Son of the Poison Rose: A Kagen the Damned Novel by Jonathan Maberry
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Web ID: 15733292Epic Dark Fantasy Continuation!
Son of the Poison Rose is the continuation in the Kagen the Damned series. Kagen Vale is the captain of the palace guard, and protector of the royal's children, his family. His world is ripped apart after the Silver Empire is overtaken by the Witch King of Hakkia. After the big reveal at the end of book #1, this novel begins with Kagen on the run. After months of self-loathing and grief, Kegan befriends Filia and Tuke. Together, they scheme up a plan to destroy the most evil person known throughout the kingdoms. More than an army, they will need magic on their side. The supporting cast characters, and multiple story lines help in the world-building.. Maberry truly immerses the reader in the experiences, the elements and milestones throughout the story culminating in an epic ending. This genre is definitely outside my reading preference, but I enjoyed this action packed dark fantasy. It's twists, turns and surprises kept me turning the page of this 704 page novel. Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Maberry is on a roll
I love a sequel that is just as good - or better - than Book 1. This book is better than the first, which I rated 5 stars. Maberry continues the story he began in “Kagen the Damned” and man, is he on a roll! The original cast of characters returns, a Big Reveal happens, and Kagen becomes even more badassed than he was to start with. The tale flows quickly with plenty of action. The plot is solid and progresses nicely. Dialog between characters is witty and the characters are all pretty complex. Wyatt’s not to love? Five stars and worth your time. I highly enjoyed this one and now Maberry has become a favorite author for me. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. All opinions are strictly my own and offered without recompense. #SonOfThePoisonRose #StMartinsPress #JonathanMaberry #NetGalley #ifcatscouldread #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #bookstagram #catstagram #catsandbooks #booksandcats #kindlesallthewaydown
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Son Of The Poison Rose
I love just about everything the author writes. This one was really repetitive and lacked action and story progression. 54 Chapters in and no one but the necromancer are in any different position relative to the first books end. I will continue reading everything Maberry puts out but this one missed for me.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Epic
This is a strong second book in an epic dark fantasy trilogy. In the first book, the repressed kingdom of Hakkia, invaded and took control over the Silver empire, and all the capitol cities of every member nation, using forbidden magic. The Hakkian ruler, known as the Witch-King, desires to become Emporer of the Yellow Empire, once crowned he would be a legitimate ruler instead of conquering usurper. Those plans are not realized yet, and all the rulers are quietly waiting, and arming there nations, for whatever opportunity comes up. Kagen has pulled himself together, with the help of his friends Took and Filia, though he is still reeling from learning the true identity of the Witch-King and his heirs. Kagen is more motivated now than ever to stop the Witch-King's plans. Through vivid storytelling, Kagen travels with his friends and gains new allies in his cause. But will it be enough with unknown magic active in the world again? The Witch-King also has new allies. I am can't wait for the concluding book in the story and I already plan to read them again once they are all published. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to enjoy the e-ARC Also, any already established readers of Jonathan Maberry may notice that The Prince of Games and the Red Plague seem familiar from the Joe Ledger series.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Fantastic World-building, Action-Packed
Jonathan Maberry’s foray into epic dark fantasy with Son of the Poison Rose is a fantastic continuation of the series featuring Kagen Vale. He was the captain of the palace guard and protector of the royal children of the Silver Empire. One night when he is off-duty, the entire imperial family is killed and the Silver Empire is in ruins throughout all of its nation states. Kagen feels abandoned, heartbroken, and haunted. He plans to kill the Witch-king of Hakkia with help from his friends Filia and Tuke. However, he has to survive being the most wanted man in the world, build an army of fighters, and find magical weapons. Kagen is a strong character with plenty of good qualities, but also many flaws. However, he initially isn’t very likeable. His petulance, guilt, and rage consume him. Can he find a way to regain his balance, regain his honor, fight for justice, and overcome magic and sorcery? The supporting and adversarial characters are well drawn and unforgettable. Maberry’s writing is always great, but his world-building in this series is fantastic. There was a strong sense of time and place causing me to feel transported, as though living the events alongside the characters. There was a balance between cultural elements, historical events, and action that made the reading experience an immersive one. While the epilogue helped, there are still a lot of unresolved threads for future books in the series. Themes include religious persecution, battles, heroes, how history can be altered or slanted by those recording it, treatment of the defeated and dead, magic, sorcery, grief, stress, betrayal, and much more. An extremely useful character list is included at the end of the book. Overall, this was suspenseful and action packed with compelling characters that kept me turning the pages. I’m looking forward to reading the next one. If you are looking for a dark epic fantasy with twists, action, and a few surprises, then this series is one you may want to check out. St. Martin’s Press – St. Martin’s Griffin and Jonathan Maberry provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for January 10, 2023.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Dark fantasy gets even better in book 2
In the second installment of the Kagen the Damned series, we follow Kagen and his companions’ journey to find support against the Witch-king. During this time, Kagen is faced with coming to terms with a pretty significant revelation exposed at the end of the first novel. Every step of the way increases our scope of the expansive world in which Kagen lives. From the cold north filled with glaciers and secrets to jungle kingdoms with lost knowledge to neighboring countries struggling to keep power - each adds a piece to the larger story that is the former Silver Empire. There is never a dull moment when the Witch-king is hunting you down (zombies, dark magic, cults, creatures from other dimensions…). The second book in a series can sometimes be a difficult one, however in this case the world building was well done, unique and interesting in each aspect that was covered. We also learn that Kagen is a pretty exceptional character. Seeing how he views himself concurrently with his two companions is a fun contrast in personalities and perspectives. It is also a nice reprieve from the intensely serious and dark moments. I enjoyed the threads of story following the Witch-king and his staff, and those of the greater world outside the Kagen bubble too. This novel really sets you up for an expanding world and for more adventuring in book three. 5 stars. Review based on an uncorrected digital galley provided by St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley. Thank you!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Highly Recommended Fantasy Series
Son of the Poison Rose is an epic historical fantasy, and the second in the Kagen the Damned Series, which I highly recommend you read in order. We have a lot of characters sprawling across multiple lands, each with unique histories and magic and all sorts of dangerous (mis)adventure. This is the kind of book that risks losing me within the vast scope and splintering plot. But that never happened. And not once did I get the urge to skim. I didn’t want to skip even a word. The depth and complexities of the characters make them feel walk-off-the-page real. The plot is intricate without being convoluted or overly complicated. The twist was a literal jaw-dropping moment for me. This series is described as “The Witcher meets Game of Thrones,” which is a perfect summation. Yet the story and characters also manage to be fully unique and original. Son of the Poison Rose releases January 10. Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC! But please don’t tell me I have to wait an entire year for book 3!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
consuming epic fantasy
SON OF THE POISON ROSE is a riveting epic fantasy that continues the story of Kagen and his world in a fantastic sequel. The story begins with Kagen and allies in the midst of a battle on the high seas, trying to survive and eventually destroy the Witch-king who destroyed everything they loved and stood for. Magic is reawakening in the world, and a new and terrible disease is spreading. The Witch-king has his eyes set on destroying Kagen, putting quite a price on his head, but after the battle in the previous book, the people no longer see him as invincible, and that hope can be a dangerous thing. This is quite the epic read - it is very lengthy but full of fantasy and action plots to keep the reader on their toes. While there are a lot of characters followed, the scenes are set well, and the reader feels immersed in the world and their interconnected stories. Much like other large fantasy series, this one delivers a compelling cast and world that pulls the reader into it all. The story does feel a bit lengthy in places with a lot of travel in the middle of their journeys, but it really delivers on the magic, mystery, and fight scenes. Fans of the first book are sure to love following along with their favorites into this explosive sequel with new magical problems and situations. SON OF THE POISON ROSE is a consuming epic fantasy that continues a riveting and compelling world and characters with a thrilling end - cannot wait for the next installment! Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com