The second book of Findel’s Embrace series continues where Voiceless Sister left off, but with quite some differences and much more backstory.

A significant chunk of the book is made up of flashbacks to the origin of the current elves – the three brothers Findel, Isecan, and Vah. Being on the run from their ruined homeland, they take shelter by a spring of magical power. Findel uses it to help the elves survive and eventually mold the area to his will, but at a cost – not only does wielding his power transform him physically, but it also leads him to make some questionable decisions. Isecan then leaves with a group of his, and they settle by another spring of magical power. Their different approaches to how this power should be used are the source of a conflict that pits the groups together and is the source of the animosity between the groups – their lands now named after their past leaders – to an endless war.

Vah, meanwhile, unable to sense or use the magic, flounders, unsure among his own people, where even those not using it can sense this power. He is what, eventually, becomes known as “insensitive”, which is what Jareen is as well, and they’re rare between elves on both sides. They’re believed to be descendants of Vah, though what causes this trait to manifest isn’t mentioned.

Back in the present, the story again focuses on Jareen and Tirlav. After the short time they had together, Tirlav is, once again, sent off to fight in the Mingling – a hostile area on the border between Findel and Isecan where the currents’ influence conflicts.

Jareen, meanwhile, is trying to treat those overcome with a disease that is killing the nobility of Findel, with little success, though she finds some connection between the power these elites wield and the affliction, with the help of the human refugee, Coir, who helps her document her findings (but not much more as the elves are distrustful of him).

Tirlav is then expected to lead a major charge to the enemy ranks – that, to him, feels like a poorly planned suicide. Before he can do so, he’s called home – his older siblings have fallen to the disease, and he’s now expected to take the mantle of becoming the house’s leader, which leads them to become one of the Synod. This exposes him to the harsh and ruthless way this council of the eleven houses has been ruling the land, which draws many parallels with Findel’s questionable choices generations ago. Eventually, they decide to use their magic to target the magical affliction, as well as a part of the Mingling area where they believe it originates from, burning the jungle and those afflicted with a single spell. Tirlav, once a joyful youth, begins to lose himself, changed by the power he had never expected to grasp.

Meanwhile, Jareen realizes her short involvement with Tirlav led to her being pregnant, and given that she’s a descendant from another house, this leads to way more trouble than the Synod are willing to tolerate. Thus, she ends up on the run again, with Coir along her, escaping to the Mingling and ending up on the other side of the elven conflict, though it seems that while the people of Isecan might not be outright hostile towards her, she still feels an outcast.

More so when it seems that the “child of forbidden love” might be something to affect the conflict. Thus, he takes shelter with a solitary elven sorceress on the edge of the jungle, hoping to stay out of sight and out of being hounded and kept under watch, hoping for at least some sense of calm life for her and her son.

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Read date: 21.1.-1.2.2026
Published: 19.8.2025
Goodreads/Amazon links (too few ratings so far)
My rating: 80%
Length: 433 pages
My highlights

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The first book seemed to lack context, which the flashbacks helped with a fair amount. It’s a bit slower and more somber read, in my opinion, but I found it enjoyable, taking it more as an adventure – compared to stories where it’s clear who or what the problem is, this seems more like a situation where an ancient rivalry is reaching a conclusion that no one can guess where it’ll lead. Especially as, despite some questionable decisions, it doesn’t seem like there’s a clear “good” and “bad” side – the opposite stances on using the currents’ magic between the kingdoms have their pros and cons, and on both sides, the way it’s approached is nowhere near perfect.

On to the third book, then.