The Rod of Xerus by Author A.J. White is wonderfully written and picks up the story from where, The Key of Ornoss, Book One, left off. Although a little slow to start, the reader is soon thrust into more action and drama as the protagonist, Cal, is drawn deeper into the war between the Ilfannde, and the Draguul. A second magical artefact comes into play that together with the Key of Ornoss makes Cal a formidable foe against the Draguul. The characters are real with credible dialogue, and very easy to form a connection with, and I love the way in which Cal has developed further in this second book and really embraced his new gender identity. The pacing of the story is good and keeps the readers invested and turning the pages.
However, I would say to readers not to leave time between reading the first and second book as the story moves on swiftly in The Rod of Xerus, and therefore you do need, The Key of Ornoss, still fresh in your mind. This may contribute to the initial feeling of a slow start as the reader grounds themselves back into Cal’s story.
The Rod of Xerus does not rehash previous ground but plunges the reader along and delving deeper into Cal’s home world. A thrilling adventure and a gripping climax which may leave some readers mildly frustrated, as be warned, there is a cliff hanger. I did find myself immediately reaching for the third book in this series not caring what time of night it was, so I could eagerly read on…
Hurry up A.J and publish it!
There are some very minor editing issues which will not distract the reader, and as they are easily corrected, I am awarding, The Rod of Xerus, overall a deserving 5 stars.
