It’s been a year and a half since I read SK’s Between Starfalls. Picking up a series after so long can be tricky but when you have a particular bond with the characters, it is impossible not to come back and feel at home again. To reconnect with them like old friends, be inspired by their strength and moved by their struggles. I finally read Let Loose the Fallen, the follow up book to Between Starfalls and like last time, this book gave me a hangover. I loved the story so much that I had to step back and take some days off before getting into another book. Let’s start with a look at the synopsis and content notes.
The priestess searches for her faith.
The fire-wielder wrestles with her past.
The psion dreams of peace.
And the hero is torn between his heart and his duty.
While grief scatters the four protectors to the winds, outside forces write history according to their own whims. The fate of the Rinaryns lies twined with that of the boy, Eian, caught in a tug of war the heroes are unaware of.
But the evidence lies waiting for Taunos and the others to see, if only they can move past their betrayal.
Content Notes: (from the book directly) Includes fantasy violence, caregiver fatigue, self-harm, gaslighting, hallucinations, mental manipulations, psychic call of the abyss, fantasy racism, panic attacks, torture, instances of vomiting, loss of animal, loss of child guardianship, physical trauma and injustice.
Thoughts on Let Loose the Fallen
Between Starfalls ended on a very tense note. Our heroes were mentally broken by being labeled as ‘Fallen’, their ties with their families were cut in one decision by the elder’s and Let Loose the Fallen is the story of them almost falling to pieces but coming out stronger at the end. It wasn’t just the characters – Kaemada, Ra’ael, Takiyah, Taunos – who grew. I grew with them as the reader! The world grew with them as they traveled. Their beliefs and presumptions were challenged and evolved as Let Loose the Fallen progressed. I will try my best to convey how much I loved this story.
I don’t think I have ever complimented synopsis/book blurbs before so let’s start with that – this story is so true to the synopsis. It has that mythical feel, as if told by someone who is orchestrating the whole – and, no, it is not the author. There is much to be learned from this book.
Stop letting others fence you in. What do you want to be? What do you want to accomplish?
Umril in Let Loose the Fallen
In their respective journeys, Kaemada, Ra’ael, Takiyah and Taunos dig deeper into who they are, their hopes and wishes for themselves and their friends, having lived in a community for so long where everyone was dependent on each other and played an important role in the ecosystem of life, it is challenge to be thrown out and have to figure out who one is. They all had their own unique ways of coming to terms with what happened to them.
While Kaemada realizes her fear of her power is something she needs to overcome to be of aid to her friends and family, Ra’ael tries to find solace in friendship and adopt a new way of being.
Taunos returns to a world he left behind during his journeys for the elders and goes through a change in mindset of how he wants to spend the rest of his life, now that the elders no longer direct him.
Takiyah had the roughest time in Between Starfalls and that trend continued in this book, but I felt her arc was the most satisfying of them all. She is the one who will bend a dragon to her will, even if the dragon gives in purely for his own amusements. Yes, there are dragons in this world. They hadn’t made an appearance in Between Starfalls but I am glad because Takiyah needed to become who she became in this book to make dragons extra interesting.
There are many lessons about growth, societal expectations, pain and strength that are present in the 400ish pages of this beautiful book. This one I read in the middle of a very stressful work week and it gave me hope for myself:
Sometimes growth requires pruning. It hurts at first, and perhaps the tree feels a step backward has been taken. But the tree will heal and be better for it. The tree of course does not know this, for it cannot see the distance we can.
Umril in Let Loose the Fallen
Umril is one of my favorite new additions! Here is another one.
Minds are difficult to change. It’s not a failing on you that someone else doesn’t listen to your arguments, doesn’t wish to be persuaded.
Amanah in Let Loose the Fallen
While Fantasy can easily be overwhelming, especially when narratives diverge, Let Loose the Fallen is written so beautifully and so intricately that even when I was reading one character’s POV, another character’s story was starting to make more sense. This was particularly evident in Taunos’ journey and Takiyah’s real world experiences. There were concepts, like those of ships, that appeared in multiple POVs, from different angles and I felt that every narrative helped me uncover more about the world and the characters.
It felt like I was discovering puzzle pieces in different parts of the book and each time I encountered one, I had ‘aha’ moments of where it fit in the big picture. I know that the full picture is still developing (SK says there are 5 books in total in the series, so 3 to go!) and so far, I love what I am seeing and how it is coming together.
Let Loose the Fallen is a hard book to read. Maybe you already got that from the content notes. There is a lot of trauma in this book, but there is also hope. There is also help from characters that we know should be able to offer help and it comes in its own time. What we have within us plays an important role in each of their journeys and I loved how much intrinsic strength existed all around.
After so long without a song, so long worrying about what others said she was rather than just being herself, trusting in the guidance of her heart, she had it back. Purpose, direction. A story.
Ra’ael in Let Loose the Fallen
I have a favorite: Takiyah continues to be the queen of my heart in this story. Though I have not experienced the pain that she goes through, her journey is an inspiration. The pride she takes in her creativity makes me so happy.
“Why are you so insistent on doing this?” Rothan asked.
Takiyah in Let Loose the Fallen
“Because I am. Because it’s beautiful. Because it’s useful, and I made it.”
Can you tell based on this dialogue that she can totally tell off a dragon?
Reading Experience Summary
My reading cycle for this book was very similar to Between Starfalls. I read the first few chapters while reading other books, but at 30%, it became obvious that Let Loose the Fallen was going to be my sole focus for the next week. I enjoyed being immersed in it! I enjoyed growing with it. The emotional turmoil that some incidents caused broke my heart but I was there for every step with the characters and like them, I learned so much about them and their world. It makes sense. They were meant to separate to come back stronger. There is no denying that the conclusions we come up with independently without anyone else influencing are the strongest drivers of our behaviour. Kaemada, Ra’ael, Takiyah and Taunos know what family is. They know what community is. They know the ways of their people and eventually disbelief turns anger and injustice into strength and perseverance. Such raw emotions and brilliant writing are hard to come by.
As the second book in The Children of the Nexus series, Let Loose the Fallen does a phenomenal job of keeping an engaging storyline and developing characters in so much depth. Every time I put down this book for the day, all I wanted to do was to commit it to my memory. Growing up, my grandma would tell me stories at bedtime. She never read from a book. She knew those stories by heart. I was never able to ask her where she learned those stories from. But when I read SK’s books, hers are stories I want to remember and be able to share with my kids at bedtime. There is so much there and I know for a fact that when I reread this, I will find even more treasures.
Will you pick up this book?
Let Loose the Fallen is now available. Be sure to check your local library and support them.
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
About the Author
SK is the indie author of Windward and Between Starfalls. She’s a co-founder of Indie Story Geek as well as a co-founder of Teacup Dragon. You’ll also find her at WriteHive, where she is a Coordinator, and Writer In Motion as Forum Moderator, and when she’s not buried under edits, you can often find her cheering people on in Twitter’s Writing Community. Learn more about her work on her website and connect with her on Twitter.
I will be back with her tomorrow and we will chat about this book. 🙂
Meantime, if you have not read Between Starfalls, check out my review here.
Cover image: Photo by Keith Hardy on Unsplash
[…] ones to write well. SK continues her brilliant writing and world building in the second book, Let Loose the Fallen. I am waiting for book 3 which is currently undergoing SK’s meticulous […]