Review: Death Mask by Dusk Peterson

It was worth getting through book one to get to this much more deft book. I'm still not a fan of some of the worldbuilding. But this is a story about determination and willpower.

It's also much more pro religion than the first volume, mostly because we see actual devotion, not just dogma.

It's also about slavery, which the author clearly has strong feelings about...in the right direction. We see the world from the viewpoint of a slave, and not just any slave, but one bound to a form of servitude that might actually be worse than the Peculiar Institution.

But we also see that nice slavery is still slavery. Which is all I'll say about that. It's worth checking out this series...but you'll have to get through book one to fully understand this one.

Review: Blood Vow by Dusk Peterson

Each book gets better. This one also features a romantic friendship, albeit of a very different nature.

The author explores the idea that somebody who has no equal nonetheless needs a friend. And has some amusing reader irony that, well, I would ruin it for people by explaining.

There's also more about the nature of slavery. Yeah, strong feelings there. Slavery, freedom, and the idea that a ruler may...and should...be a slave to the law.

(Note that if you've read the earlier books, you'll know how this one ends. it doesn't make it any less enjoyable, though).