A Murder of Crows

Shadows and Ash, Book Two

De: Joel Michael Harris

Narrado por: Dallas Munger

Once you cross the boundary that protects the outside world from those who reside within Hathaway, there is no going back.

Hathaway is a prison where the Gods have placed the worst monsters in all of creation, hoping they will never again see the light of day.

These vile beings are kept locked away by a group of strange and twisted priests, who are their jailers.

Deep within this prison is a prisoner known as Joyless.

With the help of her Goddess, Korvras the Hollow, Joyless seeks to throw open the gates of Hathaway and release an untold number of monsters on an unsuspecting world.

Will Talian, Slasher, and Jean-Kar stop Joyless and make it out alive?

©2020, 2021 Joel Michael Harris (P)2021 Joel Michael Harris

Great follow up to a dark epic fantasy

I received a free audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed book one (The Crucifix Dagger) but wanted a bit more sex, violence, and dark tidings, then A Murder of Crows will definitely satisfy. Like Book 1, each chapter begins by clearly establishing the POV we'll be seeing the story through, which continues to work effectively to piece a story together from different angles.

It's curious because the tension between the main characters you feel so often in Book 1 comes and goes in Book 2. There's a better understanding among them it seems? What returns are packed action scenes with all manner of deaths, from blade to fire to spells to swallowing heinous liquids to sacrificing in all its shapes and forms.

Once again, Dallas Munger does a pretty awesome job with the voice over work although some female voices were a bit off putting since it's obviously a man doing a female's voice, but other than that, solid all the way through.

As far as tempo and rhythm, this is a quicker burn than Book 1 though it still takes its time to paint quite the picture...which includes visiting a town that's basically infected with a plague...except not everyone knows they're infected. Hell, it's anyone's guess who's alive or dead at one point.

Of note that I did notice was that Jean-Car was relegated a bit and barely made it into this mostly Talian centered story. Don't worry, Slasher has PLENTY of time in the book, but for Jean-Car, I didn't feel it as even. Also, and this could be pure speculation, but it almost feels as if this and book 3 could be two halves of a book? I'm not sure but will find out soon when I dive into the third book to see what's what and who's going to die.