Faithless by Janeen IppolitoMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Shance's story takes the forefront in Faithless, though there are some major events that happen in Kesia and Zephryn's storyline. One of which is... utterly shocking. The appearance of Lurien as their nemesis really ups the stakes in this book--not only is she a powerful death unicorn with many other death unicorns in her (and the Curious Intrigue's) service, she also holds Maira's son captive. Actually, I think you see more death unicorns than dragons in this one. Ademis the cat-dragon is also an utterly fascinating and unique character here, though he's in a rather more support-y role.
Storywise, things get more twisty--lots of secrets revealed, new enemies appear, unexpected connections, both good and bad... I really don't know what I can say that isn't spoilery. You just have to read it!
Where Lawless focused on redemption, resilience seems to be a key theme in this second book in the series. Blow after blow strikes the ranks of the Lawless, both personal and political, and it's all they can do to keep it together through death, near-death, and betrayal. Still, they push on. Kesia has to find new ways to survive, both emotionally and politically; Shance has to deal with extremely surprising revelations of his identity and past; Lirome has to deal with his dark past in light of his strange new future; and Maira has to figure out how to defeat Lurien, who's holding everything dear to her at ransom.
The one thing that confused me a little was the elocution ranks... which qualifies who can or cannot speak. I don't think that came up in any of the previous books, but it's probably something unique to the Scepter of Knowledge.
Faithless seems slightly less focused than Lawless and Priceless, probably because of it's wider scope and all the new threads that are going on. Still, it's an intriguing read, full of twists and revelations and OMG WHAT moments... and it looks like we might be heading to the Scepter of Pleasure next!
Can't wait! :)
Note: I received an ARC from the publisher. This review is my own independent and fair evaluation.
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About the Book
One wild night, Shance Windkeeper discovers he is married to a death unicorn.
But that’s the least of his troubles.
As an agent for the Lawless, Shance is working with dragonshifters Kesia Ironfire and Zephryn Nightstalker, trying to end the dragon-human war and the organization that masterminded it. While on a mission in the Scepter of Knowledge, the Lawless is hit with a devastating death unicorn attack.
Out of the wreckage new allies emerge: Lirome Ukerys, and his twin sister Maira, the death unicorn queen—Shance’s long-lost wife.
Recently freed from captivity, Maira is fighting to regain control of her herd. Lurien Alistil, a rogue death unicorn, has bespelled the Scepter of Knowledge and taken Maira’s son. When Kesia unexpectedly challenges Lurien to a public debate, the Lawless has a chance to break the usurper’s hold. To obtain vital information they must infiltrate her lair—and as the husband of the death unicorn queen, Shance Windkeeper is the perfect prize to go in.
But Lurien’s power is stronger and more insidious than they realize. And if the final pieces of her plan fall into place, not even Shance’s newfound Talents and knowledge will be enough to stop her.
But that’s the least of his troubles.As an agent for the Lawless, Shance is working with dragonshifters Kesia Ironfire and Zephryn Nightstalker, trying to end the dragon-human war and the organization that masterminded it. While on a mission in the Scepter of Knowledge, the Lawless is hit with a devastating death unicorn attack.
Out of the wreckage new allies emerge: Lirome Ukerys, and his twin sister Maira, the death unicorn queen—Shance’s long-lost wife.
Recently freed from captivity, Maira is fighting to regain control of her herd. Lurien Alistil, a rogue death unicorn, has bespelled the Scepter of Knowledge and taken Maira’s son. When Kesia unexpectedly challenges Lurien to a public debate, the Lawless has a chance to break the usurper’s hold. To obtain vital information they must infiltrate her lair—and as the husband of the death unicorn queen, Shance Windkeeper is the perfect prize to go in.
But Lurien’s power is stronger and more insidious than they realize. And if the final pieces of her plan fall into place, not even Shance’s newfound Talents and knowledge will be enough to stop her.
A steampunk fantasy adventure with much intrigue, unexpected romance, sudden tragedy, and a snarky cat-dragon.
About Janeen:
Janeen Ippolito believes words transform worlds. She creates writing resources and writes steampunk fantasy. She’s also an experienced teacher, editor, author coach, and the editor in chief of Uncommon Universes Press. In her spare time, she enjoys sword-fighting, reading, food, and making brownie batter.
Two of her goals are eating fried tarantulas and traveling to Antarctica. This extroverted writer loves getting connected, so find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at her website: janeenippolito.com
About Janeen: Janeen Ippolito believes words transform worlds. She creates writing resources and writes steampunk fantasy. She’s also an experienced teacher, editor, author coach, and the editor in chief of Uncommon Universes Press. In her spare time, she enjoys sword-fighting, reading, food, and making brownie batter.
Two of her goals are eating fried tarantulas and traveling to Antarctica. This extroverted writer loves getting connected, so find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and at her website: janeenippolito.com
Great review, Anna! I thought it a fun twist in having more death unicorns in this one. Definitely had a lot of twists and excited to visit the Scepter of Pleasure! Thanks so much for sharing! :D
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