Coven of Shadows

I think second books are the most difficult to review (and I would suspect that they are more difficult to write), primarily due to the fact that they have to have so much going on. In one aspect they have to continue the story that is started in book 1, whilst propelling the story to book 3, and then stand on their own two feet as a book in its own right. It is so tough being the middle child!

However, SC Gowland does this admirably and for me fulfils all the criteria above.

The story starts immediately from the end of the last book, and Kaoldan has to deal with the revelations that he learnt in the first book. Not only that, he has to continue to build his relationships with his daughters and has to learn how to be a father again to two children who he basically abandoned whilst he went off to not deal with his own problems.

On top of that, there is a new threat to deal with in the land of Essealer and there is a palpable feeling that things are moving forward to a culmination that no one expects.

I have to say, that the second book in The Souls Abyss is just as good as the first and the story moves along well.

One of the main things that I have enjoyed in SC Gower???s books are the characters. There is not one that I have not resonated with and wanted to spend time with.

It???s interesting in this book that as new characters are introduced, and these characters add more to the book. The one that stands out for me is the character is Onala, who is introduced at the beginning of the book as the daughter of the big bad of the story, Rhazien. She is given the task of guarding Kaoldan???s daughter, Romina, as she is held hostage by the Otan. However, as the story progresses, Onala and Romina???s relationship blossoms and she gets a really good character arc that I thoroughly enjoyed as she moves from being a follower who blindly accepts orders, to one with some free will and thought, and there is an especially good scene in which she is given a gift by a character, which she does not know how to respond to.

With the introduction of the Otan, who are primarily the antithesis of The Walkers. SC Gowland gets chance to open the world up a bit more and expand the story. We spend quite a bit of time with the Otan as Romina is taken hostage and we get to see the culture of the Otan through her eyes.

I have to admit in Coven of Shadows, there is one particular scene that I am not going to forgive SC Gowland for, although I can see the reasons for it. And yes, he did go there! However, it does show very well how a certain character (and I will keep that vague due to spoiler issues!) has changed and what they are prepared to do.

Whilst there is the introduction of new characters, the ones that we know and love are all experiencing changes. Kaoldan ends up in a role that he did not expect, and in addition to this, he is still coming to terms with the prospect of fatherhood being thrust upon him.

Also, Zahala gets thrust into the limelight a little a bit more. And guess what? She isn???t all sweetness and light like she was in the first book. And her personality comes more to the fore with the loss of her sister Romina.

Whenever I read this book, there are two things that always come unbidden to my mind. The first one is Phillip Larkin???s poem, This be the verse. Which goes something like they this.

???They f*ck you up, your mum and dad. They may mot mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had. And add some extra, just for you???

And the other thing is a particular scene in The Haunting of Hill House. I think the actual scene is in episode 6 at the funeral parlour. There is this one scene that has stayed with me in particular. It is when the father looks at his children sat on the sofa, all grown up. And for one second you get the view of them from the father???s perspective in which the adults are replaced by the children as they were when they were little.

The reason that I brought this up is that this seriously applies to Kaoldan???s relationship with his two daughters. He constantly sees them as the two children that he left at the Walker training school and has difficulty accepting tha they have grown into capable young women. And with short sightedness, he is always trying to protect them, and subsequently, rather than making the situation better, he ends up making it worse.

There is quite a lot going on in this book, and I like that SC Gowland takes the time to get all the pieces in place before it reaches the ending. The book is more character driven in this respect, but as I said previously, I looked forward to spending time with these characters and wanted to immerse myself in this world.

But, don???t think that there isn???t plot, it???s just that I haven???t touched on it as I don???t want to give anything away.

If you cannot tell, I like these books immensely. And it is the mark of a good book that when you have finished it, it stays with you, and you find yourself just looking back on a particular scene or part of the book, and I found myself revisiting it several times in my head.