The second outing in Herman's Blood of Gods and Royals series following Legacy of Kings (2015), continuing the tale of Alexander the Great and his compatriots as teens.A cast of dozens, with eight narrative perspectives (six teens and two adults), full of reawakening magic, sex, and lots and lots of violence: it's the formula behind George R.R. Martin's bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire, and there's no doubt it has appeal. Indeed, the present-tense narration and the short, sometimes-choppy sentences ("The two men guarding the doorway relax when they see him. Good job,' he says, clapping them on the back. He waves to his men on the other tower. Where's Phrixos?") on occasion make this sound like the chapter-book version of exactly that stripe of epic fantasy, although the lack of certain trappings like a map or list of important figures (many of them historical) leads to a needlessly confusing reading experience. Regardless, fans will love this volume: the stakes are higher, the romantic permutations continue unabated, and the impressive battle scene is lovingly rendered. It's a strangely balanced romantic fantasy, both old-fashioned (misogyny; wicked, promiscuous queen) and forward-thinking (Alex seems to be asexual; Cynane owns her sexual desires and actions), and set in a time and place that guarantees multicultural exoticism.This middle volume offers a rising plot and ever bigger baddies; anyone who makes it this far is definitely in for Volume 3. (author's note; discussion guide) (Historical fantasy. 14 up) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book two in Herman's Blood of Gods and Royals series continues the bloody, operatic saga of teenage Alexander the Great and his friends, foes, and family, begun in Legacy of Kings (2015). Alexander, acting regent in Macedon, has won his first battle, but he turns on his advisors out of paranoia, seeking a traitor. Katarina and Hephaestion undertake a secret mission to Egypt on Alexander's orders, while Persian princess Zofia, still searching for the Spirit Eaters, seeks escape from her captor. Princess Cynane, after being tortured by the Aesarian Lords, enters into a murderous pact with the queen, and Jacob, now an Aesarian Lord, realizes he possesses blood magic, the very thing he's sworn to eradicate. Historian Herman mixes colorful history with the schemings of gods and mortals, involving sacrificial magic, cursed spirits, and dark prophecies. With so many focal characters, there is only so much time for individual story arcs to develop, leading to a shallow but swift, suspenseful volume well-positioned for a thrilling climax.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2016 Booklist