The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man (2019) K. D. Edwards (The Tarot Sequence)

The world changed decades ago.

The Atlantean World War was brief. The cost was high. Magically radioactive wastes in the Pacific Northwest and half of Poland; the near-extinction of dragonkind; a viral plague that decimated the Atlantean homeland. A hundred thousand headstones, trillions in damage.

In this world, Rune Saint John and his Companion, Brandon Saint John, are in a slightly better place than they were several months, ago, but they are still struggling, and now they have to keep Max safe. Max who was promised to the Hanged Man, and who doesn’t want to be more of a burden to Rune and Brand.

My favorite part of the books is the banter. I love banter. And Rune and Brand do so much bantering.

Brand strode ahead of his party and glared at my injuries. “You fucking led me to believe you could handle a half dozen men.” “

I lulled them into a false sense of security with my bleeding.”

If you did not read this first book (which you should) be aware that Rune had been tortured (and almost killed) as a teenager, and although he is physically better, he still struggles with the memories of what was done to him.

“I’m fine. I just needed a second to get my head on straight.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Pity party over. I don’t have a monopoly on bad memories. Sometimes I forget that.”

“It’s not a contest. You’re allowed to say it’s too much. You’re allowed to say if this is too much.”

I all but read this in one sitting yesterday, getting off the sofa to eat some chips and salsa–but not much else until I was finished reading.

I liked all the parts of this book (except the formatting, but that’s something else entirely) but what I loved most is the friendship and found family between the characters.

Not only do the male characters in the story hug each other, but they actually break down and tell each other they love each other. And I don’t mean Addam and Rune, I mean Brand and Rune, and Addam and Quinn, and it was just so lovely.

I want more, please.

Publisher : Pyr
Rating: 8.5/10

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