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Book: Court of Wanderers
Author: Rin Chupeco
Pages: 448
Source: Gallery/Saga Press, NetGalley
Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Summary:
Remy Pendergast and his royal vampire companions return to face an enemy that is terrifyingly close to home in Rin Chupeco’s queer, bloody Gothic epic fantasy series for fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.
Remy Pendergast, the vampire hunter, and his unexpected companions, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song, are on the road through the kingdom of Aluria again after a hard-won first battle against the formidable Night Empress, who threatens to undo a fragile peace between humans and vampires. Xiaodan, severely injured, has lost her powers to vanquish the enemy’s new super breed of vampire, but if the trio can make it to Fata Morgana, the seat of Malehk’s court—dubbed “the Court of Wanderers”—there is hope of nursing her and bringing them back.
En-route to the Third Court, Remy crosses paths with his father, the arrogant, oftentimes cruel Lord of Valenbonne. He also begins to suffer strange dreams of the Night Empress, whom he has long suspected to be Ligaya Pendergast, his own mother. As his family history unfolds during these episodes, which are too realistic to be coincidence, he realizes that she is no ordinary vampire—and that he may end up having to choose between the respective legacies of his parents.
Posing as Malek and Xiaodan’s human familiar, Remy contends with Aluria’s intimidating vampire courts and a series of gruesome murders with their help—and more, as the three navigate their relationship. But those feelings and even their extraordinary collective strength will be put to the test as each of them unleashes new powers in combat at what may be proven to be the ultimate cost.
My Review:
I received a free advanced review copy of Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco courtesy of Gallery/Saga Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Gallery/Saga Press!
A quick warning – do not read this review if you haven’t read the first book! Events in Court of Wanderers follow directly after the ending of Silver Under Nightfall, and it’s just not possible to discuss book two without spoilers for book one! You have been warned…unless you like spoilers…stop reading!
If you need a quick refresher, read my review for Silver Under Nightfall here.
The end of Silver Under Nightfall was full of revelations for Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh. First, Remy found out that his own father is responsible for The Rot – the name for mutations that have infected some vampires turning them into grotesque monsters that are only truly killed by sunlight. Lord Pendergast has been using his own son’s blood to create the mutations and to control them. He believed it was the only way to get the upper hand against the Night Court vampires, and he uses it as a means to draw the Night Empress out. Which is when Remy figures out the Night Empress is his mother, and Lord Prendergast still holds quite a grudge against her for leaving him.
These are not the only shocking revelations for Remy, though. Apparently, the Night Empress has her own mutations now, and she uses them in battle against Lord Pendergast’s mutants right outside of Elouve. Luckily, the good guys win, but not without loss. Unfortunately, winning didn’t lead to any answers either, and now both humans and vampires have a much bigger problem to deal with than before.
Almost any vampire can be infected by The Rot, and the resulting mutations can cause a lot of death and destruction with few ways to stop them. So, all the leaders of the remaining vampire courts have decided to meet, form an alliance, and plan a way to stop both The Rot and the Night Empress and her court for good.
Now, Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh must travel to the Allpriory, a place of great importance and history for all vampires. Remy must hold his own in a group of the very creatures he used to kill, and they only know him as a Reaper. So, when there are mysterious deaths, he is the first to be blamed. However, when there is an attempt on Remy’s life, it becomes clear that more is at work in the Allpriory than first appeared. Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh must survive on multiple fronts while seeking answers to the problems of The Rot and the Night Empress, and it does not go the way they will expect at all.
First of all, my favorite thing about this book was the vampire lore. Rin Chupeco has crafted a really unique world with rich cultures and traditions. The vampires and their courts are no exception. In fact, they have more complex cultures than the humans do. Each court has it’s own rules and ways as dictated by its leader, but there are a lot of things the vampires hold in common. One such custom involves familiars. Anyone who reads a lot of vampire books will already have an idea of what a familiar is, but in The Reapers duology, being a familiar has a whole new connotation. It’s a role of subservience, and not all vampires treat their familiars as people. They’re more like pets. This is what Remy has to emulate while he’s with Xiadon and Malekh in the Allpriory.
Luckily, it’s not as difficult as Remy thought, since he has such a great relationship with Xiadon and Malekh at this point. This was another part of the book I really enjoyed. Just like in book one, the romance is mostly secondary, but Rin Chupeco does such an amazing job at using the romance to enhance characterization. It all felt real, and it all helped the reader understand each character in more depth. There’s is one scene about 3/4 of the way through the book where Malekh is discussing he and Xiadon’s relationship with Remy with Lord Pendergast that perfectly encapsulated Malekh’s character, and I could not get enough of it!
On top of that, I also enjoyed all the mysteries and subplots this book had. Parts of the story that take place at the Allpriory are almost like a locked room mystery, and it was done extremely well. Then, there’s the mystery of how Remy’s mother became the Night Empress, and what she is trying to tell him in his dreams. There’s also the mystery of whether or not all the vampire courts are actually capable of working together long enough to thwart all the threats they face. Finally, there’s also the question of whether or not the vampires and humans can forge a lasting alliance in the aftermath of all these events.
There are so many twists and turns in this book. I was able to guess quite a few of the twists in the first book, but I barely saw any of the twists in this book coming. The only negative thing about The Reapers is that there isn’t another book! I would at least like to have a short story or novella in the future regarding a certain engagement that happens in the book, but alas, this is a duology. I will just have to re-read them instead.
My Rating:
I gave Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco four out of five stars. It is a great sequel, and it managed to continue building the world introduced in the first book. I loved all the mysteries, character relationships, and additional lore introduced in the book. I wish there was a bit more to read, though. The ending felt a little rushed, and I don’t feel like the epilogue explained enough about what happened after the events of the book. This is the only reason I knocked one start off, and it was still an amazing read. Sometimes a short duology or stand-alone book is easier and less intimidating to keep up with, and if you’re looking for something like that definitely give The Reapers a go!
Do you plan to read The Reapers duology? What about other books by Rin Chupeco? Let me know in the comments!
Tea Rex Reads 