I loved the first book in The Talmont Trilogy, The Burning Land and so I was very excited to be able to read the next instalment.
The middle books of trilogies are often tricky and can feel as though the story doesn’t get anywhere. David Hair actually talks about this issue and explains that he feels that the middle book is often where you get to know the characters a lot better. That’s certainly the case with The Drowning Sea. We do get to know all of the characters a lot better and see a lot more about what drives them. My favourite character is still Aula and I loved her arc in this book as she gained confidence in using her magic but still retained her irrepressible personality.
In The Drowning Sea, the band of heroes from the previous book get separated in traditional fantasy style and we have three different sets of characters to follow with multiple POV. Each group has a part to play in trying to make people see that the magic that powers the knights and Magi is actually killing the world. I loved all three groups and the way that each journey allowed us to see more of the world. World building is something that the author excels at and I really enjoyed being able to explore more of it.
The plot is still driving forwards throughout this book and there are some very unexpected twists and turns. I did feel that one set of characters was beginning to meander a bit but then something else was introduced that changed things completely and their whole story line came alive again. The author isn’t kind to all of his characters and it isn’t at all certain that all of them will get their Happy ever after.
One of the things that I love about David Hair is the way he gives the reader a short precis of previous events at the start of the story. It’s so good to have a reminder about exactly who everyone is without having to struggle to recall all of the details.
This was a great second book in the trilogy and if you’re a lover of a traditional fantasy with fantastic world building and great characters, then I would thoroughly recommend you read The Burning Land and then this one.
Huge thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I genuinely love David Hair’s work, so I was so happy to be allowed to read this early, so thank you to the publisher for this allowing this. Especially as it seems a long year ago when I read the first book in this fabulous trilogy
For me, this is what fantasy used to be like, back way back then. Multiple viewpoints, fantastic characters that have depth and resonance and an epic good versus evil story. As a second book in a trilogy, this is always a tricky book to navigate, as the author attempts to continue the story and themes from the first book, whilst trying to bridge and set up for the final book.

This author manages this fantastically, as the story is so alive and strong, with no weakness shown at all. Flawless fantasy and created with clear love and perfection and I simply devoured and loved this.
Now, do I really need to wait a year for the next book?