The Providence of Fire

I know I said these would come out every week or two, but I figured as I had recently finished this one too I might as well post it. This was the sequel to the Emperor's Blades so why not make it the second post.

Title: The Providence of Fire
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 11 Days

This sequel to The Emperor's Blades was better than I expected. My brother, who recommended the series, warned me that it was not as good as the first one, but I disagree. It was BETTER than the first book in the series.

Kadin, the Emperor, goes off to meet a different sect on monks and finds himself in way over his head. He flees and them sets about single-handedly trying to reclaim his empire.
After a battle with the Flea, Valyn finds himself and his wing stranded on the Steppe surrounded by hostile horsemen.
Adaire discovers her lover and the imperial regent is a regicide and she must ally with those who hate her most to stop him.
On top of all this, the Gods start seeming a lot less mythical and a lot closer to hand

I had two complaints about the first book: one, Staveley used his made up swear words too often; two, he didn't give us enough of Adaire. He fixed both of these problems in the first book, cutting back on his Kent Kissing and more evenly distributing the amount of time spent with each character. We even get a few chapters from the point of view of another female: Gwena, one of Valyn's wingmates. Staveley uses his second book to expand upon the world of the first, telling us more about the lands and the people in which his story takes place. Rather than just continuing the plot, he teaches us more about the religions and the regions, more about the cultures and characters. He does a fantastic job of making the second book do more than the first. On top of all that, the characters change and develop in unpredictable ways instead of always taking the predictable path. Ones thought to be good and innocent mature and start playing the game along with the others. It is all brutal, bloody, and breathtaking. I assume, for no real reason, that this is a trilogy, and I am excited to see how this all ends.
8/10