The Night Blade by Erin Kellison [Review]

The Night Blade (Indulgence Series #2) by Erin Kellison
Format: ebook
Source: provided for review
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 22, 2022

Indulgence Series
1. The Stone God
2. The Night Blade - Paperback | Kindle
3. The Blood Chain
4. The Dark Heart
5. The Crimson Throne

Erin Kellison
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Luck isn’t going Terah Crane's way. She's stuck with the prince of Fury, the arrogant scion of Pyre, who passionately hates her. Yeah, well...she doesn't like him much, either.

When a vengeful goddess captures someone Terah loves, Adomanei reluctantly joins the rescue mission to settle the debt he owes her. Enemies at heart but united by purpose, they set out upon a dangerous journey into a foreign godland to reach their quarry.

Adom's godborn talents allow him to disguise his identity, but Terah must travel under the cover of darkness, even if it takes them into the belly of a mountain beast and across a sea of bones. A cryptic clue suggests that Terah has allies among the ghosts of Phemerae—if only she can find them. But Adom doesn't trust anyone who strives against the gods.

Beset by monsters and pursued by spies, Terah and Adom are forced to watch each other’s backs, learn to speak with a glance, and be there when the other falls. But will it be enough? Because a malevolent Power stalks them, utter ruin on its mind, and Adom and Terah find themselves trapped together in an intrigue of the gods that will change their world.

Thoughts on The Night Blade: Terah's story continues and...ahh, well, it's a complicated one. Mostly because nothing anyone does is straightforward when the gods are involved. Adom is determined to repay a life-debt by helping Terah save her nephew. Terah is chaos personified when it comes to anything resembling a plan. Those around them thrive on lies and subterfuge, luck and sight, and some trust their gods so blindly it's wildly painful to watch.

Meanwhile, the gods themselves seem like they're playing a long con. They have power, to be sure, but they're also crafty and wily and some are consumed by old hurts and older jealousy. They maneuver their scions like pieces on a board and when things turn ugly they abandon them.

And Terah is in the middle of it all. Several gods have shown an interest in her, a rebellious faction sees her as a power player, she's connected to others in ways she can't define, and she has to lean on Adom (of all people) to help her rescue her nephew. She and Adom fight and needle and poke at one another again and again and BOY AM I HERE FOR IT. (Seriously, their almost-animosity is like prolonged foreplay. It just takes Adom a while to realize it. Terah, on the other hand, still doesn't seem to realize it, but she's had a lot on her mind what with the gods on her tail and the nephew-saving and all that.)

A lot of danger, more than a few monsters straight out of nightmares, a terrible journey beneath a mountain, allies that can turn on a dime, choices, power, truths and lies. Terah might have been thrust into the role as Kol's scion against her will, but she's making it her own. Even if it kills her.