Review: The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso

Synopsis
The spiral to madness begins with a single push. Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien’s quest takes a turn for the worst as she stumbles upon a plot deeper and more sinister than she could have ever imagined, one that will displace her king and see her son dead. The road home beckons, strewn with a tangled web of deceit and impossible horrors that unearth the nation’s true troubles – creatures from the dark, mad dragons, and men with hearts hungry for power. To save her land, Talyien must confront the myth others have built around her: Warlord Yeshin’s daughter, symbol of peace, warrior and queen, and everything she could never be. The price of failure is steep. Her friends are few. And a nation carved by a murderer can only be destined for war.

What I thought
This is the second book in an amazing trilogy.  After reading the first book I could not wait to pick up the second one.  And just like the first one I was sucked into the story from the beginning, so needless to say  I was not disappointed. I have already ordered the third and final book in this series, and I am not so patiently waiting for it to arrive.  

This is a character-driven story that is told by future Tali.  The storytelling is just amazing and when the stakes were so high I tended to forget who our storyteller is and feared what was coming next.  If she is telling the story then she has to survive but there are times that I forgot about that.  

I love how this book does not shy away from Tali’s dark thoughts when she feels that she has lost everything.  It makes the story feel more real.  I appreciate how we watch how Tali had to deal with all the trauma that is being inflicted on her and how she debates the different paths and who all would be affected by her choices.  In the end, her love for her son keeps her going.  Throughout this book, Tali is having to learn who she is balanced against who everyone else thinks she is or who they believe she should be.  

I really hope Tali gets some form of a happy ending by the end of this series.  And I would be lying if I didn’t say that I hope Khine is part of her happy ending.  Khine is amazing and I could just gush about him all day long.

My opinion about Rai has not changed, he can go jump off a cliff for all I care.  He can try to justify all that he does but it’s all so selfish.  He has not considered even once how his actions affect his family.  As sad as it is I am happy that I think Tali is finally realizing this. It is really hard to believe that Rai did not see what was coming at the end of the book.  I mean really you set all this stuff in motion and didn’t think anyone was going to take advantage of it.  For someone that is supposed to be so smart, he can’t see beyond what is right in front of him.

If you enjoy epic character-driven stories then you really should pick up the first book in this series.  

My Rating: /5

Have you read this book? If so what did you think? Tell me in the comments below.