Part five of Josh Reynolds’ Black Rift of Klaxus serialised novel, The Scarlet Lord sees Orius’ Stormcasts pushing deep into the city, while up in the Sulphur Citadel Anhur’s ritual is approaching completion. With the two sides coming ever closer to a final confrontation the champions of each force clash in a series of battles across the tortured city, with both Kratus and Gorgus in the thick of it. The Stormcasts are being gradually whittled down as they forge ever onwards, and while the opposing lords are still to meet in person, it’s only a matter of time now.
Once again there’s lots and lots of action here, but where Six Pillars felt a bit samey this does a good job of digging into Orius and Anhur’s shared past and the ties binding them together. Both characters are still developing and expanding, especially Anhur, whether seen through his own eyes or the subjective viewpoints of his champions, and with the supporting cast nicely fleshed out the whole thing is coming together well. There’s a real sense of forward motion as events speed up towards the inevitable climactic battle and the final outcome, with Reynolds striking a good balance of keeping the pace going while maintaining interest in the characters.
One comment