Here is my review of book 1 of this series: The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao

Synopsis:

In this dazzling sequel to the The Surviving Sky, Ahilya and Iravan risk everything—their lives, their culture, and their fragile marriage—in pursuit of the earth-shattering truth about their existence.

Two months have passed since Ahilya and Iravan learned the devastating truths behind the earthrages. As the cosmic creatures struggle to break into the world, and Nakshar’s architecture disintegrates, the desperate council summons their sister ashrams to a Conclave, to discuss the future of life in the skies.

Ahilya, now a councillor, is determined to share the truth about the cosmic beings and the nature of Ecstatic trajection so she can liberate ordinary citizens and save the condemned architects. Her conviction has alienated her allies and created dangerous enemies. Only Iravan has a chance of persuading the Conclave that Ecstatics are not unstable, but he returns from the jungle struggling with his own Ecstasy. He has little control over his second-self, the primal falcon yaksha, and finds the Conclave hostile to his cause.

As strange, deadly storms break out, threatening refuge even in the skies, Iravan and the other Ecstatic architects face brutal reprisals. And with the barrier restraining the cosmic beings thinning, Ahilya and Iravan know they are running out of time to save everyone. Thrust into the center of the storm, both will have to confront what matters most to them, who they really are, and what it means for the future of humanity.

Review:

It’s been almost a year since I read The Surviving Sky, so it took me a few chapters to settle back into the world and the magic system since it really is complex. I discovered afterwards that there’s a glossary at the back! So take note if you’re struggling to keep track of the magic. Once I had found my feet again though, I flew through the pages. Unrelenting a good title – it was almost nonstop action from start to finish!

As with book 1, the worldbuilding was incredible. Every little thing is connected to something else. The characters, the planet, the culture, the ashtas… they all link together in a multitude of ways and are constantly changing each other. I really enjoyed going deeper into how the ashrams are built and maintained in this instalment, and I also liked seeing characters from other ashrams come into play.

We also went a lot deeper into the magic system in this book. I admit I did struggle a bit here, as it was a lot to understand. However, we are learning things alongside Iravan, so I don’t think everything is supposed to be crystal clear right away. Eventually it all made sense, and ultimately this fact didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story.

The plot really ramps up from the end of book 1, with Ahilya and Iravan’s relationship again at the core of the story, both of them struggling with the relationship itself and the monumental tasks they are faced with. Rao writes her characters so wonderfully, their emotions are palpable and you can really feel their desires and pain through the pages.

Hindu philosophy is core again here, rebirth and one’s duty playing huge roles, with Ahilya and Iravan pulling in different directions so that it makes it hard to know sometimes who you want to support! As I said at the start, it’s action packed and the ending! No spoilers here but goodness me, I think book 3 is going to be epic.

Thank you so, so much to @titanbooks for sending over a copy for me to read and review!