Heaven’s Needle by Liane Merciel

… Fans of The River Kings’ Road will no doubt be surprised — and possibly disappointed — by the new direction Liane Merciel takes in her sophomore novel, Heaven’s Needle. After all, the new book has little to do with the author’s debut, while offering a much darker and more horror-driven reading experience. Of course, it’s for these very reasons that I found Heaven’s Needle to be much more engrossing than its predecessor. While I enjoyed reading The River Kings’ Road, it was a typical epic fantasy novel with few surprises, whereas Heaven’s Needle with its almost perfect mix of horror and epic fantasy provided something different and exciting. Granted, Liane Merciel took a major risk in writing a book that may alienate many of her fans, but in the process, I believe the author has improved her craft while coming a long ways toward finding her own voice. In short, I completely respect Liane Merciel’s decision to try something different and can’t wait to see what the author does next. Read the rest.