I really wish I’d read this sooner after finishing The Deathless, because there’s a lot that I know I didn’t get. The more I read the more came back to me, but still I don’t feel like I can really be fair (though I certainly enjoyed this). I’m planning to do a deep review of the entire series after I finish book 3. So … on to book 3!

I was given a free copy of Ruthless by Peter Newman (author), Harper Voyager (publisher) which was published in 2019, and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Ruthless is the second in the Deathless trilogy. Deathless is the first in the trilogy and was published in 2018. Boundless is the final book in the trilogy and was published in 2020.

Ruthless is the first novel that I have read by Mr. Newman. Even though this is the second book in the series, Mr. Newman wrote the story in such a way that it was not difficult to understand what is happening and why in the story.

I would characterize Ruthless as epic fantasy.

This review will not contain any spoilers.

Mr. Newman created in an interesting setting with the different houses that rule the land while demons and other creatures, known as the Wild, inhabit and roam the forests that are between the houses. Each house controls and protects a portion of the setting from the Wild. Some of the houses are more powerful and have more control than other houses and, at least, one house is having difficulty in protecting its lands from the Wild.
Each house is headed by someone whose soul (for a lack of a better phrase) continues to live even after the body, which houses soul, dies. There is a ceremony where the soul is transferred from the dead body to another person who is alive. The soul is called deathless.

It seems that the deathless can use magic and it appears to be an innate ability. The deathless wears body armor that appears to enhance their magic abilities. Crystals also have an impact on the use of magic.
Ruthless does not have a main character and Mr. Newman uses multiple points-of-view to show the story. I think using multiple points-of-view gives the reader a wider frame of the world along with the events that are happening in different parts of the world.

Mr. Newman creates interesting characters such as the honored mother, the character featured in the forests, the deathless who is a prisoner, and the deathless who is reincarnated in the beginning of the story. After reading the story, I think I would have preferred if each of these characters would have featured more. The other characters featured are not as fully developed and not as interesting and engaging as I would have wanted.

The pace of the story is at a consistent pace and there is no point that I felt the story lagged. Even with the political intrigue and machinations between the houses which is an important aspect of the story, I did not have any difficulty in understanding and following what happened as it happened.

The only shortcoming in this novel – and it is significant – is that there is no story arc or plot that is resolved at the end of the story. Mr. Newman has crafted an interesting story, but I found the conclusion of the story to anti-climactic and not satisfying. The story ends in a cliff-hanger, and I do not like cliff-hangers. The ending of the story negatively impacted my overall enjoyment of Restless.

Even though I have qualms about the conclusion, I would recommend Restless to readers who enjoy a straight-forward epic fantasy story which progresses at a steady clip, has interesting setting, political intrigue and machinations, and a cliff-hanger ending.

I rate Restless 3 stars.

I would like to thank Mr. Newman, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

My thanks to Harper 360/Voyager, Peter Newman and Netgalley.
It's funny, but I really didn't like book #1 in this Deathless Trilogy. Heck, I only rated it at 2 stars!
Still I knew that I'd probably have to read more. I'm glad I did. What didn't quite gel for me in the first book, somehow came together and made sense in this story.
Now, of course I'll wait a few month's to let this story fade from my memory, and then I'll read the whole trilogy in early 2021!
I've read a few Fantasy/Grimdark series that I didn't warm up to, but I've learned to follow some books up. It's led to some fantastic stories! This one took some getting used to. "Floating sky castles!" But, now it's too late. I love this world..