March 15, 2024
Talon struggles to follow his brother's goal of bringing peace to Pyrlanum in this duology closer following 2023's Chaos & Flame. After Caspian, regent of House Dragon, declared an end to the Dragons' imperialistic war, he transformed himself and Darling into an empyreal dragon and phoenix, respectively. Talon, Caspian's brother, is left to keep the unstable peace, while the Dragons refuse to return their captured lands and the newly released magical boons cause chaos across Pyrlanum. When his aunt Aurora and her cursed blood magic threaten the newly awakened empyreal regents, Talon races to stop her. Darling, reeling from both brothers' betrayal, struggles to keep hold of herself against the powerful pull of the phoenix that forces her on its own unknown quest. The ongoing storyline about ending the war is well developed, and it depicts the difficulties of handling reparations, demilitarization, and establishing diplomatic relations in the wake of bloodshed. The positioning of empyreals as blood heirs and guardians of Chaos is intriguing and creates an original and deep magic system. Likewise, the mystique surrounding the phoenix provides shocking twists. While the side characters are interesting, they lack development; still, Darling's and Talon's stories are gripping and inspire empathy, especially with their explorations of self and grief. Darling's gradual change in emotions is understandable, resulting in a realistic slow-burn romance; readers may feel Talon comes across as too steadfast. The characters are varied in physical appearance. A nuanced story with a cast readers will cheer for. (Fantasy. 14-18)
COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.