Book Review: The Mortal Tally by Sam Sykes

The Mortal Tally is the second book in the Bring Down Heaven series by Sam Sykes. Sykes is an outright personality on Twitter with hilarious anecdotes and interactions with his fellow authors. Here is Goodread's blurb for The Mortal Tally:

The heart of civilization bleeds. 

Cier'Djaal, once the crowning glory of the civilized world, has gone from a city to a battlefield and a battlefield to a graveyard. Foreign armies clash relentlessly on streets laden with the bodies of innocents caught in the crossfire. Cultists and thieves wage shadow wars, tribal armies foment outside the city's walls, and haughty aristocrats watch the world burn from on high. 

As his companions struggle to keep the city from destroying itself, Lenk travels to the Forbidden East in search of the demon who caused it all. But even as he pursues Khoth-Kapira, dark whispers plague his thoughts. Khoth-Kapira promises him a world free of war where Lenk can put down his sword at last. And Lenk finds it hard not to listen. 

When gods are deaf, demons will speak.

Read on for my spoiler-free review.

Overall Impression
This was an excellent second book in the series. Continuing where the prior book, The City Stained Red, left off and takes it to a whole new level. We have the same familiar set of characters and these are thrust into ever more challenging circumstances as they struggle to contain (or exploit) the violence surrounding Cier'Djaal. With a strong set of characters, an engaging plot, and an intriguing setting, this book was a pleasure to read. As before, the book has a dark, gritty, violent tone with moments of wry humor thrown in to manage the tension.

Plot
The story in this novel is told from the point of view of the 5 main characters. Each chapter is devoted to one of them and the adventures he/she experiences. Several are still in Cier'Djaal trying either to survive or improve the situation after the disastrous events in the first novel. Others are outside the city, working towards preventing further bloodshed or actively making things worse. It's pretty neat seeing how the story progresses through this shattered narrative style, but as the story progresses we see the various character actions begin to influence one another as the team rushes towards an explosive climax.

Characters
We have many of the same characters as we did in the prior book. Lenk is still seeking a way to be rid of his bloody career, yet will find revelations he didn't expect on his journey. Kataria struggles to balance her love for both Lenk and her shict heritage, which will grow to be ever more opposed. Gariath still focuses on fighting yet his conscious gnaws at him as he drags others into war. Asper struggles with her faith as she feels powerless to help the people of Cier'Djaal and seeks dangerous allies to stop the violence. Denaos tries to fit back into his life as a Jackal only to find himself surrounded by intrigue as the demon cult chokes the city. And Dreadaelon struggles with his addiction and unflinching arrogance at the expense of those he loves. The characters are fascinating and really drive the story forward.

Setting / World Building
The setting for The Mortal Tally is much the same as before, though we get to see more of the desert around Cier'Djaal. We also get to follow Lenk and Kataria on a journey to the Forbidden East as they seek to uncover the secrets of the God-king Khoth-Kapira amidst the ruins of Rhuus Khaal. That part of the story was particularly interesting as we get to learn a lot about what happened back during Khoth-Kapira's reign, his downfall, and his creations. We also get to learn a bit more about the Aeons, entities like Khoth-Kapira that are between gods and mortals. The story takes on a lot more depth in this novel, in my opinion, as it fleshes out some of its history and world building.

Final Thoughts
I loved this book more than I expected to. While The City Stained Red was a fun read, this one manages to top it and make me eager to read the next book, God's Last Breath. The excellent cast of characters in a unique world and a plot that reaches a fascinating conclusion leaves me wanting more. If you haven't yet read any of Sam Sykes, I recommend starting with The City Stained Red and checking him out.