Blood of Innocents & A Shattered Empire by Mitchell Hogan
Since I read the last two books, Blood of Innocents and A Shattered Empire, in Mitchell Hogan’s SORCERY ASCENDANT series one upon the other, I’m just going to review them together. There may be minor spoilers for book two (you’ll know which characters survive for instance), but I’ll avoid major spoilers. The takeaway is that the series disappoints in its conclusion, making it one I can’t recommend starting, and so as usual with my negative reviews, this will be relatively brief.
The narrative picks up where A Crucible of Souls ended. Caldan is on the run from Anasoma’s invasion with a group of allies (including Amerdan and Elpidia), though that term is used pretty loosely — some are reluctantly part of the group and most have dark secrets. Along the way they manage to pick up one of the invaders’ mages (Bells), who offers the possibility of healing the wounded Miranda and teaching Caldan some of their more advanced magic, even as she plots her escape. As the tale progresses through Blood of Innocents and then into A Shattered Empire, Caldan has to navigate the politics and hostile nature of the Empire’s various factions such as the Protectors, the Warlocks, and the Emperor himself, not to mention the invading forces and the strange group that offers themselves as allies with the Empire against the invaders. As with book one, A Crucible of Souls, we have multiple POVs beyond Caldan’s, including Amerdan, Aidan (soldier with a conscience) and Vasile (the magistrate who can tell when someone is lying).
I found A Crucible of Souls to be relatively uninspired, with issues ranging from thin world building and a reliance on some overly familiar tropes. These problems were at least partially overcome by some likable characters in Caldan and Miranda. Unfortunately, the sequels have the same problems, add a few more, and the characterization is not as strong. Miranda, for instance, is reduced to little more than a prop for much of the story and Amderdan’s story feels like it goes nowhere. In fact, the story feels overall like it lacks an overarching, planned out vision with plot points raised and dropped, the magic feeling arbitrarily employed, plotting turning increasingly muddy, and multiple characters’ actions often making little sense or feeling contradictory.
As noted, the first book had its issues, so I can’t say I was sorely disappointed with the sequels, but I didn’t expect the books to regress either. Hogan shows flashes here and there, and can at times write a taut, strong scene, but the long term consistency and execution just isn’t there.
Blood of Innocents — A novice sorcerer may hold the key to saving his world—or be the instrument of its destruction—in this second book in The Sorcery Ascendant Sequence, a mesmerizing saga of high fantasy that combines magic, malevolence, and mystery. Anasoma, jewel of the Mahruse Empire, has fallen. As orphaned, monk-raised Caldan and his companions flee the city, leaving behind their hopes for a new beginning, horrors from the time of the Shattering begin to close in. With Miranda’s mind broken by forbidden sorcery, Caldan does the unthinkable to save her: he breaks the most sacrosanct laws of the Protectors. But when the emperor’s warlocks arrive to capture him, Caldan realizes that his burgeoning powers may be more of a curse than a blessing, and the enemies assailing the empire may be rivaled by more sinister forces within. And soon, the blood of innocents may be on Caldan’s own hands.
Sometimes it’s a relief to read a review and know that I *don’t* have to add three more books to the “go get them” list.