Deny | The Blades of Acktar #2

In a few moments, the last goodbyes and Godspeeds were exchanged. The horses trotted across the meadow, the last waves from the treeline.
Then they were gone.
As he, Shad, and Jamie rode from the meadow in the opposite direction, Leith glanced back one last time. A sense of foreboding wrapped around him as if the time he’d spent in that meadow was the last bit of happiness he was going to experience for a long, long time.

Deny by Tricia Mingerink is the second book in the Blades of Acktar series, a brilliant sequel, and even better than the first. It is no light read, with all its intensity and violence, but it is thought-provoking and carries a strong Christian message. This review will contain spoilers for Dare.

Plot

Leith Torren is now the First Blade, top among King Respen’s assassins. But he’s also a Resistance spy, reporting Respen’s plans to Lord Alistair. He lives in a web of lies; mixing up any of them could lead to his death.

Now Leith must rush back to Walden to warn them of the newest threat to Acktar, one that could destroy the entire Resistance. He comes face to face with his greatest fear—he can’t save everyone.

Meanwhile, Renna Faythe is struggling with her lack of trust. She realizes that, while not verbally, she’s denied Christ in her action repeatedly. How can she have the courage to stand strong for Christ? How can she have faith like Brandi? The answers are scarce and time runs short.

This book may have been even more intense than Dare. While the first book was enjoyable and suspenseful, many of the turns were expected. Deny kept me on my toes the entire time. So many times the scenario is such that someone won’t make it out alive, and it all builds and builds to the amazing finale. Faith will be tested, friendships will be torn, and failure will haunt.

Characters

While it is true that every book is, at its core, character-driven, Deny is especially so. Characters and their struggles cause all the actions of the plot. Half the book wouldn’t have even happened but for one decision by Renna.

I won’t go over all the characters again, since I covered their personalities in the book one review and they haven’t changed.

I admire how Mingerink makes even the antagonists empathetic. Since Leith was a Blade, and he has friends there, I felt bad for them when Leith had to ultimately betray them. Martyn especially showed hurt, and I look forward to seeing where his character will go in the next book.

Theme & Content Warnings

Deny deals with themes of courage, faith through persecution, and how to live as a Christian when the government is killing Christians. One especially powerful scene near the climax reminds readers that God is in control of our lives, no matter what external threats we may face.

This series is one of the most faith-heavy fiction stories I’ve read, and it’s an inspiration to how I write. As with book one, readers will find both an amazing story and theology.

Several rather violent scenes do appear in the book. They’re not described in detail, but many gruesome actions are mentioned. Thirteen people are beheaded and thrown in a ditch. Leith finds the remains of a man who was eaten by wild animals. Dozens of people die in briefly mentioned battles.

Overall

The only thing I didn’t like about this book is the romance between Leith and Renna. Now, I don’t usually like romance anyway, but the way it’s done here annoyed me. The constant heart-flutters and awkward glances got old after a while.

I failed to mention in my review of Dare how well-researched these books are. I could feel the research that went into everything from healing wounds to horseback riding. It is truly impressive and adds an additional layer of credibility to the tale.

If you wish the buy the book, links are below.

And as always, thanks for reading, and I’ll write you in the next one!