Before They Are Hanged

"You'd have to be a bold man to bet your life on what I'd dare. How bold are you?"

Now we're talking.

Despite having some issues with the first book being slow, the cast feeling a bit huge, and having no real idea where things were headed until the last third of the book, I still came away from it mostly enjoying the experience. I went into book two with some cautious optimism as a result, and I have to say this exceeded my expectations nicely.

Things pick up where the first book left off, with all the same character POVs, plot lines, and motivations intact. Because the first book spent so much time setting up the world, this is all flash and no filler. We have city sieges, an epic world-spanning journey, personal journeys of self discovery and realization, a budding romance(?), and more character defining moments than you can shake a Shanka at. I love that the author manages to make this book simultaneously dark and humorous, without it becoming too forced. Everything has a point and a purpose, and it took until book two for me to see that.

Just an excellent second book overall. I've already started on the third.