Ghostsmith by Nicki Pau Preto
In this action-packed finale to the House of the Dead Duology, Wren and her friends put everything they know to the test as they battle the living and the undead to save their world.
Wren is still reeling from the revelation that the mother she thought was dead is actually the Corpse Queen, a ghostsmith with the terrifying power to control the undead. It was Wren’s own mother who created the iron revenants—an army of near unbeatable undead soldiers. When the iron revenants attack, no one in the Dominions will have the strength to stand in their way.
Now Wren, Leo, and Julian find themselves once more in the Breach, this time on the run from Wren’s father, who is determined to secure more power for himself and the House of Bone. The three are desperate to stop the upcoming war, but working together is easier said than done with Julian still furious about Wren double-crossing him. And to make matters worse, Wren is plagued by powerful new abilities that force her to reassess everything she knows about being a bonesmith.
When Wren’s long-lost twin brother shows up and vows to help her destroy the well of magic that feeds the iron revenants, she must decide if trusting him is worth potentially playing right into their mother’s hands.
After all, the dead might be dangerous, but it’s the living who can betray you.
This is a sequel so there will be spoilers from book one below.
Ghostsmith is full of plot and action like the first book. Maybe even more so. I don’t want to get into too much of it. Wren’s brother is in this one a lot. They meet and he agrees to help them destroy the well. He also shows Wren how to use her Ghostsmith powers. But Hawke has only known his mother (and nursemaid) and no one knows if they can fully trust him. They will have to battle the Corpse Queen to get to the well. Julian’s uncle wants him dead. And now Wren’s father wants the well’s power and to rule over more people. He’ll even go against his daughter to get it. Wren and Julian are dealing with the betrayal but still need to work together. Each also still has feelings for the other. There is a bit more romance, but still not heavy on it. There are more ghosts including animals. They meet a new person named Mercy who wants to help. And Inara is in this one more. Leo is still my favorite. I loved his personality and it was nice seeing him accomplish things that his family thinks he can’t do as the spare’s spare.
Overall, I loved this duology. It had pretty good pacing and enough action to keep me reading past my bedtime.
I gave this book 5 stars.
Have you read this? Is it on your TBR?
