Why I picked up this book:

After reading Balanced on the Blade’s Edge and utterly falling in love with the story and characters, there was only one option: keep going. No faster had I gotten the first book’s review done and I was already diving into this book. It came as part of an initial trilogy package, but there are many more books in this series.

This review may contain spoilers.

Deathmaker (Dragon Blood #2)
	When Lieutenant Caslin Ahn joined Wolf Squadron, she was prepared for the reality that she might one day be killed in the line of duty. She was less prepared for being shot down, assumed dead by her own people, and dragged off to the Cofah Empire as a prisoner of war. As if being thrust into a dungeon and interrogated wasn’t bad enough, the sadistic commandant decides to give her a cellmate: the notorious pirate Deathmaker. Given the crimes he’s committed against Iskandia, Cas owes it to her people to try and kill him.
Part warrior and part scientist, Tolemek “Deathmaker” Targoson has not only slain thousands with his deadly concoctions, but he has a special loathing for Iskandian pilots. It was Ahn’s commander, Colonel Zirkander, who ruined his military career, forcing him to leave his country in shame and join a pirate organization. Years later, he uses his dreadful reputation like a shield to keep people away; all he wants is to be left alone to work in his laboratory. But when fate lands him in a cell with Zirkander’s protégé, he sees a chance for revenge. Why kill the lieutenant when he can use her to get to his old nemesis? There’s just one problem: it’s hard to plot against your enemies when you’re in prison with them. Cas and Tolemek will have to work together if they hope to escape the Cofah dungeon. In the process, they may find that neither is what the other expects, and that they have far greater problems to worry about than ensnaring each other…

    

What I loved:

Cas is a fantastic character. Trained by her father to be a sniper, and pulled into Wolf Squadron at a young age, she’s the type of complex character that’s seen too much for her young age and sometimes forgets she’s human, too. I loved her sass and her loyalty to her squadron even in the face of danger.

The entire story was really engaging. It was hard to step away from Ridge and Sardelle’s characters after the first story, but Buroker wove subtle hints about them through the narrative to keep readers connected. But even without the hints, once Cas is deep in pirate territory, it’s tough to step away from this action-packed tale.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

I think I would have liked a hint more of an emotional struggle from Cas when it comes to Tolemek. While she’s tough and dedicated to her duty, and she’s repressed her emotions from an early age, the first hint of an attraction comes in the middle of the story, so when she kisses Tolemek, it’s a bit of a leap.

When the truth serum forces Cas to speak all truth, there’s a lot of information that gets clumped together. Same with the captain. It’s interesting, but some of it could have been dished out a touch earlier to avoid an info dump.

Sardelle’s bit role in this book felt like the all-knowing wizard trope. She was always in the right place at the right time to either have the necessary knowledge, or help someone in need.

Overall:

I loved this book, just as much as I loved the first one. Cas and Tolemek are both great characters, and seeing more from the pirates’ perspective opened up another hunk of the map in the Iskandian world. At the time of this review, I’ve read the third book in the series and should have the review up in a few weeks.

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