K. S. Villoso

The sequel to The Wolf of Oren-yaro where the queen of a divided land struggles to unite her people. Even if they despise her. K. S. Villoso is a "powerful new voice in fantasy." (Kameron Hurley) 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.

The Ikessar Falcon

The Bitch Queen returns in The Ikessar Falcon, the action-packed sequel to K. S. Villoso's acclaimed fantasy debut, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro. Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien's quest takes a turn for the worse 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 unimaginable horrors - 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 for failure is steep. Her friends are few. And a nation carved by a murderer can only be destined for war. Praise for the series: 'A powerful new voice in epic fantasy' Kameron Hurley 'Intricate, intimate and intensely plotted' Nicholas Eames 'An action-packed plot and deep, vivid world-building' Melissa Caruso

Emma Steinbrecher

Joana Duarte

DNF at 25%.
After enjoying book 1, I did not expect to DNF this one. All the problems I had with the protagonist before were nothing when compared to how I feel about her now! Never have I hated a main character as much as I hate Talyien. She is one of the worst people and leaders of a nation I’ve ever seen. And one of the worst parents too. Why does she keep jumping around a foreign country when her son’s life is in danger? (I know the reason, but I find it a bit weak)
Also, I thought, on The Wolf of Oren Yaro, that the random jumping around between places was kind of odd, but this time it makes even less sense to me.

Kathleen Boyle

People are sleeping on this series. It is incredibly well-written, has some of the most complex and compeeling characters I have ever read about. This is quickly becoming one of the best series I have ever read. 

The second book did not suffer from middle book syndrome and took the story to new heights by exploring more of the world and the politics. The stakes were extremely high and the ending proved the author is not afraid to go there.

These books have easily become my favorite, and they just keep getting better. Between the character development, the writing, the story, and the pacing, I love it all.

“We cling to what is broken when we have no choice. Even love that tastes like poison, that presses like a blade on your throat, is better than gaping emptiness.”

Kath Lau

Talyien aren dar Orenar! This woman can’t catch a break. She is still haunted by her father’s words and legacy. The pressure to be like her father, who is a ruthless warlord, is higher than ever. It doesn’t help that the other Warlords are questioning her ability to rule her kingdom and just waiting for her to make mistakes. Not to mention that she still needs to return back home especially now that her son is in great danger. She is still the same brave and strong bitch queen but I felt like I got to know her deeply. I appreciated her character even more. Her journey, though not always pleasant, helps her to get to know more about herself, her people, and the different issues they have that she’s not aware of. One of my favorite characters was Nor and this book cemented my admiration for her. It was also great to learn more about Khine. I still would like to punch Rayyel and Agos. Seriously!

“But it is difficult to grasp the weight of our own actions, to make sense of the ripples our every decision makes. It is why we hurt and continue to get hurt; how we can plunge a knife into someone, wash the blood off, and pretend it didn’t happen. Even when your entire world turns upside down, you carry on like it didn’t.”

This sequel didn’t disappoint. After reading the first book, I thought I was ready for whatever action or tension the sequel has in store for me. But I was wrong. The Ikessar Falcon was more intense, action-packed, and definitely shocking! There were still some scenes that were a bit too slow for me but other than that, I thought the writing was incredible.

“Some are born with the power to turn the tide even before they realize what they are doing. Others… aren’t. Some of us have to fight to make a difference from the moment we are born. We try to crest along calm waters because we are helpless against the tide, and even then, a single wave might be enough to sweep us away.”

Just like in the first book, the world building continued to amaze me. We finally get to see more of the world that was mentioned in the first book including their people and their distinct culture. We also learn more about the magic system and meet some magical creatures throughout the story. I would also like to mention how thankful I was that a recap of what happened in The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is included in this book.

Talyien embodies fierceness. She represents not only Filipino women but women in general. She is complex and flawed which made her character felt so real. I admired her determination and unconditional love. I have already mentioned my thoughts about this on my review of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro so feel free to check it here.

This book has left me wanting for more! I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for an epic fantasy novel inspired by Southeast Asian culture with intricate characters and beautiful writing. I can’t wait for the next book!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in the #DethroneTheDragonlord tour. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book. The quotes are taken from the advance reader’s copy and they are subject to change upon publication.

More of my reviews at http://kath-reads.com/category/book-r...

Alexia Cambaling

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and my participation in this tour. Many thanks to Orbit and Caffeine Book Tours!

Talyien, stripped to her core never loses who she is. While there are moments of doubt, of self-reflection, she retains an innate strength of character that allows her to survive, even when practically alone and surrounded by her enemies. The Ikessar Falcon sees Queen Talyien at rock bottom and even then, she remains unbowed. I’m excited to see what she would do at the final book and see how she recovers from where she ends up being.

Even when it looks like she’s lost, I’m confident she would end up at the top. Her character has been put through numerous trials throughout the series and yet, she’s unbroken. The Wolf of Oren Yaro put Tali through so much, but even that was nothing compared to what she faced in The Ikessar Falcon. That was just the beginning.

In the first book, I gushed about Tali as a character. In this one, I could gush about her even more because wow, she really goes through the ringer here. The Ikessar Falcon takes everything you see in the first book and ups the ante. The stakes are higher in this one and this time, politics wouldn’t be Tali’s only concern.

The Ikessar Falcon lets us see more of the world and greatly expands on what it looks like, from its cultures and traditions, the food, the folklore. While the book remains character driven, the story becomes even more epic in scope. The plot features more action, more magic, story exposition, and a lot more plot twists.

If you thought Talyien had gone through enough in the first book, the second one seems determined to break her further. In this book, you can see Tali growing tired, desperate to see her son, and even willing to walk away and just live a life of peace with him. And yet, there are considerations bigger than her wishes and even more revelations and twists thrown her way.

In The Ikessar Falcon, more secrets are uncovered and still, Talyien’s reactions through all of them are only too human, real. In some cases, she trips and makes mistakes because in the end, she wasn’t perfect and like any human being, she has flaws. I think that despite everything and the way she almost seems larger than life, these mistakes ground her and make her seem more relatable.

The book also builds on Tali’s relationships and as with everything else in her life, nothing about them are ever neat or tidy. Her relationships- whether platonic or otherwise are messy and full of misunderstandings, miscommunication, and a lot of disagreements. There are tensions between her companions too and herself. There are some relationships where there isn’t a solution and some where it’s left loose. I think that the book is stronger for it because nothing is ever tidy in real life and having a protagonist with relationships full of strife really made the book more interesting.

Many sequels fail to live up to the hype created by the first book. That wasn’t the case here because The Ikessar Falcon builds from it and towards the end, just never lets up until you’re left wanting for the final book.

All in all, this is an excellent sequel to one of my favorite SFF books and I highly recommend it to everyone who liked the first one.

The Ikessar Falcon

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