Epic dark fantasy
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow
The Legacy Series
New Adult Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Dark Romance, Elemental Fantasy
Tractor and Heels, LLC
February 27, 2024
Kindle, Paperback
654
In a realm full of secrets, she’s collecting them all. A choice to make. Tessalyn Ausra’s fate has always been out of her hands. Still bonded to the Heir of Endings, she now finds herself with more control than ever before. Everyone wants something from her, and she has to choose a side. But in a realm full of villains, she trusts no one, and she has secrets of her own to keep. A plan to salvage. Control and knowledge have always been Theon St. Orcas’s greatest weapons, but both have slipped through his fingers. Given a task by the rulers of the realm, he’s racing against the clock to get his plans back on track. But as myths become reality, he finds himself fighting more than time in an effort to keep what’s his or lose it all to fury. A fate to alter. Axel St. Orcas has never minded rubbing shoulders with the depraved rather than the elite. It’s easier to hide his shame among the corrupt. But with each passing day, he risks triggering a curse and endangering those he cares for most. He’ll sacrifice anything to keep them safe, even if that means giving up everything he is.
“The path to salvation has always been death.”
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow (Sosas) is the highly anticipated second installment of Melissa K. Roehrich’s The Legacy Series. Rain of Shadows and Endings introduced us to Devram, a god created world inhabited by humans, fae, and Legacy (descendants of the gods). A place where the balance of power between life and death, beginnings and endings, teeters on a precipice and Tessalyn may just be the force that decides which way it falls. Growing up as an orphan and ward of the state, Tessa always thought she was just a fae with unusual abilities who was impulsive and reckless, something which made her unwanted. Now that she is Theon’s, the heir to the Lord of Endings, Source with emerging powers that are unlike any fae or Legacy, she is wanted, both dead and alive, by many different parties. As she develops control over her powers and locks away her once volatile emotions she begins to fight back against being a pawn. But this puts her at a crossroads for both herself and their world, forcing her to choose which path to take: salvation or destruction.
“The realms require balance, and when the demand for it comes, you have little time to decide how to correct it before fate intervenes. Sometimes it requires choosing between two unwanted outcomes, but in the end, I think you will find your own costs just as steep.”
If you thought Rain of Shadows and Endings left you with strong feelings about the characters and their choices be ready for Storm of Secrets and Sorrow to shatter all of those and even send you in the opposite direction. By the end of the first book I strongly disliked Theon, as well as his brother Axel and guardian Luka, while also feeling quite sorry for Tessa because of everything she was forced to endure. But as book 2 unfolded I began to have serious reservations about those judgements. The choices people make are not always motivated by the things we think, and as more and more information about Tessa, Theon, and the social dynamics of Devram became known that line between good and bad, became quite murky, as did my opinions of all the characters. While I can’t say I was thrilled with these pendulum swings in the various character developments it was one aspect of this story that guarantees I will be reading book 3. On a deeper level, Tessa’s story is a representation of someone who has suffered trauma and the accompanying self-perceptions and coping stages that take place. While it’s not always pleasant to witness, understanding this helped to put Tessa and her actions in a different light and give meaning to her fears and motivations.
“Never again would she be at the mercy of anyone.”
Storm of Secrets and Sorrows solidified my belief that Melissa is creating an epic dark fantasy series. I was absolutely captivated by this highly suspenseful and continually unexpected story. While my understanding of Tessa, Theon, and other components of the balance between darkness and light grew in this book, more and more unexpected plot twists were added as well as additional character points of view. There were so many things that I didn’t see coming as well as other developments that I have no idea how they will play out, another reason why I am now completely invested in seeing this story to the end. My final motivation is Tessa and Theon’s relationship, which is such an enigma. There is an undeniable connection, both carnal and emotional, between them that is more that the Source bond but at this point their contentious past has only fortified an adversarial relationship. As it stands now everything between them is a zero sum game, if one gains the other loses, and for the first time in her life, Tessa now has the power to take. What she decides and how this will impact the balance of power we will have to wait till October 31, 2024 when book 3, Tempest of Wrath and Vengence releases! Until then you can talk all things Legacy Series on Melissa’s Discord channel or on her Facebook group, Melissa’s Dragon Cave and see her at Romantasy Book Con.
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
