lastblossom reviewed Sound the Gong by Joan He
Even more of a roller coaster than the first one. War, plots, and an absolutely relentless MC race towards a powerful ending.
In my review for the previous book, I politely asked for an illustration of Crow, and we have generously been given two. (One on the cover, and one inside yet to come.) That's the only bit of generosity you'll see here - in the best way possible. War isn't pretty, and Zephyr won't pretend otherwise. No quarter given, no mercy granted. She's relentless in her quest to win this war, and she's willing to sacrifice anyone's life, hers included. If you want a ruthless MC who will REALLY do anything to win, this book will delight you. I put a question mark on the romance in the last book, and the question mark remains here. There's certainly attraction, but both Zephyr and Crow have bigger goals in mind, and seeing them square off again was great. But don't come in here expecting the twist to be they fall in love …
In my review for the previous book, I politely asked for an illustration of Crow, and we have generously been given two. (One on the cover, and one inside yet to come.) That's the only bit of generosity you'll see here - in the best way possible. War isn't pretty, and Zephyr won't pretend otherwise. No quarter given, no mercy granted. She's relentless in her quest to win this war, and she's willing to sacrifice anyone's life, hers included. If you want a ruthless MC who will REALLY do anything to win, this book will delight you. I put a question mark on the romance in the last book, and the question mark remains here. There's certainly attraction, but both Zephyr and Crow have bigger goals in mind, and seeing them square off again was great. But don't come in here expecting the twist to be they fall in love and change things. Love doesn't conquer all - Zephyr does. And it's messy and violent and a page-turning powerhouse with a satisfying ending.
As with the previous book, the author's notes in the back are also a great read, for anyone interested in the original Three Kingdoms account.
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!