Cast in Secrets and Shadow (Loresmith, #2)

CAST IN SECRETS AND SHADOW continues to have all the wonderful world-building and mythology that made the first book a great read. It also moves at a bit of a faster pace now that Ara and her group are more sure-footed about their quest to free Saetlund’s gods from their greatest weakness.
A pattern has been established that someone new will come into Ara’s path and will prove themselves worthy of becoming a new Loreknight. We see a total of 3 Loreknights by the end with hints of many more positions to fill. That speaks to an action-packed third book if they are going to finish their quest, fill the positions, and fight the Vok in a battle to reclaim their homeland. I hope with that many tasks left that it is done well and not rushed.
The budding romance between Ara and Teth was enthralling. Especially using an audiobook their heated exchanges made it hard to stop listening. Ara’s fears that her duty as the Loresmith will be compromised if she loves Teth more than the others adds a bit of tension and keeps the romance at a slow burn. Just when she has decided that she is punishing them both beyond reason, his fate takes a surprising twist at the end.
Overall, this book has a well-done quick pace for an epic fantasy. There is a lot to accomplish in the last book if they are to win the day and I hope it continues to have the right amount of pacing not to feel rushed to a conclusion.

CAST IN SECRETS AND SHADOW is an action-packed sequel to FORGED IN FIRE AND STARS. While still including much of the mythology and world-building that made the first one so great, this sequel takes off in terms of action, adventure, and romance. Eamon has now abandoned his twin sister and friends, turning to the high wizard of Vokk. Ara is fully invested in being the Loresmith, continuing the journey begun in the first book, to seek out the other gods, their forges, and anointing those they have chosen as Loreknights.

As they seem to find danger at every turn, Ara grapples with how to fulfill her destiny while also being true to herself and her feelings. She has accepted her fate, but it is not an easy path to walk as she fears for those around her and seeks to do her best at the tasks given. As the Vokkans continue their plotting and destruction, Ara and her crew must continue forward despite the great costs along the way.

What I loved: The world-building and mythology are truly incredible here, and I loved learning about some new gods in this world as well as the way people have continued their work and reacted to the problems. The challenges continue to be really fascinating, and I loved not only the challenges themselves, but especially the journey. There is a new character which we meet after not too long, and I absolutely adored them. The core character group is filled with people I found really compelling and cannot help but love. There are definitely some nail-biting moments as a result.

This book moves even faster than the first, while everything continues to make sense and be explained just enough. It's great for readers who appreciate the just-right quick adventure speed. There is also a lot of character growth in the story, as particularly Ara and Nimhea must define themselves and their roles as they continue forward. Both characters really develop in the story, and Nimhea comes into her own. I continued to adore Lahvja, Teth, and other recurring characters. The people in this story really come to life, and I appreciated their wit, humor, and truths.

The themes here are even further developed around religion, sacrifice, conquering, destiny/fate, love and its selfishness, and duty versus feelings. These were really thought-provoking and would make this a great book for discussion in a book club.

What left me wanting more: As a small point, this does have a middle book feel, as we take a few steps, but are still so far from the big picture. However, I don't think it could have gone further without missing some important parts or rushing too much.

Final verdict: With intricate world-building and compelling characters, CAST IN SECRETS AND SHADOW is a fascinating and thought-provoking YA fantasy sequel. Highly recommend for fans of FURYBORN, FIREBORNE, and THE YOUNG ELITES.