The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Grows Up in Blood of Innocents

Hogan’s principal is young apprentice sorcerer Caldan, who, since the life-changing events of A Crucible of Souls, has taken the notion of “on the job training” to new levels—especially in areas that are a big no-no, namely coercive and destructive sorcery, a pair of long-lost (and forbidden) schools of magic that aren’t actually as long-lost as once believed.
With an oddball entourage that includes a rogue sorcerer, a murderous weirdo, a blood-drinking healer (or “physiker” in Hogan-speak), poor Caldan has his work cut out for him as he struggles to stay one step ahead of the enemy while searching for a cure for his sorcery-damaged gal pal. It’s a hell of a journey, and Caldan, once a rising star in the sorcerer world, finds himself hunted and wanted by just about everyone (and everything).
There’s a lot more going on than Caldan’s travails. Hogan bounces back-and-forth between an assortment of disparate story arcs featuring a robust and colorful set of characters, some new, some returning, all of them in the midst of unrelenting danger or, at the very least, a questionable alliance, as the Mahruse Empire becomes increasingly unstable, with sorcery and warfare threatening to tear it apart. There is more to worry about than just an invading horde of aggressive Indryallans—led by the humbly-named God-Emperor. It seems those ancient legends of the Orc-ish man-eaters the Jukari (and the even worse Orcs-with-sorcery-skills the Vormag) are more than just legend.

It’s no surprise that Hogan has given props to Tolkien for birthing his love of fantasy. J.R.R. was no stranger to big books, so I don’t think Hogan would be offended if I were to refer to him as a “very detail oriented” in his world-building. It is his persistent attention to detail, both in his character’s actions and the world around them, that make it difficult to not get pulled hard into this world.
These are carefully built, deliberately paced novels, and it is an approach that has worked very well so far. Everything from traveling on horseback, to hand-to-hand combat, to studying ancient tomes, to preparing magical crafting molds, is brought to glorious life via a fly-on-the-wall approach that puts us right there with the characters. Their pain, frustration, exhaustion, and apprehension grow exponentially with passages that unfold with an easy, relaxed flow that feels neither rushed nor belabored.
As the middle installment in a big series, Blood of Innocents exhibits some expected middle book symptoms, building and expanding upon a sweeping storyline with a heaping helping of twists and turns while not quite having the luxury of resolving them completely. But that’s okay, because the buildup only means the end will be that much sweeter..
The third book, A Shattered Empire, isn’t far off: it’s due in September. By the ancestors, I will be waiting…