"Will the magic return?" is a question that has a dual meaning for me when it comes to this book as it applies to both the storyline and the series itself. Those who read the first book, Ice Forged, know that the main characters are on a quest to return magic to their homeland and this book follows through on the resolution of that storyline. However, for me the question also applies to the series itself as the first book started strong but did not maintain my interest level throughout. So I moved on to book two with the hope that the quest would be a successful one and that the magic of this series' strong start would return to my reading experience as well.

Blaine McFadden, the last living Lord of the Blood, along with his band of former convicts must survive threats on many fronts in order to bring the magic back. Torn between the past and the present, Blaine (aka Mick) finds that his two prior lives bring to him both enemies and allies and he must find the right balance between them to be successful. All of the main characters return and a few new ones are introduced, including the Wraith Lord, who I found to be a quite interesting addition to the story. Blaine quest from the first book remains mostly unchanged as he still must collect all the amulets and map pieces required to complete the summoning ritual before his enemies prevent him from doing so.

Unfortunately for me the nature of the quest just feels way too contrived and it is too reminiscent of a video game where you just go around collecting items to advance in the game. Combine that with the all too convenient plot points along the way and for me the magic did not return to the story, despite the pretty cool and interesting encounter with the Wraith Lord.  There is nothing fundamentally wrong with any of the story, but this is a case where the whole is less than the sum of the parts, and in a crowded genre that is just not enough. Luckily the story from the first book wraps up nicely in book two so there is no compelling need to continue on with the series unless you are really into it. 

For audiobook fans, Tim Gerard Reynolds does his usual excellent job as the narrator but even his storytelling skills were not enough for me to continue with the series beyond this one.