This is the second book in the Winnowing Flame trilogy and continues soon after the end of the first book, The Ninth Rain. Since this is a sequel I will not be going into details of the plot, but I will say that the sequel maintains the fantastic standard of the first book. The Bitter Twins was one of my most anticipated book releases for this year and I am happy to report that it does not disappoint.
As I mentioned earlier, The Bitter Twins picks up right where we left off in the first book. The pacing does start out quite slow, but after a couple of chapters I settled into the flow of the story. I attribute some of this to the fact that I didn’t refresh my memory by rereading book one, so I was a little hazy on the details. Despite this, it was easy to slip back into the world as Williams does a fantastic job at making the story immersive.
The world is explored more in this book and you can clearly see the effort Williams has put into the world. There are so many layers to it and I loved that we got to explore new areas in the sequel. The city of Ebora is so intriguing and it is one of my favourite things about the series. If you enjoy good worldbuilding, then you will not be disappointed.
In terms of the plot, The Bitter Twins is just as compelling as book one. There are twists and turns throughout, which will keep you guessing until the very end. Whether it’s a big battle scene or some quiet exploration of relationships, Williams does a wonderful job at keeping you engaged and glued to the page. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down.
One of the main strengths of the trilogy is the characters. It was so great to be back with these characters, and their development in the sequel was fantastic. Relationships play quite an important role and I loved how they were explored. Both the romantic and platonic relationships are well written and there is some great dialogue between the characters. The interactions between the characters feel so natural and realistic. There is such a diverse and complex range of characters and they are all well written.
Each chapter is from a different view point, so if you are not a fan of multiple perspectives then it is something to be aware of going in. I personally feel it gives you a wider look into the events of the book and in this case it worked well with the story. All the characters have distinctive voices, so there are no issues differentiating the character perspectives. Williams manages to keep each chapter as compelling as the last. Through her writing, Williams creates a sense of unease in this book that really lends itself to the story and makes you worry about the larger threat the characters must face.
Noon is one of my favourites, but I love all of them. We also get to see more of the enemy in this book, but I loved that they still remain a mystery in many ways. I think it adds a sense of suspense and unease. I am very much looking forward to how things progress in the next book.
Overall this was a fantastic sequel and a good example of how to write a second book in a series. It has brilliantly built on the first book and it was a great reading experience. This trilogy is fast becoming one of my favourites and I cannot wait for the third and final book to be released. If you are looking for a new fantasy trilogy to try, then I would highly recommend checking this one out. So far there is no title or release date for the third book, but I will be keeping an eye out for it.
Jennie Ivins
JC Kang