Description: Victory over the dark forces during the feast of Bas-solas should have guaranteed safety for the continent. Instead, Willet and the rest of the Vigil discover they've been outsmarted by those seeking to unleash the evil that inhabits the Darkwater. Jorgen, the member of the Vigil assigned to Frayel, has gone missing, and new attacks have struck at the six kingdoms' ability to defend themselves.
Just when the Vigil thought they had quenched the menace from their enemy in Collum, a new threat emerges: assassins hunting the Vigil, men and women who cannot be seen until it's too late. The orders of the church and the rulers of the kingdoms, fearing the loss of the Vigil's members altogether, have decided to take them into protective custody to safeguard their gift. On Pellin's orders, the Vigil scatters, leaving Willet to be taken prisoner by the church in Bunard.
In the midst of this, Willet learns of the murder of an obscure nobleman's daughter by one of the unseen assassins. Now he must escape his imprisonment and brave the wrath of the church to find the killer in order to turn back this latest threat to the northern continent.
My Thoughts: Described as a Fantasy Mystery, The Shattered Vigil is a very complex novel with many threads that need to be followed in order to reach the end. The tone is dark and suspenseful, with few moments of mirth to lighten the impact of the plot. Those who pick up this series (and especially this second book) should be ready for an intense struggle against the darkness that lurks in the Darkwater.
Strangely enough, I enjoyed this book more than I did the first. While both are just as dark, The Shattered Vigil played out on a grander scale and offered more answers to how the Vigil functions (or barely functions). The urchins also have a more prominent role, offering some childlike hope to the otherwise bleak worldviews of the adults.
I'm not sure what to expect in the final book of the trilogy. So far it seems difficult to imagine a truly happy ending, though I do hope that Willet and the others find one. And that lack of faith in a happy ending is what ultimately leaves this book with less than a perfect rating. Because while Carr has woven an epic story and world, I would have preferred it if there had been a least one character whose worldview wasn't completely shattered.
I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book from the publisher.
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