Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

He Who Breaks The Earth was better than the first book. It was well written and had captivating plot.

This is the second book in a duology. The first book, She Who Rides the Storm, is basically a heist story with unlikely allies (I’m a sucker for those) that goes horribly awry.

It’s been about a year and a half since I read the first book, but it didn’t take long to become reacquainted with these characters I enjoyed so much (especially Mateo). Each is struggling with the cards they were dealt at the end of book one – Anwei is still on a revenge quest after shocking revelations, Mateo has a new voice in his head, Knox is slowly recovering and a little fuzzy on what happened in the tomb, and Lia is determined to find her kidnapped sister. I was eager to see how each characters’ story played out – especially when Mateo and Lia met up – but Anwei frustrated me. Yes she’s dealing with a lot, but I wanted her to quit complaining and do something about it.

The tone of this sequel is darker, and the theology of this world is delved into, more so than in the first book. But it’s not all gloom and doom – humorous moments are still sprinkled throughout, and there’s no shortage of twists and surprises. The ending is fast-paced, but also very satisfying, and I think readers will be pleased.

At nearly one thousand pages this duology requires a time investment, but with complex world-building, high stakes, and strong characterization, it’s an engaging read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Really great follow-up to SHE WHO RIDES THE STORM. I love Sanger’s world building (and how it feels lush without distracting from the characters’ stories). I did think the pacing was a little tighter in the first, but loved this nonetheless!