a review by Jade Hounsell
Ok I have to say that I really didn’t give you much in the way of plot with Tymon’s flight, that really is because so much happens within it that it would really be too hard to for me to define it for you in a short review. Same is to be said for this one, so again I will give you the blurb on the back cover then tell you what I think:
‘Tymon leaves his new home and his beloved Samiha to complete his Grafting studies with the famous Oracle of Nur. But Tymon and fellow traveller Jedda find that locating the Oracle in a corrupt and lawless city run by pirates and slave-drivers is no easy matter. Samiha’s fate has been predicted by Grafters down the ages. When she is captured in Cherk Harbour and charged with grand heresy, there seems to be no way out…but Tymon does not believe in fate and is desperate to save her life. As chaos hums through the Tree, survival revolves on the fate of just one.’
As you would have gathered by now Samiha’s Song is the second book in this series and continues on pretty much straight from where Tymon’s Flight left off, so I really wouldn’t encourage reading this one until you have read that one. Also being a middle book it neither starts nor finishes like a stand alone book would.
Despite the name Samiha’s Song, the book is still predominately about Tymon, although there are a few chapters that are told from the character Samiha’s point of view. Also there are a few paragraphs here and there throughout that are told from Jedda’s, Wick’s and Lace’s perspective as well, I found that this gives you a much better insight into what drives certain characters to act a certain way or a different view point on part of the story already told.
Tymon’s character has grown quite a bit since the first book, he now takes on more responsibility, makes difficult decisions and stands by them and endures much hardship in this journey- physically, mentally and spiritually. He is learning from most of his mistakes however he still has a really bad habit of listening to what others have to say then doing what he was planning on doing anyway. Come to think of it if he did do as he was told all the time, we wouldn’t have much of a story so maybe it’s not such a bad trait…..
I really was incredibly shocked to discover how much I loved the first book, mainly due to never having heard of Mary Victoria before, and was left thinking that maybe the second in the series would be a huge let down. Well, I can say that was definitely not the case, this book is filled with as many twists, turns, hidden plots and incredible places and characters. The main characters have become more evolved, or mature, in this book, revealing more of their true natures, pasts and possible futures.
This may be a spoiler or if you read the blurb above, maybe not, so please stop reading now if you don’t want to know. A key character is killed off in this book which I found hugely disappointing; however it was not unexpected at all, although I lived in hope that events would change enough to stop it from happening. The death has huge ramifications for Tymon and I cannot help but think there is more to be revealed about this event in the third book.
