SIEGE & SACRIFICE - Charlie N. Holmberg



Sandis was finally free from the Master who was using her as a host to unleash the ancient beast Kolosos. Now she would be able to summon her own demon - a fire horse - and along with her friend Rone, perhaps they would be able to finally defeat the unbeatable Kolosos.  But in the meantime, Kolosos has found a new host body ... Anon. Anon is Sandis's brother whom she long thought dead.  Now, defeating Kolosos is even more crucial, but can she do it and save Anon?

This series hasn't been my favorite of Holmberg's work, but this third book in the Numina series has finally drawn me in and held me rapt. I felt that there was more depth to the characters and more at stake with the plot than in the two previous books, but mostly, there seemed to be a lack of whining and pining that I recall from the other books.

Sandis has really grown through the course of the series, and that's been enjoyable. Unfortunately, part of that growth comes at the expense of not having such a strong character initially. 

It is hard for me to tell if this book would stand alone well. I'm familiar enough with the characters and running storyline that this book makes sense to me, and appeals to me, because of the series .And if you've read the previous books you will definitely want to read this, the strongest of the three books.

What works in this book is the relationship between the characters and struggle to defeat a powerful demon.  What hasn't worked is the attempt to create a new mythology/religion.  I haven't seen much difference between this and the plethora of fantasies I've read. The series is pretty standard/average in a strong fantasy market, but Holmberg's writing is well worth getting in to.

Looking for a good book? Siege & Sacrifice by Charlie N. Homberg is the third book in the Numina series, and the strongest of the set. 

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

* * * * * *

Siege & Sacrifice

author: Charlie N. Holmberg

series: Numina #3

publisher: 47North

ISBN: 1542092590

hardcover, 304 pages

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