Redheaded Reviews: All In: Volume Two of The Book of West Marque by Richard Parkinson

When we left off, John Gray, the Fifth Wheel lawman, was chasing the Dead Priest who had collapsed the bridge he was on and sent him into the river below. John survives, but without his guns or his badge, though he does have his marque calling him to the Oath Swearing and some coins. He makes it into a town and goes into a pub looking for a meal and finds himself in trouble at first until he explains his story from start to finish to the pub's owner and his wife. They tell him that in Four Valley the law is not looked favorably upon and that he should keep the fact that he is a Fifth Wheel to himself. He knows the Dead Priest, Paulus is staying in the Crow's Nest where the Lord of the area lives with his large army of men. So, Gray joins the Lord's army in order to get a way into the city without drawing attention to himself. While there he spies on Paulus but Gray is no spy he is a man of action and soon he will do something he might come to regret.

Marcus Dawn, the novice priest was found guilty of killing the priest at Jonah's Sword because those who did it suspected that he might know that they really did it and why. The wild Marcus was sent to the ends of the realm: Axefell. The winters there are frigid which he finds out since he is sent there during the winter. If the brothers do not accept him then the sentence of death will be carried out. Cleo who is tasked with bringing him to Axefell and has taken it upon himself to teach Marcus using his staff as a tool when need be, is very effective. Marcus finds himself wanting to do well and be a better person, perhaps to make Cleo proud of him rather than in service to the Giver, but it's a start. When the two go out to tend to the villagers and exchange goods they run into problems when the head cheiftan's seventh wife is about to give birth and they want Cleo to deliver the baby but are not anxious to see him or Marcus leave.

You will also hear from Lara Mainhouse the young girl who is sleeping with her guardsman for fun and will grow up one day to be quite a dangerous lady, the Lady of Seawall, Genevieve Goodregard whose ambitions know no bounds and is so close to seeing them come true to having her husband become High Marshall, the gambler James Gallant whose part in this play will become clear, and Quentus the Dead Priest who seems to be several steps behind what is going on with his fellow Dead Priests as he escorts with his wife Sabine the young child who is possessed to the Dark Mother. In this book, the pieces will all fall into place and everything from the last book will make sense. I really love this series. The characters are truly engaging and you find yourself, in the end, rooting for them even when they are probably not the ones you should be supporting. Parkinson makes you feel deeply for the characters he has created. Whether it's annoyance at Lara's behavior toward Will or being impressed at her ability with a gun. Or agreeing with Cleo when he wacks Marcus with his rod or praises him for something good he has done and being amazed at how much the character has grown from the last book. And what's not to admire about the honorable John Gray who in the end makes mistakes just like the rest of us. The storyline is also incredible and complex and a fascinating look at politics and two religions in a realm with an immense power struggle. This book is a worthy follow up to the last book and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.

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