Tattered Banners (War of the Last Days #1), by Karim Soliman
The Book
Synopsis:
The fall of Paril paves the way for the Cursed Army to invade the rest of Gorania. Thousands of runaways from all six kingdoms flock north to the Frozen Forest, and humanity is put to the test as the Goranians are about to fight each other to the death for their place in Karun’s Cave.
Nardine and her mother believe they still have a slim fighting chance to end the Cursed invasion, but first they have to convince their restless vassals who are on the brink of mutiny, then deal with the obstinate Skandivians who regard the Bermanians as the threat. Halgrim seeks a friend’s help to catch up with his family fleeing north, but the cost of that help might be heavier than he thinks. And Leila, dragged into a war she hasn’t sought, makes an uncalculated move that will shift the odds, but not necessarily in the Goranians’ favor.
War of the Last Day enters a starker phase as more Goranian kingdoms fall, leaving the fate of mankind in the hands of clashing factions. Unless they realize that their broken sigils and tattered banners have become obsolete, nothing will stop the Cursed from annihilating every human being in Gorania.
My Review (4.25 out of 5 )
Tattered Banners is the second book in the War of the Last Days series, written by Karim Soliman. A direct sequel to Army of the Cursed, we are spectators of the aftermath of Paril's fall, with thousands of runaways fleeing to the North, in the direction of the Frozen Forest.
Nardine and her mother still believe they have a chance to stop the Cursed invasion, but they will have to deal firstly with the insubordination among their ranks, and secondly, with the Skandivians, who are not convinced about allowing Bermanians to get resources and prepare for the battle.
In this context, we are going to see a sequel centered around the interaction between the different Goranian reigns, as tension rises between Bermanians and Skandivians, due to the plans of the Queen.
Leila continues getting formation about magic, and how it works, a great excuse that Soliman uses to explain more details about those mysterious characters. The contact with some dubious books will make Leila discover more about herself, and finally reveal her powers, but not without consequences.
Halgrim and Zara will start a journey with a different purpose, and totally separated from the remaining Bermanians; getting to know Nelly, one of the most powerful sorceresses, giving them an important task in order to prepare for the last battle.
And well, Nardine will have to assume her role as Queen of Bermania, due to an incident in Karun's Cave. And for the remaining forces, getting an accord with the Skandivians will be crucial to avoid fighting before the Cursed Army comes.
This sequel has a really gripping plot, showing one of the main strengths of Karim Soliman (in my opinion), writing epic battles and complex politics. While in this case, the Cursed Army passes to a second plane, the humans gain a more prominent paper, as the avalanche of refugees coming to the Northern Lands will be key in the conflict, and especially, the Bermanian Army arriving in Skandivian lands, looking for a place to prepare the last battle.
All ends up being set up for that last battle that will happen in book 3, Reign of Demons. I would say this is a satisfying sequel, especially due to the shift in focus, while keeping the characters that we knew in the first one. Said that, can't wait for that last battle that will be epic, for sure!
The Author/s
Karim Soliman
Karim Soliman earned his first writing commission through his contribution to the first and last issue of his school magazine. Twenty years later, he earned his next commission from Sony Pictures.
While he holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and a master’s in business administration, Karim finds his groove in building worlds and messing with his characters. His debut The Warrior’s Path was a #1 bestseller on several fantasy subgenres on Amazon, and his book Army of the Cursed was an SPFBO semi-finalist.
When Karim is away from writing, he struggles with his insomnia and continues his search for his next favorite dessert.