City of Wolves (Nightmarked, #2) ♦ Kat Ross | Review

After I was already convinced by the first volume of the Nightmarked series, Kat Ross has upped the ante with City of Wolves.

The series of Nightmarked is flawlessly continued in City of Wolves. The story’s suspense keeps increasing by every single chapter. Also, the pace won’t slow down nor will the thrill lessen even when you reach peak scenes. There has already been a lot of activity in the first volume, and I couldn’t imagine that there was still that much more to come.

A Pontifex is dead. Another has risen. Civil war looms and the fate of the continent dangles from the unravelling threads of four lives.

The High Priestess. Kasia Novak fled Novostopol pursued by a shadowy cult calling itself the Order of the Black Sun. Struggling to master her newfound power, she takes shelter with a powerful Kvengard family. The Danzigers are old friends of her mentor Tessaria Foy and promise to see the women safely to Nantwich. But something is very wrong at their remote manor house. Ghostly figures stalk the grounds at night. Her readings hint at dire peril. Who is the Jack of Wolves? To practice the art of cartomancy, one must be willing to open doors. And Kasia knows the true danger lies not in the cards, but what waits on the other side.

The Knight. At the Arx in Kvengard, Alexei Bryce races against time to solve a spate of child abductions. The case leads him down ever darker paths—and towards both his brother and the woman he yearns for. An ancient text on alchemy holds the keys to the mystery, yet not even Alexei suspects the dark purpose for which the children have been taken.

The Martyr. Deep in the Morho Sarpanitum, Lezarius begins to remember who deposed him and drove him mad. The Beast of Bal Agnar—a man the rest of the world believes long dead. Only Mikhail Bryce, rendered mute by his inverted Mark, knows the truth. But the forest itself has turned against them and Lezarius’s only hope lies in Kvengard—if nihilim hunters don’t find them first.

The Fool. At the ruins of Bal Kirith, the Nightmage Malach tries to seduce Nikola Thorn into staying as his lover, but Nikola is not so easily manipulated. She carries Malach’s child—a powerful half-blood—and fears the wrath of his deranged aunt, the Pontifex Beleth. By the terms of their bargain, Malach must help Nikola reach the witches of Dur-Athaara, but letting her go demands that he renounce his selfish nature. A man with one foot in light and the other in deepest shadow, Malach’s choice will have consequences for them all.

City of Wolves ♦ Kat Ross

Opinion

City of Wolves, the second book in Kat Ross‘ Nightmarked series, is an exhilarating adventure. As the three main characters are dispersed over the fictional realm of the Via Sancta, there is plenty of action right away. The inexplicable disappearances of multiple youngsters from the town of Kvengard are being looked into by the story’s hero, Alexei, who is both a soldier and a priest.

After surviving an attack by the pseudo religious group of the Black Sun, Kasia, the wicked cartomancer, is sailing toward Nantwich on a ship. While the night mage, Malach, is in Bal Kirith falling more and more for Nikola, an unmarked charwoman.

And as a new evil was on the rise and threatened the whole humanity, the vanished children, Alexei was looking for, seemed to hold the key to everyone’s redemption. All of these contradictory threads were skillfully woven together into an intriguing story. Kat Ross really did an amazing job with the sequel.

The characters were still developing throughout the book, and occasionally they even caught me off guard! Also, the incredible variety of personalities and trait was refreshing and entertaining. The elicit waves of emotion they went through made me both laugh and sometimes shed a tear. It was also tremendously energizing to see the growth of the plot into areas and characters.

Conclusion

City of Wolves does contain a variety of points of view, which aids in expanding the overall narrative as the individuals strive to figure out exactly what role they play as all these events develop. Due to the numerous turns and surprises, I could hardly stay away from this book.

I received an advance review copy for free at BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nightmarked – The Quadrology

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