Book 24
Peridot: War and Peace by M.D. Grimm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This follows on the heels of book one (and you would benefit by reading that one. While this can be read as a stand alone you'd be losing a lot by doing so). Morgorth and Aishe are partners and in many ways Morgorth is struggling with the idea. He's used to be being alone and hated. Morgorth sometimes makes you want to slap him with the way he pushed Aishe away and how prickly, alpha male he can be but it does make sense. He was abused as a child and hated by his mage compatriots his entire life. That does not make for an easy man but Aishe is understanding and accepting. And he needs to be because things are about to hit the fan.
The council, which already hates Morgorth, doesn't want him to have the ruby of power that he got in book one and against their own rules they are insisting that he give it to the two representatives they've sent, Nanna (which might be the wrong name...) and Dyrc who absolutely loathes Morgorth. They have invaded Morgorth's territory and challenge him. He realizes that the council more than means business and Dyrc especially will stop at nothing. Morgorth's mentor and elder of the council his lone mage supporter, was absent for the vote on him surrendering the ruby and is still out of touch. Morgorth doesn't know if he's been abandoned or if something has happened to his mentor.
Worse, he's faced with the loss of everything he holds dear if he doesn't give up the stone. Even Aishe's life could hang in the balance.
I did like this a lot. There is a lot of action and even more importantly Morgorth grows as a character. It's a fun fantasy adventure.
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