Legacy of Steel

Starred review from September 28, 2020
The outstanding second fantasy in Ward’s Legacy trilogy (after Legacy of Ash) keeps the drama rushing along at an exciting clip through a fiendishly complicated plot. First and foremost, there’s the war between the Tressian Republic, championed by Josiri Trelan and Viktor Akadra, and the Hadari Empire, led by Prince Kai and his ambitious daughter, Melanna Saranal. Simultaneously, supernaturally powerful kernclaw assassins threaten both realms. But there are over 50 characters on the novel’s list of dramatis personae, and 10 of them are “divinities” who enjoy meddling in human affairs. Ward’s experience as a game designer serves him well as he shifts focus frequently, mixing massive battles with intimate personal moments, as in the moving scene in which Josiri’s sister realizes she is not the person she had imagined herself to be. The human struggles mingle with conflict between semimortal gods as the threat of the Third Dawn, or the end of the world, looms. Ward presses all the right, well-worn buttons with enough vigor to make them feel fresh. The result is a ripping yarn that more than earns its length. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary.