Light of Honor begins when paleontology-archaeology grad student Nikki and her professor are aboard the Wind Runner, escaping from international organizations intent on hunting them down before they uncover more secrets from the past and future. It’s an action-packed beginning and does not waste any time dredging up the details of the past book. In the previous book, Nikki had explored the distant past by inhabiting the body of Rogaan, a teenager who was found in stasis in her archaeology dig. This time, she learns about a humanoid race called Evendiir and its connection with Rogaan. It’s a rush to disentangle the puzzles both these artefacts have created before Nikki gets hunted down.

This is a sweeping and dramatic story that just swoops you out of wherever your mind currently is and takes you to magical faraway lands. It is definitely an intense read that digs into the details, even going as far as giving us the make and style of the secondary character’s shirt. However, I think this is to be expected from an epic fantasy read that is building a fully realized world. It really allowed me to see, hear, feel, and experience new worlds, whether past or present.

I would say it is similar to the first book, Paths of Anguish, in terms of pace and suspense but the tone is darker. It has a deeper and more gritty atmosphere. There is an element of psychological thriller to it which really just made it all the more better. Watching Aren and Nikki struggle with their memories and piece together an increasingly complicated puzzle was an extremely satisfying process. Nikki and Rogaan definitely grew on me more in this book as they had to tackle some complex moral dilemmas that really allowed me to understand the way they ticked. It was incredibly easy to root for them after watching them struggle and be vulnerable.

I don’t think it’s necessary to read the first book in the series to enjoy this one but it would be a good idea to get familiarized with the vocabulary and dialect of the ancient world. There’s also some Easter egg-ish storylines that were continued or wrapped up from the first book. Light of Honor is a thrilling fantasy adventure read that knows where it’s going and takes the most entertaining path to get there.

Pages: 294 | ASIN: B0186PBOIC