Title: Son of the Poison Rose
Author: Jonathan Maberry
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Silver Empire is in ruins. War is in the wind. Kagen and his allies are on the run from the Witch-king. Wild magic is running rampant everywhere. Spies and secret cabals plot from the shadows of golden thrones.

Kagen Vale is the most wanted man in the world, with a death sentence on his head and a reward for him—dead or alive—that would tempt a saint.

The Witch-king has new allies who bring a terrible weapon—a cursed disease that drives people into a murderous rage. If the disease is allowed to spread, the whole of the West will tear itself apart.

In order to build an army of resistance fighters and unearth magical weapons of his own, Kagen and his friends have to survive attacks and storms at sea, brave the haunted wastelands of the snowy north, fight their way across the deadly Cathedral Mountains, and rediscover a lost city filled with cannibal warriors, old ghosts, and monsters from other worlds. Along with his reckless adventurer brothers, Kagen races against time to save more than the old empire… if he fails the world will be drenched in a tsunami of bloodshed and horror.

I enjoyed this read a lot! It took a while to read, but that wasn’t a bad thing. The first book, it took me a bit to get into. This one did not. Kagen’s banter with his friends is the best part to me, but I loved all the action and trying to guess what would happen next. This is a very solid epic fantasy—and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Jonathan Maberry is a bestselling author. Son of the Poison Rose is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of the eArc of Son of the Poison Rose. I love the pacing of these books. The quick fire chapters keep the plot and pages flowing quickly. Some will find that a bit jarring but it is something I miss when reading many fantasy authors. I also really love some of the characters especially the twin children from the old empire. I do wish some characters like Rysa played a bigger role. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

It's hard to know where to start when you just want to completely sing the praises of a book. I absolutely LOVED this book. And in theory...I shouldn't have. Odds were never in its favor. First of all, it's the second book in a series which is always a dangerous spot. It's usually the place where the author finds themself throwing in extra information and trying to live up to the first book, but rarely does it exceed it. This one does....at least in my humble opinion. Secondly, it was more than seven hundred pages long. That's often a hard no for me because I find they sometimes contain unnecessary information and tend to drag on. Again...not the case with this book. I ate up every single word in this book. It was addictive.

This entry picks up with our friend Kagen and his cohorts trying to determine their next move. He's trying to process through the information that the Witch-King has basically put a bounty on his head after he tried to kill him. Also, the Witch-King wasn't who he thought it was. He's in fact someone close to Kagen and he's struggling with that knowledge. Through the course of this book so much happens that it's impossible to give it a decent summary without giving away some of the plot and potentially some well-timed twists. So, let's just leave it with this, Jonathan Maberry has more than proven himself as a brilliant dark fantasy author and I simply cannot wait to see what other adventures await Kagen the Damned in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This is sweeping epic fantasy with a heaping spoonful of action. I adore the complicated caste of characters. Great villains, heroes and antiheroes.

Wow, what a sequel! I read Kagen the Damned last year and found it to be a very unique and compelling addition to the fantasy genre. I'd been eagerly anticipating the sequel, Son of the Poison Rose, and I am very pleased with the result of my waiting! I don't want to say too much about specifics regarding characters or plot because I don't want to give much away about this book or Kagen the Damned so I'll try to sum up my thoughts more generally. I continue to love following Kagen for the sheer fact that he is so very grey. He. has a lot of great traits, but also many flaws that I think make him an especially compelling character, and what makes this story so captivating as well. The darkness of the first book is carried on into this book in all the best ways, and I'm continuously impressed with Maberry's ability to create such a strong atmosphere and even to create a world that reflects the themes and darkness so well. This is a very long story that can get a little complicated at times, which sometimes caused my attention to waver, but I had a great time with this story regardless of that. Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and look forward to more from Jonathan Maberry!

4.5 Stars ⭐️

I have to admit something. First of all, I really love Mr. Maberry - specifically his Joe Ledger series. A year or so ago, I was awarded the first book in this series (Kagen the Damned) as an ARC and boy oh boy was it a challenge for me to get through. I really had a problem getting into the book (you can see my review for more info...) But, to be fair, after the first 60% of the book, I was totally invested and ended up really liking it.

With that being said, when I was offered the ARC for the second book, I was a bit hesitant. For some reason, I kept putting it off various reasons (i.e. telling myself it was so long and wasn't sure I wanted to invest the time right now, etc....) I know, I know...excuses excuses....

Well, I am EXTREMELY thrilled to say that I ended up REALLY loving this book. I mean, seriously loving it. All of the work that was put into the character development in the first book, put together with the completely unusual world building made it extremely easy to slip right back in where we left off. It also helps that the drunk, whiny and self-destructive Kagen is gone and now we get to follow along with him and his two sidekicks as he starts to evolve into the Kagen we have been waiting for - Kagen the Hero.

The story plotline continues to keep you guessing and things are revealed at a good pace - slow enough to still build up the excitement, yet fast enough to not get bogged down with the minutia.

I was NOT expecting the fact that this book would not be the end of the series and that there would be another book so that did come as a bit of a surprise. Actually, the build up - especially the events in the last 25% of this book - has me very interested to see where we are going to go after the events in this book. It amazes me that I have gone from seriously NOT liking Kagen, to not only liking him, but to actually rooting for him.

So- I can now honestly say that Mr. Maberry's foray into the fantasy genre is a rousing success...at least for me. I'm now going to make sure I request the ARC for the next book when it is available.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine above.

“Son of the Poison Rose” by Jonathan Maberry
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love a sequel that is just as good - or better - than Book 1. This book is better than the first, which I rated 5 stars. Maberry continues the story he began in “Kagen the Damned” and man, is he on a roll!

The original cast of characters returns, a Big Reveal happens, and Kagen becomes even more badassed than he was to start with. The tale flows quickly with plenty of action. The plot is solid and progresses nicely. Dialog between characters is witty and the characters are all pretty complex. Wyatt’s not to love?

Five stars and worth your time. I highly enjoyed this one and now Maberry has become a favorite author for me. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. All opinions are strictly my own and offered without recompense.

#SonOfThePoisonRose #StMartinsPress #JonathanMaberry #NetGalley #ifcatscouldread #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #bookstagram #catstagram #catsandbooks #booksandcats #kindlesallthewaydown

The perfect sequel to Kagen the Damned. I loved the entire thing and never knew exactly what was coming next for Kagen!

You can never go wrong with any Maberry book. Maybe I’m biased. I love all of his characters. There are dozens of characters to keep straight (I’ve been known to have a notebook next to me while I read), nonstop action, and very meticulously described fight scenes. What I appreciate has always been the voice of the author that comes out in the characters. Read the entire series. Hopefully, post covid, I will be able to give a better review.

This just keeps getting better and better. I started out reading and thanks to adulting, I kept having to put it down. Then release day hit and I scrambled for the audiobook grab. It's excellent. Narrated by Ray Porter with the anger, angst and turmoil you find in the pages.

Even though this has the feel of the middle book I couldn't stop deep diving into the different POVs and revelations. There are some areas that are slower than others and certain POVs I enjoyed more than others, but I can't deny this was a solid sequel to Kagen the Damned. I'm excited to see what happens next!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted digital copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. True rating 4.5/5.

I love a complicated fantasy book that takes you down a road you didn’t think it would go. That was what I liked about Kagen the Damned and what I hoped that Son of the Poison Rose would do. This book not only delivered on that expectation but also exceeded what I expected.

Son of the Poison Rose takes place in a complicated but similar world to ours. It was a medium-paced book for about 85%, but it picked up steam towards the end. With how this book ended, any other pacing would have made it impossible to read and retain the information (fast) or made it so dull that people would DNF it after the first few chapters (slow).

Son of the Poison Rose starts shortly after the events in Kagen the Damned. Kagen is determined to discover what happened to his brother, Herepath, to make him turn into the Witch-King. He is not alone in his journey and is aided by his best friends, Tuke and Filia. Their journey takes them from the frozen north to the jungle to uncover secrets left undiscovered for millennia. This book also follows Ryssa as she tries to come to terms with the sacrifice of her lover, Miri, to the god Cthulhu; Mother Frey, as she sets in place a plan to take back the empire; the Witch-King and his cronies dealing with countries that oppose him, and the last two Seedlings, Desalyn and Alleyn, as they try to keep their identities in place and not become Garvan and Foscor, the Witch-King’s children. Enemies are made, countries are destroyed, and alliances are forged as people come together to battle the Witch-King forces. When the dust settles, who will be on top? Will Kagen find out what happened to his brother? Will Ryssa accept Miri’s death? Will Mother Frey get results from everything she’s been doing? Will the Witch-King triumph over his enemies? Will Desalyn/Foscor and Alleyn/Garvan keep their identities?

Son of the Poison Rose is the second book in the Kagen the Damned series. This book cannot be read as a stand-alone book. It will help if you read the first book to understand what is happening in this one.

The characters (primary and secondary) in Son of the Poison Rose were all wonderfully written. The author didn’t write these characters to be loved. These characters got under your skin and sat while you tried to figure out their next move. They were complex and had issues brought to life in the book. The author also didn’t hesitate to kill or maim primary and secondary characters.

Kagen—I wasn’t sure what I would get with him when I started reading Son of the Poison Rose. Finding out who the Witch-King was had badly shaken him at the end of Kagen the Damned. I mean, he had found out that his brother executed 2 of his siblings, their parents, and the entire royal line except for the twins. I would have been in shock too. But he didn’t dwell on it much. Instead, he decided to do something about it. He went north to recruit people to his cause. He discovered that magic had reawakened the world in terrifying ways. And he went to a kingdom avoided by other countries to try and find out how to defeat the Witch-King.
Ryssa—She didn’t get much page time in the book. But, man, it was intense when the author squeezed her in. She was evolving into something more than herself, something that even the Witch-King feared. I cannot wait to see what she will do in Book 3.
Mother Frey—Again, the author gave not much page time to her in the book. And, as with Ryssa, it was explosive when she was in the book. She reminded me of Varys in GoT (with her hands in everything). She manipulated events and people. Plus, she was a tough old bird, and I loved her!! Again, I can’t wait to see what she’ll bring in Book 3.
The Witch-King—He was vicious. His bringing in of the monks and turning people of various villages into undead, and allowing his enemies to find and be killed by them highlighted that to me. But I also got the feeling that he was losing power. There were scenes where he talked about killing Kagen, but after everyone left, he cried. That felt like his “real” personality was breaking through. I am curious to see what he will do after what happened in his tower. And I got some insight into why he targeted the Silver Empire.
Desalyn/Foscor and Alleyn/Garvan—All I have to say is those poor children. They witnessed so much (like their eldest sister’s rape and murder), and they were forced to do things no children should do. Like, beat each other with a rod when they touched. I did like how Lady Kestrel helped him in the end (she realized what was being done to them was awful). Again, I can’t wait to see where their characters will go in Book 3.
Before I get interrupted or forget, this is a long book. It has 704 pages. So you must read it in more than one sitting. It took me several days to read Son of the Poison Rose.

Son of the Poison Rose fits perfectly into the fantasy and horror genre. If I did have to get technical, this could be shelved as a dark fantasy. But since I’m not getting technical, fantasy, it will be.

I will only take the time to outline some of the main storylines in the book. It would make this book tediously long. I will briefly summarize what I thought of all the storylines. They were insanely good, and I couldn’t get enough of them. Even the little snippets of what was happening in the world once the magic was released were unique. My only complaint was that I thought the author drew the undead/pyramid scenes out toward the end of Kagen’s storyline. But it served its purpose, and I can’t wait to see what will happen in this world now!!

There are some major trigger warnings in Son of the Poison Rose. There are explicit scenes of child abuse, graphic violence, gore, self-mutilation, and sexual situations. If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading this book.

The end of Son of the Poison Rose was a cliffhanger. Usually, I’m not too fond of cliffhangers. They annoy me, but they do their job. I am invested in these characters, and I need to read book 3 to see if there will be any resolution.

I recommend Son of the Poison Rose to anyone over 21. There is explicit violence, language, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warnings.

Kagen Vale is back in Son of the Poison Rose, the next installment of Jonathan Maberry’s epic dark fantasy. This is quite the hefty tome, even longer than the first book, and yet I think it flows a bit smoother. Given the events of the first book and how this story is a continuation of the epic adventure I’d highly recommend reading Kagen the Damned before jumping into this one. No spoilers here, but after his epic failures in the first book, Kagen is now being hunted as the most wanted man in the world and a murderous plague is now ravaging it’s way across the land. Maberry once again proves he’s a master storyteller in this violent, fast-paced, action-packed epic adventure. Most definitely recommend this one, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Son of the Poison Rose.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R15TL93QY37NCN/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I am thoroughly enjoying the quest of this saga with pretty interesting characters and world-building. I am down to keep going further in and maybe even check out some of Maberry's grittier backlog.

This is a strong second book in an epic dark fantasy trilogy. In the first book, the repressed kingdom of Hakkia, invaded and took control over the Silver empire, and all the capitol cities of every member nation, using forbidden magic.

The Hakkian ruler, known as the Witch-King, desires to become Emporer of the Yellow Empire, once crowned he would be a legitimate ruler instead of conquering usurper. Those plans are not realized yet, and all the rulers are quietly waiting, and arming there nations, for whatever opportunity comes up.

Kagen has pulled himself together, with the help of his friends Took and Filia, though he is still reeling from learning the true identity of the Witch-King and his heirs. Kagen is more motivated now than ever to stop the Witch-King's plans. Through vivid storytelling, Kagen travels with his friends and gains new allies in his cause. But will it be enough with unknown magic active in the world again? The Witch-King also has new allies.

I am can't wait for the concluding book in the story and I already plan to read them again once they are all published.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to enjoy the e-ARC
Also, any already established readers of Jonathan Maberry may notice that The Prince of Games and the Red Plague seem familiar from the Joe Ledger series.

It's the second book in the Kagen the Damned series. You can bet your sweet cheeks I'll be buying the physical copy immediately.

This series is dark and violent, but there's also hope and heart. And humor!

Probably my favorite aspect is all the cogs and different parts turning and making the story progress. I love seeing all the little scenes and details from not only both sides of the story, but also from the "small" people pov. The everyday people who are there experiencing things that are happening within this world.

I highly recommend this series if you like dark fantasy and especially if you've read Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the e-arc to review!

I am loving this series. He characters and the situations are just so engaging that I feel like I’m watching a movie or actually in the story myself. I love when that happens and I just hope that I get to read more as soon as possible.

After Reading Kagen the Damned I found myself waiting and searching for news of Son of the Poison Rose, and after finishing it I find myself waiting and searching for news of the next installment.

As always the worldbuilding of Jonathan Maberry is second to none, it's beautiful and haunting, terrifying even at times. The world that has been created in these books while harsh and even brutal at times is breathtaking, I could close my eyes and see what was happening.

Kagen started this book after the fight of his life, little did we know how many more obstacles he would have to face, how much both his body, heart, and mind would be put through, and where he would find himself at the end of this installment.

Kagen is a complicated character he has to make decisions most wouldn't be able to fathom, and yes, some of the things he does and witnesses are hard to read but that's the reality of the world he lives in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an advance copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thouhts and opinions are my own. On that note, if I could give this one 4.5 stars I would.

I love everything about this series! First off, it's chunky. While that is a turn off on some occasions the massive page count is needed for everything that Maberry attempts to cover with this one. Secondly, Kagen is a force to be reckoned with. He has brute strength, curses like a sailor (which I find utterly hilarious for some reason), the capacity to love deeply, a determined will, and the desire to right the wrongs that have been done to his family and the slaughtered royal family of the defeated Silver Empire. Kagen also has an untapped power that he is only just starting to recognize.
While Kagen is indeed the star of the show there are many other characters that make this series comparable to that other chunky fantasy series (ahem, Game of Thrones). Kagen's own brother the Witch-King is ultimately trying to resurrect magic and take over the world. The Widow is trying to figure out what her role in her new life is. Mother Frey is seemingly attempting to recruit anyone to assist her and her supporters in thwarting the Witch-King. This is a no holds barred, swords out, adventurous tale that just gets better. You'll be saying some choice words at the end of this one!

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

This book was an arc copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

I read the first book in the series and the first from the author, as more of a stumbled find with low expectations, but enjoyed it and was looking forward to this book. There are some good, strong, and varied characters in the story, with a lot of action.

This book was a good middle book, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book, but the plot was advanced a little and there was more depth provided to the characters, but a lot of things happened and a lot of battles, scrapes and general mayhem and action.

So, I enjoyed the book and it didn't diminish my hope for the series, but I'm looking forward to the next book and hopefully more of a conclusion to the story, or at least a substantial plot progression.

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry is the second book in the Kagen the Damned series, and whoa want an epic punch in the gut (and I mean that in all the best ways).

The world-building is immersive, and the story is so engaging that, even though it’s over 700 pages, it is still hard to put down. Kagen is a true piece of work but demonstrates the theme of what makes a hero in such a complex and realistic way that I have to forgive him for all his many flaws and failings.

He has survived his confrontation with the Witch-king at the end of Book 1 and is now on the run for his life. He must figure out what to do next because he knows the Witch-king also survived the battle, and he must die if the world is to be free from his tyranny. Sometimes with his friends at his side and occasionally alone, Kagen decides that finding the source of the Witch-kings power is the way to defeat him, but it’s a secret that the Witch-king is guarding with his most potent force, so it’s truly an epic task.

There is never a dull moment with Kagen, so the pace is breakneck from start to finish. And I loved every moment of it. Even though this series is daunting in length, it is well worth the page commitment to join Kagen on his journey.