The Heartstone Blade

The Dark Ability, Book 2

By: D. K. Holmberg

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Blacksmith. Thief. Murderer.

After killing one of the Elvraeth to save his friends, Rsiran finds a measure of peace, but fears that it will be short lived. When attacked using knives he forged, he is pulled into a struggle that he wants nothing to do with. Worse, friends have secrets they do not share, secrets that could place both he and Jessa in danger.

Finding answers sends him Sliding throughout the city and beyond, testing his ability all while trying to understand the secret of the alloy that might be the key to their safety. When someone close to him is harmed, he must discover the extent he will go for his friends, and realizes that he might truly have darkness within him.

But that darkness may be all that separates he and his friends from an even greater threat.

©2016 D.K. Holmberg (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Good story

Good story, well written, flows well, and the performance is quite good. Not quite as much depth as I'd like to see, but overall it's very enjoyable.

THIS SERIES ROCKS! Both in story and performance.

DK Holmberg has become one of my favorite authors. After this series Vikas Adam is in the top three of my favorite performers, his emotion and style is exceptional!!

Ok then this was good too!

This second book was just as good as the first and I mean just as good! Didn’t see much of a difference between the two so I hope the next one is a real game changer!

An add-on...

Any additional comments?

This book feels like it was added to the series to stretch out the storyline to fill a publishers requirement for material. The repetitive inner monologue seems to account for 50% of the book, yet only varies in content by 1 or 2%. The next 40% are characters not saying anything, but wanting to...but not...but wanting to, but not...etc.

There was a review for the first book that commented on this character flaw, and I felt it in the first book, but assumed it was just because it was the first in the series....nope, it just gets uglier, I was wrong.

Add to this the monotone nature of the reader, and you feel like you might need therapy after this book.

Should you decide to get this book anyway, keep in mind you can skip large sections of chapters without problem...they will repeat the material later.

Says everything at least twice

The main character will think a thought then a sentence later he will speak that thought out loud. This repetition was too much for me to power through. I thought the story concept was interesting in the first book, but it seems like the writing skill just isn't there to deliver and draw me through the rest of the series. Will be returning this book after listening for about 1.5 hrs.

Repetitive and annoying

Starting to get really annoyed with this series. The narrator is pretty good I have listened to him in other books before. But in these last 2 books the author keeps repeating the same internal dialog with the main character complaining about himself and his ability, and how hes a horrible person, and if he had the sight ability it would be so much better, and how he is worthless, etc this happens constantly through out the last 2 books over and over and over and over and over...you see my point! It's ruining a potentially good series with the constant repetitive internal crap that is not needed. I'm sure if the author took out all the unnecessary repetition the books would be 20-25% shorter and not so annoying to get through the book. I'm on book 3 atm and the same thing is going on if it doesn't stop I may just have to put down a potentially good series and find somthing else.

Dreadful Sequel

Poor plot and characters. I felt like the writer had been forced to write a sequel. I've read much better fan fiction.