Joint Review: Eidolon by Grace Draven

Has: Once again Grace Draven has delivered another fantastic book with her sequel to Radiance, which was one of my favourite books last year. This followup is set soon after the events in the first book, with both Ildiko and Brishen dealing with an invasion by an evil race of Galla demons who consume anything living in their paths. But the destruction of his mother’s kingdom and that of his family has led to the threat to the end of his marriage because he is the last surviving heir.

I really didn’t expect the sequel would follow in a different path from what I expected, especially with the ending of Radiance. Although from the first page onwards I was hooked because the pace was frantic and filled with the edge of your seat tension that never let up till towards the end. I loved the unexpected direction of the plot and that it left me guessing on how Ildiko and Brishen would tackle the issues and problems they faced from the Galla to scheming Kai who yearn power amid the chaos.

Lou: Eidolon was a wonderful sequel that not only managed to deliver on romantic tension, despite Brishan and Ildiko having a very firm HEA in Radiance, but continued a storyline that has made me super excited for the future books in the the Wraith series. Eidolon starts off with the secondary characters, Kirgipa, Necos, and Dendarah, that feature throughout the book. The Galla have been released and they’re consuming every living Kai in their path. I did get slightly confused with the timeline but realised soon enough this occurs straight after the events of what happened to Brishen’s mother at the end of Radiance.

I really did enjoy the secondary characters and I scented a potential secondary romance between Kirgipa and Necos, and I hope Grace (preeeeetty please) gives them a story of their own because as always I am captivated by all of Grace’s characters she creates. And that returns me to Brishen and Ildiko. I love this couple. I wondered what would be the tension between them in Eidolon and I was excited to soon learn it would all be about court intrigue and Ildiko not being able to provide an heir for Brishen. It’s something that can never happen as it’s biologically impossible. Ildiko understood this and knew there would be scheming abound when it finally became common knowledge that Brishen was the surviving heir of the Kai royal family. While Ildiko’s combat was against those in the court, Brishen had to make a difficult and life-changing event for the entire Kai race to defeat the Galla and protect the world. I definitely wasn’t expecting that (sorry, it’s spoiler) to happen.

Has: I loved that Ildiko was smart and savvy about the political machinations surrounding them when they realised Brishen had become king. However, it was heartbreaking to see her trying to protect Brishen and the welfare of the Kai refugees by distancing herself in a lot of ways. But I was happy to see that they worked through their problems and once again showed how much stronger they were together working as a team.

I also felt that this was the most action packed and tensed filled book that Grace Draven has written to date. The Galla demons were particularly chilling and they gave the story an eerie and foreboding overtone of dread. I was on tenterhooks to see how Brishen and Ildiko would manage to get out of this threat, and the ending left me guessing if they could defeat the Galla.

Lou: The Galla destroying everything living being meant that Brishen had to defeat them with some very hard choices to make, including the Kai race, that means there will be repercussions in future books. Brishen had to become Wraith to defeat the dead and the scene in which he and the others became Wraiths was sooooo epic and a little grizzly. IIdiko not only has to watch Brishen become Wraith but she has to be apart from him as the Wraith Kings battle to defeat the Galla. What I love so much about Draven’s writing and worldbuilding is it’s a mixture of all things I love in a fantasy romance. I did think that the pacing was a little slow in the middle and things picked up speed towards the latter stages of the book, but the romance was lovely and Brishen is fast becoming one of my favourite fantasy romance heroes. He is devoted to IIdiko and even though they manage to hurt each other through some very stressful times, they come together and work through things because their love and respect each other so much.

The secondary characters are awesome and I cannot wait to see who is up next in the third Wraith book. Hopefully Anhuset and Serovek who have amazing banter and tension!

Has: Oh me too! I think they’re up as the featured couple in the next book of this series. I loved their snarky relationship, which promises to be fun. I loved the epic ending with the introduction of how the Wraith Kings came to be and it was also enjoyable to see a character that crossed over to Master of Crows series, who popped up in a short story. I also hope we get to see him in a future book and to see what happened to his mysterious fate.

But overall, this was a wonderful and fantastic conclusion to Brishen and Ildiko’s story. I love, love the world that Grace Draven has created and with each new book in this world especially is like unveiling another rich layer that is full of atmosphere and imagination as well as a heartwarming romance.

I give Eidolon an A!

Lou: Woo hoo! Cannot wait for the next book. They sorta remind me of Kate and Curran with their sarcastic banter. Wait! I am so rubbish at remembering stuff. Who crossed over into the Master of Crows series? The Wraith dude that you know, at the end? Again, sorry, spoiler. I NEED TO KNOW.

Draven writes the best fantasy romance and if you’re not reading her books, what are you waiting for?

I also give Eidolon an A!