I read an ARC of this, though I now own the physical copy
Content warnings for state-sanctioned violence, mentioned deaths of family members, alcoholism, eye trauma, and murder

In the sequel to Kalyna the Soothsayer (2022), we switch narrators and locations, but we're still in the Tetrarchia with Radiant Basket of Rainbow Shells (henceforth known as Radiant) as he learns that he is now stateless and happens upon a commune along the Lanreas River. Things get dicey when it turns out that this utopia does not take kindly to refugees, and he must team up with Kalyna to figure out a solution that keeps him and his new comrades safe.

Still deeply sarcastic and with a commitment to complex politics that make this exciting to read, Kalyna the Cutthroat delivers on the things that made the first entry great, now with a focus on cults instead of on fraud.

Seeing Kalyna from an outsider’s perspective is among the highlights of this piece of more grounded secondary world fantasy. Radiant has every reason to be stressed out: every instance of trust presented to him is immediately upended. The greater political structures cannot seem to make their mind up about him. But if there’s anything that’s reliable, it’s a fraudster’s ability to fraud. It’s a lot of fun to read and watching Radiant learn a thing or two from the least trustworthy but most productive person in the Tetrarchia.

The linearity of the read makes it really work. The plot in terms of its beats is relatively straightforward, especially when compared to the first book. But the protagonist is less involved in the political machinations that put his life in danger. Much time is spent learning about the world beyond the Lanreas River cult from outside news and interludes from other characters. There’s a lot of trust that Radiant must place in Kalyna and her schemes, and this trust in the reader to understand the political complexity extends to the prose. Radiant is a scholar and that shows in his own understanding of his circumstances and attempts to stay one step ahead, but the read never takes its pedal off the gas that is perspective and lived experience. The spectacle does deliver, complete with upright crocodiles, a murder mystery, and fraught travel on hot-air balloons across dangerous rivers. There is queerness in this work, and the world perception of it is the least of every character’s problems.

I hope there’s more of this world, but if there isn’t, I will follow Spector’s writing wherever it goes next.

Another good book by this author: entertaining, fast paced, and gripping. Excellent storytelling, world building and character development
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DNF. There's nothing wrong with this book at all - the writing is excellent, and I think the story is more interesting than the one in the first book. It's just not the kind of story I'm interested in (and not what I expected from the blurb). It's a very timely story - about persecution and alienation and abusive governments and so on - but it's not what I signed up for.

Potential readers should know that from what I read, this stands alone perfectly, so you don't need to have read the first book (although you'll appreciate Kalyna's character much more, more quickly, if you have). If it sounds interesting to you, go for it! Seems like a good book - this is entirely an issue of incompatible book and reader, not the book having objective flaws.

It’s a good book, but after a certain point I wasn’t super interested in reading more. I think it’s just kind of a feature of where the plot was going. I liked the references to indigenous cultures and the sources at the end.

After I'd read the first book in this series, I was a bit on the fence about whether I should continue with the second book, because while 'Kalyna the Soothsayer' introduced some interesting themes and started building a world that I was interested in learning more about, it also had major pacing issues. Unfortunately, the same is true for this sequel. The main socio-political issue that forms the backbone of the story in 'Kalyna the Cutthroat' is introduced early on, which helps the book start off strong. However, after an initial harrowing escape from persecution, there comes a rather long travelling sequence, that felt a bit dry to me. There are occasional moments of wonderful world- and character-building throughout, but it was nonetheless somewhat difficult to get through and made me consider DNFing a couple of times. Once the story arrives at a sanctuary, the pace slows down to a crawl to get into the details of the place's socio-political climate, which is interesting, but - in my opinion - explored at far too slow a pace. The only time I truly felt immersed in the book and was genuinely feeling like I could not stop reading was the last fourth.
Overall, I must say I enjoyed the sequel more than the first book, especially the last fourth of it. At first I was a bit put off by the fact that this second book in the series was no longer written from the perspective of Kalyna, but over time I grew to like this choice. Not having Kalyna as the narrator really helped establish the feelings of intrigue, which felt much more real in this book than the first one, even though the actual stakes being much higher in the first one. Perhaps the fact that the stakes were lower in the sequel helped to make the intrigue seem more exciting, but a big part of it was certainly also the fact that the reader had no insight into the thoughts of Kalyna despite her playing an incredibly pivotal role in the story, which always leaves you questioning whose side she is really on.
Ultimately I did enjoy the book, but I cannot give it more than 3 stars, mainly because of how off the pacing seemed. There were large sections of the story where almost nothing happened, only for the last 100 pages to speed through enough material to fill a whole book. It is in no way a bad book, and I can see some people absolutely loving it. I do also very much appreciate the fact that the sequel contains one of my favourite fantasy tropes: a society where non-heterosexuality is completely normalised and not treated as special or 'other'.

Honestly this book was just okay. I don’t really have any particular thoughts or feelings on it. I wish it had been more exciting, but it wasn’t, I wish it had kept my attention, because it didn’t.

This sequel builds off of Kalyna the Soothsayer, but interestingly follows Kalyna’s story from the perspective of another: a professor of curse words who needs Kalyna as a bodyguard once the tenuous peace between nations is fractured. I found the pacing strange, and the worldbuilding sloppy, and found that I wasn’t really able to connect with and care about the characters.

Kalyna the Cutthroat was a thrilling adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story follows Kalyna, a skilled assassin with a troubled past, as she navigates a dangerous world of political intrigue and deadly secrets. Spector's writing is fast-paced and action-packed, with vivid descriptions that transport you to Kalyna's world.

I loved the strong female protagonist and the complex relationships she forms along the way. The plot twists were unexpected and kept me guessing until the very end. However, I felt that some of the secondary characters could have been developed further, and the world-building could have been a bit more fleshed out.

Overall, Kalyna the Cutthroat is a thrilling read that fans of fantasy and adventure will enjoy. Spector's writing is engaging and the action scenes are intense. If you're looking for a fast-paced story with a compelling heroine, this book is worth checking out.

Thank you Netgalley and Erehwon Books/Kensington Publishing for this Arc.

4.5 stars
Ever since I read Kalyna the Soothsayer, I was greatly looking forward to reading the sequel and this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. When I was approved for the Arc I was so giddy to read it that I moved it to the top of my TBR list and it did not disappoint.

Unlike the first book, we do not spend Kalyna the Cutthroat in Kaylna's POV, but rather in a new narrator's POV. Instead we get to see the completed journey from start to finish in an outsider perspective and how Kalyna affected their lives. It was a unique twist on a sequel that I felt made me appreciate the world more.

Following Radiant Basket of Rainbow Shells, Spector was able to delve more into the worldbuilding of the Tetrarchia and focus in a minority population which I appreciated. In Kalyna the Cutthroat, Radiant had left their home country Loasht to continue their studies following the aftermath of the events in Kalyna the Soothsayer. After a year in Quruscan, things turned for the worst for Radiant's people and left him fumbling in the aftermath to get to safety and find some refuge. In the process, Radiant meets Kalyna and enlists her help in completing the journey and picking up the pieces of a volatile environment.

For me, Kalyna the Cutthroat felt very topical and forced me to focus on subjects near and dear to my heart. By completing the journey in Radiant's perspective, the reader immerses themselves completely in the events that lead a refugee to escape and find safety. The subtle racism was handled skillfully by Spector, and personally I felt it gave me plenty of food for thought on what constitutes as a helping hand versus someone's bias tainting their actions and words. Typically, I feel that the layperson feels that racism has only one face and it is extremely obvious when someone is expressing a racist or biased opinion. However, Kalyna the Cutthroat shines a light on the many ways biases tinge one's actions without being aware of it. I could not stop highlighting sections of the book that I felt were extremely poignant in their delivery of an understated bias. Fantasy in general tens to have a form of racism and prejudicial biases, however, compared to Kalyna the Cutthroat the approach was overhanded and overdone. Considering the events in modern day America, I felt that Spector's approach to the topic at hand was a reflection on how this permeates all layers of society. After all, refugees are people too, but where can they go when no one will take them? Radiant himself was forced to confront this question, and was not surprised to find pushback with his answer.

As a reader following this journey, I appreciated having the time to sit and ponder this question myself. It's one that I have asked multiple times and have a very divisive response to. In this world, there will always be minority groups ejected from what they call home that are forced to very quickly find a new place to settle in to that may not appreciate their presence. Kalyna the Cutthroat provides an opening for tough conversations that I absolutely enjoy seeing in my fantasy. It's not just about racism and refugees, but also what makes you who you are-- is it your blood, heritage, or your culture? Who can define that? The government, or you personally?

Although the content may seem heavy, I will assure you that Kalyna the Cutthroat is rife with witty comments and humor in the situations that provide just enough comedy relief to keep the reader going. I really hope that with this release, that more readers discover Kalyna and the world of Tetrarchia so I can have more people to talk to about Spector's worldbuilding and start having conversations about the hard questions asked of the reader to think on.

Spector has such a talent for world and character building that has me in awe. I’ve been looking forward to another book in this universe for a long time and it did not disappoint!

I wasn't expecting this book was so good! Omg!!!! This is such a good story. I recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good. Loved the characters and the plot of this book.