Review: The Thousand Eyes

The Thousand Eyes by A.K. Larkwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This went all kinds of unexpected places and, like the first book, was a ton of fun.

Also glad the series is done in two books.

WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for the first book of the series.

This book picks up with Csorwe, Shuthmili and Tal doing their own thing after separating from Sethennai. However an expedition to a hidden temple brings all kinds of snake-y trouble and relationships are about to be seriously tested.

I really love this series for how unique and unpredictable it is. The world building is fascinating - even if it crumbled a little for me between books - and there are so many layers to the characters. There are different religions and gods are overwhelmingly present and causing mischief. The story travels such fantastic, unfamiliar paths.

There is a time jump in this book that slowed me down a little, as it was so completely unexpected. But ultimately I appreciated how much more depth came from the intervening time and it did really take the story somewhere I wasn't expecting. Things just started happening and kept on going and before long I couldn't help but be caught up in what was unfurling.

The relationships feel so very real but not so much that you lose a sense of wonder and a desire for them to grow a certain way. For example, I love the way Csorwe and Tal bicker and insult one another, but I still wanted for them to have that unbreakable friendship that is one of my favourite fantasy novel feels. Tal, in particular, was such a brilliant character. He had so many fantastic moments and was a big part in setting the tone of this series.

The writing is succinct and has a wonderful blend of cleverness, poetry and simplicity. The story never gets lost amongst pages of description, but the world still appears vibrant. I never felt like I was wading through pages to 'get to the good stuff'. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for whatever comes next from this author.

A fantastic conclusion to a well-written, unique fantasy series.

With thanks to Macmillan for a copy

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