Spectyr (Book of the Order #2) by Philippa Ballantine
Urban Fantasy
June 28th, 2011
Paperback
Ace

Favorite Quote: “I am inside you. My Sight is yours no matter where I am.”

Deacon Sorcha Faris is one of the most powerful deacons in the order. When a message comes to her through the bond she shares with her shape shifting lover, Raed Rossin-Pretender to the Throne, showing him to be in danger, Sorcha jumps at the chance to visit the city of Orithal where she knows he is heading. While there, she and her partner, Deacon Merrick are drawn into a series of murders brought about unwittingly by their Emperor’s sister. As Sorcha and Merrick battle an unknown entity bent on Rossin’s destruction, they are once again thrown into a conspiracy that views them as expendable pawns in a battle of power.

Spectyr takes up where Geist left off. Sorcha and Merrick are at the order, in statis, while the council decides on Sorcha’s request to dissolve the bond between her and her husband Koyla. Koyla has never been the emotional connection that Sorcha needed but now that she wants out of the partnership and marriage, he has suddenly become persistent in keeping them together. When they are offered the assignment to escort the ambassador and deliver some messages to Orithal, Sorcha agrees, feeling it will give her and Koyla some much needed space and allow her to find and protect Raed.

In Orithal, Sorcha and Merrick are taken immediately to the Prince where they find Raed and Merrick’s mother-who is one of the prince’s wives. While Merrick reconnects with his mother Sorcha finds Raed and finds out why he is risking his freedom by being in the city. His sister has been kidnapped by slavers and it is his duty to get her back. When the three of them (Sorcha, Raed, and Merrick) witness a murder, they are unable to detect the person or thing that did it. As they follow a faint trail, Merrick is pulled into the Otherworld. Here he receives warning that an ancient goddess has been released bent on exacting revenge on all those who helped imprisoned her. That includes the geistlord who recedes in Raed.

Phillippa Ballantine’s world is an enchanting mixture of sci fi and urban fantasy that opens up to a intriguingly different world. Rich world building with complex and multi layered characters give us a mytho-religious based storyline driven by the characters. I found Spectyr to be more emotionally based then Geist. We see emotional growth, bonding, and relationship changing interaction in here and that is where the book truly shines. Smooth writing, fast pacing, and descriptive detailing draws you in and I found myself once again heavily vested in the characters outcomes. I am pleased by the time and effort Ms. Ballentine takes in developing her characters and their connections to the world and each another. At only 310 pages-Ms. Ballentine packs a powerful story in a small time frame.

I found Sorcha and Merrick to be personable and entertaining as always. Sorcha’s caustic humor and Merrick’s protective and almost mother hen approach to Sorcha is revealing. Sorcha is softer in here. Her relationship with Raed and Merrick has smoothed some of her harder edges. Her attitude towards the Order has also undergone a change. It is no longer all encompassing. She has lived and learned. The changes in Merrick are also interesting. Merrick has grown beyond being merely Sorcha’s ‘sidekick’ and more into an equal partner and friend. A friend she desperately needs. We learn more of his personal background and see a confidence and inner strength in him that is intriguing.

Raed is still an cheerful enigma. Inhabited by a geistlord, his body becomes a weapon when he shifts to his shape shifter form. He has no control over it and it eats away at his soul every time it happens. He left his family to save them though we learn that his noble efforts are not appreciated by all. I found his attitude changes to be the most significant in here. His curse and responsibilities don’t allow him the option to be in normal relationships yet he cannot stay away from Sorcha and Merrick. They each complete a part of him he didn’t know was missing.

The romance(s) of the story are underlying sub stories yet pack a very emotional punch in here. We see many different emotional entanglements this time around; family, friendship, and love. They all run parallel to the main storyline and are used to reinforce the main conflict. As we venture deeper into this world I found the mystery and intrigue to be very appealing; saturated with action and suspense. I love the way Ms. Ballantine uses religion as a base , twisting it to suit her needs without bowing to the conventional. While the world Ms. Ballentine built is definitely engaging, I find her characters to be the focal point of this story.

As I raced towards the ending, I felt like I was on a roller coaster, my stomach pitching and rolling as each new clue and dramatic scene unfolded. I like how everything isn’t explained away and some decisions made, though I don’t agree with them, are really the only decisions that could be made. The ending is a climatic finale that satisfies the storyline but leaves a cliffhanger that guarantees I’ll be picking up book 3-Wrayth-to be released August 1, 2011.

If you looking for a unique character driven fantasy that delivers on all levels, then I recommend getting Phillipe Ballantine’s Book Of The Order series. While this could be read as a stand alone-I recommend reading the first in the series, Geist, to properly understand this world and the characters who live in it.

Rating: B+

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