It was hard to wrap around some of the terms being used because I had not heard them used that way but after all the in-depth world building I really enjoyed this book.

Tarko, in way over his head, ends up accidentally bound to a royal demon, something he hates, but even he can’t ignore the power being bound gives him, as well as the fact that their bond has awoken his magical ability. By the time you get to Cirissi, you’re well invested in the story and understand the backstory behind Tarko and the Swathe, so their interactions don’t need to be interrupted by exposition. Throughout the story Kaleahs date to make this sacrifice is moved up, she is fearful of the lost time with her sister, she is forced to court and blood bond with a man who very well could be her assassin.It’s a society that uses primogeniture, but where the head of state is a queen who passes that torch to a daughter.

A handful of the suicide army commited to destroying the portal that against all the odds have survived. His family have been disgraced thanks to the actions of his father and he walks around with a kind of chip on his shoulder believing the world owes him something, but as the story progresses and he learns more about his father, and the legacy he left him, he definitely grew on me.Demon’s Reign is an enthralling, sprawling fantasy with interesting world-building and very fun characters. Unfortunately the book ended on a cliffhanger, as many books do, which was fine, but my main issue with it was how abruptly it ended. Anyway, the characters work really well, as they play off one another, have fun discussions, and also work well as a team.

Like, yes they are here because their own world is dying, but I kinda figure they would do it anyway out of fun just the same. It definitely proves you can have a fantasy that doesn’t need to be based on Western medieval gender roles to feel like fantasy. You are instantly brought into the story with a moment of suspense and excitement as you meet the main characters to this story.

Hundreds of miles of canopy highways connect the bloodwood cities, stretching all the way to The Scorch, a vast, smoldering, and desolate memorial to the last demon invasion. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Tending the persnickety creatures and kowtowing to their arrogant riders is his last step before being demoted to the louse mines.