Honor’s Knight

Rachel Bach

Completed 12/10/2016 Reviewed 12/12/2016

4 stars

SPOILER ALERT:  This book is a direct sequel to its predecessor, Fortune’s Pawn, so be forewarned that there will be some spoilers of the first book in this review, specifically in the summary.  For some reasons, like most trilogies, the second book always feels a little weaker than the first book.  I think this is because the first book in a good trilogy brings the reader something new.  The second book is no longer new, so it doesn’t seem as good.  That’s the case with Honor’s Knight.  It’s really good, but not quite the same bang up excitement I experienced with the Fortune’s Pawn.  I expect the third to pick up because it’ll be the big climax.

The story continues pretty much where the first book left off.  Devi has had her memory wiped, so she doesn’t remember anything of her romance with Rupert.  In fact, like a hypnotic suggestion, she’s physically repulsed by him.  She’s also been wiped of any memory of what Rupert is and what happened in the big showdown with Brenton.   So in the first half of the book, Devi is in a perpetual state of confusion.  In the meantime, she’s still seeing the phantoms that nobody else can see, and a mysterious blackness begins covering her fingers.  Needless to say, all this is freaking her out.  Fortunately, the action picks up, requiring her memory to be restored.  All the interpersonal conflicts of the characters eventually resume and the significance of her “gifts” becomes clear.

The big conflict of course is between Rupert and Devi.  Should there still be any semblance of a relationship between them given what has happened so far?  Is she angry enough or should she be angrier.  It’s a tough call.  I felt she should have been angrier, but at the same time, I want them to get together because I guess I’m a sucker for a good romance.  The relationship will probably reach its climax in the third and final book, just like the main plot.  But it is the topic of a lot of strong feelings one way or the other in reviews on the internet. 

There isn’t that much more to say about this book.  I give it four out of five stars like its predecessor, even though I felt it was a little weaker than the first.  If I gave half stars, I’d give it three and a half, but it’s better than a three star book, so it gets four.  The end is sufficiently action-packed, and Devi is still her terrific, fierce, mercenary soldier self.    The first half dragged a little when she’s confused with missing memory, but it picks up strongly as soon as the action kicks into gear and she gets her memory back.  I’ve already jumped into the third book.  This is great space fluff.