Alistern “Stern” Masterson never expected to have the sort of life he found himself living. He was an irregular— a person who looked like the undead and had unusual perks— and his life hadn’t been very pleasant, so he’d written off the idea of ever finding anyone who understood him. Then, an old lady had asked for help, and he’d given it…
Stern was able to rescue Cyra Walot’s shards from the Bloodstone dungeon, after which he was brought before the city magistrate on false charges. Cyra helped him clear his name, and he was set free with the newly reborn Cyra beside him.
Although the rabbit lykian had lived a rough life and died horribly inside the dungeon, she wasn’t about to let that stop her from following her own dream. Seeing her determination, Stern offered to help her. Together, they ran the starting dungeons so that Cyra could develop the skills she would need to survive as a Walker.
Stern and Cyra found a friend in Trish Moxy, an accomplished leatherworker. That friendship blossomed and grew, becoming something that none of them had expected.
The new triad relationship and fledgling crew trained together in Darkstone, preparing to take on the next set of dungeons. These would be much harder, but they felt like they had a chance if they worked together.
After Darkstone, they set out for Waterrock. They were intent on finding people to fill out their crew, knowing they would need more allies for what the future held.
(This book contains non-standard relationships and touches upon adult situations.)
My Opinion: 471 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
*Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
This is mostly a slice of life adventure story with the same characters and dungeon diving mechanics from book 1. The main group expands a bit by taking on new members and the 1st half of the book really does a lot of backstory and character development for them. Most of the action hits mid and late story and it's all fine. I only wish the 2nd book had as clear an antagonist as book 1.
Overall, good if you’re ok with a more casual slice of life pacing.
Score: 7.3 out of 10