This is #3 of Edwards’ Tarot Sequence. Everything I said about #2 applies and then some. Despite Rune’s newly elevated rank and new responsibilities, he’s still the same kid deep down who thinks he has to take care of everything and everyone, and it’s refreshing to watch the people around him try to gently convince him to accept help. The antagonist in this book does a lot to flesh out the culture of Old Atlantis vs the new kids in Rune’s generation, and even though it’s a fantasy culture, the parallels to our society are super obvious. Left pining for the next book as usual (except it’s not written yet, sadly, so it’ll be a while).
Tag: author-k.d. edwards
The Hanged Man, by K.D. Edwards
This is #2 of Edwards’ Tarot Sequence. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the fact that it came to an end and I was still on the waitlist for #3. (Not a cliffhanger ending, just one that raised more questions.) This series is addictive, mixing deadly politics, crazy magic, psychopathic villains, and a really sweet found family, whose members consciously try to bring out the best in one another. The mutual loyalty between Rune and Brant, Addam’s love bound up with respect, the way the introduction of the children brings the characters towards a more responsible version of themselves, the snappy repartee and one-liners that make you whisper them again to yourself as if you were also that cool… it’s all super enjoyable. If I were a teen, I would probably have reread these books until the covers fell off.
The Last Sun, by K.D. Edwards
I thought from the title this might be some sort of dystopian SF ecological planetary disaster, but instead it’s a trippy urban fantasy in which each Arcana of the Tarot is personified as a supernaturally powerful mobster. The Arcana reside in the gritty, violent city of New Atlantis, existing in an unsteady power balance, each answerable only to the others. Rune Saint John, last surviving scion of the fallen Sun court, fights for survival and sanity in a world determined to make it difficult for him, picking up friends and enemies along the way. I loved the portrayal of the interpersonal relationships in this book, as well as the characterizations of the powerful Arcana. Good wrap-up at the end with plenty of threads left hanging for the sequel.