Synopsis:

Murder. Secrets. Sacrifice: Three women seek the truth of the empire’s past. And the truth they find has the power to ignite a war in the sequel to The Final Strife, the continuation of a visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by Africa and Arabia.

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens’ Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn’t commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.

Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision, does she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?

Hassa’s web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on a trail of crimes in the city. Her searching uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire’s past and present. Now, she must guard both her heart and her land.

The three women find their answers, but they’re not the answers they wanted. The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world.

And it sings a song of war.

Ready we will be, when the Ending Fire comes,
When the Child of fire brings the Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum.
Ready we will be, for war will come.

Review:

In book 2 of The Ending Fire trilogy we are back following three women in a world where your blood is your status. Red for those in power, blue for the common folk and clear for the invisible slaves.

Book two for me was a step up from the first. I read The Final Strife last year and while it was good, there were things I was disappointed with. The Battle Drum however, sucked me in quickly and kept my attention all the way through. We pick up where book 1 ended, with Sylah traveling to a new land, Anoor becoming a disciple and Hassa remaining a spy in Nar-Ruta.

I loved exploring new parts of the world in this instalment. The new continent and its environments were really interesting, and the revelation about blood colours at the start (no spoilers here!) was so cool, and really added a lot of layers to the themes of classism that are so important in this series.

This book is something of a middle book as there was a lot of setup for what is to come in the finale, but I didn’t find it dull at all. The unfolding politics, the new people and agendas and the mystery were all so well done that I spent a lot of the time trying to piece things together and predict what it would all lead to.

The characters all went on their own journeys of development here, perhaps aside from Anoor. I felt she got stuck in a loop and didn’t really move forward at all. Hassa really shone in this book, and I liked learning more about the Ghostings and her relationships with other characters. Sylah was annoyingly stubborn, but we do explore new emotional depths as she struggles to come to terms with a number of things, including addiction.

Overall this was a fantastic book with lots of twists and revelations. The stakes have risen and El-Arifi doesn’t shy away from embracing a darker tone here. I am excited to see what happens in the finale, and I highly recommend giving the series a go!