Leviathan’s Blood

The second installment of Peek’s epic fantasy Children Trilogy (after The Godless) is innovative in concept but long-winded in execution. The threat of war looms over the island city of Yeflam, where refugees from the fallen realm of Mireea have fled. Zaifyr, a child of the original gods who was cursed and imprisoned, has vowed to make war on a new god, who’s known only as “the child,” and her followers. He meets Ayae, an orphaned young girl who is later discovered to possess fire powers. Their story lines intertwine with that of mercenary soldier Bueralan Le, who was once the captain of the Refuge, a group sworn to protect the innocent and helpless. Le is now a defeated exile, but is drawn back into resistance against the child. The complex actions of these three major figures within the “deadly game of politics” occupy most of the hefty narrative, which is exhaustively detailed and requires close knowledge of the first volume. This lengthy, dark excursion into bleak stretches of human imagination demands more attention to strange names, shadowy characterizations, and peculiar plot twists involving inhumane rituals than many readers may be willing to muster. (June)