Tears of the Maelstrom is the second instalment in the dark fantasy series The Legacy of Boulom, written by Timothy Wolff. A novel that picks up seven months after what happened in Platinum Tinted Darkness, taking the opportunity to explore more about the characters while developing a story that is more complex than what we saw in book 1.

Despite the cast remains unchanged, a lot of things have changed in the last seven months; Serenna is dealing with her functions as the Guardian Leader, but confronting Francis as the emperor is too much for her. Wisdom is still whispering behind his ear, and slowly preparing the things to assume the control; Vaynex is in a delicate situation, and Sardonyx shows a non-so-great face, especially regarding his son Tempest (a narrative arc where you can see how Wolff has won a lot of confidence as writer, allowing himself much more freedom, giving us an excellent addition to the main story).

During a big chunk of the book, Wolff delves further into the characters and their motivations, humanizing them and allowing us to understand why they behave like that. Still, we have more Harbinger battles, keeping the MMORPG style with certain characters ascribing to roles, but they have become more chaotic, while still being easy to follow; the danger is felt while reading.

The world is further explored, expanding what we knew about the powers, and unveiling the truth behind some of the deities; some aspects that were ignored in Platinum are rescued in this one, enriching the narrative frame for the complete series.

As a sequel, Tears of the Maelstrom is a step-up over Platinum Tinted Darkness, an excellent continuation which only leaves me craving what will happen in Age of Arrogance; if you want a dark fantasy series with MMORPG inspiration and kill god vibes, you should try The Legacy of Boulom.