Steel Gods is the second book in the dark fantasy series The Great Silence, written by Richard Swan, published by Orbit Books. A phenomenal sequel that continues the dabbling between horror and fantasy, fully plunging into the chaos that menaces not only Sova, but the whole world, in a novel that blends together political and arcane intrigue, and that will push its characters to face the worst of their nightmares to stop the holy revolution orchestrated by von Oldenburg.

Swan continues moving the pieces on the board, pushing them to the best of their limits, in all senses. Renata, still reeling from discovering the threat of the Great Silence, has to play a pivotal role not only as the Ambassador to the Stygion, but also having to deal with the political affairs of Sova; a Renata processing grief, and with all the weight over her shoulders, knowing that failure might mean the literal end of the world. Simply one of the best arcs in the book.
Peter Kleist is also forced to face his own horrific ordeals, having to revisit the catmen to continue discovering more in order to stop the Great Silence, but at least he has the company of Olwin; a relationship between two people of different cultures, but who help each other with their suffering, also facing the prejudice from others.
Among the rest of the characters, I have to admit I absolutely loved von Oldenburg, again our antagonist. While he's unhinged at many points, he's also showing his brilliance manipulating all the threads, trying to consolidate his power and finally end Nema's Church, instituting his new doctrine and shaping Sova in the process. The contrast between the image he shows to the different people he needs to manipulate is brilliant, giving hints of his brilliance.

A sequel that builds on the foundation laid by the previous novel, expanding the world in the process, showing more of the cultures outside the Sovan Empire, needed allies if they want to stop the threat. I particularly enjoyed the subtle hints towards Victorian spiritism and its practices, well suited to the direction this novel is following.
The pacing is again excellent, making this a read that engulfs you from the start and doesn't let you stop until you finish it.

Steel Gods is all you could have asked for the second novel of the Great Silence series; it continues blurring the line between fantasy and horror while the stakes grow, and excellent characterization on top of everything. Can't wait to see how Swan wraps all with the final instalment!