August 1, 2021
Ryxander, Warden of Gloamingard, has broken the seal of the Door in the dark tower, and demons roam the world once again. Driven from her home territory, she and others watch as the Demon of Discord--bonded with her grandmother--drives out those who would stand against it. Now the Empire is gathering forces along the border, and Ryx and her allies find that an artifact that could destroy all life within a domain has been stolen. Ryx must discover what has happened to the weapon, while navigating the tenuous positions of the Serene Empire, the demon-aligned Zenith Society and its drive to open the Nine Hells, and the truth about her own magic--a truth that will change her relationship with everyone she knows. The Nine Demons could end up destroying every member of humankind, and Ryx will have to decide where she stands in the battle. Characters are racially diverse, and many are LGBTQ. VERDICT Caruso's follow-up to The Obsidian Tower expands the detailed worldbuilding and imperial machinations of this magic-steeped empire, while Ryxander continues to grow as a diplomat and heroine.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
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August 23, 2021
The Dark Days loom again as demons escape from the Nine Hells to take up court in Caruso’s stately second Rooks and Ruin fantasy (after 2020’s The Obsidian Tower). Ryxander, former Warden of Gloamingard castle, is exiled from her homeland by her demon-possessed grandmother, the Lady of Owls. Joining with her allies, the magic troubleshooters of the Rookery, she travels to the elaborate palace of Loreice on the trail of the traitorous wizards of the Zenith Society, who have teamed up with the demon of Hunger. But nothing at Loreice is safe, least of all invitations to tea with their queen. Meanwhile, Ryxander teases out secrets of her family’s past dealings with demons that put her at odds with the Rookery and their powerful patrons. Caruso handles her reveals well, keeping readers’ attention, but making the demons a bit more chatty in this installment also makes them a bit less scary, diffusing some of the horror of the first volume. Still, this is a solid outing for series fans. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary.
October 8, 2021
Kicked out of her home by her demon-possessed grandmother, Ryx has teamed up with the Rookery in the second book of Caruso's Rooks and Ruin trilogy (after The Obsidian Tower, 2020). Ryx's magical ability to destroy everything is contained by a jess, allowing her the freedom to interact with other people for the first time in her life. She and her Rookery allies need to hunt down and contain unleashed demons--other than those inside her grandmother--without knowing their goals or which of the nine demons are loose in the world. They find themselves at the court of Loreice, a place vastly different than Ryx's Morgrain home, pursuing the Zenith Society and an artifact that could destroy an entire domain by killing every living being in it. Caruso continues to seamlessly incorporate gender equality, LGBTQ relationships, and nonbinary characters in her unique fantasy setting, exploring familiar coming-of-age topics as Ryx struggles with human interaction and her personal and literal demons.
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