opens in a new windowThe Thousand Eyes by A. K. Larkwood, the hotly anticipated sequel to 2020’s opens in a new windowThe Unspoken Name, is out now! To bring you up to speed with just what happened to Csorwe, her friends, and her foes, we’ve assembled this handy .GIF recap. Reacquaint yourself with a multiverse of orcs, wizards, ancient serpent societies, and the Maze that connects them all. Take a look! And here’s two words of warning: spoilers abound!
Csorwe, an orc priestess, is destined to become the next sacrifice for the Unspoken One until she is offered a chance to escape with the powerful wizard Belthandros Sethennai.
Csorwe becomes Sethennai’s assassin-in-training. Sethennai plots to take back the Chancellorship of Tlaanthothe and recover a lost and ancient artifact known as the Reliquary.
During her training, Sethennai takes Csorwe to visit the Withered City in Enchentyr. The city of serpents was destroyed by their very own goddess, Iriskavaal. Oranna, the librarian from the shrine of the Unspoken One, crosses their path. She is also on the search for the Reliquary and has come here to explore the ruins for clues.
Once she is ready, Csorwe and Sethennai travel to Tlaanthothe. Before they can overthrow the city, Csorwe must infiltrate the guards’ fortress and assassinate their general. She disguises herself by taking a job in the kitchen.
After a successful but harrowing assassination, Csorwe rejoins with Sethennai. She might have had an easier time if not for Talasseres Charossa and his attempt to sabotage her, take the credit, and return to Sethennai’s side in good favor. Sethennai battles the sitting Chancellor and wins. Tal and Csorwe become rivals and begrudging allies. They begin searching for the Reliquary together under Sethennai’s orders.
Five years pass. Csorwe and Qanwa Shuthmili, a Qarsazhi girl with immense forbidden power, meet at the research compound in Precursor World A-20-22-17. Csorwe and Tal join the Imperial Survey Office of Qarsazh under the guise of doctoral students studying the Hollow Monument in the area.
Shuthmili is kidnapped from camp. Csorwe and Tal enter the Hollow Monument with the Qarsazhi in search of her. Oranna has taken Shuthmili hostage since she is the only one powerful enough to break the bonds sealing the Reliquary in the heart of the Hollow Monument. Oranna takes the Reliquary, but does not know how to open it. The Hollow Monument collapses.
Everyone is split up after the collapse. Csorwe and Shuthmili escape the Precursor World together after fighting off some revenants. Their friendship begins to blossom and is definitely the start of something more. Oranna takes Tal captive and interrogates him. The Qarsazhi begin a manhunt to find Shuthmili.
Csorwe and Shuthmili return to Tlaanthothe. Soon after, Shuthmili feels duty bound to return to Qarsazh. Csorwe accompanies her on her journey and overhears what will happen to Shuthmili if she returns. She and Shuthmili embark on finding the key to the Reliquary.
Csorwe convinces Shuthmili to run with her. They return to the shrine where Csorwe grew up to ask the Unspoken One the location of the key to the Reliquary. The key is a place, the throne of Iriskavaal herself, but the Unspoken One will not disclose where the throne is because Csorwe is no longer a faithful follower like Oranna. “The Reliquary opens before the throne and earthly mansion of Iriskavaal.” (310)
Time for some map shopping! (More like map stealing.) Csorwe and Shuthmili shoplift a map showing the location of the Lignite Spire (the supposed location of Iriskavaal’s throne) from a pirate.
It’s time for a showdown at the Lignite Spire! Oranna awakens Iriskavaal and discovers the Lignite Spire is not the place where her throne is kept. The Qarsazhi take Shuthmili back by force. Csorwe challenges Oranna and takes the Reliquary and Oranna back to Tlaanthothe. When Csorwe gives Sethennai the Reliquary he manages to open it, learn the truth of its contents, but keeps it to himself.
Csorwe begins to doubt her devotion to Sethennai. Shuthmili is alive, but Sethnnai does nothing to help Csorwe free Shuthmili from her fate. Csorwe goes to see Oranna and they make a deal. If Csorwe will free Oranna, Oranna will ask the Unspoken One where Shuthmili is being imprisoned. Sethennai doesn’t believe that Csorwe has the capacity to betray him.
There’s only one mission on Csorwe’s mind: BUST SHUTHMILI OUT OF PRISON. Csorwe murders an important and powerful Qarsazhi in procress and suffers some perilous wounds herself. Shuthmili does some serious damage to her captors too. Oranna brings back Csorwe from the brink of death.
Sethennai and Tal track down Oranna and Csorwe and return Shuthmili to the Qarsazhi once more. Oranna reveals she has discovered that Sethennai is the actual throne and earthly mansion of Iriskavaal. Tal eavesdrops on this conversation and realizes, like Csorwe, that he could never have been anything more than a pawn to Sethennai after all. Tal decides to betray Sethennai by freeing Csorwe and stealing the Reliquary. Tal also gives the Reliquary to Csorwe.
Shuthmili is sentenced to a public execution for her crimes, but Csorwe saves her before it’s too late. Before Csorwe can do much else Sethennai, from among the spectators, stops time and confronts her and Shuthmili.
Csorwe uses the Reliquary as leverage to force Sethennai to let her and Shuthmili go. By standing before Sethennai, the actual throne and earthly mansion of Iriskavaal, Csorwe is able to open the Reliquary and discovers Sethennai’s heart lying inside the box. She threatens to destroy it if he will not relent.
Csorwe and Shuthmili leave on their own ship and begin travelling the worlds together.
