Review – Flames of Mana by Matt Larkin

**Potential Spoiler Warning**

I have to add this first, although I try hard not to ruin too many books for people. However, this is a sequel so it gets harder to not drop the odd S-Bomb..

I reviewed Tides of Mana a while back, and liked what Matt Larkin had done with Hawaiian mythology after his tour de force retelling of Norse (and German) legends. I had high hopes for this one, and let’s just say this failed to disappoint, In fact, it may have been better than the first. Here’s a quick plot rundown.

Pele and Namaka are sisters, each hellbent on killing the other. Buth this is no mere sibling rivalry. Both are Kupua, gods of a sort. Pele controls fire (and volcanoes), while Namaka controls the waves. But right now, our queens of the Worldsea have bigger fish to fry. Pele is at war with Kamapua’a, a wereboar also possessed of the insanely powerful boar god, and the Snow Queen Poli’ahu, and Pele’s resources are stretched to deal with either one. Namaka now lives among the Mer, and they have their own problems with a he’e uprising and civil war rearing its ugly head. Can they overcome these distractions to get back to the business of clobbering each other? Well, you better read the book to find out.

Matt Larkin’s books are about many things, primarily mythology and philosophy, but this one seems to be more about family, a theme that stands out very clearly as the story transpires. Both sisters find that their priorities are changing with the events, and allies come from the most unlikely of sources.

Both sisters are terrific characters, and it’s hard to pick a side as they struggle to come to terms with their roles as leaders. They don’t always save the day, and based on what I’ve read so far, there’s no evidence they’ll come good in the end. The supporting cast is also well drawn, though we see some of the characters of Tides stepping back some, and others moving up. Kamapua’a continues to struggle with what lives inside him, and his grip on the boar god slips throughout, causing much havoc. Lonomakua plays an important role as Pele’s mentor, especially as we see a lot more of the sisters’ background prior to Tides of Mana.

All these things alone would make it a great book, but there’s more. These are the Eschaton Cycles, so there are more obvious links to what we saw in the Ragnarok series than we saw in book one. Also enticing were links to other mythologies such as Tamil and Celtic, which just make me want to read every book the author churns out in this potentially massive series. You could theoretically start reading Heirs of Mana before Ragnarok, butI think you’d miss some of the little Easter Eggs that pop up. This is a series of books that demand reading for lovers of not just mythology, but deep and thoughtful fantasy.

Start…Reading…Now…

 

5/5 stars