A dark, brutal, and evocative story. E. P. Soulless delivers again!

When I read Cryosurge, the first book of Annals of Incidental Utopia, I was captivated by the characters and the dark theme of the book. The author’s unique, fast-paced, and yet thoughtfully orchestrated presentation made it quite a memorable read. And all those elements carry over in the second, but it is in this book that the plot truly begins to shine.

The blade drank greedily from the man-shaped fountain.

So what do you do when confronted with the assassin who tried to kill you, and almost succeeded? You take them to a pool for a chat over a warm soak, of course!

The author surprises us with hillarious twists every now and then, and it serves as a great contrast with the dark theme of the story.

Unfortunately for Idd, the Frost-shaman was back in their ancient halls.

Idd, our Frost-shaman protagonist, continues to be my favorite character in the series. We get to know more about the early stages of his life and I loved the way his past and present are woven in through the non-linear presentation.

We see him question his ambitions, struggle with the burdens heaved upon his shoulders by larger powers, and his conflict, inner turmoil, and disdain for authority make for a fantastic character.

Shared mirth was a rare disease atop Nostrom, Idd remembered. Madness, though, was practically a prerequisite.

I also enjoyed the events of Korthe’s past, which we see for the first time in this book.

I’d have also absolutely loved longer books where I get to live the life of both Idd and Korthe, their childhoods, their escapes---all of their past in the fullest of detail. However, that is not the book the author set out to write, and I wouldn’t criticize him for it. Having said that, for someone who supposedly doesn’t care much about academic setups, he has conjured up some rather fantastic dark academia premise.

A dangerous hunger, that hope. A weakness the Tutor often warned against.

Korthe’s aimless wandering and Eymir’s chaotic philosophy had been pulling on my nerves for a bit, but then the competition slowly creeps up on you, and when I realized where things were headed, the “Oh shit” moment made it all worth it. Divine intervention FTW.

Obey. Oblige. Obliterate. A mantra of sorts.

While the broader themes are interesting, there are also myriad little things in the book that just hit the spot. For instance, I loved how Idd just takes it upon himself to go and rearrange the neglected library. Those things just hook you in at a level way deeper than battles and grand adventures can.

Silence is mercy, but mercy can drown.

The bird’s involvement in the story continues to be shrouded in a bit of mystery, but I enjoyed King’s arc actually connecting with the primary storyline. If I have to deliberately pull out a complaint about the story, it’d be that I wish the second and first were one single book. Of course that shouldn’t stop you from trying out the series---just keep in mind that even if the story doesn’t feel as well-connected in the first book, it does build up to something wonderful.

And holy cliffhanger, what an ending! The next book can’t come soon enough.

Revolution, like faith, is just exploitation in disguise.