This review originally appeared on Goodreads on March 29, 2015.

Spawn of Dyscrasia

By S.E. Lindberg – IGNIS Publishing – July 28, 2014

Review by Robin Marx

Sequel to Lords of Dyscrasia, Spawn of Dyscrasia carries over all of the strengths of the first book and none of its flaws.

The world portrayed in this novel remains every bit as strange and intriguing. Powered by blood magic, undead sorcerer-king Lord Lysis continues to rule his corner of the world, and his adopted insect hybrid “son” Echo has matured considerably. Spawn of Dyscrasia focuses on what happens when Lysis encounters a threat to his kingdom, and the growing pains—figurative and literal—experienced by Echo when he comes into contact with this mysterious interloper.

While fascinating, the god-like Lysis proved to be a difficult character to relate to in the first book. Thankfully, Spawn introduces Helen, a healer/attendant serving Echo, as the primary viewpoint character. While far from average herself, she provides a much more human perspective on the events in the story.

The prose as a whole was much stronger in this book. Here the author displayed the confidence to allow the exciting passages in the story stand on their own, rather than be highlighted with onomatopoeia and abundant exclamation points. The motivations of Lysis, Doctor Grave, and Echo still remained a little obscure, but this time I got the sense that it was due to their alien natures, rather than a lack of communication on the author's part.

The only real issue I had with this book is that it feels like the middle volume in a trilogy. While there is a climax, Spawn doesn't so much conclude as stop once the chess board has been set up for the finale. That being said, I was left eager to see what happens next, especially with respect to the illusive Doctor Grave.

Spawn of Dyscrasia is that rare sequel that exceeds its predecessor. It doesn't quite stand on its own, however; readers will need familiarity with the first book in order to understand the events of the second. Hopefully the author will release a revised version of Lords of Dyscrasia someday, now that he's grown so much as a writer.

★★★★☆

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