Published: June 30, 2026
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Series: This Monster of Mine #2
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 426 (Kindle)
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis:
Death isn’t finished with them yet.
Sarai believed the worst was behind her. However, months after exposing the government’s corruption in what has now been deemed “the Great Unravelling,” she faces scorn from citizens who preferred her and Kadra as the underdogs than victors. Worse, eerie omens rock the country: from a deadly plague outbreak to a sweeping madness that leave the afflicted ranting of an approaching reckoning. Accused of angering the gods, Sarai returns to the only place that can clear her name: Ur Dinyé’s frozen north. But among the secrets buried in its ice are Kadra’s.
Cursed with frightening, new abilities, Kadra struggles to protect Sarai against a land at odds with itself. When historical tensions worsen between the north and the south, a powerful religious order seizes control in the chaos, led by a man whose very voice can kill—Noceo bu Kader. Trapped between love and a crumbling country, Sarai and Kadra must outwit a power with roots as deep in fear as in cruelty. But the gods are always watching, and Sarai and Kadra may not escape a second time.
Though I initially thought This Monster of Mine was supposed to be a standalone, I was excited about the prospect of a sequel. This Blade of Ours deals with the aftermath of Tetrarch Aelius’s death, the inquisition of Sarai’s summoning of Death, and how being touched by a god changed Kadra. It was also completely unnecessary and, though it sounds quite harsh, I wish I hadn’t read it.
You might wonder why I gave it 3 stars if I feel that strongly about it and the truth is, it wasn’t an awful book. It just wasn’t nearly as good as the first and I was left underwhelmed. The story was complex and introduced new characters, a plague, more gods, a rash of murders. Just. Too much. I think the author did a good job exploring the political aftermath of Aelius’s death, especially how fickle the populace can be. Add in a nasty plague spread by flesh eating beetles and you get a city on the brink of riots and disaster. These parts kept me intrigued enough to keep reading at a steady pace.
Possibly my least favorite part was the addition of a revised history for Kadra. Suddenly he has a family, though it was a dysfunctional and cruel one. Even though these new details make sense, I suppose I just liked him as an underdog orphan taking on the corrupt system. I was relieved that this didn’t change anything for Sarai – this woman is committed to her monster, that’s for sure.
Overall, while not an objectively bad book, it just wasn’t for me. I am happy thinking of the first book as a standalone and will likely not read any future books in the series.
Powder & Page 
Great review, and thank you for writing it because you’ve cemented my decision not to carry on with the series. I had a few issues with the first book but enjoyed it enough to maybe carry on, but I’ll probably leave it now.
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