The Warrior

(Quest for Heroes #2)

by Stephen Aryan

Publishing Date: 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2.8/5

Review: This iteration in the series was definitely not as broadly drawn as the first. It lacked the rough edges of personal development and the unexpected movement displayed in the first novel.

Mostly, the characters devolved into vacuous tropes that most fantasy writers fall back on. I am still wondering why most of the female characters fall into this relegated channel of fundamental patterns. “Hoo-boy! She is hotter than a popcorn fart but is smarter than a whip and as feisty as the crack!”. Yet she gives and gives and wuvs her mans…while riding him into oblivion with her feminine wiles.

Despite the character fall downs the story line kind of pissed and moaned its way across the world. Faltering here, failing there in an attempt to draw the reader into a strange world. The world while being strange enough, was as boring as a bag of hammers.

Kell is still fun to follow and that is why this gets 3 stars…barely.

Rivers of London Series Collection

(Rivers of London #1-6)

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.6/5

Review: This review is for the entire series (1-9).

This was a ton of fun. Historical in all ways while maintaining constant movement within a stream introspection/detection.

There were some abrupt endings and a big story line hole was Leslie’s confederacy and ability to escape every situation. Too obvious by half plus her abilities exceeding Peter’s, whom is constantly bumbling his magic.

Still, a fun series to read.