Thank you to the author for sending me a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reign Returned, the first book in The Felserpent Chronicles, is easily one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year. And, Blood Divided, the sequel, did not disappoint. Kyra and Sebastian now know who they are and what they’re meant to do. However, there are still obstacles in their path before they can fulfill their goal of reuniting the realms. 

In the first book, we see great characterization for Kyra as she unlearns everything she knows about the differences between Astrals and Devels. There is significantly more Sebastian characterization in Blood Divided, helping us learn more about his past as he begins to soften around the edges. This is the best part of the sequel for me. Watching him realize it’s okay to be close to someone is such an important part of life, and it was wonderful to watch that happen.

Many people talk about the sequel slump for fantasy novels. However, the way Keridan infuses the worldbuilding and character development propels the plot forward in a thoughtful way. So much of Reign Returned is us getting our bearings with the characters in a fairly majestic way. Blood Divided is more of a slow burn, dripping information that leads up to a cathartic ending. It felt so validating for Sebastian’s journey in this book.

I can’t wait to see where the third book takes them. The next journey may just be their best yet.