Fantasy drew me in as a reader because of the possibilities. It is a genre that allows the imagination to run free to its wildest edges. Some authors choose to stick close to reality with small changes made here and there. Others choose to invent worlds wholly out of the depths of their minds. It is this variety that keeps the genre diverse and enticing. As a reader, this variety gives me plenty of worlds for my own imagination to take respite. I love fictional worldbuidling because of the possibilities. In the Mkalis Cycle, Kerstin Hall’s imagination builds many worlds to tell her tale. Hall began the story in The Border Keeper and continues in Second Spear. This tale of worlds within worlds lets Hall tell a weird, wonderful story about devotion. Second Spear takes readers on a journey through realms and tickles the imagination with possibilities.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.
© PrimmLife.com 2022
TL;DR
Second Spear by Kerstin Hall cements the Mkalis Cycle as an imaginative fantasy series worth reading. Highly recommended.
From the Publisher
Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear is the thrilling follow-up to the Nommo Award finalist, The Border Keeper
After surviving the schemes of a vengeful goddess and learning some shattering truths about her former life, the warrior Tyn feels estranged from her role guarding her ruler. Grappling with knowledge of her identity, she unleashes her frustrations on all the wrong people.
When an old enemy returns wielding an unstoppable, realm-crushing weapon and Tyn is swept up in the path of destruction, she must make a choice about who she is and who she wants to be.
Review: Second Spear by Kerstin Hall
Tyn made a mistake. Second Spear opens in the wake of that mistake. Because of her, her ruler, Res Lfae, angered the powerful ruler of a different realm in Mkalis. She is recovering under the care of the healer tribe. Soon the First Spear suspends Tyn for her actions that put Res Lfae in danger in The Border Keeper. But Tyn is needed to testify against the ruler of a different realm in an important Tribunal of Buyak, a trial that has the potential to shake up the 999 realms of Mkalis.
Second Spear is a third person story focused on Tyn. She learned some important secrets in The Border Keeper, and she’s dealing with them in this story. She’s questioning who she is and if her place in Res Lfae’s community is the correct one. For a novella, there’s a lot of characters in Second Sister. Tyn, Vehn (First Spear), and Rion (a new arrival to Mkalis) get the most screen time here. Vehn and Rion are complementary to Tyn. Though the three are often at odds, they make a good trio. Their social dynamic kept me glued to the book.
The Mkalis Cycle
Second Spear is the second novella in the Mkalis Cycle. Before I requested this, I hadn’t read the first book, The Border Keeper. But since these were short works, I requested book one from the library. I read through it quickly. The story impressed me, and I wanted to see what more Hall could dream up. I would also highly recommend The Border Keeper. As soon as I finished the first book, I immediately began Second Spear. I wanted to be back in Hall’s weird world.
The setting of the Mkalis Cycle consists of two worlds: Ahri and Mkalis. When a person dies in Ahri, they are reborn in Mkalis. And vice versa, I think. It was less clear if those who die in Mkalis return to Ahri. The border between those two worlds is guarded by…the Border Keeper. “She lived where the railway tracks met the saltpan, on the Ahri side of the shadowline. In the old days, when people still talked about her, she was known as the end-of-the-line woman.” Vasethe seeks her out because he wishes to find someone in Mkalis, and only the Border Keeper can let a living person pass from Ahri into Mkalis. His adventures with the Border Keeper throw both of their lives into chaos.
That chaos forms the basis for Second Spear. Both Vasethe and the Border Keeper appear in this novella, but it’s very much Tyn’s story. She’s living through the consequences of Vasethe’s and the Border Keeper’s actions. And like any good guard, Tyn’s first duty is to protect the ruler of her realm. Like any good fictional hero, she rises above and beyond that call of duty to become a legend of her own.
I’m a fan of the Mkalis Cycle. I hope we get a lot more installments. Second Spear kept the story moving while introducing a new point of view. I wonder if future installments will follow this pattern. Regardless, I’ll be reading.
The Realms of Mkalis
As I said in the introduction, I love worldbuilding. Hall has created something special here. The nine hundred and ninety-nine realms of Mkalis offer her so many possibilities as an author. Since Mkalis is the afterlife, the realms don’t have to conform to reality. Each realm is as its ruler wishes it to be. In addition, the ruler of the realm can create rules that all within must abide. For example, in Buyak’s realm the truth must be told. Falsehoods result in pain. There’s a realm in which the inhabitants cannot step backwards; they must travel forwards. The Tribunal takes place in the air over a city described as a burning coal. Another realm is described as having sheets of fungi growing everywhere.
Both The Border Keeper and Second Spear are excellent books with a lot to like about each book. I keep coming back to the worlds Hall has made because they’re fascinating. Though each book is slim by the standards of fantasy publishing, the worlds within are expansive, imaginative, and yet believable. I think what makes them work is that each realm is internally consistent, and Hall’s character treat them as such. Each realm reveals bits and pieces about the characters in how they act within.
Journey, Not Destination
Second Spear is Tyn’s book. But here she’s continuing a journey that began in The Border Keeper. She’s a warrior and a damn good one. We know that she rose quickly through the ranks to become Second Spear. Her ascension through the ranks earned her the nickname of ‘Upstart’ because she is young and yet so capable. We see this throughout the story. Yet, in this story, she begins to question her place as a guard. For the realm of Res Lfae, this means questioning her tribal identity as well. It seems that in their realm the tribe determines the occupation. While this isn’t a hard and fast rule, it’s one that most stick to. So, her questioning has larger implications for her.
Complicating her questioning is her devotion to her ruler. Tyn is a protector, and she’s very concerned protecting Res Lfae. This is because whoever kills a realm’s ruler can claim the realm. Lfae is a good ruler, and Tyn wishes to keep them. Tyn’s devotion to Lfae and need to make amends for her mistake drive much of her action here. It’s this devotion to Lfae and her people that make Tyn so interesting to read about. She dedicates herself to protecting others, and she’s very good at it. But it may not be what she wants. I look forward to seeing how this develops in future installments of the Mkalis Cycle.
Conclusion
Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear is an excellent, imaginative story. It expands and deepens the worlds Hall created in The Border Keeper. Highly recommended.
Second Spear by Kerstin Hall is available from Tor.com on August 16th, 2022.
© PrimmLife.com 2022