Saint Death's Herald by C.S.E. Cooney
- Fiction Fans
- May 28
- 21 min read
Episode 191
Release Date: May 28, 2025
Your hosts read Saint Death's Herald, the second book in the Saint Death series. They discuss how much they remembered from book 1, and how that affected their experience with book 2. They also talk about the various relationships (from heartwarming to delightfully toxic) and their favorite animal companions (all of them. Every single animal, dead or alive or just less dead).
Thanks to the following musicians for the use of their songs:
- Amarià for the use of “Sérénade à Notre Dame de Paris”
- Josh Woodward for the use of “Electric Sunrise”
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
Episode Transcript*
*this transcript is generated by Descript, please excuse the mess.
Lilly: 0:04
Hello and welcome to Fiction Fans, a podcast where we read books and other words too. I'm Lily,
Sara: 0:10
And I'm Sarah. And tonight we will be discussing St. Death's Harold by CSE Cooney.
Lilly: 0:17
but before we begin, let's start with something good that happened recently. Sarah, what have you got for me?
Sara: 0:24
I actually have multiple good things.
Lilly: 0:27
Ooh.
Sara: 0:28
For once. So the first good thing is that a couple of weeks ago I hard pruned some of my geraniums in pots, which I know geraniums can take. They're really hardy, but it's been really warm. And these geraniums were looking like very, very, very dead. They looked brown and just plain dead, but they weren't dead because they now have little green leaves on them. So I'm very pleased that I did not actually kill my geraniums. So that's my first good thing. And my second good thing is that today my stepfather changed the light fixture in my bathroom so that it is not motion activated, which means when I am in the shower, it will not turn off. is something that I have been complaining about for the six years I've been in this house, and it took like all of an hour to do. Well, actually it was an hour to do both the bathroom and the half bath, but I'm really pleased by this change.
Lilly: 1:30
You can shower in the light now.
Sara: 1:32
I can, like, it gets, my bathroom gets really dark when that light, like yes, there's the light, the fan light, but the main light goes out and it's really dark in the shower.
Lilly: 1:44
I can one up you with that. When the power goes out, our bathroom that has the good shower does not have any windows. And so you ha do have to in fact shower by candlelight.
Sara: 1:57
Yes, you can one up me.
Lilly: 1:58
That is exceptional circumstances though. You had to deal with it every day.
Sara: 2:02
Yes.
Lilly: 2:04
My good thing is also gardening related. Although you had two good things. I'll allow it this once.
Sara: 2:11
Well, it's because if I don't use them now, I'm gonna forget them for the like next time we record.
Lilly: 2:18
My loofah's sprouted.
Sara: 2:21
Ooh.
Lilly: 2:21
I have the worst look with squash. I don't know. What it is. Everyone says that if you plant a zucchini, like never plant more than one zucchini'cause you'll get too many. Last year I had three zucchini plants and got two. So yeah, just not, I don't
Sara: 2:38
That is, yeah, I, I wonder what it is about where you
Lilly: 2:43
it's not even that though.'cause like my neighbors say, oh I have so many fuck you.
Sara: 2:48
Okay. So I wonder, I wonder what it is about where you're planting them specifically.
Lilly: 2:53
Anyway, my zucchini plant this year also abysmal. I don't know if it's gonna make it like, it has not grown a single new leaf since I transplant anyway, but I sprouted some loofahs from seed and they are looking so big and happy. I mean, they're not big yet, but they have big leafs that are coming off the little baby plant and I'm so excited.
Sara: 3:14
That is really exciting. I will hold all of my gardening questions for when we are not recording, because listeners don't need to hear that conversation. This is not actually a gardening podcast, but I, I wanna talk gardening with you.
Lilly: 3:28
We should although gardening conversations are way more interesting with pictures. So
Sara: 3:33
They are.
Lilly: 3:33
yeah. Anyway, what are you drinking tonight?
Sara: 3:37
I debated what I was going to drink for this book, and I ultimately settled on champagne because it's fizzy and this feels like a fizzy book.
Lilly: 3:47
I love that. I think that's great. Yeah, that sounds perfect. I went entirely off theme. I didn't even try. I'm drinking a hard tea.
Sara: 3:58
They drink tea in the book. It counts. It's on
Lilly: 4:01
that's true. That's true. They do drink tea. I don't think they drink gas station tea in a can. I.
Sara: 4:09
Maybe not necessarily, but I mean they, I'm sure that they're in very weird places and get their tea from weird places.
Lilly: 4:19
Laney would, I think, if the opportunity arose. Yeah. it just, that kind of day to day, I dunno.
Sara: 4:27
Yep. I, I get it.
Lilly: 4:29
What have you read recently that is not podcast related?
Sara: 4:33
So today is the 25th of May, which means that it's time for my annual night watch, reread. So that's what I've been doing today, reading night watch.
Lilly: 4:44
you are exposing how late we are recording.
Sara: 4:47
Okay. Yes I am. You can pretend that I am reading. Night Watch by Terry PRT in advance of the 25th of May.
Lilly: 4:57
No, that's all
Sara: 4:58
It's not actually the 25th of May yet.
Lilly: 5:01
You do that. Reread every year. How long have you been doing that now?
Sara: 5:06
I've done it every year since he died.
Lilly: 5:08
How long has that been? Like roughly? We talking 10 ish. Five-ish.
Sara: 5:14
10, 10 years. I believe he died in 2015.
Lilly: 5:17
Oh, I do think I saw something about the tenure. Anyway, that book does grow, especially because of the sort of like, I mean it, it's a time travel book, right? So when you read it more than once, you're definitely gonna get something new out of it. But now that you are coming onto at least 10 rereads, do you think you're still picking up new stuff? Or is it sort of becoming familiar and you're just retreading known ground?
Sara: 5:41
I. I mean, I feel like at this point I'm not necessarily picking up new things. I know the last time we read it for the podcast I did because we had been doing so much disc world reading, like there were references to other vs stories that I didn't, and other disc world stories that I didn't necessarily pick up on. The first couple of times I read it, like there's a reference, a really quick reference to monstrous regimen where vs notices it, like, or he has a conversation about a article in the newspaper about Moldova and Bora gra
Lilly: 6:21
Mm-hmm.
Sara: 6:23
and that's a reference to the conflict that's going on in monstrous regiment. So there are still things to pick up, but at this point. I mostly just read it because I enjoy it like it's my favorite disc world novel.
Lilly: 6:35
Oh yeah. Sorry. That was not to say. Why, are you still rereading it?
Sara: 6:38
yeah, yeah, no, no, no. I, I didn't, I didn't think that was but also I do, for whatever reason, I, I do tell myself that I have to finish it in the day, like I start it on the 25th and finish it on the 25th, so I'm not necessarily doing a deep read.
Lilly: 6:57
Well I can hear it. I don't know if listeners will be able to, but I do wanna give the quick disclaimer that I'm recording in my garage today. There was a series of unfortunate events that have led to an internet collapse in my general vicinity, but I found a place that's working so.
Sara: 7:16
To be fair, I couldn't hear it.
Lilly: 7:18
I just there's gonna be more bustling bumps and noises from outside than usual.
Sara: 7:24
Potentially. But again, if, if you say that an airplane just went by, I couldn't
Lilly: 7:27
That wasn't an airplane, that was just the street.
Sara: 7:29
Oh. Well I still couldn't
Lilly: 7:31
yeah. And I might be able to cut around it. I'm not promising that. I just wanted to give everyone a warning.
Sara: 7:38
We'll, Bumble along
Lilly: 7:39
Anyway, I have been reading our Sost submissions, which we're pretty behind on. We've usually sent out acceptances by this time. But we still have a whole month before it comes out. So we got time.
Sara: 7:51
we're, we're gonna get it out on time. We will.
Lilly: 7:54
I found what is probably my favorite. It sounds like you've also stumbled upon it now, so I can actually tell you about it and not like. Affect your opinion.
Sara: 8:05
Yes. And I, I would agree it has been the favorite story that I've read to date. I hope that the author allows us to publish it
Lilly: 8:15
Anyway, I won't say anymore because we will do a wrap up episode on Solstice Show for our patrons, but tune in to hear more about this story that I'm gonna bend the rules for
Sara: 8:27
only marginally.
Lilly: 8:29
Alright. Anyway, speaking of bending the rules, kind of, I guess Lainey doesn't bend the rules of life and death. The goddess of death just likes her better than everyone else,
Sara: 8:40
I mean, she's a necromancer with a close personal relationship to her God, so she can do cool stuff that non necromancers can't and cool stuff that the other necromancer in this book has not figured out how to do.
Lilly: 8:57
that other necro answer has been undead for generations. Honing his craft like we are to understand he is was also one of the best necromancers.
Sara: 9:07
He, he was, but so we're talking specifically about Laney's grandfather or Radiant Stones. Grandpa Rad. And he was a very good Necker answer, but as we see, when we get his perspectives in the book, he is kind of a dick who thinks there's only one way to do things and doesn't bother trying to figure out other ways. So he was talented? Yes. Powerful. Yes, but much more restricted than Lainey.
Lilly: 9:40
Yes. Before we get too far into that conversation though, this is the sequel to St. Death's Daughter, which we read a year ago, two years ago.
Sara: 9:52
It was more like two years ago I think we, we read St. Death's Daughter, let me see if I can find it in our calendar. We read it in 2022,
Lilly: 10:02
Three years ago. Okay.
Sara: 10:04
which explains why it was so hard for me to remember the events of St. Death's daughter.
Lilly: 10:09
Well I remembered the plot pretty well. I could tell you like, Lainey started as a, like a pretty isolated, sad young woman. Part of a family that is on the decline overall, like a great noble house that has fallen and everyone is very mean to her and doesn't understand her. And then we get. Some Necker man, her sister shows up with the husband that she sexually assaulted and like coerced into marrying her with magical mind control or something, right? Something like that.
Sara: 10:45
Something like that.
Lilly: 10:46
and then also Laney's Lover turns out to be the secret like royal person,
Sara: 10:54
The blood Royal.
Lilly: 10:55
the Blood Royal. That's how you get around gendering that title. That was a big twist at the end. We thought they were just a priest. Turns out that was their secret identity to go undercover. And then the Black Bird Bride, who was the like partner, the other royal, she. Pulls some shady shit and then there's a big skeleton fight. And then Lainey gets banished. There you go. That's the first book I remember it.
Sara: 11:22
You remember it so much better than I do. Basically what I remembered. Lainey is great. I love her.
Lilly: 11:30
Little mice, her little mice
Sara: 11:32
she, she is a Necker answer and I've really enjoyed the book, but could I tell you what the plot of it was? Not, not really at this
Lilly: 11:43
Also Grandpa Rad is the only person who can teach her necromancy. She's the only living necromancer that anyone knows about. Necromancy has sort of declined over the years, and Grandpa Rad is teaching her. He is also the worst because everyone in her family is an abusive asshole. He is.
Sara: 12:02
for her niece.
Lilly: 12:03
well of course. She's kind of an asshole, but like
Sara: 12:06
She's kind of an asshole,
Lilly: 12:08
not an abusive one.
Sara: 12:09
it's, it's learned behavior.
Lilly: 12:11
or something at the beginning.
Sara: 12:12
Yeah. She's quite young.
Lilly: 12:14
So Grandpa Rad is stuck in this sarcophagus and then he breaks out and then a bunch of spirits that apparently he had been guarding in the sarcophagus Escape and hijinks are implied to ensue, and that is sort of where we pick up in this second book. Islan is chasing down her grandfather and the, the big Cyclone of Spirits. This book expected me to remember minutia, like, oh yeah, when Dure fought Retin. And I was like, Hmm, I remember who Dure is. She's the cool lady who can turn into a falcon, which is neat. Do not remember every fight she got into in the last book.
Sara: 12:56
Again, you still remembered more than I did.
Lilly: 13:00
And so there were definitely some moments that I had to like, reread a couple of times before it jogged my memory, but overall, I think I, I caught on pretty well to what was going on.
Sara: 13:12
Yeah, I mean, I like for all that. I didn't actually remember the events of Book one. And if we had had the time, I would've loved to reread book one because I remember really, really enjoying it.
Lilly: 13:23
Same. Yeah.
Sara: 13:24
for, for all that I didn't remember, like what had happened. I felt like it was easy to jump back in. I would've appreciated a, you know, the story so far, kind of, page and a half bringing me up to speed. But
Lilly: 13:38
Yeah.
Sara: 13:39
the text gives you enough clues that like, you're not lost.
Lilly: 13:43
That up being said. I was pretty lost in the first chapter because it starts you with Grandpa Rad. And I was like, what the fuck? Like, who, what is going on? Who is this awful person? And why am I reading about him? Because also we don't get his name right away because he has possessed rein who is a triplet. It doesn't matter that much. For the sake of this introduction
Sara: 14:13
He was apparently a bad guy in the first book, kind
Lilly: 14:17
I remember the three brothers because they kept visiting the Stones Manor. And not tormenting Lainey. Exactly, but not, not tormenting her.
Sara: 14:27
I didn't remember them at all.
Lilly: 14:28
Mm. There was a, a brief, like Lainey, you ought to marry one of them to save the Stones family.'cause like they lose the house because they're in debt. I. And then they aren't able to pay their debts back. And so like the entire, like every worldly possession is, is retaken.
Sara: 14:48
I mean, I, I got that from this book.
Lilly: 14:51
Yeah. It, it, it catches you up. It's fine.
Sara: 14:53
It does.
Lilly: 14:54
with Grandpa Rad though was rough. He is the worst is
Sara: 14:59
Yeah. He's, he's absolutely terrible. And his point of view is consequently terrible. Yeah. Infuriating.
Lilly: 15:06
And I mean, that's very well done. I'm supposed to hate him, but I still did hate all of those parts. So good job. I guess
Sara: 15:16
I enjoyed them in the sense that I was having a great time with the book and. His parts didn't feel extraneous or out of place, like they added to the story and to my enjoyment of the story. But I, I mean, I did hate him.
Lilly: 15:39
Generally, yes, but I still, like, I had to restart this book twice. Like I couldn't get through his chapter. Just as far as like pushing me back into this world, especially with all of the memories I have of the first book and like how wonderful Lainey is and how sweet her Riman is, and like that is just not the vibe you get from the first chapter because it's Grandpa Rad.
Sara: 16:02
It's not, I didn't have that particular problem, but I can see why you would,
Lilly: 16:07
Would you remind me? Well, you don't remember the first book didn't have multiple points of view, right? It all followed Laney very closely
Sara: 16:16
I mean, I could go and get my copy of the first book, but I cannot tell you off of the top of
Lilly: 16:20
and read the whole thing. Right now, no. Does it have a wiki? Absolutely no idea. Okay. I don't remember there being multiple perspec and like, not perspectives. It's third person, but it's so, it's such close third person, and this book does jump around to a couple of different characters in that sense.
Sara: 16:39
Yeah, I think you know what it is. I think that what got me through Grandpa Rads first chapter and how terrible he is, is just how much I like Cooney's prose and like how much fun she has with the language in it. And that is still true with. RADS dialogue and with the narration, and so that for me was so much fun that I was like, okay, I don't mind that. I hate this character. I'm supposed to hate him, but I'm still having a good
Lilly: 17:06
Okay. That's fair. And I, I did have that experience, I would say through all the other parts with him, but it was just that, as an intro, it was rough. Now, narratively, that was excellent because by chapter two, we have already been introduced to the two very different types of necromancy that these characters are doing. Grandpa's Grandpa Rads is exploitative and, like burns up resources basically, and those resources being people and himself. Whereas Laney's is so warm and encouraging and collaborative with the spirits she works with. And I do like that right away we get this dynamic, which I mean the first book took the whole book to introduce'cause she's sort of discovering this sweeter method of necromancy because Stones had, or they're both stones, I, radiant Stones had been her teacher.
Sara: 18:05
Yeah, I, I do think it provides a really excellent contrast between the two right up front. And it, it sets the stage for their struggle throughout the book.
Lilly: 18:17
We also get two different versions of the Goddess of Death. There is do Denna, who is part of the Pantheon that Lainey worships from her home country. And then there is Era Allure, I think is the Skee version of The
Sara: 18:35
I would've, I would've said Skoki. But yes,
Lilly: 18:39
okay.
Sara: 18:40
I mean that's just, that's my personal pronunciation. I have no idea if it's correct.
Lilly: 18:44
known either,
Sara: 18:46
If we read the, or listened to the audiobook, I believe Kuni narrates that herself. So the audiobook in this case is the definitive answer.
Lilly: 18:54
Oh, that is good to know. It's too late to look up now.
Sara: 18:59
it is too late to look up now. But I would also argue actually that we get a third version of The Goddess of Death, which is DOA as IED Stones sees her,
Lilly: 19:11
Yes, but he still refers to that as Dood. Dena, that
Sara: 19:14
it is, it is still do Edna, but his Do Edna is kind of separate from Laney's, do Edna in some kind of very nebulous way. And it's interesting, I. Again, it's interesting to make the comparison between those two versions because Laney's is much more welcoming and his version is very toxic.
Lilly: 19:41
Well, in some way that is just a reflection of them, isn't it?
Sara: 19:46
I mean, it absolutely is.
Lilly: 19:48
And even then though, we still get the sense that that is the same. God just showing different versions of herself. Whereas with era allure, that is kind of a different God, but yet still the same because era allure is like the God of ice and death because the Skee people of very far up in the north and you, we see the Northern Lights and it was very fun and it made me wanna go to Alaska or something.
Sara: 20:17
Yes.
Lilly: 20:17
But they, I mean, those two gods have different names, different modes of worship and, and yet still are the sa it there are times when Lainey says, I was visited by Ariel Allure, or Era Allure did this do not do Edna. So there like, there's a bigger degree of separation between those two.
Sara: 20:39
Yeah, there there's overlap, but they are kind of
Lilly: 20:44
But they are the same.
Sara: 20:46
but they're the same.
Lilly: 20:47
delightfully nebulous. Like this book does not nail it down, but I think in a really wonderful way, like it's a little mysterious, but you know, they're gods, they are gonna be a little mysterious. And do, Edna at least, is fairly consistent. By which I mean, sorry, Saint Death being do Edna or ERA allure is pretty consistent. I did like when do Edna helps Rad. At one point that I'm not gonna talk about in too much detail and Laney is like, you can't help both of us and do Denna basically shrugs and says, tough shit, kid. I mean, we don't get to see that on the page, but you get the sense that that's what she says,
Sara: 21:37
Yes. Yeah.
Lilly: 21:39
so like, such a God move. Excellent.
Sara: 21:42
I really like just the whole world that Cooney has built and all of the, like the religion and the customs and all of it. It just, I just love it. I, I love this series so much. Duology. I don't think we're getting more, I,
Lilly: 21:57
What? No, no.
Sara: 21:59
I mean, I'd love to be wrong.
Lilly: 22:02
part two of the Saint Death trilogy.
Sara: 22:04
is it?
Lilly: 22:06
I thought we knew that. I.
Sara: 22:07
Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I mean, we, we did know that it was a trilogy, but also I felt like this book wrapped things up so neatly that I didn't think by the end of it, I didn't think that we were getting a book three, and I just kind of ignored the fact that, yeah, it's part of a trilogy.
Lilly: 22:24
Well, there's more coming.
Sara: 22:26
Delightful. I'm so here for it.
Lilly: 22:28
I got distracted because the back of the book does say sk mot. Sk mot. I would say sk Mott. So maybe be sk not ska key because I wouldn't say sk Mott. That's crazy.
Sara: 22:41
I would say SK Mott,
Lilly: 22:43
Mm. That's not where the H is though. What?
Sara: 22:45
but it's not at SK either. We put the H in the same place.
Lilly: 22:51
MAT. It could be Matt, you pronounce that word, Matt,
Sara: 22:56
Yeah. Okay. SK Matt?
Lilly: 22:58
but my point is, an A can make an ass sound.
Sara: 23:01
Yeah. Yes it can. I default to the awe. It's
Lilly: 23:06
Mm-hmm.
Sara: 23:07
Uh, that's just if I see an a word that I don't know how it's pronounced and it has an A in it, it's gonna be an awe. That's just how I default to
Lilly: 23:15
You don't say grandpa Rod.
Sara: 23:18
No, because I know that it's from I radiant.
Lilly: 23:21
Anyway I just would like to note that that is a personal preference and the word does not support that at all. Although I think
Sara: 23:28
Oh, absolutely.
Lilly: 23:30
I'm going to Sacky now, although I do hate how that sounds,
Sara: 23:33
that, well, I'm, I guess I was not thinking about the mat part of it. I was thinking about the front part of it.
Lilly: 23:38
but when I see skk mot Yeah. Anyway,
Sara: 23:41
yeah. And I see SK Matt,
Lilly: 23:44
Yeah, you do not just to prove a point.
Sara: 23:47
well, okay, I will, I will allow that. I don't see the Matt part necessarily, but the, like, SK is how I, so skoki is how I would pronounce it. But that's, again, that's just a me thing. That's not, I don't, I don't know how it's actually pronounced.
Lilly: 24:03
this conversation is way less interesting because there is a definitive answer. We just don't know it.
Sara: 24:09
Yeah, basically we just need to listen to the audiobook.
Lilly: 24:12
Well, I'm still not an audio book person. I don't know if that'll ever change.
Sara: 24:17
Neither am I, unfortunately.
Lilly: 24:20
we love the world that these books have built. I also really love Lainey,
Sara: 24:26
Laney's great.
Lilly: 24:27
miscellaneous
Sara: 24:28
much fun to follow.
Lilly: 24:30
Like she is so wonderful and this book really felt like a love letter to her. In a way that because we are getting these other character perspective, like not perspectives, we're getting the deep thoughts of the other characters around her. We get a lot more of Laney from an outside perspective than just following her directly. And it's all wonderful. Everyone loves her except for Grandpa Rad, and he's obviously wrong, so
Sara: 24:58
He is so obviously wrong.
Lilly: 25:00
so dismissive and condescending and I mean, like she's the main character dude.
Sara: 25:07
I mean, he's a douche bag, but the thing that I love about Lainey is how much she loves period, right? Like she has such a huge heart and she loves all of the characters that we meet basically. Especially if they're touched by their God. It doesn't matter if it's a God that she follows, it's just if they have a connection to like their patron, she's like, I love you, you're great. Let's get married. I mean, not necessarily let's get
Lilly: 25:41
No, but she does wanna bang them.
Sara: 25:43
she does wanna bang them.
Lilly: 25:45
That's like, that's her thing. Like, oh man, blessed by the gods. Mm.
Sara: 25:49
It's so cute.
Lilly: 25:51
She's very sweet. And also we get to see, because we're getting other people's sort of opinions on her, they get to be more aw by her power, which I thought was really nice. Just as someone who loves lady, I was like, yeah, she is great.
Sara: 26:08
Yeah. She takes her power very matter of fact. And like, it's not actually anything special, but it really is special.
Lilly: 26:16
I felt like she was my romantic interest while I was reading this book. Not, not really, but you know, it was, she was
Sara: 26:24
I, it's, it's just, yeah, she's such a warm character to read about. Even when she's struggling she, you know, she just tries her hardest and is just nice. And I just really appreciate that. This is not a cozy book by any means. It's not cozy fantasy, but the way that Lainey views the world is very cozy.
Lilly: 26:49
I guess, I dunno if I'd use the word cozy. Oh, we've said warm like 800 times, but I think that is just like the right description,
Sara: 26:58
I don't know. I think, I think there's something cozy about her viewpoint.
Lilly: 27:02
I agree, except for the genre connotations, like how I was using romance in chi and cattails.
Sara: 27:11
Yes. It's, again, it's definitely not cozy fantasy. I don't wanna, I don't wanna say that it is at all but it warm and comforting. We can use that as a stand in for cozy. Sure. There is just something warm and comforting about the way that Lainey views the world.
Lilly: 27:27
Absolutely. There is also a lot of romance in this book, not this book is not about romance, but we have several relationships that are delightful and horrifying to various degrees, depending on the relationship. But I think I wanna talk about them more in depth in the spoiler section.
Sara: 27:47
I do think that part or most of that conversation is better served in the spoiler section. Yes.
Lilly: 27:53
I will say really love Mac.
Sara: 27:56
We don't see a lot of him in this book. I, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of
Lilly: 28:00
oh man. The first time he was back on the page, I was just like, oh fuck, I forgot how hot you are. And then he and Laney are so sweet and intimate except there's like no romance between them at all. They're like, he's her brother-in-law except her sister, you know, assaulted him. Whatever. It's fine. They're past it.
Sara: 28:19
But it is, we, we see a little bit from his point of view and it is really illuminating to see how his perspective has shifted from the first book to this one. Not again, not that I remember the events in the first book that well, and I don't know if we saw his perspective in the first book or, I can't remember if we saw his perspective in the first book, but he reflects on those events and like he talks in his. Perspective about how he didn't respect her at first and then he's come to see that he is better for knowing her and his daughter is better for knowing her, and it's just so sweet and loving and caring.
Lilly: 29:01
The two of them raising de Toura stones together, his daughter, Blaine's niece is so sweet. Like peak family, warm and fuzzies.
Sara: 29:12
Yes.
Lilly: 29:13
Which again, we don't get a lot of in this book'cause lady is off adventuring ink. Scott sk. SK I think is actually the name of the place. SK is the name of, is like the adjective.
Sara: 29:24
Yes, I think so.
Lilly: 29:26
a lot of fun spoiler things to talk about. How did we do having read this book three years after we read the first book? I think we did okay
Sara: 29:36
Yeah, I mean I still really loved this book even though I remembered very little about the first one. So yeah,
Lilly: 29:43
and it felt like an like a plus follow up. It delivered on everything that the first book promised. So if you liked the first one, absolutely. Keep reading.
Sara: 29:54
Yes. If you enjoyed the first book, you are going to enjoy the second book too, I think.
Lilly: 29:58
We've spoiled a lot for the first book, so I hope you have read it or don't care about spoilers at this point.
Sara: 30:06
I mean, if you care about spoilers for book one, why are you listening to a podcast episode on book two?
Lilly: 30:12
So go back and read book one if you haven't, and then read this book, especially if you like weird fantasy. I would say that it, this is playing with the necromancy trope, right? It's taking the idea that it's spooky, creepy, dark death magic and saying, but what if it was nice?
Sara: 30:30
Absolutely it plays with the necromancy trope. this is necromancy as I view it like death and, and bones as I view it. The warm and fuzzies, like just, just neat. So if you like bones, if you think bones are cool if you want a book series that just delights in language and if you want something that will give you the warm and fuzzies, like you should read the series.
Lilly: 30:58
Also some really great action adventure mo. There's some good fight scenes, some badass magic fight scenes, and some really heartbreaking moments.
Sara: 31:09
Yeah, it does it all.
