We Lie With Death by Devin Madson | Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

We Lie with Death by Devin Madson
Published by Orbit on January 12, 2021
ISBN: 9780316536363
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Epic
Pages: 576
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
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War rages as one empire falls and another rises in its place in the action-packed sequel to Devin Madson's bold epic fantasy, We Ride the Storm.
"An exciting new author in fantasy." —Mark Lawrence, author of Red Sister
There is no calm after the storm.
In Kisia's conquered north, former empress Miko Ts'ai is more determined than ever to save her empire. Yet, as her hunt for allies grows increasingly desperate, she may learn too late that power lies not in names but in people.
Dishiva e'Jaroven is fiercely loyal to the new Levanti emperor. Only he can lead them, but his next choice will challenge everything she wants to believe about her people's future.
Abandoned by his Second Swords, Rah e'Torin must learn to survive without a herd. But honor dictates he bring his warriors home—a path that could be his salvation or lead to his destruction.
And sold to the Witchdoctor, Cassandra Marius' desperate search for a cure ties her fate inextricably to Empress Hana and her true nature could condemn them both.
We Lie with Death is the thrilling continuation of a bold and brutal epic fantasy series, perfect for readers of Mark Lawrence, John Gwynne, and Brian Staveley.
Praise for The Reborn Empire:
"Imaginative worldbuilding, a pace that builds perfectly to a heart-pounding finale and captivating characters. Highly recommended." —John Gwynne, author of The Faithful and the Fallen
"A complex tale of war, politics, and lust for power." —The Guardian
The Reborn EmpireWe Ride the StormWe Lie with Death
For more from Devin Madson, check out:
The Vengeance TrilogyThe Blood of WhisperersThe Gods of ViceThe Grave at Storm's End

You know what they say after a storm?  It clears the air, but there was no calm after the storm in We Lie with Death.  The world building is once again rich and brutal and I was once again delighted to see characters taking their own paths, accepting the hand that fate had dealt them and becoming all the stronger for it.  I only very recently finished reading We Ride the Storm and the first thing I did was request the next book in the series on netgalley, thankfully the book gods granted my request and here I am basking in the glory of the empire of Kisia. 

I was hesitant and on edge before diving into this book not because I thought it was going to be an awful experience but because I had built up my expectations to be unnaturally high.  We’ve all been there; you love a book so much that you daren’t believe that a sequel could even match the high you’ve just been taken on.  Well, Madson doesn’t disappoint…I don’t think its possible that the author can write a bad book.  The magic, the elegance and the culture immediately whisks you off into lands unknown.  Its impossible to fight it.

Oh, and the biggest plus point that I personally feel has been missing from fantasy books…THE STORY SO FAR.  A recap, yes…FINALLY!

We Lie with Death carries on immediately after We Ride the Storm and the brakes aren’t applied through-out the book.  The action is like a shovel to the face and doesn’t stop for a breath, not even for a minute.  The characterisation is stronger, the personalities coming through to the reader in 8k definition.  I fell harder for characters than I even thought possible and I was the biggest cheerleader mainly for Rah( Boy does he know how to get into trouble)!  The reader gets more of an understanding about the conflicts between cultures.  The cracks appearing between Levanti and the Kisians.  The power of politics is never too far away from the fray and you can almost feel sorry for some of the characters (ALMOST)!

We Lie with Death is a masterpiece in storytelling and having that ability to know when the perfect time is to drop those bombshells.  I didn’t know whether to pull my hair out or scream for joy at some of them but then that’s the intense mastery portrayed by Madson.  The plot surrounding Cassandra is growing thicker by the page and my greedy little fingers couldn’t turn the pages quick enough; I wanted to learn more about souls, reincarnation and overincarnation.  It just added so much more depth to the narrative. 

We Lie with Death has an atmospheric sense of place.  An absolute treat from a superbly unique voice in fantasy. 

ABOUT DEVIN MADSON

Devin Madson is an Aurealis Award-winning fantasy author from Australia. After some sucky teenage years, she gave up reality and is now a dual-wielding rogue who works through every tiny side-quest and always ends up too over-powered for the final boss. Anything but zen, Devin subsists on tea and chocolate and so much fried zucchini she ought to have turned into one by now. Her fantasy novels come in all shades of grey and are populated with characters of questionable morals and a liking for witty banter.

That’s the spiel! I write books. I read books. I shout about books. I rewatch Lord of the Rings way more than is healthy and play a lot of video games. The easiest place to find me doing all those things is on twitter at @DevinMadson, where I also tell tales of my Doom Child, talk about my writing and spout total nonsense.

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