At the conclusion of The Last Lumenian, the first book in the fantasy/science fiction/romance series by S.G. Blaise, Lilla, princess of the oceanic planet of Uhna, had just finished wiping the floor with the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction (a.k.a. “Dark Lord of Destruction,” a.k.a. “DLD”). Lilla manages that seemingly impossible feat by unlocking the power of Lume, the potent elemental light magic wielded by the Lumenians, an ancient, long-extinct race created by the Archgoddess of the Eternal Light and Order to fight her enemies. Oh, and Lilla had also discovered that, as the book’s title portended, she was the last living Lumenian, destined to become the right hand and general to the Archgoddess. Blessed with ultimate power and a handsome fiancé, Callum, a lovable (and, again, very handsome) guy despite being a general of the fearsome Teryn Empire, Lilla seems on track for a Happily Ever After ending. Unfortunately for Lilla, being a fairytale princess and right hand to an Archgoddess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

TRUE TERYN picks up immediately after the events of The Last Lumenian, with Lilla and Callum, freshly betrothed, awaiting the arrival of the Teryn emperor—who, in accordance with the bylaws of the romance genre, turns out to be Callum’s dad. Lilla’s prospective father-in-law opposes the union, sneering at her lowly status as a denizen of a “backwater” world fit only for conquest. Lilla’s relationship woes are soon eclipsed by an even thornier challenge when the Archgoddess tasks her with recruiting the Teryn army to serve The Lady in the brewing Era War against the DLD. With the fate of her marriage—and, incidentally, the lives of trillions of innocent people—at stake, Lilla must find a way to convince the biggest, most dangerous army in the Seven Galaxies to submit to the Archgoddess.

The Last Lumenian was a thoroughly entertaining blend of epic fantasy, space opera, and Disney-style romantic comedy that also addressed issues of political and economic justice. TRUE TERYN has the tricky task of picking up where the fairytale leaves off, expanding this already immense tale of aliens, gods, and monsters without losing the magic of its predecessor. Fortunately for fans of the first book, TRUE TERYN is a worthy sequel, picking up the remaining threads of the first book while adding a host of fresh complications. (Blaise again includes a glossary of terminology and character descriptions to ease readers into this story universe, and adds a helpful prologue to this volume that recaps the story.) Like the previous book, TRUE TERYN takes the wind out of its vast, apocalyptic themes with an irreverent, tongue-in-cheek tone that keeps the mood light while respecting the story’s more serious moments. Blaise uses juxtapositions of extremes to captivating effect: scenes with massive warships the size of cities are set alongside gauzy, ethereal tableaux of elemental magic. And as the Sibyl of the powerful Archgoddess, Lilla is far from an obsequious worshipper; her cantankerous, quarrelsome attitude towards The Lady is one of the book’s highlights.

TRUE TERYN is an enchanting second chapter in S.G. Blaise’s sweeping Lumenian saga, deepening its mythology and escalating the stakes while retaining its delightfully cheeky sense of humor.

~Edward Sung for IndieReader