The Thousand Eyes (The Serpent Gates, #2)

by A. K. Larkwood

Brilliant, bold and thrilling, The Thousand Eyes by A. K. Larkwood is the epic fantasy sequel to The Unspoken Name.

Could you sacrifice your dreams to escape a nightmare?

Csorwe, Shuthmili and Tal survey abandoned Echentyr worlds to make a living. The empire’s ruins seem harmless but fascinating. Yet disaster strikes when they stumble upon ancient magic during a routine expedition. This revives a warrior who’d slept for an age, reigniting a conflict thousands of years old. And the soldier binds Csorwe to her cause.

Shuthmili is desperate to protect the woman she loves. However, as events escalate, she’s torn. Can she help Csorwe by clinging to her own humanity or by embracing her eldritch powers?

Tal heads home, but his peace is shattered when a magical catastrophe hits his city. The wizard Sethennai is missing and Tal can’t face seeking his former lover to ask for help. So, he flees – but there’s no escaping the future. For throughout the Echo Maze’s linked worlds, fragments of an undead goddess are waking. Soon all must choose a side.

Praise for The Unspoken Name:

‘An outstanding debut . . . unlike anything I’ve read before’ – Nicholas Eames

‘Richly detailed, enthralling and extraordinary’ – Jenn Lyons

‘Stylish, classy and timeless . . . I cannot recommend it enough’ – Tamsyn Muir

‘An adventure I couldn’t put down’ – S. A. Chakraborty

• ISBN10: 1529032792
• ISBN13: 9781529032796
• Publish Date: 17 February 2022 (first published 15 February 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Imprint: Tor
• Edition: Goldsboro Exclusive
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• Special: Numbered Signed

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

The Thousand Eyes is the second novel in A.K. Larkwood's The Serpent Gates series. I admit that I was pretty curious about how the sequel would go and thus couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it. Also, I love that cover.

Csorwe and Shuthmili survived the encounter two years ago – when they defied a wizard and stole his gauntlets. That should have been the end of their story. The gauntlets make Shuthmili stronger than ever, but they're also taking a toll on her. A toll she can't keep paying.

Then there's Tol Charossa. He has finally made it home, only to find his old boss is missing. He can't walk away from this news and will quickly find himself neck-deep in another dangerous situation.

Let me just start with this: if you enjoyed The Unspoken Name, you're going to love The Thousand Eyes. Larkwood perfectly carried on the vibes and stories developed in that first novel. As such, it felt like coming home. Readers will know what I mean.

I was surprised by the time jump, though I'll admit that it was also fairly essential. We needed to give everyone time to come to terms with what had happened. Not to mention, traveling isn't as quick or easy as we're used to in the modern world.

To me, the shining moments in The Thousand Eyes all stemmed from character development. This novel is delightfully character-driven, which I always love in fantasy novels. There's so much reason to care about these guys, especially as the stakes keep rising.

I'll admit that the pacing can lean towards the slower side, so potential readers should probably keep this in mind. However, I don't mind a slow-burning plot, especially when the characters are so strong and the world so fascinating.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks