Breath and Bone
111. Carol Berg, Breath and Bone
Warning: MAJOR spoilers for Flesh and Spirit.
This second book in the Lighthouse Duet continues the story of Valen, a renegade pureblood sorcerer caught in a web of conspiracy as the end of the world draws near. In the previous book, Valen forged an unlikely alliance with a group of monks who, together with certain others, had created a “lighthouse” containing all the world’s knowledge and wisdom, with the intent to preserve it for future generations. Now, as the world’s destruction becomes an ever-more-real possibility, Valen and his friends are its only hope for survival. However, the more Valen learns about his new liege-lord and his own identity, the more difficult his task becomes.
While Flesh and Spirit was an extremely slow-paced exposition of Valen’s world and the various conflicting forces at work, this novel is much more plot-driven. While the cosmic battle between good(ish) and evil is extremely well written and suitably epic, the book’s main focus is Valen’s individual journey to self-discovery. While I really liked Valen and rooted for him as a character, I found the sections on his interactions with the Danae (fey-like creatures who live in a parallel universe to the human realm) a bit dull and slow-moving. However, I was ultimately satisfied by the book’s resolution and very impressed with Carol Berg as an author. I wish I had read this book right after Flesh and Spirit, though; I think my reading experience would have been even richer, although this book does do a good job of recapping the events of the first novel. This is a series and an author I would recommend to epic fantasy fans, and I look forward to reading more of Berg’s work.