The Charnel Prince (Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, #2) by Greg Keyes

The Charnel Prince (Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, #2) Reviews

• 
  Dirk Grobbelaar

  I believe that The Kingdoms Of Thorn and Bone is one of the most criminally underrated works of fantasy around.
  As far as I can discern, Greg Keyes hasn't exactly been a prolific writer, apart from some tie-in, or shared media, works for the likes of Star Wars and Babylon 5.
  This series stands as his Magnum Opus.
  
  Kingdoms is a seamless and close to perfect blend of old school charm and modern fantasy sensibilities. It is epic and grandiose, but it is also intimate and personal.
  It is a fresh look on the genre, and Keyes introduces some great elements into his story, with some sequences even bordering on the horror fiction of, say,
  H.P. Lovecraft.
  The courtly intrigue is probably not quite as convoluted as people have come to expect from the likes of
  George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice And Fire, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.
  It all depends on personal preference. Personally, too much courtly intrigue, incest, conniving and hoo-hah-ing can put me off. And that isn't the case here.
  
  When I first read
  The Briar King I was really impressed by the prose. If ever there was any doubt about Keyes' writing skills, this series should put that to rest.
  The Charnel Prince takes off right where
  The Briar King closed, and if anything, is written even better.
  The novel positively oozes atmosphere and class. The fighting scenes are depicted masterfully and probably rate as some of the best I've read.
  I think where Keyes really succeeds is in the sense of urgency and menace he generates. There are multiple threads and plotlines interwoven, and if one should fail disaster will surely follow. Impending doom and all that, but Keyes makes the reader believe.
  It's just so much fun to read books like these.
  
  I have a fondness for music, and there is a central theme of music throughout the novel. In fact, it forms a core part of the plot, with one of the new characters introduced being a composer.
  
  The setting, though easily reconcileable with the likes of Tolkien's Middle Earth or Historical Europe, certainly contains some aspects that I haven't encountered in works of fantasy before.
  The creatures, beings and characters conjured up by Keyes are fascinating in the extreme, and most decidedly not run of the mill.
  I really, really love what Keyes has created here.
  
  I am well aware that I'm not the most eloquent reviewer of books, but I really feel a pressing need to convey just how highly I regard this series thus far. There is precious little wrong here.
  The writing is awesome. The characters are awesome. The plot is awesome. The world Keyes has created is living, and breathing, and really awesome. If only all fantasy were like this.
  
  Now that I've humiliated myself by carrying on like a schoolgirl with a Twilight novel under each arm, I hope I have at least convinced you to give this a try.
  Start with
  The Briar King.
  
• 
  Hank

  I don't fully understand why these books are collectively rated under 4 stars. The characters are diverse and only slightly cliche, which is a tough trick in epic fantasies. We have knights, swashbucklers, witches, creepy monks and a whole bunch of other stuff all stuffed into a great story.
  
  I loved Leoff, both for his complete naivete and musical dorkiness and his in your face challenge to the praifec. Sir Neil's fantasy version of Ned Flanders is endearing, particularly when it seems everyone is trying to get him to loosen up. All the characters are growing in ways both expected and unexpected. My only small complaint is that Anne's transformation from girl to princess was a bit abrupt. I know she was growing up and figuring everything out but she became cold far too fast.
  
  I have lost too much sleep reading this book before bed and will wait a bit before starting the third but I am looking forward to it.
• 
  Bcvs

  Very good, this one! So close to a 5 star rating.
  The abrupt, loose ending spoiled it a bit for me and I really, really, really didn't like that last bit about Leoff.
  Still, highly recommended and I will definitely read the next book in the series.
• 
  Shannon

  Well, I feel some people are a bit harsh towards this book compared to the first one, yet, some people are also too generous in ratings. I did, however, give this four stars as I felt this was a 3.5 book, like his last one, and, the time before, I gave him a 3 star rating.
  
  This isn't a five star novel. George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is a five star novel.
  
  That said, it isn't fair to compare anyone to GRRM as he's top of the line and has been writing for over 30 years (i.e. varied in Hollywood and novel genres of sci fi, horror and now fantasy).
  
  In comparison, Keyes has done some spinoff writing for companies but this series is the first of his own. For all purposes, he's a new writer who's making respectable progress.
  
  Overall, I feel this is a solid book. Good but not great, but, certainly way above most of the fantasy novels being published.
  
  Okay, now that we put it on the barometer, time to actually discuss the story.
  
  CHARNEL PRINCE (CP) follows shortly after the first novel. In this tale we have three basic story lines:
  
  (1) Anne Dare's group as she tries to return home and avoid capture (i.e. this includes Neil, the guardian of the queen, trying to track Anne down as well);
  
  (2) Aspar and previous company trying to track down the Briar King, per orders of the Church, and destroy it with the equivalent of an arrow of slaying (i.e. note that these items existed mythologically before the D&D game); and
  
  (3) Focus back on the kingdom with viewpoints mostly on the Queen, who has few allies, and, the composer, who stumbles into court intrigue.
  
  The composer, by far, is the most interesting as there is a focus on music and a national anthem equivalent, which has rarely been done in fantasy works.
  
  In the first novel, I felt that it broke down like this:
  
  GOOD POINTS
  
  (1) Lots of time spent on a believable History;
  (2) good cast of character;
  (3) it moves;
  (4) author is good at creating emotional affects; especially fear and curiousity
  
  BAD POINTS
  
  (1) dialogue needs work. While it doesn't suck it lacks complexity and nuances that we expect in dialogue;
  (2) Some of the characters, like the dialogue, needs development. Lots of archetypes for those who like it;
  (3) a few plot holes.
  
  In the new novel, I would say that the good points still exist and the dialogue is no longer a problem as much. There are still a lot of archetypes used, as well as a few minor plotholes.
  
  BTW, Keyes based many of the kingdom names on the Historical Roanoke colony (i.e. the English colonists who strangely disappeared).
  
  Overall, a good fantasy book but not a great or superlative one. But, once again, better than most fantasy works, so, worth the read.
• 
  Sabrina

  I mostly enjoyed this second instalment The Charnel Prince of the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series. The plot can be described as action-driven and is probably the strongest feature of this series. There is just always something going on, which makes it quite hard to put the book down. I also liked how these separate threads came together towards the end of the book. Again, there is some closure, but the story is in no way finished.
  
  I liked all characters’ POV, although Anne is clearly a favourite. We were also introduced to a few new characters. At first, I did not really get warm with them, though in the end even I couldn’t resist the power of Leoff’s music. I had a bit more problems to keep up with all the saints and found them – in contrast to Traitor's Blade – somewhat weak. The only exception was of course the hymn from Saint Sabrina 😉 Similarly, the use of different languages is rather confusing. I get that makes the world larger and more epic, but the use of these dialects, different names for the same thing was overdone. Instead of inventing an “Alemannish” maybe German would have sufficed?
  
  Again, I didn’t really like the formatting: so many paragraphs and the chapters didn’t even start on a new page. Maybe it was my kindle edition, but it certainly diminished my enjoyment. Finally, the magic is a bit slow to evolve – I would have liked to root for a “smashing evil” scene…
  
  “The world has always had plenty of evil in it,” Artwair said. “But I’ll admit, its face seems to be changing.”
  
• 
  Thomas

  Welcome back to the Kingdom of Bone and Thorn with Keyes’ second instalment. Given my experience with The Briar King, I was confident I was going to be treated to a good read which Mr Keyes delivered much to my delight.
  
  The second novel picks up almost directly after the events at the end of book 1 with a very bleak prospect for most of the cast. All of the starring cast return and Keyes now writes from Queen Muriele’s perspective, as well as introducing the composer Leoff, a character who I became fond of immediately.
  
  The tone is somewhat darker than that of book 1 but given the events at the end of The Briar King this was hardly surprising. The writing is very engaging and evocative with short concise chapters split via the different POV characters, my favourites among these this time were Neil and Cazio.
  
  Some aspects of The Charnel Prince I think were done particularly well, especially the intersecting of some of the storylines, which from most series I do not expect until the 3rd or 4th novel. I was also very impressed with how well the fight sequences were written, in my opinion on a par with the likes of Ryan and Gwynne.
  
  This is such an underrated series and truly deserves more credit. Book 2 deserves 4.5 stars rounded up to 5, my only quibble being that this one like The Briar King was too short (Also I wasn’t too fussed on the final scene, but I guess you can’t have everything). Onto book 3 The Blood Knight, I can’t wait to see what Keyes has in store for some of our cast.
  
• 
  Tracy

  Monsters, gruesome sacrifices, dark sorcery, swordsmen devoted to honor, and a young woman being driven into the arms of her potent destiny are set loose in The Charnel Prince by Greg Keyes. This second novel of his Kingdoms of Thorn and Born epic fantasy series benefits from the setting developed in the first book, and the characters are really allowed to blossom within the adventure.
  
  For fantasy readers, Keyes delivers a complete bill of goods as he weaves multiple fantasy elements such as magic, religion, unfolding prophecies, romance, quests, palace intrigue, and good old monster fighting into a fast-paced novel. A variety of characters fill the story. Some of the characters I found to be developed very successfully, such as Anne Dare, Neil McVren, Leoff, Cazio, and Muriele, and even the bad guy, the Charnel Prince Robert. Other characters do not hook me as much emotionally such as Aspar White, Winna, and Stephen Darige. Their adventures however remain engaging to me. Their quests are of the Dungeons and Dragons variety in which they fight beasts and track priests awakening dark magic across the land.
  
  The Swordsmen
  
  It just would not be an epic fantasy without some fellows swinging steel, and Keyes excels with his portrayals of two different types of swordsmen. First is Neil. He is a knight accustomed to wearing heavy armor, using a broadsword, mace, lance, and fighting on his feet or on horseback. Within him lurks a bloodlusty berserker rage that he dips into when necessary. Second is Cazio, a character inspired by fighters of a more refined and Renaissance flavor. He uses the rapier or saber. His sword style, known as the dessrata in the book, is an art form. I enjoyed considering the subtleties of combat through the personas of these two characters.
  
  Neil offers fantasy readers a good interpretation of the classic knight. He is utterly driven by his sworn oaths. Even when confronted by a bitter betrayal from Anne Dare when he is trying to save her, he remains firmly committed to his mission to help her. Neil is also sexually frustrated having lost his forbidden love in the first book, so he is knight burdened by the angst of unrequited love.
  
  Cazio takes a more cavalier attitude toward love. His feelings for Anne motivate him to protect her in addition to his honor that demands he help a woman in need. Anne’s clear disdain for his potential affection, however, prompted him to casually begin to court Anne’s handmaiden Austra in an attempt to make Anne jealous. The little love triangle he concocts is usually overrun by the need to fight for their lives, but it adds a nice undercoat of drama to the characters’ lives. As a fighter, Cazio is also charming in his arrogance as he continually boasts about his sword skills and more often than not proves them.
  
  The Queens
  
  The unfolding prophecy in this story is that a queen will save the world, which leaves the bad guys in the story working very hard to kill all potential female heirs to the throne of Crotheny. The surviving female heir is Anne Dare, who is seventeen and, by the end of the book, coming into her supernatural powers. She is a well developed and sympathetic character. The author deftly transforms her from a difficult teenage girl concerned only with freedom and her beau to a maturing young woman who realizes that her responsibilities surmount her petty personal concerns.
  
  The other queen is Anne’s mother, Muriele, who is technically the Queen Mother, so she is not actually a female heir to the throne. Her character is pivotal to this novel. Much of the action swirls around Muriele as she struggles to keep her mentally deficient son on the throne as both the Church and rival kingdoms salivate over her vulnerability. Feeling Muriele’s pain was easy as she coped with the crushing grief of having most of her family murdered. Her cleverness as she rolled her way through dicey palace politics was also endearing.
  
  The Court Composer
  
  Leoff Ackenzal is a new character in this second book of the series. He is a musical genius arriving at the imperial capital only to learn that the emperor who hired him is no longer alive. Because the morale of the populace is low – due to monsters stalking the land and whole villages of people going raving made – Leoff manages to retain his position and is commissioned to produce a rousing musical work for public performance.
  
  The author shows that he either researched music very well to write this character or was already well schooled in music. Keyes reveals marvelous technical detail while describing Leoff’s compositions. Although many aspects of the court composer character appear to be lifted straight from the movie “Amadeus,” Leoff is a pleasing and sympathetic character. And his bumbling nerdiness acts as a nice foil to the swordsmen. The performance of his heretical opera at the end also creates one of the book’s most beautifully written chapters.
  
  A Worthy Opponent
  
  The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone epic series is shaping up to be a good read. The fantasy world is richly detailed with various languages, folklore, monsters, politics, and sorcery. Keyes created a multitude of characters, many of which are quite pleasing. For the most part, The Charnel Prince rushes along at a captivating pace, although there are several tedious scenes in which the scholarly Stephen Darige blathers on as he cross references some clue through three arcane languages. Also the paths of the characters tend to cross a little too conveniently for the sake of the plot, but this is forgivable. Whatever minor shortcomings exist within the novel are assuaged by an extremely satisfying climatic fight scene in which Neil takes on an enchanted knight that cannot die.
  
  For good action and pleasing characters, I give this fantasy book a four swords rating – two broadswords, a saber, and a rapier.
  
• 
  Eric

  I guess a typical middle book for a series. My interest was kept, but I had the feeling the characters were plodding through a quagmire. Always going somewhere, but never quite getting there. If someone told you to walk toward a wall closing half the distance with each move, you would move rapidly at the beginning, however the steps then become infinitesimally small and you will never reach the wall. The same with this book.
  
  On a good note. I compared the ending of the first book in the series to the crescendo of a symphony. Here the author gave us a moving opera and a hymn sung by all in joy. Perhaps music is a thread in this epic? On to book three,
  
  The Blood Knight, to find out.
• 
  Eli

  Going into this book, I was afraid the author wouldn't adequately develop the characters he introduced in the first novel. I was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to keep up the pace. I needn't have been concerned. It was very refreshing to read a story showing interesting character development without being hit over the head with it, as I've sometimes experienced in Orson Scott Card's writing. My criticism of the first book was that I didn't quite get deeply enough into the characters' heads, but I think I see now that the story is meant to slide us gradually into the major characters' psyches. It's a refreshing balance. I have sufficient investment to care about the characters, and I don't sacrifice any time spent on the external dramas or the unfolding plot in the process. I might just have to go get the third book and jump it past some of the other books in my queue.
• 
  Neil McGarry

  Like its predecessor in the series, The Charnel Prince is quite the puzzle. Author Gregory Keyes is a solid writer, but here he's working against an awful lots of "cons."
  
  First, Prince is rife with fantasy names that have to be auto-translated into English--"werlic" instead of "certainly" may give the story a otherworldly feel, but it's a speedbump to effortless reading. Fantasy-speak is not limited to grammar, either; there are some sections in which the etymological history of various words is discussed at length, and I found myself lost in descriptions of Vitellian and Crothenic and the gods only knew what else. Another barrier to effortless reading.
  
  Second, this book is long. Really long. Keyes isn't a very economical storyteller, and since each chapter serves only a single purpose, there have to be dozens of them to get you through the tale. That may look good on a store shelf--you're getting so much book for your money!--but I don't think it enhances the reader experience.
  
  Third, the women in this story really need something to do. Anne Dare is finally making meaningful choices, although they don't seem very meaningful. The biggest decision she makes is immediately undermined by fate, which makes me wonder why the readers has to experience her making it. The other females are either captive or just tag along for the hell of it. Winna's been around since the beginning of Book #1, and I still can't understand why she's there. Keyes lampshades this (Winna herself points out that she can't fight, hunt, or track, and must always be protected), but that doesn't make it better.
  
  Most vexing of all, however, is that despite these manifold flaws, every once in a while there would be a plot twist that would pleasantly surprise me, and I'd find myself wondering "What happens next?" Since I think that's the ultimate job of a novelist, Keyes is, in my estimation, successful.
  
  With strong reservations, I still recommend The Charnel Prince.
• 
  Althea Ann

  This excellent fantasy series ("Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone") is very
  reminiscent of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire - except that
  it's actually finished! (There's one more book in the series that I
  haven't yet read.) It follows a similar format, structurally, and the
  'feel' of the writing is very similar. The story itself, however, is
  quite original - at least, more so than many fantasy epics. I mean,
  it's still got Dark Forces and Bold Warriors and Beautiful Queens etc,
  etc... but we want that, right?
  
  The Charnel Prince continues the story right where the previous book
  left off. The titular character is indeed a royal prince - but also a
  traitor, afflicted - or empowered - by a backfired curse, and now
  undead - and seemingly unstoppable.
  His aim is to murder the Princess Anne - who has escaped him with only
  her maid, Austra, and is in hiding as a peasant girl, forced to work
  to earn money to somehow make her way home. Luckily, she is befriended
  by a roguish swordsmaster, Cazio, who helps and defends her.
  Unknown to her, the knight Neil has undertaken a quest to find her and
  help her, but it is much like seeking a needle in a haystack - and
  Anne doesn't even know whether he might be friend or foe.
  Meanwhile, Aspar and Stephen have been charged by religious leaders,
  including the Praifec Hespero, to find and destroy the Briar King -
  but corruption is in the Church, and black magic. Who knows how high
  the evil may have spread? Is killing the Briar King truly the right
  thing to do?
  Hespero is also on a personal crusade, it seems, against the brilliant
  musician and composer Leoff Ackenzal, whose innovative pieces buck
  against church dogma. Recently called to an appointment at court, the
  innocent Leoff finds himself over his head amongst the conniving
  courtiers and courtesans at the palace. Soon, he is worried about more
  than his position - his very life may be at stake.
• 
  YouKneeK

  This is the second book in the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series, and I enjoyed it even more than I had enjoyed the first. The first book, while very good, took time to completely grab my interest. I think that was primarily because there were a lot of characters to get to know, and there were a lot of different plot threads that needed time to develop. It took time for all of these things to be introduced and built up to the point where I was really invested. With this book, I started out fully invested in the story and the characters.
  
  In addition to continuing the story of several of the characters from the first book, this book also introduced a handful of new characters. Leoff, the composer, was the only new character who became a frequent point-of-view character and I thought he was a great addition. We also learned more about characters who were only briefly seen in the first book. A couple of them turned out to be far more than they had originally appeared to be. One of them I had suspected, but the other was a pleasant surprise. The characters in this series are very interesting and fun to read about. The over-all story is interesting enough but, at least for me, this series is more about the characters. Finding out what would happen to them next, and learning more about the ones I didn’t know well yet, was what kept me turning the pages even when I had other things to do.
  
  I thought the ending was a little more open-ended than that of the first book. When the final chapter ended, I felt like the characters were on the brink of accomplishing the goals they’d been working toward, but the brief epilogue made it clear that there’s more trouble to come first. (Well, there’s also the fact that the series has two more books in it!) The epilogue also left one of our main characters in a pretty bad position so, at least for that character, there was a bit of a cliff hanger. I look forward to starting the third book to learn what happens next.
• 
  Andi

  These are deep waters...
  
  I stayed up until three in the morning to finish this, and had to talk myself out of going on to Blood Knight. Keyes delivers in this one. Although much of it is classic fantasy the writing is great, practical yet lyrical. His characters are fabulous, layered, flawed, and interesting.
  
  The thing that keeps me so engaged is the political intrigue, mixed with the background of fantastical monsters and our motley group of heroes. When a composer is the one that delivers the most ringing blow at the end, you know you have a fantasy novel that is a cut above all of the rest.
  
  I very much look forward to the next installment, where the waters are sure to get murkier and more dangerous.
• 
  Brenda

  It has been a really, really long time since I read the first book in this series, and I can't remember anything about it except for that I liked it a lot. I liked this one too, but definitely wish I would have read the books closer together. It's good epic fantasy, and I liked how the different plots related to each other and came together.
• 
  ♥ Unaeve ♥

  What? This is the end already? How did i come to the end so fast?
  Lol!
  "Benefits" of reading books on Kindle..you can get surprised when you come to the last page if yow wasn't monitoring the page numbers(or percent) -and I definitely wasn't because the last 30% of the book was a hell of a raid!
  
  
• 
  Rafo0o3

  This series is starting to become one of my favorite fantasy series, and I’m only 2 books in. I thought the first book was good, but the second one was amazing.
  I don’t know why this series wasn’t picked up as a tv show, its so good!
  
  I find myself caring for all the characters and their journeys. I love the chapters when all the characters I read in separate chapters meet up in one, and seeing them interact with each other.
  
  I can’t wait to read the third book and see what happens next!
  
• 
  Katy

  This one leaves us at a cliff hanger, plenty of action, betrayal, friendship, and hope.
• 
  Monique

  This is the second book in Keyes' epic-fantasy series. I'm not reading many of those kind of series anymore (too long, too similar, too boring, generally), but I've liked Keyes ever since reading 'Chosen of the Changeling'. So, a while ago I bought and read the first book in this series and wasn't disappointed. Took me a while to get round to reading this one, but once again: good read.
  
  I rather like how Keyes takes traditional elements, almost clichéd characters even, yet manages to weave them into a refreshing and appealing story. The series doesn't have too many storylines but still enough to remain exciting, a very nice and interesting villain, and some excellent writing.
  
  True, some of the characters (most notably Anne and Aspar) get on my nerves to know end and I'd be happy to see them snuff it early in the next book, but some others are really quite good. All in all, so far I'd really recommend these books to anyone looking for a traditional-ish series that yet has something new to offer.
• 
  Lasairfiona

  The organization of this book is different from the first book. More of the main characters interact so the chapters aren't organized by character anymore. Keyes seems to be really getting into his writting groove. This isn't high literature but it is a fun read. The story seems to stumble a bit as we try and figure out who is good and who is evil. This changing of opinions should be written with a bit more umph but the main characters coming together gives the book the cohesion it needs. I am really enjoying how the story winds together. I expect the main characters will split up very soon in the third book but that is how it needs to be.
  
  Other than the story trying to find it's own, I think the priest's character development (ie power) is done with a bit of a heavy hand but I will take it since it was so well written in the first book. So much action. I love it.
  
  Great second book. I am looking forward to the third (hurry up and ship amazon!).
• 
  Johnny

  Recommended for: See my review of The Briar King.
  
  Now I am remembering even more why I liked this series when I first read it. Keyes is damned consistent. He doesn't have weaknesses so much as content choices that some readers might not like. I can see readers who want genre-defying writing, or gender neutral writing, or generally edgy writing, being disappointed. But the writing itself can't really be faulted.
  
  Personally, I find the trope-heaviness of this series less infuriating than the verbose, plot-dragging expansiveness of other fantasy series.
  
  Keyes is keeping his shit tight. I like that.
  
  4/5 stars for keeping shit tight.
  
  (Also, writing 'keeping shit tight' three times in a review is fun.)
• 
  Kristen

  Just as with The Briar King, Keyes charges straight into the action and keeps it at full throttle throughout the entire book. Some scenes literally had me holding my breath in suspense, and others left me near tears. The characters we met before return and become even more developed, and those that are new seem like familiar friends.
  
  It's been a while since I've been this fully engaged in a fantasy story. It's about damn time.
• 
  Matt

  A worthy sequel to The Briar King, it retains all the attractive characteristics of the first book (depth, pace, mystery and welcome brevity for epic fantasy).
  
  Cleanly resolves several plots lines from the first book, and raises a few new questions, while managing to provide something that feels like a "whole" book rather than a few hundred pages chopped out of the middle of a bigger book as so many middle books in series do.
  
• 
  amanda

  The second book in the series is much better than the first. Anne grows into a stronger and more likable character (to me, at least), and we finally see some mingling between these groups of characters. Sometimes the dialogue is still a bit eh, but it's easy to overlook as the story is really going at a faster pace and it's exciting to read.
• 
  Julie

  Good continuation of the story, the charcters become more likable as we get to know them more throughout this book. The story also gets better as we move through the book, things aren't as black and white as you believe they are.
  
  I enjoyed it, and look forward to the next book and the series.
• 
  Valerie

  It seemed a long time between sequels! But this was almost as good as the first.
• 
  Joy

  I had to wait 2 days to get this from the library and that it was a trial proves it to be a captivating story.
• 
  Joe Kessler

  Another strong entry in this unfairly-obscure fantasy quartet. I don't like it quite as much as the previous volume, in part since a couple of the new storylines -- Anne's to some extent, but especially Aspar's -- seem to consist largely of characters falling into and out of danger as they trek across the landscape, which is a genre staple that I don't wholly love. It also feels a little less motivated when a few of those separate threads reconnect at the novel's end. Mostly, though, I'd rate it as a minor step down simply because everything impressive about the worldbuilding of the debut is basically familiar now, and this sequel doesn't push forward with as many further revelations of history, magic, or plot as I'd ideally want it to. It's still an immersively-detailed setting, but one that offers fewer surprises this time around.
  
  Luckily, I remember that the series does get there eventually! And I've spotted certain subtle hints to that effect here, although that's all just setup so far. But in the meantime, even as a bit of a bridge book, The Charnel Prince has plenty to appreciate. I adore the new court composer protagonist for his efforts to be brave in the face of a censoring church, and Sir Neil's quest to find and safeguard the lost princess has major Brienne of Tarth vibes. There's fun political intrigue in Queen Murielle's chapters too, and Cazio's rakish swordplay and not-so-secret soft heart are always a delight. Overall, all of these heroes are becoming more confident and competent as the peril facing them grows, and alternating among their scattered positions throughout the realm helps build a sense of looming urgency spreading everywhere. So while I wouldn't say this title is as thoroughly excellent as its predecessor, it's a great segue towards the action that's yet ahead.
  
  [Content warning for gore, torture, and sexual assault.]
  
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• 
  MasterSal

  After a successful Book 1 (see:
  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), I was pleased that this book worked for me quite as well. Not sure why more people haven’t read this as this is a very pleasant, well written fantasy. It is not the most original world but Mr. Keyes has a command over his craft which is commendable and turned out to be engaging and moving.
  
  This was slower than Book 1 as our large cast of characters are moved around to further the plot. I enjoyed the plot and where the story went. I am still not sure of our central heroine, Anne, but she did grow in the book.
  
  The chapters alternate between the characters which was an interesting way of keeping tension. Most of the side characters are interesting so I was engaged, though I usually don't like this style as I feel it's a cop out usually.
  
  Most of the POV characters continue from Book 1 except a new character - a court composer. I didn’t like him as much but I will say his story arc literally made me cry. That is what put this over for me in the end.
  
  I am very glad that this series is done because I can’t wait to pick up the next book soon. I am interested to see how our characters grow - especially our mysterious queen in waiting. A solid installment where the plot construction, supernatural plotting and cast of characters continue to keep me hooked.
• 
  Data

  Ok, most rare event here: a second in a series that rates a 5 star, even though the first didn't quite. The difference here was a first for me. The way music is described by writers is usually a bummer for me; it just does not compare to the real experience. In comes Greg Keyes, and brings a tear to my eye, because of all the things in the book, the musical performance becomes an immersion experience. Add in the above average characters, the rich world-building, and it comes out to 5 stars for me.
  A funny thing though: I always assign the cardinal directions and put the characters into a sort of map in my head as they move about the landscape of a book. In this case, I had the wrong direction every single time in comparison to the map that Keyes has included. Does that make us polar opposites?
• 
  Denise

  As Anne, aided by her companions, attempts to make her way back to Eslen, Muriele sends out her most trusted knight Sir Neil to find her and bring her home while Muriele herself tries to understand what has happened to her family and is doing all she can to consolidate power in the name of her son Charles. Meanwhile, the treasonous plot that killed her husband and two of her daughters moves forward while elsewhere Aspar is on the trail of the Briar King.
  
  Unlike the first book, this one sucked me in from the start, moving at a far quicker and more even pace throughout. Looking forward to seeing where it all goes.