Storm and Steel (#2)
After liberating Queen Byleth from the temple of the Sun Cult, Horace has ascended from slave to First Sword and confidant of the queen. He must now harness his power as a sorcerer while navigating complex political intrigue in a foreign land.
Further complications arise when Alyra, former spy at court, returns. She has her own mysterious agenda, and Horace is forced to contend with this as well as his growing passion for her. Meanwhile, Jirom and his lover Emanon have joined the growing slave rebellion, rising through the ranks as they fight for the very cause Horace has been commanded to destroy.
With the kingdom on the brink of war, a rash of assassinations, and orders from Queen Byleth to crush the slave rebellion at any cost, Horace is stuck between his opposition to human bondage, and his newfound duty as the protector of the realm.
Reviews
“A strong second entry and still a series to follow.”
“The vivid world of Erugash and its element-wielding magicians is further explored in this sequel to Blood and Iron […] [STORM AND STEEL] builds on a strong foundation.”Library Journal
“Sprunk reveals his plot in a pleasing linear fashion that constantly entices forward motion — not so you can figure out what the heck is going on, but so you can find out what’s going to happen next! […] It is an immensely satisfying read.”
“STORM AND STEEL is a lot of fun, and might not be a bad choice for someone looking for a high fantasy with intrigue and moral complexity. This book might be a good read for a fan of Roger Zelazny, George R.R. Martin, or anyone who likes the mystery of magic mixed with intrigue.”
“[BLOOD AND IRON] never failed to entertain, flashing glimmers of potential greatness. And in Storm and Steel, Jon Sprunk goes a long way in fulfilling that promise […] STORM AND STEEL is a great chance to experience a good, old-fashioned, sword and sorcery tour de force; one that perfectly mixes a sweeping fantasy world with non-stop action.”
“It will be a hard-hearted reader indeed who reaches the end of Storm and Steel and isn’t eager to read the next book in the series as soon as it appears. All Gormenghast and no play make Jack and Jill pretty dull genre fans, after all.”Open Letters Monthly
“The action is thick and frequent and convincingly written, the magical elements demonstrate some systematic thought about how that would work, the characters vary in depth but the main ones are well drawn, and the setting is realistically drawn.”Don D’Ammassa