Ronie Kendig's "Kings Falling" - Book of the Wars, book 2

Lief Metcalfe and his team, dubbed Reaper, need to recover the stolen, ancient Book of the Wars if they hope to stop the Armageddon Coalition and their pursuit of global economic control. But their attention has been diverted by a prophecy in the book that foretells of formidable guardians who will decimate the enemies of ArC. While Iskra Todorova uses her connections in the covert underworld to hunt down the Book of the Wars, Leif and Reaper attempt to neutralize these agents but quickly find themselves outmaneuvered and outgunned. The more Reaper tries to stop the guardians, the more failure becomes a familiar, antagonistic foe. Friendships are fractured, and the team battles to hold it together long enough to defeat ArC. But as this millennia-old conspiracy creeps closer and closer to home, the implications could tear Leif and the team apart.

Warning the First: this is not a stand-alone novel. Read book one first.
Warning the Second: this series is not finished (not until Nov 2020). Beware of impending cliffhanger.

This book picks up some months after Storm Rising, as ArC (the enemy) moves into the next phase of their potentially world-ending plot. I struggled with remembering what had happened in the previous book; this one throws the reader right into the thick of things, and there are a lot of nuances that I simply didn't recall.

I spent most of the book frustrated with Lief. He has obviously been whammied (to use a Warehouse 13 reference), and as such, I tried to offer grace--I mean, there's only so much you can expect out of someone who is under the influence of something way outside his control. It's understandable that he's become a paranoid mess with a major case of foot-in-mouth disease. But that didn't mean he was pleasant to deal with, especially as it causes conflict in his relationship with Iskra.

But on the positive side, it was extremely fast-paced, with loads of action. The supernatural elements are part of what sets this (and the Tox Files) apart, and intrigue abounds so that you can hardly know whom to trust. I loved spending time with the crew, especially Mercy and Peyton and Cell.

This book is definitely setting up for an explosive finish.

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Book of the Wars
1. Storm Rising
2. Kings Falling
3. Soul Raging

Related series:
Tox Files
0.5: "The Warrior's Seal"
1. Conspiracy of Silence
2. Crown of Souls
3. Thirst of Steel