Book Review: The Hanged Man by K.D. Edwards
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Hanged Man by K.D. Edwards
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of The Tarot Sequence
Publisher: Pyr (December 17, 2019)
Length: 383 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Unlike a lot of readers, I wasn’t really as bedazzled by The Last Sun. A good story cannot be supported by action alone, no matter how many battle sequences or daring escapades you throw in my face. Despite the spectacular world-building and relentless pacing, all throughout the first book I couldn’t shake the feeling that much of it was meant to compensate for (or distract me from) a rather thin plot. It’s true that I wanted something a bit more substantial, especially from a series opener, and while overall I enjoyed the book, by the end of it I was also exhausted and feeling no small amount of relief that it was over.
But now we have the sequel, The Hanged Man, and I’m pleased to say I found it to be a lot more balanced with regards to story and plotting, more restrained in its action, and best of all, more time was given to character and relationship development. Before I proceed with the review though, I highly recommend being caught up with the series because spoilers for The Last Sun are possible. In this sequel, which once more centers on the lives of Rune Saint John and his friends, we are delving deeper into complicated world of the Atlantean court whose members represent the Major Arcana of a Tarot deck. Known as Scions, these individuals are possessed of powerful magic, able to store and utilize spells in the form of sigils. The story picks up soon after the events at the end of the previous book with a bombshell development that involves Rune’s ward, Max. It appears that the monstrously cruel and vicious Scion known as The Hanged Man has set his sights on the young man, intending to force him into a marriage contract against his will.
Needless to say, Rune and Brand are going to do whatever it takes to make sure that will never happen. However, it soon appears that our protagonist’s troubles are merely beginning. As the story shifts its attention to the Dawncreeks and Rune’s friendship with Corrine, we find out that her son Layne is missing, and it’s feared that his disappearance may have something to do with The Hanged Man’s sick and twisted agenda.
Rewinding back to my review of The Last Sun, I noted how amidst all the furious action and excitement, the irony was that my favorite parts of the novel were always and unfailing the quieter moments especially when Rune had his stolen moments of connection to those closest to him. To me, those were the scenes that defined his character and brought meaning to a novel that sometimes felt like it was more concerned with delivering wise-cracking lines and fast thrills. In contrast though, I was glad to see that in The Hanged Man we got more of these precious, emotionally revealing conversations between our protagonist and the people who mattered to him most. For one thing, it gave us more insight into the bond he has with Brand, and for another—and this was important for me, personally—some of the interactions between Rune and Addam in this one provided some much needed clarity into the nature of their romance which was something that felt off to me in the first book and never sat quite right.
I also liked how the flow of the story remained snappy without becoming overwhelming this time around. It’s possible that some of this can be attributed to what I wrote about above, which had a balancing effect on the pacing. The Hanged Man is also much darker, featuring higher stakes with consequences that are more significant and far-reaching. As someone who thought the tone of the first book was occasionally too flippant in the face of some of its heavier themes, I appreciated how this installment brought in greater depth and profundity to make me care more about the characters and the story.
Finally, it would be a crime to discuss a novel of The Tarot Sequence without mentioning the world-building. I think this element remains the strongest of author K.D. Edwards’ writing, and he continues to build upon the existing lore and magic of New Atlantis, dishing out answers to some questions while raising many more. The world of this series is a vast system—living, breathing, and complete—but clearly, it’s not ready to give up all its secrets yet. And that’s a good thing, considering how many more books are planned (nine all together, apparently!) and I hope to savor each and every discovery as Edwards adds more layers with each installment.
Overall, I was very pleased with The Hanged Man, which managed to step up as a sequel should. It continued to excel in the things the first novel did well, while improving on the things it didn’t. If this trend continues, The Tarot Sequence will become a force to be reckoned with—not that it isn’t a big deal already, making some huge waves in SFF circles. Truly, I think its potential can only grow, and I’m curious and excited to see where series is headed.
More on The BiblioSanctum:
Review of The Last Sun (Book 1)
The BiblioSanctum 
Well I ap happy to see that the sequel worked better for you! Maybe that series needed to find its pace?
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I think so! Plus the first book was a debut for the author, he may have just needed to find his rhythm too 🙂
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I tried to comment earlier and then lost it, grah! I don’t think I’ve seen this series around before, and now I’m kind of curious… thanks as always for your in-depth review! ❤
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You should give it a try! It’s exciting, with great world-building and characters, and awesome lgbt representation. Hope you get to check it out!
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I think some of my favorite sagas have been those that started with a stumble, but went on to get better and better with each book. Great review, as always. 🙂
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Yup, certainly better than the other way around, which is starting strong and fizzling out!
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Sounds like the author maybe learned and developed after the first one, so it’s good the sequel was a little more robust to read. I also find shaky plots pretty disappointing and it makes the story harder to read and enjoy, I think, when it’s all action and no substance. Great review!
Caz xx
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Yeah, I do love sequels that expand and develop and build upon the first book. This sequel is exactly what the series needs!
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I’m a big fan of both books, but I do know what you mean about the balance of humor and emotional moments, the humor can be a bit jarring sometimes. But I adore the world building, and I do love the complicated relationships.
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I know, sometimes a scene can get very heavy with some pretty dark themes, and bam, out of nowhere comes this off-color joke and it’s like…WTF? Haha…but I’ve come to accept that it’s just a quirk of the series 😛
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I’m glad you had a good time with book 2
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I’m glad too, that’s the way sequels should be 🙂
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I found myself in agreement with your comments on the first book, which in my opinion contained far too much action and far too little focus on characters, to the point that I was uncertain about moving forward with this second volume. So I’m glad to learn that The Hanged Man is more balanced in this sense, because the world is a fascinating one and I feel I can give it a second chance.
Thanks for sharing! 👍
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Yeah, I felt the first book was way too much action but lacking on substance. I’m so glad that the sequel rectified that a bit though!
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I just love your reviews. I’ve been hearing great things about this one. I’m not a fan of nonstop action without a good plot so the first book doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy very much. I think I’ll wait and see how the series plays out. 🙂 Hopefully it will continue to improve.
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Don’t get me wrong, the first book was good – but I wasn’t as crazy about it as a lot of other readers were, and it was because I wanted more than just the action, as fun as it was. I’m really glad the sequel seems to have found a better balance 🙂
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Excellent review, Mogsy. I too would be a bit conflicted in your shows, knowing that all the action and world-building is awesome but that you could still see issues in the plotting, or lack of, to some extent. Still sounds like a solid series. 😀
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Yes, definitely solid. I liked that this book was more balanced in terms of character and story development, but we still got a lot of excitement and action. I guess the author just needed some time to find the sweet spot. If this trend continues though, I think this series will become a force to be reckoned with 🙂
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I do like when a series gets better 😉
Still I do wonder if I would get to book 2
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Yup, a good sequel definitely keeps you reading!
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You know, I do agree that the plot is a bit think in the first book, I think I didn’t realize it because I’m always so focused on the characters first and foremost lol. Glad you liked this one better. 😀
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Yeah, I think I just wanted a bit more substance from the first book, so I’m glad that I got a lot more from this one 😀
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Good to see you were more impressed with this one. I did like both although the first one did become a little bit too fast and furious so I was glad the tempo of this wasn’t quite as frantic. I loved the character development here and the expansion of the family.
Lynn 😀
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