Reviewed by Taylin

TITLE: Idolatry

SERIES: Reagalos #2

AUTHOR: Rebecca Cohen

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 269 Pages

RELEASE DATE: October 7, 2021

BLURB:

Lornyc is good at keeping secrets, because secrets can get you killed.

Lornyc thought it was bad enough that the Cerulean Cult had made him a living god, but now they’ve set loose an entity that is tearing through the dimensions with the potential to cause chaos. He wouldn’t have thought it his problem but the guardians of the multiverse, the Valen, have decided otherwise.

Along with Methian and his own Valen Caveer Guards, Lornyc faces a race through multiple alternative realities if he doesn’t want to be extinguished.

Previously published, this second edition has been edited and reworked for release.

REVIEW:

It is discovered that Lornyc’s deceased reprobate grandfather has been up to even more no-good. He created a cult that has hailed Lornyc as ‘The One’. Grandpops’ wayward instructions unleash a force that Lornyc must capture or face the consequences. The adventure takes him and his friends on a journey through multiple dimensions where the life of Lornyc is very different. And he still hasn’t learned how to control the growing power within himself. An ex-lover also turns up at court, creating friction between Lornyc and Methian. Interesting times are ahead.

Idolatry is a story that I waited a few days after reading to write the review. It is different from almost everything I have read before, and I wasn’t sure what side of the fence I would come down on – brilliance or somewhat messy. I am airing on the side of brilliance because I have enjoyed everything this author has written and because different can good and blaze new trails.

The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Lornyc and Methian, though Lornyc’s perspective is dominant. I found the worldbuilding spot-on for my tastes. I also enjoyed the return of some favorite characters from book one alongside some new cast members.

Lornyc’s powers are still a tossed salad, which is a recurring theme from book one – Servitude. Add into the mix that Lornyc is a new leader, where both he and Methian are finding their feet. Plus, the prospect of entering multiple dimensions where there are different ways of life and events was occasionally hard to track. This pretty much sums up aspects of Lornyc’s frame of mind, too, and the author ensures the reader feels some of that confusion. But hang in there because, like book one, the storyline for Idolatry is solved by the end. Whether the lives of Lornyc and Methian become less chaotic has yet to be seen, but it is reasonable to surmise that any new leader will have a tangled start to their reign – even one that doesn’t have an unruly grandfather.

Have to give a little shout-out to Methian. He isn’t heard of often, but the more I read of him, the more he became my favorite. And the more I read of the Valan Caveer Guards, the more they confuse me. From what I’ve read so far, ‘this is what we’re supposed to do, but this is what we’re going to do’ sums them up.

In Idolatry, there is more dry humor and snark, which suits me, provided it doesn’t go OTT. There is a lot of positive information given alongside the consequences of messing up. There were also aspects of the alternate dimensions that I’d have liked to see a little more of as they reflected an array of historical time periods – buuuut the story is long, so I get why some events are a sneaky peak instead of a deep dive.

Whether anyone loves, loathes, or is on the fence by the end of the book, there is no denying that it is a well-thought-out and clever piece of written work that kept me guessing over the way the drama would pan out for a long time. For me, it was a case of close the last page, sit numb for a while then, stands clapping.

RATING:

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