Series: The Serpent Gates #2
Author: A.K. Larkwood
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: February 15, 2022
Received: NetGalley

The Thousand Eyes is the second novel in A.K. Larkwood’s The Serpent Gates series. I admit that I was pretty curious about how the sequel would go and thus couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read it. Also, I love that cover.

Csorwe and Shuthmili survived the encounter two years ago – when they defied a wizard and stole his gauntlets. That should have been the end of their story. The gauntlets make Shuthmili stronger than ever, but they’re also taking a toll on her. A toll she can’t keep paying.

Then there’s Tol Charossa. He has finally made it home, only to find his old boss is missing. He can’t walk away from this news and will quickly find himself neck-deep in another dangerous situation.

Let me just start with this: if you enjoyed The Unspoken Name, you’re going to love The Thousand Eyes. Larkwood perfectly carried on the vibes and stories developed in that first novel. As such, it felt like coming home. Readers will know what I mean.

I was surprised by the time jump, though I’ll admit that it was also fairly essential. We needed to give everyone time to come to terms with what had happened. Not to mention, traveling isn’t as quick or easy as we’re used to in the modern world.

To me, the shining moments in The Thousand Eyes all stemmed from character development. This novel is delightfully character-driven, which I always love in fantasy novels. There’s so much reason to care about these guys, especially as the stakes keep rising.

I’ll admit that the pacing can lean towards the slower side, so potential readers should probably keep this in mind. However, I don’t mind a slow-burning plot, especially when the characters are so strong and the world so fascinating.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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