In Reign of Mist, I was able to still experience all the things that had me falling in love with the first book, but with an added punch that just catapulted things into a higher level. I was immersed in the familiar atmospheric writing style, lyrically evocative prose, and masterful storytelling of the author, as well as a fantastical realm I am certainly no stranger to.

In essence, reading this book felt a lot like coming home. Reign of Mist is intimately familiar territory but with exponentially higher stakes, larger and more imminent threats, and grander adventures. Plus, much like the first book, it is intricately seasoned with plot twists, surprises, and shocking reveals that either kept me on my toes or made me feel totally blindsided!

For the most part, the journeying in Heart of Mist was confined to the kingdom of Ellest. In contrast, Reign of Mist is set all over the other regions of the Upper Realm: Battalon, a desert kingdom ridden with destructive firestorms; Havennesse, a deceivingly beautiful, snowed region with an unforgiving icy climate; and, of course, the mysterious land that lies beyond the notoriously dangerous mist.

Just when I thought this series could not get any better, there’s an addition of more fantastic, exceptional women to an already large cast of empowered and remarkable female characters!

In my opinion, reading Reign of Mist felt a lot like reading a female-led, female-driven Game of Thrones. Here, women were at the forefront of war, politics, and strategy, while men took a bit of a backseat (although that’s not to say that they didn’t hold important roles, too).

In essence, Reign of Mist not only largely drew from feminist themes, but also, and perhaps more significantly, actively defied female stereotypes commonly found in the fantasy genre. In simpler words: women being strong without having to lose their femininity (i.e. women still being women, and not women trying to be and to act like men).