Review by Booklist Review
The Hollow Covenant series continues what The Gods Below (2024) started: an epic fantasy of terrifying gods and character-driven rebellion. In this sequel, sisters Hakara and Rasha are both smarting after their painful reunion. Hakara has a corestone in her gut, a magical gem of the gods that is changing her from within as she tries to lead the Unanointed forward. Rasha is trying to stay alive even as she begins to doubt whether the all-powerful Kluehnn can be trusted. Meanwhile, Mull tries to escape from underground to figure out once and for all what happened to the man who made a pact with the gods, one that changed their world, and Sheuan has to find out who the Sovereign really is if she wants to survive. As with many second volumes in a three-book series, this one has a bit less action and a lot more revelation and politicking. Still, readers will be fully invested in the characters discovering these secrets and how they can help the Unanointed claw back a Restored world without submitting to Kluehnn's greed for supremacy. Once again, Stewart delivers a vivid, complex fantasy reminiscent of N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy. Readers will be eager for the trilogy's conclusion.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
In the sequel to The Gods Below, Kluehnn continues to wage war against gods and prepares the world for reformation. Mullayne finds his way back to the surface, but most believe he died in his quest. When he is captured and put to work in the den's archives, Mull discovers a secret about Kluehnn that could upset the god's plans entirely. Sheuan gets her position as the Sovereign's partner but finds that power does not necessarily follow. Her movements watched, Sheuan throws herself into trying to discover the Sovereign's secrets. Rasha battles between doing her duty for Kluehnn and finding answers to the questions she keeps having, falling further from her god's grace. Chasing the elder god Lithuas across Langzu, Hakara also deals with the corestone she has swallowed and its power. Hakara and Rasha must face each other again on opposite sides, and when the battle's price gets too high, the sisters might see their youthful bond die beneath their adult beliefs. VERDICT Stewart continues her incredibly compelling series about gods, mortals, magical gems, and rebellion. Multiple points of view broaden the worldbuilding, and the pacing will enthrall readers of epic fantasy.--Kristi Chadwick
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The second installment in Stewart's Hollow Covenant trilogy continues the impressively epic narrative set on a world where magic has been all but destroyed and gods and mortals battle for survival, supremacy, and freedom. After mortals selfishly--or ignorantly--"broke the world" (called the Shattering) by the deforestation of all the giant Numinar trees for their magic (and inadvertently destroyed the gods' subterranean realm of Unterra), the self-proclaimed "onetrue god" Kluehnn set out on a mission to kill all the other gods, punish the mortals, and restore the world in his vision. But not all the gods are dead--some have been in hiding for centuries--and Kluehnn's bloody grand plan has increasing opposition. Revolving in large part around the fractured relationship between two sisters, Hakara and Rasha, who were separated when their realm was restored--killing half of the inhabitants and turning some into "altered" beings (with any combination of fur, wings, horns, tails, etc.)--the storyline gains scope and depth with multiple points of view, which also includes Mullayne, an explorer and scholar who, failing to find a safe passage to the gods' mythical underground realm, is bent on unearthing the mystery surrounding Kluehnn's origins, and Sheuan, Mull's scheming cousin who knows how to make the filters needed to survive the magical but poisonous aether of the underworld. The complex dynamism between characters and stand-up-and-applaud plot intricacy are obvious strong points, but the originality and rich description of the worldbuilding are arguably the most memorable aspects. Here Stewart gives readers a glimpse into Unterra before the Shattering: "But those who have returned described masses of glowing roots from the Numinars above, birds with iridescent feathers, equine creatures with cloven hooves and shimmering green coats. And above it all, in the very center of our world, the inner star." The sheer amount of jaw-dropping plot twists and bombshell revelations make this a must-read for fans of grand-scale fantasy. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
