Book Review- Prisoner of Death by Celina Summers

The Asphodel Cycle series continues as Ms. Summers brings back Tamsen and the crew in her Black Dream series. This time Tamsen finds herself facing a foe that is not just as powerful but one that will do anything they can to destroy her and her world.

My Rating for Prisoner of Death (The Black Dream Book 2): 5 Stars and Recommended Read

For Tamsen Ka’antira, waking up to find herself being called wife to a man who arouses nothing, but the suspicions are worrisome. It goes from bad to worse when she dreams of an elf lord who has her heart longing for and she tries to clear the cobwebs away from her mind as she puzzles out the truth. But when the smoke finally clears, Tamsen will find just who she is and who had her in their clutches. For the war has started and this time the gods are cut off from the mortal world and events arise that show that the race is on. Can Tamsen and her allies find a way to counter the Eleusis and destroy those determined to bring a new world order to the mortals and gods alike?

PRISONER OF DEATH opens as Tamsen finds herself in an unfamiliar yet familiar place being called by another name. She knows she isn’t this person’s wife in any way but how or why she knows this is a smokescreen in her mind. The story picks up right where book one, Servant of Dis, left off. It is one hell of ride from start to finish and there are twists and turns the reader will never see coming. The author does a masterful job in capturing Tamsen’s confusion, her horror and more as she figures out things and finds out the truth of matters. The world building alone is amazing. The author does an amazing job in creating a world where humans, gods and more roam and interact. This author had me at elves and gods right from the start since those are my favorite fantasy characters. Add in an amazing cast of characters that you can laugh over, cry and long for, well you got the makings of an epic fantasy story within the pages.

PRISONER OF DEATH is a story of not just one person but of many working to the coming good of the world. One woman’s quest brings together many around her, from gods to humans to mages and amazon warriors. Celina Summers delivers an amazing storyline that just transcends the pages. I fell into her storytelling with ease and didn’t surface till the wee hours of the morning when I finished the book. This is truly a master storyteller who knows how to draw her readers in, captivate them and keep them on the edge of their seat. The climatic ending left me racing to book three, Mage of Chaos, to see where the story continues. The cast of characters are what make this series so amazing. You got characters that grow with each book. You will find that some of the ones you met in book one, The Reckoning of Asphodel, will leave in a way that left me seriously thinking of buying stock in Kleenex company. You run the gauntlet of emotions with the main core of characters from the first set of the Ashodel series and in this spin-off, The Black Dream series, it’s been a decade or more since the end of the second Ilian war and peace has reigned in the world. Ms. Summers delivers an action-packed ride that will take the reader on a journey alongside Tamsen, Brial and others as they fight not just for the elves but for the world and the gods. If they fall, then all is lost.

PRISONER OF DEATH is a story that will thrill you, chill you and make your heart hurt at times even as you laugh later. Ms. Summers delivers a wonderful follow up to Servant of Dis and I am eager to see where this author leads us next in Mage of Chaos. If you enjoy the epic fantasy of George RR Martin or Kevin Hearne, then you will enjoy the Asphodel Series by this wonderful author. I do highly recommend you read from the first book series, The Reckoning of Asphodel and its three books afterwar that before you try the Black Dream. There are events from that four-book series that show up in this spin-off that might confuse first time readers. Besides you got to see how Tamsen and Brial met and fell in love because those scenes alone leave me in stiches each time I read them. I look forward to seeing where this author goes in her fantasy series that just draws you into its world and doesn’t let you leave until it has wrung every drop of emotion from you even as it steals your heart in the process.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

 The Asphodel Cycle Series:

Book 1: The Reckoning of Asphodel

Book 2: The Redemption of Asphodel

Book 3: The Temptation of Asphodel

Book 4: The Apsotle of Asphodel

The Black Dream Series:

Book 1: Servant of Dis

Book 2: Prisoner of Death

Book 3: Mage of Chaos

Book 4: Gods of Rebellion

The Blood Feud Series:

Book 1: The Ka'antria Heir

Book Review- Servant of Dis by Celina Summers

The time of peace is about to end for Elven Queen Tamsen Ka'antria and her Elven husband and Prince Consort, Brial. After years of peace, a new danger is aboutto engulf Tamsen and her allies once more ans war of the gods comes dangerously close to destroying not just the five kingdoms but also the worlds of the gods.


My Rating for Servant of Dis: 5 Stars and a Recommended Read

For Elven Queen Tamsen Ka’antira, the time after the Ilian War was peaceful. She could spend her days ruling the elven kingdom, relishing in her husband and children and just recovering from the war that she fought alongside many allies. But the peace that the gods promised her disappears when she and her husband, Elven scout and Prince Consort, Brial, are lured out of Leselle and into a diplomatic crisis that will bring war once again to the seven kingdoms.

Tamsen will need to gather her allies and friends once again to battle for their right to survive and thrive. But there are shadows looking for weaknesses in the Elven Queen and her allies for the peace the gods gave her has ended. Something new is coming and if Tamsen doesn’t stop it in its tracks, everything she holds dear and worked hard for will disappear in a blink of an eye. Danger mounts and Tamsen will have to help the one person she doesn’t trust or like to get the answers she needs.

Wow, just wow. I adore the first four books of Tamsen’s series, The Asphodel Cycle and had to reread them to get caught up again with Tamsen, Brial and all my favorite characters since it has been many years since I read the series. I fell in love with Ms. Summers world all over again. Elves, humans, amazons, gods and monsters all are part and parcel of this series and I, for one, am in awe at how this author just weaves their spell around the reader. From the first page to the last, this is an author who leads the reader on a journey that will leave the reader gasping in shock, tears running down their face and more. The worldbuilding alone just defies my expectation s and I found so much depth in the story from that alone. It’s remarkable and I swear this is an author who could give Jim Butcher a run for their money in world building.

SERVANT OF DIS opens to Tamsen enjoying her peace after the last Ilian War brought much fear and more to the seven kingdoms. She has three children with her Elven husband Brial and when they are lured out of Leselle over the accord she brokered before the second Ilian War, well let’s just say things go from peace to chaotic within minutes. I love catching up with all my favorite characters. Tamsen must find that fighter within her again as she tries to unravel the mysteries this time and work with a former adversary that needs her help. With a swift moving storyline, captivating and intriguing characters, Ms. Summers crafts a storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat and doesn’t let go until the very last page is read.

SERVANT OF DIS is a story that just captivated me right from the beginning. Its full of twists and turns that just come out of nowhere and all you can do is flip the pages quickly to see if your favorite characters live to fight another day. The mysterious bad guy is not revealed until the end and I was shocked to find out who it was. Word of warning though, you need to read this series in order, starting with books 1-4 of the Asphodel Cycle then move to this one because past characters pop up and feature heavily in this spin-off series. Plus, past events also are mentioned and talked about in SERVANT OF DIS. It helps to understand the main players in the series and whatnot.

If you enjoy Jim Butcher or Kevin Hearne’s fantasy books, then you will enjoy Celina Summer’s Asphodel Series. This is an author who delivers a new twist on the elves, gods and mythology that is fresh and new. I finished this one and had to get the rest of the books in The Black Death series to continue reading about Tamsen’s adventures. Word of warning, the book ends on a cliffhanger and I almost threw my kindle down when I saw this story ended. I needed to know what happened next. So be prepared to get swept away with amazing cast of characters, a world that just begs you to visit and be prepared to run the gauntlet of emotions as you read SERVANT OF DIS and the Asphodel Cycle books.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement