King of the Dead

This review will contain a few spoilers for R.A. MacAvoy???s previous book, Lens of the World. You???ll want to read that book before beginning King of the Dead.

King of the Dead is the second story in R.A. MacAvoy???s LENS OF THE WORLD trilogy about Nazhuret, a man who is writing his life story for his friend, the king. When we met Nazhuret at the beginning of Lens of the World, he was an ugly orphan who had been raised in a government military academy. Upon reaching his majority, he left and became an apprentice to Powl, a man who is much more than the lens grinder he pretends to be. Powl thoroughly educated Nazhuret in a multitude of subjects and disciplines. Only toward the end of that first book do we realize why Powl took an interest in an ugly orphan ??? he recognized Nazhuret... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/king-of-the-dead/

4stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
Nazhuret and Arlin, now at last a couple, are tasked by Velonya's king with stopping a war, using only their wits, skills, and a tenuous family relationship.

Review
This second in the Nazhuret trilogy is not quite as strong as the first, in part because the approach is simply more familiar, but also because, while it brings in more actual magic, it also leaves too many threads unresolved or poorly resolved. The prose and characters, however, remain respectively fluid and engaging.

The center of the book is its strongest portion. It seems to take MacAvoy some time to get things moving, and until Nazhuret and Arlin's journey properly begins, the story hasn't found its footing. The book is at its strongest when Nazhuret is discovering the world and himself, applying his natural curiosity. The ending slows again. In part, the chief resolution is foreseeable for quite some distance. Also, when it is resolved, it's handled quite quickly and without much apparent interest from the author. And one promising thread is not addressed at all.

Overall, the prose and characters remain strong, but the storytelling isn't quite up to the level of its predecessor.