The Black Khan, Book Two of the Khorasan Archives by Ausma Zehanat Khan

The second book in a possible four book series, The Black Khan, again features Arian a strong female protagonist who is facing implacable misogynist foes.   Arian’s vocal power, called the Claim, is muted by a villain called the Authoritarian.   This, second book, shows how Arian and her allies deal with the search for the Bloodprint which for better terms is the bible of the Claim.

Arian is a driven character who is nearly overwhelmed with guilt over the loss of her sister in a Talisman raid when they were children.  In this book she meets her sister but the reunion has mixed results.   The Silver Mage finds himself defending Arian while sublimating his own desires. 

The problem with reading series one book at a time is continuity.  The first fifty pages of this book were taxing my memory as to who these people were and what were they trying to do.   There are a lot of characters and subplots.   After I got into the book, I was able to sort them out but with some difficulty.

The book was interesting but not captivating.  Some of the deprivations and behavior could have been pulled from headlines regarding religious zealots across the world.  That sadly provided some gritty reality to the story.

Treachery and duplicity seem to be the traits most valued by the bulk of the characters in the book.  

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.