Gods of Nabban - KV Johansen

The fugitive slave Ghu has ended the assassin Ahjvar's century-long possession by a murderous and hungry ghost, but at great cost. Heir of the dying gods of Nabban, he is drawn back to the empire he fled as a boy, journeying east on the caravan road with Ahjvar at his side. 

Haunted by memory of those he has slain, Ahjvar is ill in mind and body, a danger to those about him and to the man who loves him most of all. Tortured by violent nightmares, he believes himself mad. Only his determination not to leave Ghu to face his fate alone keeps Ahjvar from asking to be freed at last from his unnatural life. 

Innocent and madman, god and assassin--two men to seize an empire from the tyrannical descendants of the devil Yeh-Lin. But in war-torn Nabban, enemies of gods and humans stir in the shadows. Yeh-Lin herself meddles with the heir of her enemies and his soul-shattered companion, as the fate of the empire rests on their shoulders. 

My thoughts:

The last book ended with Ghu and Ahjvan leaving for Nabban, and in this book they are on their way. We only meet 2 old characters, Ivah and Yeh-Lin (who used to rule Nabban and who sort of killed all their gods, but not really they all formed Mother and Father to fight her.) This all has a point since Mother and Father are dying and Nabban needs gods.

But first we have Ghu, a former slave, now a god to be? All very strange.

Then there is Ahjvan who gets more effed up with each book. At least he does not have another soul riding his body anymore. But he still can't die and is well effed up.

In Nabban we have a few players, I will not say more. Spoilers you know. But all is not well in Nabban, there is bloodshed and darkness. And everyone wants something. War is coming, well war is already here. Not everyone is fine to be ruled by the Emperor. 

There will be fighting, and throne to pull down, and a new god to be made.

Conclusion:
It's an interesting series, but I do warn you, if you do not have previous books fresh in your mind, it might be hard. I had to go read my old reviews to remember it all again.

• Paperback, 565 pages
• Published September 6th 2016 by Pyr
• Marakand #3
• Fantasy
• From the publisher

The Leopard - K.V. Johansen

In the days of the first kings in the North, there were seven devils…

Ahjvar, the assassin known as the Leopard, wants only to die, to end the curse that binds him to a life of horror. Although he has no reason to trust the goddess Catairanach or her messenger Deyandara, fugitive heir to a murdered tribal queen, desperation leads him to accept her bargain: if he kills the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach will free him of his curse. Accompanying him on his mission is the one person he has let close to him in a lifetime of death, a runaway slave named Ghu. Ahj knows Ghu is far from the half-wit others think him, but in Marakand, the great city where the caravan roads of east and west meet, both will need to face the deepest secrets of their souls, if either is to survive the undying enemies who hunt them and find a way through the darkness that damns the Leopard.

To Marakand, too, come a Northron wanderer and her demon verrbjarn lover, carrying the obsidian sword Lakkariss, a weapon forged by the Old Great Gods to bring their justice to the seven devils who escaped the cold hells so long before.

My thoughts:

It started off nicely. A woman is searching for an assassin because her goddess told her to. And I will start with that. I liked this world, there are Gods and Goddesses everywhere, every spring, lake and river. A very old sort of religion. There are also wizards in this worlds, and a few devils that has come into the world. Nasty beings. There is also talk of demons as we meet a half demon.A lot to work with. A world of clans, fights and citystates

Ok so that is the world so far. Deyandara is the woman riding to find her assassin. Her story was interesting and I liked her. Ahjvar is the assassin and his story is even more interesting. He has some serious issues. He has a servant called Ghu who I at first did not think much about but then he grew on me. I really wonder what he is about.

And then there were more! Yes I would have liked to follow these first few along but suddenly a lot more sprung up and I did not see much of any of the previous characters. I did miss them and I will not you about the rest cos some things can be secrets. But, the book changed.

Anyway, the book takes place mostly in Marakand. A city where old Gods fell and the Lady become the prime Goddess. But who is the Lady, she was not like that before. It's a city where her soldiers are to be feared, a city where something is wrong.

Conclusion:

An interesting start. A war is coming too, I do like war. And what will happen to Marakand?

Cover

nice

Paperback, 432 pages
Published June 10th 2014 by Pyr
Marakand #1
Fantasy
For review