The King of Koraha by Maria V. Snyder Series: Archives of the Invisible Sword #3
Published by HQ Young Adult on December 1, 2021
Source: Purchased
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery, New Adult
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | Barnes & Noble
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Hard on the heels of trouble in Zirdai city, Shyla Sun-Kissed and Rendor are ordered to report to the King of Koraha - a summons that is deadly to ignore. The King holds the key to Koraha's existence, but a formidable new enemy threatens Koraha's very survival and the King desperately needs Shyla and Rendor's help.
Wielding a terrifying and unknown magical power that can convert opponents into devoted soldiers, the mysterious army is hellbent on usurping the crown. Shyla and Rendor are tasked with discovering who in the seven hells these insurgents are. And what their real endgame is.
Trekking through the punishing conditions across the searing surface of Koraha, and facing numerous unseen foes and untold danger, they must follow the clues to uncover the truth before it's too late. The fate of the King and all the citizens of Koraha rests in their hands...
The Good Things
- Maria V Snyder is one of my favourite authors so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this one. Her writing is so easy to read.
- The City of Zirdai had such a good, conclusive ending, so I was curious to see what could possibly happen in this book. Turns out I’d completely forgotten about some loose ends in the world that lead to an intriguing mystery.
- One of my favourite parts was finally getting to see more of the world outside of Zirdai and exploring some creepy new magical threats that were quite sinister.
- Another of favourite parts was Rendor getting some decent page time! He’s one of my favourites but kept disappearing in the previous books.
- This world continues to be one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve read about and the world building is so seamlessly woven into the story.
The Not-So-Good Things
- The King of Koraha is slower paced in the beginning than the previous books in the series. It took me until the halfway mark, when the investigation really got going, to get into the story. The first half was still enjoyable, it just didn’t have the suspense of the previous books.
- I would have loved a little epilogue to see where all the characters are a few years after the series ending. I always love those little glimpses into the future.
An enjoyable conclusion to a unique fantasy series. I loved that we finally got to see more of the world and some of my favourite secondary characters. This series could easily have been a duology, but I still appreciated this final book that gave us more time with the characters and tied up the loose ends I’d completely forgotten were unanswered.
Rating: 4 out of 5
