Thrones & Bones: Nightborn by Lou Anders
Synopsis:
Karn Korlundsson is a gamer. Not a riddle solver. But in order to rescue his best friend, Thianna Frostborn, he will need to travel to the faraway city of Castlebriar (by wyvern), learn how to play a new board game called Charioteers (not a problem), decipher the Riddle of the Horn, and tangle with mysterious elves.
Meet Desstra. She’s in training to join the Underhand—the elite agents of the dark elves. When she crosses paths with Karn, she is not all that she appears to be.
Everyone is chasing after the horn of Osius, an ancient artifact with the power to change the world. The lengths to which Karn will go in the name of friendship will be sorely tested. Who knew that solving a riddle could be so deadly?
Review:
Nightborn is the second installment in the Thrones & Bones fantasy series. Karn embarks on another adventure – this time to save his friend Thianna from dark elves. Thianna is searching for a second horn, and the dark elves will stop at nothing to get to it first.
Desstra is an interesting new character, an Underhand trainee agent, with a conflicting nature to those she’s trying to emulate. Karn’s friendship with Thianna confuses and fascinates her. Desstra definitely adds a unique twist to the story. This sequel doesn’t disappoint – friendship, intrigue, riddles, action, clever characters, and plenty of humor. Unlike the last book, this ends in a bit of a cliffhanger – which will make readers eager for the next in this exceptional series.