An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington

 

An Echo of Things to Come (The Licanius Trilogy #2)  by James Islington with Michael Kramer (Narrator), 26 hrs, 29 min (752 pages)

"Davian has won a victory for the Augurs, but treachery surrounds him and his allies on all sides in the second book of the acclaimed Licanus Trilogy, in which "fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire." (The Guardian)

Following a devastating attack, an amnesty has been declared for all Augurs -- finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against the land of Andarra.

The Augur Davian and his new allies hurry north toward the ever-weakening Boundary, but fresh horrors along their path suggest that their reprieve may have come far too late.

The new Northwarden, his ally in the Capital, contends with assassins and politicians and uncovers a dangerous secret. Meanwhile, their compatriot Asha begins a secret investigation into the disappearance of the Shadows.

And Caeden races against time to fulfill a treacherous bargain, but as more and more of his memories return, he begins to realize that the two sides in this ancient war may not be as clear-cut as they first seemed. . ."--Provided by publisher

The second book in the Licanius trilogy had my head spinning. Honestly, as much as I love epic fantasy, this author and this narrator, there was just too much of a complicated history. I was absolutely lost for a lot of the story. I can usually push through a lot of story arcs and plots, but between characters having several different names, secret societal groups, and so.much.backstory, I just got lost, unfortunately. I won't be continuing on with the series right now, but I'm leaving myself open to trying again in the future!

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

 The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy #1) by James Islington with Michael Kramer (Narrator), 25 hrs, 28 min. (725 pages)

"As destiny calls, a journey begins. 

It has been twenty years since the godlike Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them -- the Gifted -- are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers. 

As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he and his friends Wirr and Asha set into motion a chain of events that will change everything. 

 To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is. In the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir." Provided by publisher

I picked up this first book in the series because I read a James Islington book that I absolutely loved a couple years ago (The Will of the Many) and because of narrator Michael Kramer, who I have found to have impeccable taste in fantasy novels. When diving into this book, be prepared for a lot of characters, but a core group of characters that you get attached to. There is a lot of world building and character development, as it should be in any first novel in an epic fantasy series. This is a complex world with complex characters, and I enjoyed learning how they connected. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.