Kevin Hearne has imagined another spectacular series to devour. He has created a unique writing style that pulls the reader into the world of his creation.

I do have to admit, this book had a slow start. It took me awhile to get caught up in the telling, which I do feel is the transition between storyteller (the bard) and the story itself but once it gets going, I’m all in.

I highly recommend you sit aside plenty of time to travel through the lands that contain Bone Giants and Kennings.

I received this ARC copy of A Blight of Blackwings from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Del Rey. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Through more fabulous world building Kevin Hearne continues the saga he began in a Plague of Giants, the first book in the series. If you have not read it go read it. This book picks up and continues the tales told by Fintan the bard who is blessed with a perfect memory and magical orbs that allow him to project the look of the person telling the story and for his voice to be heard throughout the city of Pelemyn, a city recently attacked by bone giants whose people are trying to recover and make sense of their changing world. Fintan has traveled the world collecting information and telling the stories of those involved in the events.This is a luxurious read with characters you understand and grow to love. You become invested in their fates and how the story will progress.This is epic fantasy at its finest and I look forward to the next book in the series.

My Review: Since I read A Plague of Giants 2 years ago, this book has been on my most anticipated list, and it is finally here and I will start off by saying it was so worth the wait!! I am glad I took a bit of time in January to re-read the first book because this one picks up immediately where it left off. I am so glad we get to dive right back in with Dervan and Fintan as well as the overall story. We got some new character POVs which was great too, I love Olet's and you can't help but smile at Hanima's quirky and cheerful determination. While this book is clearly a transitional book, it doesn't suffer from that second book slump we see so often in trilogies. There isn't as much action as there was in the previous book but we get an opportunity to get to know the characters better when they aren't scrambling in life or death crisis' constantly. There are some great discoveries revealed throughout the telling of the story that will have you just as excited as the citizens are. Also, thank goodness for well made maps to help visualize where all the characters are throughout the story! And now I have to wait ages for the next and I believe final book.



My Rating: Even though there wasn't as much action in this book as there was in the first, I was still fully invested in the story. There are some great twists, some fantastic character development and great plot movement that just keep the pages turning. I am beyond excited for the next and final book and I can't help but give this one a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

Again, Kevin Hearne as put me through an emotional journey. After reading A Plague of Giants, I thought I would be prepared. I was not. Mr. Hearne’s masterful storytelling is ingenious, wildly inventive and so skillfully presented that this reader was blown away before being given a chance to brace against the wind.

Having read book 1 over 2 years ago, I had a bit of a struggle getting back into the story. But somehow, suddenly I was there. There are so many fascinating, colorful characters, each with unique personalities and motivations.

If you have not started this series, a little (non-spoilery) background is in order. The story centers around the tales of master storyteller Fintan, who has traveled the world to collect his stories. He remembers everything, good or bad, and weaves his stories together by taking on the persona of the person he originally heard the tale from. His voice projects over the entire town so that everyone in the harbor village of Pelemyn, which had recently survived an attack by the bone giants, can hear his songs and tales.

Fintan’s stories include tales of the bone giants, events and politics in all the surrounding areas and stories of the discovery of the 6th kenning.

Kenning’s are special paranormal talents that people may acquire by passing a test. Those that do not pass the test do not survive. Those that survived are blessed with special abilities such as Fintan’s ability to recall everything and project his storytelling voice.

As Fintan tells his story, some of his audience starts to become aware that their world is changing, even more than the changes caused by the bone giant attack. This is part of the reason I will return to this series, even if there are two years in-between books. I need to know how the world will adapt to all this fantastic knowledge! But, specifically, I have a vested interest in the characters. And I need the good ones to survive, thrive and have a HEA. That is my hope.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm really enjoying this series, but it takes me a while to get back into the swing of complex fantasy like this EVERY TIME I TAKE THE PLUNGE. Which is totally me, guys. Totally me. When the brain's on a hardcore sci-fi wavelength, it takes time to change gears.

But enough about me. Let's talk about Fintan and his storytelling. FYI, having perfect recall might come with a few drawbacks (never forgetting the horrors you've witnessed, for example), but MAN it is crazy useful when it comes to remembering which names belong to who and how they fit into the bigger narrative.

And this narrative is decidedly big. It spans a continent and, with the addition of a few new hardy souls, beyond. It covers war and the quest for peace and the downtrodden rising up to find a way to live again. It's also about connections and heartache and loss and love and all those things that sometimes get lost in the bigger picture of what's happening.

Fintan's storytelling brings all those moments to life - the quiet, the loud, the small, the large. The bloody moments that herald death and the moments that burn on in memory. It's fascinating, really, because outside the telling of the invasion and the discovery of the lost kennings, there's a lot going on with the people Fintan is telling the story to. Mystery and mayhem and betrayal and everything else under the sun.

The world is changing in big ways and I'm here for it. Yes, even though it takes me a while to fall into the flow of the world. It's a captivating story and I want to see how it ends.

I loved the first book in the series but could not get into this. Maybe if I had reread the first one right before, but I had no idea what was going on.

In A Blight of Blackwings, the Raelech Bard Fintan continues his tales to the peoples congregated on Survivor Field in Pelemyn. We watch the historian Dervan wrestle with new knowledge and his role as he records Fintan's words. In this second book of the series, Hearne has polished his storytelling device and taken it to new levels. We meet and learn more about the characters of this new generation. It's a generation devastated yet also full of hope and revolutionary ideas. Each voice reacts differently to war, to grief, to love. It's masterfully done and I will impatiently await book 3.

Warning...you MUST read the first book before attempting this one. It begins immediately after the end of book 1 and it is perfect for fans of epic fantasy. Wonderful world building, terrific characters, intrigue, humor, and politics kept me up all night just to finish and see what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for access to the eARC. I was highly anticipating the release of this book. I finished it several weeks ago and have enjoyed thinking back on it. Kevin Hearne has created a lush and vibrant world filled with mysteries that build and unfold with each page. Each chapter is told in from a shifting first person perspective. First from Dervan who tells of the current time period and his handling of the Bard Fenton, and Second from Fenton who transforms himself using his Kenning into one of the many other viewpoint characters.

This is very much the second book of a series. It lacks the endless action of the first book, but is steeped in political intrigue as the sixth kenning continues to grow and the mystery of the seventh kenning starts to unravel. The remnants of the Fire Giants move on to find their own way and new homeland., the Bone Giants continue to amass in the north, and people from a far off land are encountered. Danger comes from within as leaders try to put a stop to the formation of the sixth kenning, and danger comes from the outside as Bone Giants continue to attack and new beasts are encountered.

Kevin Hearne has the making of a special series that all readers will find something to connect with.

Have you read A Plague of Giants? No? STOP! Read that first. Then come back and read this terrific sequel. Keven Hearne has created a fantastic world where anything can happen and usually does. With masterful world building, witty humor and creative politics this tale will suck you in and keep your imagination a boil. And while this tale may echo some of the headlines in todays news I can guarantee you will enjoy this story more. This is epic fantasy at its finest.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #KevinHearne and #DelRey for the opportunity to read the second book in the "Bone Giants" series: "A Blight of Blackwings" in return for a fair review.

I. Love. This. Series. This is world-building on a most extraordinary scale. Every culture represented is well fleshed-out - the good guys and the bad guys. Interactions make sense and the narrative flows in between the tales. Mr. Hearne has created a believable universe for us.

These are the continuing stories of Fintan, Bard of the Poet Goddess of Kaelin who is the narrator of the Giants' War, in the guise of many different characters whose seeming he takes on. In "A Blight of Blackwings" we take up the stories of many of the characters first introduced in #APlagueOfGiants, including Olet Kanek, Firelord of the FIrst Kenning (Fire), Abhinava Khose 'Plaguebringer' and first of the Sixth Kenning (Animals) and many others.

All of these stories are engrossing, and further the stories first begun in "A Plague of Giants"; and we see that the Giants are not doing so well, but there is much inner turmoil in the various countries and cities of the land. We start with Day 20, and end with Day 39, during which much occurs.

My absolutely favorite line: "Deploy the tactical moths!" - You'll see!

There is so much going on in this book, as in the previous, but many stories are also coming to an end, as some are just beginning. Cannot wait to see what happens in the next one (currently titled "A Curse of Krakens".

Amazing, more to come as it gets closer to publication but we have a classic on our hands. People will be talking about this!

Oh my goodness,  this book was fabulous!  I  have long awaited the sequel to A Plague of Giants and I am not disappointed. So many times you wait for the sequel and are disappointed with the results,  but not today.  This book is great!
It continues the tale without missing a beat, bone giants and bards. A wild ride that will make you laugh and cry.
5 stars, highly recommended!

When I learned that the sequel to Kevin Hearne’s A Plague of Giants was available on Netgalley, I was stoked! I loved the fantasy novel featuring magic, fantasy, action, adventure and romance. It killed me that A Plague of Giants ended on such a cliffhanger. I couldn’t wait to read Book Two of the Seven Kennings and so I quickly downloaded A Blight of Blackwings.
In the last novel, we learned of the destruction of the home of the Lava-born – wielders of the first kenning with the ability to create and manipulate fire. Their exodus and subsequent attempt to conquer areas that didn’t belong to them introduced us to other kennings that gave people the power to manipulate the earth, water, wind and more. Through a bard’s tales, we learned of new, mysterious and ruthless invaders known as Bone Giants. We also learned of the coming of the sixth kenning that allows the blessed to manipulate animals. We stood witness to the defeat of the lava-born invaders, but we were left hanging when it came time to find out where the Bone Giants came from and what their real goal is.
That’s where things pick up in A Blight of Blackwings. In this novel, we read about people that we know, but are introduced to some new and interesting characters. We find Hanima, blessed with the sixth kenning and able to control hornets, helping to lead the charge to bring power to the poor people in her kingdom, helping them rise up against their oppressors. Then there is Daryck, leader of a band of mercenaries who lost everything when the Bone Giants attacked their home. They want revenge for sure, but have been asked to scout out the Bone Giants, find out how large their numbers really are and find a way to stop them.
We meet Koesha, a captain with an all-female crew who find themselves in trouble in unknown waters. Luckily, Abbinava, founder of the sixth kenning, is on hand to save most of them from the krakens. They are taken in by the new community created by Olet, the daughter of the lava-born leader who has set off on her own to create a new community where all can live in peace and harmony. Sure, that community is located in the unknown regions, filled with dangerous creatures, cold and stark, but Olet and her people are determined to make it and so is Koesha.
As the bard tells his tale, we learn of a conspiracy taking place and a spy who has been feeding the Bone Giants information…information which allows them to attack at the most opportune locations and times. But what is it that the Bone Giants want? And when Olet runs into a solitary Bone Giant living alone on a deserted island, will we discover the coming of the seventh kenning? What will this mean for the wielders of the other six?
From the moment I opened up the file, I couldn’t stop reading A Blight of Blackwings. I had to know what happened to my favorite characters and the new characters were so intriguing, I wanted to learn more about them. Kevin Hearne’s writing is so descriptive, I could picture everything perfectly in my mind’s eye. In fact, I think that this tale would make a great animated epic adventure someday (I don’t think live action would do the fantastic strengths of the kennings justice). One thing I enjoy about Hearne is that he is not afraid to kill off characters that we had grown to like or even love for the sake of the story. He also wasn’t above adding some humor in here and there to break up the drama of treachery, deceit, murder and more. In fact, those moments of laughter can be much appreciated after some particularly dramatic moments in the novel.
And….argh!!...you left me at another cliffhanger! You can’t just give us a big reveal like that and end it! No fair! I had so much fun reading the last two novels, I can’t wait to read the sequel. It only took me a little over a week to finish A Blight of Blackwings (I would have finished sooner if not for the holidays), so hurry up and present us with a new novel already! I need to know what happens next!

First, and foremost, I'm becoming a huge Kevin Hearne fan. The Seven Kennings series is a fun and interesting series to read. I definitely think fans of Hearne's will appreciate Book 2 in the series: A Blight of Blackwings.

In the second book, all of our favorite characters are once again with us, but there are also some new characters. As with the previous book, the book centers on the relationship between Dervan (a scholar who is tasked with writing the words of a visiting bard) and Fintan (the visiting bard). However, the real push for this book lays in the different tales that Fintan is able to tell at the Survivor's Field daily. As with the first book, the majority of the story is the first-hand accounts of the invasion of the Giants and the destruction they left in their wake.

As a whole, I really found this book a great sequel to the first book. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this series leads us in the future.

As a fan of Hearne's prior series (Iron Druid Chronicles), I expected to be grabbed immediately by this book. However, I had a very difficult time getting into the characters and the setting; they felt similar and unfinished. This would be a book that I would only recommend if you've read the first in the series and was grabbed to finish.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved Kevin Hearne’s first book in this epic series, and the sequel lives up to all of my expectations. I needed a smidgen of time at the start to find the groove of this world, as it’s been a while since I read the first, but I soon recognized characters and immersed myself in Hearne’s incredible setting. The magic continues to fascinate me—the ‘kennings’ with their unique abilities and consequences—but the characters are what truly shine here. I’m already desperate to read the third, last book in the series.

This is a really great follow-up to book one, A Plague of Giants. I enjoyed getting all of the stories of the different characters, so much detail and interesting storytelling. All in all a very enjoyable read from a great author.

This is the 2nd book in a series, and it is necessary that you have read the first one, before you read this one. The story begins exactly where the first book ended, and closure is eventually offered for some of the mysteries of the first book, but many more unresolved ones are presented.

While the main characters are a bard (a storyteller with perfect memory) and the historian tasked with writing down the stories he narrates, the stories focus on an enormous number of characters, much more than what the first book focused on, however it never becomes too hard to remember who is who. Some of the characters of course have more interesting stories than others, and I must admit that the interludes where Dervan, the historian, describes in exquisite detail his meals, was by far the least interesting parts of the book.

Overall however, despite some cringe-worthy moments, the story was captivating till the end, the fantasy elements (and their limitations) were perfectly believable, and the world building is fantastic (even though the constant mention of how different the flora and fauna of this world is, became a little tiring at some point). I will be looking forward to the third book!