connect them all. Outside of Lfae’s realm, this is rarely idyllic; with the flick of a page Second Spear can turn from simple to surprising, exquisite to eerie, delightful to dangerous. A welcome can be a warning, and the most alien-looking creatures can be your best allies. There are twists and turns and tricks as Tyn, Vehn (the leader of the Spears) and Rion try to reach a far-away, closed-off realm in the hopes of recovering a treasure that might be a weapon, one that might help Lfae and the Border Keeper herself in a conflict spun out from the events of the previous book.

Whatever you expect, Hall will find a way to make you gasp at least once – and probably a lot more often than that.

The three-character main cast complement each other wonderfully; Vehn, whose stiff brusqueness obscures a deep well of responsibility, honour, and unthinkable secrets; Rion, who is an unbelievable pest, but grows on you like a fungus and then steals your heart; and Tyn herself, wrestling with revelations and (percieved) failures from Keeper and determined to prove she can do better. Together they make for a very interesting combination, and while I’m not sure they were the best possible team for the job, they’re exactly the right one for the story. I wouldn’t trade any of them in for anyone else.

This is a book I inhaled in a single sitting, immersing myself in Hall’s incredible prose, the magic of Mkalis, and Tyn’s complicated, contradictory inner nature. And I really can’t overstate how ridiculously delighted I was to get to see and explore more of this amazing world Hall’s created; if Border Keeper left you hungry for more insight into the realms, Second Spear is not a book you can skip.

Does this mean we learn all of Mkalis’ secrets? Of course not! It’s not at all clear what the difference is between gods and demons, for example – it’s certainly not as simple as ‘demons bad, gods good’. Nor do we know how souls end up in one realm rather than another – is it random chance, or is there some kind of system? I don’t have a clue, but that’s more than okay: a big part of Mkalis’ magic is its mystery, its secrets, the sense that there will always be something more to discover – that no mortal can possibly comprehend it all. It’s imbued with a sense of gorgeous, ancient majesty, and you know what? I don’t need to know everything. Not this time.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want to know more, and I’m hopeful, because Second Spear‘s ending definitely leaves open the possibility of more books in this setting.

Regardless, there’s no question: Second Spear is my favourite of Hall’s works so far, and whether it’s in Mkalis or elsewhere, I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Unfortunately I do not think this would do well at the store. I can't think of a way to pitch this, as no one asked about the author, or other books that they have written. It was a quick and interesting read though.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Macmillian- Tor/Forge for an advanced copy of this second volume in this fantasy series.

The problem with a lot of fantasy books and series is that for all the fantastic imagery authors think up, magic, exotic and different creatures, sometimes dragons, mostly swords is that the stories don't really vary that much in ideas and writing styles. One book pretty much reads the same way as the previous book. Kerstin Hall is not that kind of author. In the second book in the Mkalis Cycle, Second Spear Hall expands on ideas touched on in the first book, changes the protagonist, and even changes her writing style and the readers view of this totally original and different fantasy world.

Our story begins just as the last book ended, , however we have a new protagonist with a very different view of the world around her, and the magical worlds that exist. Tyn is a warrior, Second Spear for the defense of her world, one of 998 worlds that make up Mkalis. Beset by enemies Tyn takes part in a court case to stop their enemy, one that goes badly for our heroes and leads to Tyn suspension. At the same time Tyn has ideas of what she was before she came to be in service to her ruler, and her confusion is effecting not only her job but the security of the realm. Soon their enemy attacks armed with a God Sword, a weapon that kills without slashing, and guards a person without moving, stopping all attacks almost before they begin. Tyn, a new member of ther group and her superior the First Spear begin to travel around the many worlds seeking allies, and her own ruler a demon who had to flee from the God Sword.

For a slim book there is a lot going on. The writing is a bit different from the first book, a little clearer in spots, but also with a different voice, one that fit Tyn perfectly as she battles physically and mentally for her people. A few chapters go on a little, one that features cats is a chapter that didn't seem to go anywhere. However the plotting is good, and never loses sight of where the story is going, and what is going on. This is the second book, and there is a bit of a learning curve in figuring things out, but the story does a good job of telling the reader what is going on, so that shouldn't be a problem.

A really very good fantasy story, that is going a lot of places storywise, one that I am excited to read more of. The world is interesting, and is presented well, and makes sense. Looking at it from different characters is a good way to give reader a sense of scope and how things work. My only complaint, and this is more for the publishers, please in the beginning just a brief reminder to readers about what is going on and basic who's who. I know that this might be a money thing, but I can't be the only reader who reads a lot of books, and with the passage of time sometimes even a book a reader loves, can be forgotten, or confused for something else. This is a minor quibbe. A very enjoyable, intriguing fantasy series, that works really well at the novella size.

I didn't realize at first that this was a sequel, so I went and read The Border Keeper first. I really liked both books and look forward to the next installment in this novella series. The writing really sucks you in, and Tyn really kept me invested in the story.

The world is made up of kingdoms, of which there are hundreds, ruled by Demons / Gods. In Second Spear we follow Tyn who we met in the first book. She is the second in command or Second Spear of her tribe. This book starts off pretty much right after the first one ends. I loved seeing Tyn be the main character in Second Sear, she really grew as a person, starting when she learns who she used to be in her past life, and kept growing as she faces off against a god bent on the destruction of everything she loves.

All of the side characters were so unique, we have a crab guy, a guy made of fungus, and a world where you should definitely beware the cats... they may be cute, but do not trust them.

I'm very excited to see what's going to happen next in this series and who we will be following, will it be Tyn? Ven? or someone new? I guess I'll have to wait and see...

I confess I found the first book in this series, Border Keeper, hard to follow. But this world is intriguing, so I wanted to give this book a try. Second Spear is easier to follow world-building-wise, but the characters are complex, especially Tyn. She knows what she wants but isn’t afraid to question her position.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

"Kerstin Hall's Second Spear is the thrilling follow-up to the Nommo Award finalist, The Border Keeper.

After surviving the schemes of a vengeful goddess and learning some shattering truths about her former life, the warrior Tyn feels estranged from her role guarding her ruler. Grappling with knowledge of her identity, she unleashes her frustrations on all the wrong people.

When an old enemy returns wielding an unstoppable, realm-crushing weapon and Tyn is swept up in the path of destruction, she must make a choice about who she is and who she wants to be."

To break your fantasy funk!

Being a big fan of the first novel, border keep. This did not disappoint one bit. Even though this is the second story, there is plenty of more world building. It’s hard for me to describe this world because it’s on the more weird side of the “epic fantasy” side. I can’t wait to see where this story goes in the third installment. I will be adding a physical copy of this to my shelf.
Once again Tor doesn’t disappoint.
Thank you Tor and NetGalley!

3 stars

my overall thoughts…

it was tough to come to a rating for this book, since it can’t really be fairly compared to the Border Keeper. Though Second Spear is a direct sequel to the Border Keeper, is follows a different protagonist and has a VERY different writing style and tone. It also does not follow up on some of the major questions you are left with at the end of the Border Keeper which was a pretty major let down for me. Like the prior novella, this is a journey style plot, however it feels far more disjointed and aimless than in the Border Keeper. This books goes one without dwelling on anything important, but wastes chapters in what could have been paragraphs, and with little explanation. The lush style of the Border Keeper supported the ambiguity, without that, Second Spear is a plainly written fantasy with a confusing plot and underdeveloped characters.

the strongest points…

Tyn is this book’s only particularly strong point. As our point of view character we get a much more grounded point of view of Mkalis. Her fears and insecurities were incredibly relatable, and I would have put the book down if not for her character.

and everything else…

as you can tell from the three star rating, i don’t think this book is bad. but it is not nearly as interesting as the Border Keeper, and I think that leaving Vasethe’s point of view without answering the big questions about his character was a serious misstep.

Vein’s character was very testing to me. I felt so interest if sympathy for her and did not understand how I, as the reader, was supposed to. Besides understanding that Tyn felt a duty to protect Vehn and desired Vehn’s approval, I felt nothing for that character other than irritation. The other side character as well, whose name starts with an R but I have otherwise forgotten, also didn’t do anything for me.

I don’t know, this book was just fine. If you read the Border Keeper and want answers, unfortunately this book doesn’t really give them. It expands on everything from book 1 slightly, and continues the over arching plot with Kan Buyak, but i’m not sure how interested I am in reading the third novella whenever it comes out.

The second book in the Mkalis Cycle, following up to The Border Keeper! Returning to the land of Mkalis, we get to see the Tyn navigate the afterschocks of discovering the truths about her former life and her role as guard to the ruler. Tyn must face old enemies and danger like never before as well as make a choice about who she is and who she wants to be. Following the novella this one definitely had a more interesting look at the world as well as a straight forward plot. The action was enjoyable and the characters in this one were fun to read! Tyn was a great protagonist and overall, a wonderful read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

5/5 Loved this follow up to Border Keeper, which I also enjoyed. I am looking forward to my interview with the author in July so we can discuss this world, and Star Eater, and what she has planned next for Second Spear! This world is so different and weird and anime, I love it. Highly recommend this for fantasy lovers and portal fantasy lovers especially.

Amazingly enough, I enjoyed Second Spear even more than I enjoyed The Border Keeper. I think the biggest reason for this is that I “knew” the world the story was taking place in. I knew the whole thing was going to be odd, and I knew that there was going to be little to no explanation as to why, too. To be fair, though, Second Spear felt a little less fantastical. Sure, absolutely wild stuff still happens, but nothing odd enough that I was flat out confused.

The main character, Tyn, is likeable and has motivations that are easy to understand — the protector of the realm that she lives in is in danger, and she needs to do what she can to protect them. Unlike the main character from The Border Keeper, she is not carrying secrets that are unknown to the reader. The air of mystery from the first novella is just plain absent in Second Spear. Honestly, I liked that it was gone. There’s a straight forward plot in this novella, and it just worked better for me that way. The other characters in Second Spear are equally enjoyable, especially the demon-god-realm-protector that was living fungi. They were SO cool, and the scenes that take place in their world are so imaginative and tangible you feel like you’re actually there.

Overall, I recommend the Mkalis Cycle, especially if you like awesome world-building, and a general air of mystery.

This was a wonderful sequel to the Border Keeper. It was so refreshing to see Tyn shift into the role of protagonist, as her character has so much depth. Hall's writing is detailed and flows really beautifully. I highly recommend this series to fans of female-centric fantasy.

I really enjoyed the Border Keeper and this was an enjoyable sequel. It was good to see Tyn in more of a leading role and the world building was as amazing as ever. Occasionally I find the author’s writing style a little ponderous but it more than makes up for this with its beauty. Definitely read The Border Keeper first, then roll into this fun and immersive sequel.

a REALLY fun read. the world is really cool. representation is everywhere, one of the mains uses they/them pronouns which I enjoyed. the plot was interesting and I really enjoyed the main characters energy. she has a great moment where she finally stands up to her 'manager' and I was so proud of her. it has a few rough edges and the plot is occasionally rushed but overall, a good addition to a series.

Amazing piece of fantasy literature!! I love every parts of it. Strong world building and great characters! And let's not forget the solid plot! A must-read!