Synopsis – A dark enemy rises, driven by radical beliefs and armed with destructive weapons. The Wardens must respond.
Urgency forces ICON to accelerate the training of their new recruits, for a new Empire has captured the eastern kingdoms and seeks to conquer all of Issalia. Although a raw and untested squad, the Wardens might be the only hope of stopping this imposing threat.
Everson is a gadgeteer, tasked with harnessing a magical power source. Leveraging his brilliance, he enhances existing machines and creates new inventions that astound his superiors. His next amazing discovery might save lives…or it could destroy them.
Destined to become an espion, Quinn hones her skills in preparation of her first mission. Intense training, combined with her fierce determination and fearless nature, transforms her into something more…something lethal. However, skills of a different nature are required when she finds herself alone and surrounded by enemies in a land far from home.
Joined by magic-wielding royal twins and a small group of veterans, these individuals shall become Issalia’s shield against monsters and tyranny. Regardless of what occurs, ICON must remain vigilant, for the machinations of their enemy extend far beyond what anyone suspects.
The Arcane ward is the sequel to A Warden’s Purpose and the second book in the Warden’s of Issalia series. When I first started reading The Arcane Ward is was intrigued to see how Jeffrey L. Kohanek would progress the story as the ending to A Warden’s Purpose was a very interesting and was left in such a way that there was a lot that could be done with the story.
Upon reading the first chapter I discovered that I was not going to be immediately reunited with Everson and Quinn. Instead we are introduced to two new characters, Brandt and Cassilyn who are the son and daughter of the main character’s Brock and Ashland from the Runes of Issalia series. With this diversion in the story I was intrigued to see how these characters would play out considering how much of an important role their mother and father played in the previous series. What we get are two characters who initially come across as two spoiled, rude and very arrogant children who are always causing trouble for their parents.
When I first started reading about Brandt and Cassilyn I was slightly surprised by their behavior as I found it a little difficult to believe that the son and daughter of Brock and Ashland would grow up to be this way and was slightly disappointed to see them developed this way.
However this is changes when they start to attend the Fallbrandt Academy and they start to develop into more likeable and interesting characters, especially with a special power these two have. There is one particular instance in the book where Cassilyn and Brandt both have their ego’s popped and they quickly realise that they aren’t as talented as the have lead themselves to believe, this quickly changes their attitudes and even humbles them slightly.
One aspect of The Arcane Ward I didn’t enjoy as much as the previous book was the story. Due to the introduction of Cassilyn and Brandt a lot of time is spent developing them and seeing their interactions with Everson and Quinn as well as the other characters at the academy. Due to this we don’t really see any real progression in the story until around the 50% mark. This however is balanced off with the fact that Jeffrey L. Kohanek has made all the characters very interesting in their own way and it makes it a lot easier to progress through the book even when not much is happening with the main plot.
Once you reach the point in the book where the story starts to progress further we quickly start to see where the story is headed and we are treated to some fantastic scenes with Quinn in particular. Due to these scenes and her interactions with other characters I have found Quinn quickly becoming my favourite character in this series.
With how The Arcane Ward ended I am very intrigued to see how the story progresses from here because with most of the main character development out of the way I can see the third book in the series by a very wild and enjoyable ride. Even though I didn’t enjoy this The Arcane Ward as much as the previous book A Warden’s Purpose I still enjoyed it overall and I am really looking forward to seeing what Jeffrey L. Kohanek has planned for the sequel.
The Literary Raven Book Reviews 