The House of Always

Starred review from March 1, 2021

The Ritual of Night has failed, and the eight Immortals are now dead or beaten. Vol Karoth, the King of Demons, is almost assured to rise and escape from his eternal prison. Kihrin D'Mon has an idea to stop him, but the cost is one that should not be paid. Now several friends and a couple of enemies have been brought to the sacred space, the Lighthouse at Shadrag Gor, in one last attempt to stop Vol Karoth from freeing himself. Yet as the group battles within the mind, they discover secrets abound inside all of them. Outside, more destruction is readying at the hands of The Lash, a kraken, and Drehemia the dragon, along with a few undead pirates and magically enraged fighters. Can the group stand against the evil before them, or will they have to choose losing either the world or Kihrin? Lyons's (The Memory of Souls) incredible world continues to grow, as multiple points of view and flashbacks create a fully realized story of magic and mayhem. VERDICT Lyons creates an immersive and complex history filled with delightful characters, bold action, and surprising twists.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 22, 2021
Explorations of the imprisoned mind of demon king Vol Karoth make for an abstract fourth entry in Lyons’s A Chorus of Dragons epic fantasy series (following The Memory of Souls). The wizard Senera Var gathers a group of unlikely allies at a lighthouse frozen in time to help hero Kihrin D’Mon defeat the weakened Vol Karoth. Meanwhile, Kihrin enters the desolate realm of Vol Karoth’s mind to confront him in a debate over the worth of humanity. Kihrin and Vol Karoth take turns summoning memories of Kihrin’s friends as evidence for their conflicting stances on human goodness. The assembled allies in the lighthouse also experience these memories, leading them and the reader to learn of the past adventures of side characters Galen D’Mon, Qown, Talea Ferandis, and others. The complex yet repetitive narrative structure will overwhelm most readers, and the philosophical nature of Kihrin’s quest is thought-provoking but too heady to carry the plot. Fans will hope this experimental outing is only a wobble before the series finds its footing ahead of its conclusion. Agent: Sam Morgan, the Lotts Agency. (May).

April 15, 2021
More than twice as long as each of the previous three volumes in the Chorus of Dragons series, this is another tour de force in upturning the classical tropes of epic fantasy. After the failed attempt to keep the so-called King of Demons, Vol Kalroth, imprisoned, Kihrin sets out to confront him in his mind prison. Janel and Teraeth, who have both declared their love for Kihrin, will have none of this running off without their help. Other participants in the horrendous Battle at the Well of Spirals have their own problems to resolve, but dead gods and Relos Var are still pulling strings. Lyons finds yet another ingenious narrative format to have their various storylines become part of Kihrin's battle for control over Vol Karoth, who is destined to destroy the world as they know it. No one in this psychological romp wants that world to return to normal, but how to compete against the likes of kraken, dragons, mermaids, and their own inner (and outer) demons? Lyons has not only vaulted to the forefront of modern epic fantasy by delivering series entries in a timely fashion but also continued to stick the landing in excitement and with style points galore.

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