Dagger and Scythe
The Ichorian Epics, Book 2
Author: Emilie Knight
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Book Description:
Dagger and Scythe spent good decade's together, stalking human prey at night, and taking out the targets the god Maniodes deems worthy. With one hundred years under her belt, Scythe is comfortable in her ways, and takes incredible enjoyment of her skills. Dagger may be new to the undead order, but he's relishing in the work. The two of them together set beautiful bonfires, with the occasional corpse inside that fire.
When they enjoy each other's time a little too much, and an entire village burns down because of it, Maniodes becomes sick of their rogue behavior. Regular punishments haven't worked on either of them, so he tries something new: marrying them to each other. To keep each other in line or they'll both end up properly dead.
Both have grown tired of the god's odd punishments and lazy control, taking over his throne and the land of the dead should fix things.
When they enjoy each other's time a little too much, and an entire village burns down because of it, Maniodes becomes sick of their rogue behavior. Regular punishments haven't worked on either of them, so he tries something new: marrying them to each other. To keep each other in line or they'll both end up properly dead.
Both have grown tired of the god's odd punishments and lazy control, taking over his throne and the land of the dead should fix things.
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MY REVIEW
In Dagger and Scythe, being dead doesn't always mean you're no longer a part of life, at least not if you're one of the few chosen souls selected to be an Incruentus Ferrum, working under the leadership of Maniodes, God of the Underworld, and his mother, Nyx, Goddess of Death, to wreak havoc on Ichorisis, the land of the living, to apply order among the living and remind them that there is a higher power. Dagger and Scythe are one of the lucky few from Skiachora, land of the dead, chosen to work for Maniodes. They're not so lucky, however, when it comes to avoiding the god's wrath.
When Dagger and Scythe get carried away during a mission, Maniodes decides to take a take a more radical approach to get them in line and settles on marrying them to each other. Although peeved about the arrangement at first, it soon becomes clear to the Dagger and Scythe that they have a mutual attraction towards each other, one that could set them on a path of destruction. As part of their punishment, they must keep each other in line or risk being killed. As if learning to trust each other wasn't a difficult enough task, when they learn that the fate of all members of the Incruentus Ferum Operation depend on their obedience, they decide enough is enough. Dagger and Scythe hatch a plan to get rid of Maniodes and become King and Queen of Skiachora. But how does one go about killing a god? Will Dagger and Scythe find the answer before Maniodes catches on to their plan?
This was a very interesting read. I thoroughly enjoyed the devious nature of the protagonists, both of whom were equally as damaged as the other, which was very well portrayed by the author. These two characters are neither heroes nor villains, which was just the kind of characters I didn't know I had been yearning for. They weren't burdened by the rage and destruction they were inflicting upon the world, yet every now and again, they exhibited a level of compassion that reminded you that they once belonged to the land of the living. The task of trying to figure out how to execute their plan to destroy Maniodes went on a little longer than I would have liked, but because I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, it didn't bother me too much nor did the story become tedious. There was always some form of mischief at play around every corner. Although I loved Dagger and Scythe, I have to say that my favourite character was Pitch.
Great worldbuilding, great characterisation and a rather fascinating story leaves for a very enjoyable book. Dagger and Scythe is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. If you're after gore and chaos with a hint of romance, then this story is right up your alley.
VERDICT
Award: Gold
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Source: Author
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