As with the Empire Strikes back, you need the information, but you ache for the resolution of the third book. *sigh* ( )

I have mixed feelings about this book. I find the magic systems really interesting and I really like several of the characters, but the bleak awfulness of the reality that these characters live in definitely started to get to me and I found some of the choices the author made (like having a character that i thought was very queer coded be a child abuser) to be pretty gross. I was also really upset by what happens to Sadima. I understood why it happens narratively but it made me really angry and I have no where to direct that feeling.

Part of the reason I liked this book was its complexity and the very grey morality of the characters. But I did get frustrated with how little insight we got into some of them. I want to know how certain people got the way they are and since this is the end of the series thats never going to happen. I found out what happened to the author partway thru the book and found that pretty upsetting also.

I'll be honest this book kinda made me feel bad. But it also made me think a lot so I can't say I wish I hadn't read it even though I don't think I would recommend it to others. ( )

If you haven’t read book one, Skin Hunger, then be warned, this follows on directly from that so there are spoilers for events in book one.

The book opens with with Sadima. At the end of Skin Hunger she, Franklin, and Somiss were driven out of their home by a fire and have escaped to live in caves. There, hiding out in the tunnels, Somiss continues his research and Franklin continues to work for him, while Sadima continues to plot her escape. She also is determined to rescue the orphaned boys that Somiss has locked up in a cage. Not to mention persuading Franklin that he needs to run, he needs to escape from Somiss rather than waiting for Somiss to turn good.

In Hahp’s storyline he is still struggling at wizard school. Desperately trying to learn enough to be allowed to eat. But as time passes he realises that what he really wants is to get all the students together and turn on the wizards. To bring them and their twisted torture-house of a school down. But how can he do that when part of what the wizards do so well is keep the students at each other’s throats. They aren’t even allowed to talk, how can they possibly band together and help each other survive.

I quite liked the first book in this series, although I found in interesting rather than gripping, and I liked parts of it but didn’t enjoy it all. This one I thought was far far better. All the set up has been done; we know so much more about Somiss and Franklin now. I found Sacred Scars to be a
much more enthralling read. Sadima’s story is the one I prefer, but Hahp’s is important too, and I’m constantly wondering how she fits into Hahp’s.

Sadima’s story change so much in this book. You really feel for her, she is an utterly different person at the end compared to who she was back in book one. Or even at the start of the book. And more and more I had to blame Franklin. At times in Skin Hunger I did feel sorry for him, but I also wanted Sadima to just slap him and leave. He was far too caught up in what Somiss wanted. Understandably due to his childhood and upbringing, but not an excuse for what he lets happen, and then participates in. I’d have to agree with Gerrard, in many ways Franklin is worse that Somiss. He knows what he does is wrong and evil, but he still does it.

I do hope we get more of Jux’s storyline. We know where he and the other boys ended up, because of Hahp’s story, but how did he get there?

Sadima’s story covers a huge amount of time. In some ways it skips over years far too quickly, but I understand why Duey did that. Reading about a happy, average life wouldn’t be all that entertaining. So she had to just give a flavour, and she does a good job, I really had a sense of who Sadima became once she returned to Limori and South End. And although Charlie and Grurr didn’t feature for very long they certainly made an impact.

Book three is currently been rewritten. I can’t wait to see what’ll happen to Sadima in it. ( )

The 2nd part in the Resurrection of Magic trilogy. The first book juxtaposed Hahp, a boy of wealth and privilege who is pledged to the magicians by his mercenary father, and Sadima, an impoverished farmgirl seeking a livelihood in the city. In Hahp's nation, magic is common (though highly expensive) magicians are feared enigmas. In Sadima's nation, magic is outlawed on pain of death. And yet--they live in the same nation...just hundreds of years apart.

The first book was almost unbearably grim. The things Sadima and Hahp live through while trying to survive and learn magic are almost too horrible to read. But Duey has created an intensely interesting world, a centuries-old mystery, and believable, unique characters. I tore through the first book in hours, and although I had to brace myself to read the second, it was equally well-written and enthralling. ( )

I loved Skin Hunger and was very excited to read this book. It just about killed me though, I thought this was a duology and it ends up it is a trilogy...and the last book has had an undetermined release date for the last 3 years...ugh. This is an absolutely wonderful story, but it has absolutely no resolution at the end.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was very well done. I really enjoy the narrator and he does an excellent job distinguising different character voices and conveying emotion.

Sadima, Franklin, and Somiss, have been driven out of Limòri and are living in an abandoned cave. Somiss has kidnapped a variety of young street children that he is trying to teach to copy and/or use magic. Somiss remains violent and very secretive.

Meanwhile the other half of the story is about Hahp, who is struggling to survive the wizard’s increasingly dangerous tests. Hahp is making a lot of progress and he slowly is learning that his roommate, Gerrard, knows more about the wizard school than he is letting on. Hahp is desperately trying to form a pact between the students so that they can destroy this evil wizard school once and for all.

Okay I am still in shock a little bit over how the book ended (right in the middle of everything) and because the next book has an undetermined release date (and has for 3 years). I am going to take a deep breath now and try to calm down so I can write this review.

This is such an absolutely excellent and creative fantasy series. It is just a wonderful read and I have been completely engaged by this book and absolutely ensnared by this world.

The characters just pull you in completely. The story moves deliberately but builds a ton of suspense as well. You just know things aren’t going to end well for Sadima and you are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Then when it does, you are like...woah!...I totally didn’t see that coming. Same goes for Hahp, you are constantly waiting for the next crazy test he will have to survive or the next big mental leap he will make in using magic. It is just amazing how Duey keeps you so ensnared in the story.

This book gives you more hints about the time difference between the two storylines. In the first book you are uncertain about the time frame for Sadima’s story versus Hahp’s. In this book that is clearer, obviously Sadima’s story takes place a long, long time before Hahp is even born. Still it is very engaging to try to fit the puzzle pieces from each story together to form a complete timeline. As the story continues you begin to recognize more and more overlap and more and more names that match between the two stories.

The biggest negative to this book is that it ends absolutely in the middle of the story with nothing resolved. Seriously I thought I hadn’t downloaded the whole audiobook or something. We are right in the middle of a ton of things and the book is all like “the end”. I absolutely hate that when authors do that.

Overall this is an incredibly creative and well written fantasy novel. It is really like nothing I have ever read before. It has very compelling characters and the plot just grabs you and won’t let go. It is a really incredibly read and I recommend it to all fantasy lovers out there. Just be warned the story is not at all resolved and it...will...kill...you...to have to wait to know what is going to happen next. With the undetermined release date, I would recommend waiting until the third book at least has a release date before delving into this trilogy. ( )