The Fifth Empire of Man (Best Laid Plans #2) by Rob J. Hayes

The fighting is hats off, badass! The descriptions of sex are just as vivid as the gruesome literary pictures of broken skulls, disemboweled soldiers, hamstrung men and women, and decapitated men lying in pools of blood and gore.

The Fifth Empire of Man is a brilliant sequel to the fast-paced thriller that started in Where Loyalties Lie.

Captain Drake Morass is close to achieving his dream of a free and united Pirate Isles. However, the main cards in this dangerous game are in possession of two of his lieutenants. A toss of the dice, and the game changes… Can the fragile unity be maintained in the face of endless betrayals?

The book is even better than its prequel. The writing is just as fast-paced, but even with more character development. More truths and more secrets are revealed, putting the entire plot in a whole new mysterious and dangerous light. The attention shift from the main character to other characters makes a few losses at the end of the book easier to bear.

The fighting is hats off, badass! The descriptions of sex are just as vivid as the gruesome literary pictures of broken skulls, disemboweled soldiers, hamstrung men and women, and decapitated men lying in pools of blood and gore.

The main theme of the series, loyalty, is once again on display here, in all its different shades. The gradual altering and development of key characters allows for more choices and subsequently a wider range of consequences…

I look forward to the next book in the series. Highly recommended.