Second Spear

For more of my reviews, check out my blog.Thank you to Netgalley and Tor.com Publishing for providing an ARC of this novel.Amazingly enough, I enjoyed Second Spear even more than I enjoyed [b:The Border Keeper 42403547 The Border Keeper (Mkalis Cycle #1) Kerstin Hall https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1547710426l/42403547.SY75.jpg 62897350]. I think the biggest reason for this is that I “knew” the world the story was taking place in. I knew the whole thing was going to be odd, and I knew that there was going to be little to no explanation as to why, too. To be fair, though, Second Spear felt a little less fantastical. Sure, absolutely wild stuff still happens, but nothing odd enough that I was flat out confused.The main character, Tyn, is likeable and has motivations that are easy to understand — the protector of the realm that she lives in is in danger, and she needs to do what she can to protect them. Unlike the main character from The Border Keeper, she is not carrying secrets that are unknown to the reader. The air of mystery from the first novella is just plain absent in Second Spear. Honestly, I liked that it was gone. There's a straight forward plot in this novella, and it just worked better for me that way. The other characters in Second Spear are equally enjoyable, especially the demon-god-realm-protector that was living fungi. They were SO cool, and the scenes that take place in their world are so imaginative and tangible you feel like you're actually there.Overall, I recommend the Mkalis Cycle, especially if you like awesome world-building, and a general air of mystery.