The Blood Dimmed Tide is the second book in the historical fantasy series The Nightingale and the Falcon, written by Stephen Aryan, and published by Angry Robot Books. An incredible and heart-pounding sequel to the already amazing The Judas Blossom (and seriously, can't thank enough the recap at the start of the book), a darker storyline that continues moving several pieces on the Mongolian chess-board, gripping the reader in each scene and nicely balancing an astounding amount of POVs, painting a conflict that is already bloody, but promises to tint red the sands.

Each one of our characters will continue trying to advance their own agendas, sometimes without being aware of how they will affect others; while the main narrative weight is focused on Hulagu Khan and his attempt to expand the Mongol Empire, other actors are making their movements on the board. Temujin has vowed to destroy his father, joining other Kozan that promises to teach him, while following Timur's advance into the India, to eventually discover that the situation among the Kozan is more complex than he knew, a different confrontation than what he expected.
Kokochin, under the threat of Guyuk to harm Layla, is forced to track Temujin, but we will see how her growth as character will make her a key piece on the House of Grace's plans. At the same time, we can see a relentless Kokochin, almost merciless, a darker person that won't hesitate to fulfill the goals she has.
The position of Kaivon as general in Hulagu's council will be a perfect spot to feed information back to the House of Grace, but the atmosphere among Hulagu's army is increasingly becoming more dangerous, especially as we see Behrouz spreading paranoia and acting as inquisitor for the Khan. In the background, the Persian rebellion is nurturing, preparing for its moment to be free of the Mongol Empire.

Aryan continues weaving together history, myths and fantasy, taking the opportunity to even going further back to moments such as Jesus' birth, to create a plot that keeps you reading until the very end; it is a dark story, but you are attracted by the characters and their schemes. Despite having an ambitious number of POVs, Aryan balances it really well, jumping from place to place to allow the reader to paint the complete picture of the world; there's always something happening at some place, and that makes the pacing really enjoyable.

The Blood Dimmed Tide is all what you can ask of a sequel, an excellent story that keeps you glued to the page, a dark plot that is not only full of impactful moments, but also sets the pieces for the third part of the trilogy. Another hit on this historical fantasy series, whose conclusion I can't wait to read!