Verity of Old (Memory of Stone) by Chio Zoe

Verity of Old is a marked improvement from Memory of Stone, with a massive finale reveal that makes the final book an immediate must-read.

I’ve become a much slower reader in recent years. I now look back sadly at the times I consumed almost a hundred books annually. These days, I can barely manage thirty. Still, it remains a pleasure to be able to read and finish literature, especially fantasy, whose appetites the flux of time has done nothing to diminish.

So, while Verity of Old took me much longer than usual to complete, the exciting conclusion to the story makes the journey worth it.

Synopsis

With the big secrets now out in the open, our heroine, Nyx, must dive deeper into who she is and figure out her life’s purpose, one that’s deeply tied to the roots that she still doesn’t fully understand.

Like his sister Nyx, Egan too must find a new place for himself in the present order. The desire for revenge, curiosity in finding the truth about the politics surrounding his birth and upbringing as Loran’s Blade.

Both of their decisions in the struggle against those who would eliminate magic and its wielders will be crucial to unraveling a series of events in which enemies are at every turn, none as threatening as the one hiding in the open.

Thoughts

In Verity of Old, there’s a lot more character development than we saw in Memory of Stone. We see more layers to the main protagonist, Nyx, who has come a long way from The Bottoms. She’s more trusting, shown in her decision to accompany Cecily to Termain.

For a YA fantasy book, there’s been interestingly little by way of romance in the story. Egan and Cecily’s obvious chemistry aside, the author appears to be in no hurry to give the audience the satisfaction of seeing Nyx get with Gannon. Still, we saw the long-expected tender moment between the two, even if it wasn’t emphasized. I liked that bit, as my many years of reading fantasy have made me a fan of slow-burn romances, rather than steamy consummations.

While other readers enjoy plenty of spice and smut in their books, I’m the opposite: story first, lovey-dovey second. Regardless, I don’t mind if there are smatterings of sexual tension littered throughout the book, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm the main plot.

The secondary characters in Verity of Old have interesting depth, making them thoroughly enjoyable- even the ones on the very periphery. Prince Airell’s little stunt was a pleasure to read, and I thought it was a fine way to write a character who had every reason to distrust and not play fair to ensure that he’d be picking the right side in the fight to come.

In the first book, I felt that the main character, Nyx, was a bit rash. This time, it was Egan’s turn to show the same trait, with his reckless decision to seek Belarius in Gelshiem as one of the main turning points in the escalation of the conflict.

I’d have liked to see some strong POVs from the villains. At this point, they’re still pretty much distant figures in my head, but, with things coming together ahead of the finale, I imagine the reveals and climaxing acts of villainy will more than make up for that dissatisfaction.

Verity of Old relies more on lore, rather than magic, in advancing its plot. While it’s impressively done, I’d have liked to see more details on the former as well, even for YA fantasy.

Verdict

Verity of Old is a marked improvement from Memory of Stone, with a massive finale reveal that makes the final book an immediate must-read.

The book bravely incorporates all the themes YA fantasy lovers enjoy, including romance, magic, violence, family, ambition, and power.

I will now proceed to the final book in the trilogy, Mastery of Lore.