While the ruling council struggles to mend old wounds, other factions sense opportunity. The insidious Parliament of Crows schemes in the shadows, while to the east the Hadari Emperor gathers his armies. As turmoil spreads across the Republic, its ripples are felt in the realms of the divine.
War is coming . . . and this time the gods themselves will take sides.
Reading LEGACY OF ASH was a really interesting experience for me, in a lot of ways. I occasionally allow myself to feel I intimidated by massive epic fantasy novels, and the first book in THE LEGACY TRILOGY was no exception. Like with any new book, it took me awhile to get the hang of the writing, the world, the characters. There were times when I felt like I was a bit lost, in over my head.
But as the book went along, I just got more and more obsessed with it. I fell so hard for so many of the characters. It had all added up to be one of the most impressive fantasy novels I had read in awhile…just a beautiful mix of darkness and light, and something that felt both familiar and totally unique.
Needless to say, I went into book two, LEGACY OF STEEL, with wild levels of enthusiasm, and holy fuck.
HOLY FUCK.
This book builds on everything that was great about the first, the story feels bigger, the world more vivid, and these characters…oof. I’ll be hard pressed to even mention half the characters in this book that left an impression on me, but I honestly think Matthew Ward has assembled one of the most fascinating & engaging cast of characters in epic fantasy.
The story picks up about a year after the events of LEGACY OF ASH. Right away, Ward demonstrates that he’s an author who is unafraid to take chances, because we find the main hero of the piece, Viktor Akadra, just…in the wind.
There was a part of me that almost resisted the pull of this big chunk of the book that’s largely Viktor-less, because he’s such a fucking great character. I missed Viktor while he was away, which was likely the point.
But then again, there are just SO MANY great characters in this book, and the growth and development of many of them from the first book to the second is astounding.
I think when all was said and done, Rosa Orova was likely my favorite character in LEGACY OF STEEL. Taking over the role of the Council’s champion and discovering more and more about her…gifts. Rosa becomes this virtually unkillable badass, like…if you are building up your fantasy novel team, like the Avengers or something…you’re gonna want to add Rosa Orova to your squad.
Rosa also happens to be one half of what’s probably (definitely) my favorite queer couple in fantasy, period. Rosa and Sevaka’s relationship in this book is fucking beautiful and I just ship them, eternally. Oof.
Sidara’s role has also greatly expanded in this, and she’s proving to be one of the more fascinating characters in this story. It seems pretty clear that her explorations with magic are going to put her in a key spot for the final book of the trilogy.
I could just sit here and list all the characters and talk about how fucking great they are…Anastacia (she fucking SLAYS in this one), Kurkas (so grumpy and hilarious, too-old-for-this-shit vibes strong), Apara (always mysterious)… and of course Melanna Saranal, who I will never not root for.
And Viktor Akadra. There’s just something about this character that’s not easy to nail down, but he’s so compelling to me. He’s definitely the dark & brooding warrior that a dark fantasy book like this needs. But there’s a lot more to Viktor beneath the surface…little moments of levity, mixed in with the darkness that seems to follow him. That unwavering sense of loyalty that he shows to the people he cares for…I love Viktor, so damn much.
These books are huge, both in scope and in page count. Unpacking lots of plot details is not something I’m going to do here. But LEGACY OF STEEL is for sure one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. This book surprised me, again and again. It thrilled me. It upset me. It uplifted me. It’s got some of most epic battle scenes I’ve ever read, dark and dangerous magic, monsters, gods behaving badly, and one of the most outstanding cast of characters I’ve ever met. It’s also got great queer representation and disability representation.
I’m not sure what else to say other than I think LEGACY OF STEEL was a goddamn masterpiece, and if the LEGACY TRILOGY isn’t on your radar, it is most definitely worth your consideration. I am simultaneously filled with excitement and dread over reading LEGACY OF LIGHT. That feeling of never wanting this thing to end, and also dying to know what happens…that’s kinda the best feeling.
Grimdark Dad 