The Rod of Wind and Iron by Mikko Azul (Not A Pipe Publishing 2022)

The Garanth Army marches against the Askári, razing everything in its path. The demon Laylur’s horde bears down upon the Shäeli, intent on destroying all life on Muralia. Amidst the chaos and death, Cédron Varkáras and Sénna Králl become unwilling allies in a quest to acquire the lost windstone of Yezmarantha needed to create a weapon to challenge the demon. Betrayal is inevitable, trust is impossible. Hope and time are running out.

This sequel to The Staff of Fire and Bone raises the stakes even higher as Cedron Varkaras struggles with self-doubt and personal loss to fulfill his destiny to save Muralia from the demon Laylur. He needs two more sacred stones to activate a powerful object to defeat Laylur. Of course, all three items are hidden far from each other, and Cedron’s path to finding them is littered with obstacles. While he suffers loss and betrayal that dim every victory, he also gains new allies whose destinies are intertwined with his. Chief among them is Senna, a young would-be spy who keeps getting caught but whose experience and knowledge prove invaluable as the questing party travels through caverns, an underground city, and a desert oasis under siege.

The action rarely lets up, but there are plenty of moments of warmth and humor that made me love Cedron, Senna, and their diverse cast of supporters. Muralia is a gorgeously imagined world, and Azul includes sensory details that bring it to life. (This story would make a great big-budget TV series!) If the demon wins, it feels like something real will be lost. The hero suffers, but the world suffers even more.

Highly recommended if you love big, epic plots, fantastic creatures, and casts of thousands!

Available at Barnes & Noble in paperback and hardcover HERE.

Available on Amazon in hardcover HERE.

Available on Amazon in paperback HERE.

Available on Kindle HERE.