Steward of Song: Not as good as the first

Steward of Song by Adam Stemple

Steward of Song is the sequel to Singer of Souls, an excellent and original urban fantasy novel by Adam Stemple. I enjoyed the first novel very much, but unfortunately wasn’t as impressed with this sequel. Singer of Souls had a great narrative curve, building up the plot and the tension very carefully, from a slow start to a gradual exposition to an explosive climax. I simply couldn’t put it down. Steward of Songmaintains more or less the same pace all through the story, making this a less compulsive read.

Steward of Song also uses several points of view rather than the single POV of the first book: the story alternately focuses on Bridie and Scott, two siblings of Douglas (who was the protagonist of the first book). Until the very end of the novel, the two points of view are mostly separate, which dilutes the narrative tension even more. The ending of Steward of Song thankfully is quite satisfying, and also hints at possible further stories about the Stewart family.

I really liked Singer of Souls, but Steward of Song gets just 2 stars from me. Still, I recommend Singer of Souls to everyone, and I will definitely check out anything Adam Stemple writes in the future.