If you’ve followed my Amaranthe reviews since…well, since Relativity, you know it’s no secret that I adore Eren with all my little heart. Which is actually kind of interesting, because he’s such a chaotic character—you’d think he’d stress me out. But he’s just so well-written (I can hear him speaking on the page) and the rollercoaster of a character arc he’s gone through since his introduction has been nothing short of spellbinding.
It’s actually been about 2.5 years since I learned this book was coming down the pipe, and I have spent that entire time eagerly awaiting it. Readers, if you’re new to the Amaranthe series, this book is a fantastic introduction to the type of characters, action, and galaxy-spanning intrigue you’ll find throughout the rest of the saga. There may be a few details you’ll have questions about, but otherwise you can enjoy this book with no prior knowledge of the series. Like Medusa Falling, this is a fast-paced, standalone adventure story, but if you’re an Amaranthe veteran, you already know that Eren is capable of making a story fast-paced and adventurous merely by existing, regardless of what else might be happening in the plot.
In this installment, Eren quickly finds himself entangled with the Hesgyr, a unique new alien race with a knack for thievery. But naturally, a situation that seems pretty cut and dried on the surface turns out to be much more complicated and nuanced than he anticipated (do we expect anything else from this series?). There’s a mystery to be solved and a sinister plot to thwart, and since all the Hesgyr’s attempts at fixing these problems themselves have failed thus far, who better to call on for some solutions—especially some unconventional ones—than Eren?
But he’s hardly alone in this endeavor. In addition to assistance from his new Hesgyr allies—who are fresh and compelling in their own right, which is quite a feat after 20 books—he’s got backup from none other than ̶A̶e̶r̶y̶n̶ ̶S̶u̶n̶ our favorite ex-Inquisitor. I’ve loved Nyx’s character even since her days of terrorizing the main cast as a diati-wielding tool of the Anaden Directorate, and I’ve needed her evolving dynamic with Eren injected directly into my veins over the last few books. Their clashing personalities and methods of operation made for a unique and exciting approach to problem solving, and I can’t wait to see how the two of them continue to grow and build off each other in the future.
(Truly, the only thing that would have made this book completely flawless was more Corradeo. Remember that time I wouldn’t shut up about my three Anaden cinnamon rolls?)
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ABOUT G.S. JENNSEN
G. S. Jennsen lives somewhere in the U.S., in a locale that may or may not be where she lived the last time she published a book (she’s a gypsy at heart), with her husband and one or more dogs. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her stories and her ability to execute on the vision she has for their telling.
While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she’s found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude. When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart and wondering who all these people are (because she’s probably new in town). Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.
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