Yes! I’m so excited to share this with you. Out now and availabe where books are sold is Book 2 of the Dragon Keep Chronicles: Blood of the Seer
Book Synopsis:
A blood curse. A shadow world. An indomitable evil. A forgotten bond.
Banished for a crime he didn’t commit, Rhys MacDuffy risked his life to rescue the little brother he no longer could claim as his own. Sean, the Seer of Clan MacDuffy, returns from his ordeal to war between the Clans and Lord Adam Barkley. Moreover, the Clan Lords refuse to lift the exile on Rhys. No outcast has ever been forgiven.
But the druids who held Sean captive have taken the key to controlling his powers—his blood. Rhys determines to keep his brother safe no matter the cost. Heedless of the war, he leads his rowdy band of Mountain Brigands on a hunt to destroy the druids before they destroy Sean with their dark magic.
The druids force Sean into a shadow world full of demons and danger, where their menacing god Deronis can consume him. Yet Rhys is able to follow Sean into the other world. There they discover an older magic that might be the key to stopping the druids.
The bond of brotherhood between Rhys and Sean runs deep. But is it strong enough to stand against the druid’s blood god?
Book Review:
If you haven’t read Oath of the Outcast (Book One: Dragon Keep Chronicles), I highly recommend it.
I will warn that I might accidentally let a few spoilers slip, and I’m sorry for that, but the best advice I can give is to go get Oath of the Outcast and Blood of the Seer now!
Now, on with the waxing poetic about wonderful books!
Second books in a series are always difficult, but C. M. Banschbach delivers a wonderful continuation to the story of Rhys, his Seer brother Sean, light-hearted but tough as nails Alan, and the fantastic and formidable Cairns against the malignant druid Alisher and the power-hungry would-be-king Adam who can’t let the world know the true king lives on despite his best efforts!
Let’s not forget Kane who I have such mixed feelings about still! This line really sums up Kane from the Baron’s perspective: “He saw a man who hated his past and feared the future.” There’s so much more to the mirrored responses to life’s difficulties between Rhys and Kane that are interspersed throughout the novel.
And the Dragon Keep Cairn, Fulke, took on a strong role in Blood of the Seer–a bodyguard of sorts for the Baron, to hopefully keep him out of trouble . . . hopefully.
This is definitely a male-heavy cast, but the story does such an wonderful job of uncovering both their masculinity and their vulnerability, showing a spectrum of what it means to be a man . . . both worthy of respect and those who abuse their power and position to its fullest.
Look, barely a hint of a spoiler yet! You’ll be safe from them if you just go get the book right now and read it for yourself. Just sayin’ . . . .
Dragon Keep Chronicles is NA (new adult) genre fantasy fiction. I would say it’s totally okay for teens to read these books, but use your best judgement. There is violence and fantasy swearing, but overall the books are clean and full of great examples of broken relationships and hardwon healing that comes through forgiveness.
Look, I still think Alan is one of my favorite characters. He’s persistent and soft-hearted. He’s tough and a great fighter. He’s remorseful and willing to humble himself when he knows he’s done wrong. Between him and Sean, I appreciate how they are characters who see regret for what it is and look to right the wrongs they participated in to the best of their ability. It’s too often that we make mistakes in the relationships we have with friends and family that we wish we could repair. It’s good to see, even in fictional characters, a willingness to do the hard work to fix what’s broken.
The book begins highlighting the strong seer connection made by the shared blood tie of Rhys with his brother Sean. It moves through Rhys’ desire to mete vengeance upon the druids who stole his blood and use it to torture him and Sean, to stop them from having any power over his brother, and keeping Damon safe from the machinations of Adam through his man Kane.
Damon struggles with taking on the mantel of his throne, his father’s legacy, and the rule of his people; he isn’t sure he wants everyone to know he’s back from the dead.
Battles ensue, people change sides, the seer is lost in the seer spirit world, chased by beasts of the druid’s god, and when Rhys sleeps he is pulled into that realm with his brother as they struggle through the alternate world to find a way to free Sean from the sleep of his Sight.
In the meantime, Adam continues his quest to crush the opposition to his taking the throne and looks for ways to kill Prince Damon once and for all, securing his rule. There’s so much going on to keep the story plot moving foward at a rapid pace while also giving those moments of heart-breaking and hopeful character development that make you want to see Rhys, the Baron, restored to his family, forgiven and forgiving.
I told you’d I’d wax poetic here! I really loved this book, this series, and appreciate C. M. Banchbach’s growing skill as a writer. Her affinity for broken people and brotherly love really strike home with me.
I am so glad I was able to get in on the ARCs of Blood of the Seer! Thanks to publisher Uncommon Universes Press and C. M. Banschbach for the opportunity to read it early!
This review is my own opinion and I’m happy to share it!
Where to connect with C. M. Banschbach:
- Instagram: @cmbanschbach
- Facebook: @cmbanschbach
- Website: https://clairembanschbach.com/
- Pinterest: @clairebanschbach
- Email Newsletter Freebie: https://tateauthor.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5db0817cde53281a40e5ff6a3&id=8d79f331f1
C.M. Banschbach is an overly tall hobbit who’s entirely too fond of stabbing and adventure in her fantasy, cares too much about humans even if she pretends not to, and loves to gaze up at the stars in wonder.
Book Links:
And don’t forget to add Blood of the Seer to your Goodreads!
Rachael Ritchey 
Please leave a comment, question, or idea! I’d love to chat!