Also by this author: Legacy of Ash, Legacy of Light, The Darkness Before Them , The Fire Within Them
Series: The Legacy Trilogy #2
Published by Orbit on November 3, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
Warfare, myth and magic collide in Legacy of Steel, the spectacular sequel to Matthew Ward's acclaimed fantasy debut Legacy of Ash.
A year has passed since an unlikely alliance saved the Tressian Republic from fire and darkness, at great cost. Thousands perished, and Viktor Akadra - the Republic's champion - has disappeared.
While the ruling council struggles to mend old wounds, other factions sense opportunity. The insidious Parliament of Crows schemes in the shadows, while to the east the Hadari Emperor gathers his armies. As turmoil spreads across the Republic, its ripples are felt in the realms of the divine.
War is coming . . . and this time the gods themselves will take sides.
The Legacy TrilogyLegacy of AshLegacy of Steel
To understand just how much I anticipated Legacy of Steel by Matthew Ward, allow me to quote messages I sent to a friend regarding the first book, Legacy of Ash.
“SHE ISN’T DEAD. I KNEW IT.”
“Okay, this book was very good.”
And now, my reaction toward having to wait for book two to arrive at my local library:
“BUT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK. Torture.”
“What’s a girl to read till the book comes in at the library? I WANT THE SECOND BOOK.”
And when it arrived:
“MINE.”
“And now I immerse myself in this library book till I crash.”
Legacy of Steel did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end, though I could have gone without over 50 characters in the book’s dramatis personae. My memory can be spotty, so I frequently had to refer to the lengthy list. One of my biggest complaints about Legacy of Ash was its lack of character development. Ward remedied this in Legacy of Steel. Some characters grew into ones I liked more, while others shifted into the “I don’t like you” category. Even with that, though, I still felt that some of the personalities in the novel were too flat. It is hard to describe.
Some novels require me to think too much because they become too engrossed in ideology. While Ward rarely lost me in Legacy of Ash, I grew confused on several occasions in Legacy of Steel. The deities of Ward’s world became super involved in the second book of his trilogy, and because of that, the novel lost some of its appeal to me. It was no longer a story of people battling it out for what they thought was right but rather the gods and goddess interfering. Using the book’s characters as pawns in their game of chess, to be sacrificed—or saved—at the deities’ whims.
Legacy of Steel by Matthew Ward is full of action. Completely full of it. Descriptive, thought-out battles fill most chapters. And of course when I was called away to errands, I was always in the middle of a vicious fight scene. It is easy to get lost within the book’s pages. Before I knew it, I had read one hundred pages and whispered aloud, “Maybe just one more chapter…” I haven’t had such a reaction since reading Legacy of Ash.
In most trilogies that I’ve read (or watched), the second book/movie is weaker. I haven’t read the final book—it isn’t out yet…ugh!—but Legacy of Steel by Matthew Ward wasn’t as good as Legacy of Ash. Its plot wasn’t as complex, and I felt like certain segments dragged. But most of my most-liked characters are hanging in there! With one paragraph in Legacy of Steel, though, a single character in particular solidified her position as my favorite. Which…makes me worried about her fate in the final book. I know I said in my Legacy of Ash review that I liked four characters. That number shot up to six, with five still living at the conclusion of Legacy of Steel. Thank you, Matthew Ward, for not tearing my heart into a thousand pieces.
Legacy of Light’s publishing date is August 17…and you bet, I pre-purchased it.