The Second Stone (The Triempery Revelations #3) by L.L. Stephens

The Second Stone feels like a bridge between two plateaus, and an uneventful but necessary trip from the highs of book 2 and whatever new peaks the author plans to scale next.

While The Second Stone took far less time to read than The Kheld King, it didn’t quite thrill the way the preceding book in The Triempery Revelations did. Still, there’s a lot to interest readers who are already fans of the series; enough to keep them going.

Synopsis

With Stefan dead, all eyes turn to Emyli to produce the heir to the throne of Essera. But such things are not so easily done. For as long as the traitor Regent Prince Erenor still stands enthralled to the deadly Nammuor, the heir and prince will perpetually be in mortal danger.

In this new world, Handurin Stauberg-Randolph must rediscover his destiny, with his brother’s fate serving as both compass and warning. History and heritage will determine the extent of his successes as he navigates his way through both lowly Kheld and Staubaun royalty while confronting his brother’s purported killer.

Thoughts

My thoughts on this one are going to be rather short: I was quite, quite disappointed.

Nothing much happened. Yeah, it was interesting to see a former peripheral character ascend to a more prominent place in the story. Watching the story from Hans’ perspective was mildly interesting. But ultimately, the author chose to slow the story down just as something interesting had happened. And that had its effect on my continued investment.

I won’t lie, I felt like giving up during some spells in what seemed an unending marathon. There was a lot of information going around: Triempery lore, Second Creation, Leur, and all that stuff. Some heavy world-building, I understand. In fact, it was probably crucial to the plot’s progress. But I found it slothful and dragged.

From the introduction of Hans as a primary character, his venturing into Sordan, and his adventures there, it felt like butter scraped over too much bread. I understand that it must have been essential, but I doubt it had to be this long.

Verdict

The Second Stone feels like a bridge between two plateaus; an uneventful but necessary trip from the highs of book 2 and whatever new domains the author plans to scale next.

It’s not so bad, but neither does it inspire much in me, other than impatience with the story’s progress.