Conqueror's Blood (Gunmetal Gods, #2) (2025)

https://www.bookwormblues.net/2021/06...

I really loved Gunmetal Gods. Akhtar’s world and the characters that populated it gripped me, and I was anxious to read more. When the author contacted me to see if I’d be interested in reading the second book in his series, I jumped on the offer. While I expected Conqueror’s Blood to perhaps pick up where Gunmetal Gods left off, it was really its own thing. Set in the same world, this was truly a unique story, and I loved it for that.

Where Gunmetal Gods gave the reader dueling first-person narratives from opposing sides of a conflict that was reminiscent of the Crusades, Conqueror’s Blood tells the story of two women who are friends, set in the midst of a mystery. Yet it keeps all the fantastic elements of the world that was established in the first book of the series, and even expands upon them.

There are some crafty things Akhtar does in regards of narrative. There are inherent limitations to not only his world, but to the perspectives of the two women telling their sides of the story and Akhtar does a great job circumnavigating these limitations in the most natural way, cutting through the distance (both emotionally and physically) and bringing the reader directly into the center of the conflict. This makes the book feel a bit more personal than Gunmetal Gods did, and a bit more immediate, while keeping some emotional nuance and depth that I, quite frankly, did not expect.

The book itself builds upon all of the things I loved in Gunmetal Gods. Here we get this gorgeously wrought Middle Eastern setting with sand palaces and bazaars, food that is described so beautifully it made me seriously hungry. There are also djinn and spirits, gods that manipulate events through human counterparts, and sprawling landscapes steeped in magic, and full of mystery. In fact, I would say Akhtar’s care with how he constructed his secondary world is one of my favorite elements of this book as a whole. I was constantly swept away by the majesty and detail of the world he’s created. Nothing was overlooked, and due to that care, this secondary world was one of the most real I’ve come across, exotic, and yet fully grounded.

Conqueror’s Blood is a bit of a mystery and told from the perspectives of two women, friends, who are more than they know. These perspectives allows the reader to get a bit of a nuanced view of the tale being told, but also gives this particular mystery a bit of depth and layers that it otherwise wouldn’t have had. It’s not all comfortable, either. There are some parts of this book that are distinctly uncomfortable, but I think sometimes being uncomfortable while you read is not just okay, but important.

Zedra and Cyra are the two women at the core of this book. Friends, and yet they fill very different roles and have distinct personalities. As one would expect in an epic fantasy story, the fate of themselves, and those they love hang in the balance, and both characters are pushed past what they thought they were capable of in the course of this book. With their connection to the throne, the book is both a mystery and full of politics as well. There’s a lot here that is both fantastic, and much like the world the author has created, steeped in reality as well. I did occasionally wonder if Akhtar drew upon real-world historical influences to write this book, because I felt like I could sense some bits of history speckled throughout the narrative.

The characters are raw and real, and I truly felt for them. Wherein most books I find myself preferring one character over the other, I felt like these two were equally balanced, and I liked them both. They each brought something to the story that was truly unique to them and made the book work as well as it did, and they each had limitations that needed to be worked with. Their personalities and voices remained individual, and their arcs were surprising, and incredibly gripping. They did not stay stagnate, as characters, they evolved along with the story.

Conqueror’s Blood is one of those books that will demand your full attention. You can’t read this while your attention wanders. There’s a lot that happens in this book, and a lot of it is below the surface. You have to pay attention, or you’ll probably end up re-reading passages to pick up things you missed. This isn’t to say it’s a difficult book to read, because it’s not. It’s beautifully written, but there is a lot that happens here, and the plot moves so quick, if you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss details you needed to feel the full impact of the story.

The mystery at the core of the book isn’t unraveled fully until the final pages of this story, and while I expected the ending, at least in some form, I was still surprised enough by so many other aspects of the book, I didn’t mind that small nugget of predictability. In fact, it allowed me to really enjoy how the author drew together all these narrative threads.

Conqueror’s Blood was one of those books I was overjoyed to have read. It’s a furious story full of tragic lows and emotional highs, where people are pushed past their breaking points in a world that was so finely wrought and exotic, I felt as though it fairly leapt off the pages.

Zamil Akhtar is one of those authors who is a credit to the genre. He writes the kind of epic fantasy I love. Its raw and real, full of layers and depth, absolutely gorgeous prose, and characters that leap off the page and breathe right along with me. Conqueror’s Blood is an amazing addition to this series, and a must-read.

4/5

Conqueror’s Blood is the sequel to Gunmetal Gods and is another solid entry into this dark indie fantasy series which also utilises the theme of both Lovecraftian and cosmic horror. The book just like its predecessor deals heavily with the theme of religion, as well as the good and the bad that can come with it. One thing to note is that this book, and the Gunmetal Gods series at large, is extremely nihilistic. Zamil Akhtar does not shy away from yelling dark stories and having his characters take part in some pretty messed up acts. That said, whilst I didn’t love this book as much as I did it’s predecessor, of which is one of my absolute favourites indie fantasy books, Conqueror’s Blood is still a very, very good book.

Conqueror’s Blood is a Middle Eastern inspired fantasy which is refreshing against the countless western inspired fantasy books currently out there. The setting here is one of the books greatest attributes. Not only this, but Ahktar’s world building is outstanding. It truly feels like you are engrossed in this setting, and that it feels like an authentic, living, breathing world. It doesn’t just feel like a one dimensional backdrop for the characters. Everything is intricately described, giving the reader an immersive, atmospheric experience which also feels cinematic. There’s more to this world than just the land the story takes place in. Many different lands play a role in the story without actually visiting them but you still get a feel for their culture and how distinct they feel from each other. I’m hoping to one day see more of the Silklands that we hear so much about. It’s also worth noting that nothing feels like an info dump. The world building is told to us through conversation and experience as opposed to just dedicating large walls of text to inform the reader of the culture and the world it inhabits.

Just like with Gunmetal Gods, the pacing in Conqueror’s Blood is spot on. Exciting and shocking events very quickly transpire early on in the book and each big moment delivered is given the right amount of time to breathe without it feeling rushed as well as giving the characters ample time to process the events in a genuine way as opposed to just repeatedly keeping things moving. There is the perfect balance of action, development and down time all the while moments of profoundness are littered throughout the story giving the reader an enriching and enlightening reading experience. I adore the court politics in this book too. There’s so much scheming, and so many dastardly plots going on.

My only criticism of Conqueror’s Blood where it becomes a step down from Gunmetal Gods is the characters. Much like how the first book was structured, its sequel also tells its story from a dual POV perspective. In the first book we followed Kevah, a legendary retired warrior, and Micah the Metal, a paladin guided by a dark god manipulating him into conquering other lands. This time we follow the events told to us via Cyra and Zedra, two female wards of the royal court. Whilst I enjoyed these characters and found them both to be empathetic, interesting characters they lacked the captivating charisma that both Kevah and Micah, especially, possessed. I also feel like Conqueror’s Blood suffers from not having a compelling antagonist as Micah was. That said, the two main characters from Conqueror’s Blood are not uninteresting characters - far from. Also, several characters from Gunmetal Gods crossover too which helps with series continuity. Also, it’s worth noting that the story in Conqueror’s Blood is a lot more contained in terms of setting, whereas Gunmetal Gods was more sweeping utilising more locations.

Overall, this is an extremely strong book and a worthwhile entry into what is shaping up to be an incredible series. I will always recommend checking this series out, there’s nothing else quite like it in fantasy today. A dark, nihilistic Middle Eastern inspired fantasy which utilises Lovecraftian horror. This series has been described as Game of Thrones meets Arabian Nights, and that couldn’t be a more perfect way to surmise the series. You can check out my review of the first book, Gunmetal Gods on here too if you’re intrigued by the thought of this series. I’m very excited to get to read the next book in the series, Elder Epoch.

"'Perhaps once you've wizened up the nature of things, you'll learn that no gain is too tainted to refuse. You may one say find that the tower you've been building all your life is missing a foundation. It comes crashing down, crushing everything you love, and you've to pick up the pieces and rebuild whatever you can - ill-gotten or not.'"

"Conqueror's Blood" is the second book in the "Gunmetal Gods" series, and the follow-up to the outstanding "Gunmetal Gods", which is Book One. "Gunmetal Gods" is one of the first books I read in 2022 and still firmly sitting in the top five books I've read so far this year.

So you can imagine how jazzed I was to get my hands on the sequel. While it was completely NOT what I was expecting, author Zamil Akhtar has somehow managed to outdo himself with this second book in the series, which is no easy accomplishment.

To be clear, "Conqueror's Blood" feels not so much like a sequel, but a completely new entry, in a different part of the sprawling, lush, incredible Middle-Eastern inspired world that Akhtar has created. While some key characters from "Gunmetal Gods" show up, and have significant impacts on the story, they more or less are cameos appearances of some of my favs from that first book, including Kevah (protagonist from "Gunmetal Gods"), and another major character who readers thought was done for, and whose appearanceshocked the hell outta me!

Other big names from "Gunmetal Gods", such as Micah the Metal, Murad, and others are referred to in "Conqueror's Blood", and Akhtar cleverly inserts them on the lips of others in this new book, to only add to their legend, and backstory.

"'I don't recall the details of the fight, but it was over rather quickly...for some reason instead of finishing me off, he simply backed away and returned to the line while his army cheered his name - Murad! Murad!'"

But "Conqueror's Blood" is not about the Sirmian Shah (one of my favs), or other great male characters, though there are plenty to choose from, with incredible new (old) ones like Hadrith, Kato, Eshe, Pashang, Kevah, Cihan, Kyars, Mansur, Khizir Khaz, and more gracing the pages. No, this novel is all about the astounding women, and the main characters of "Conqueror's Blood", Cyra and Zedra, are extremely complicated, messy, ambitious, obsessed, beautiful, dangerous, and utterly enthralling.

Politics, fanaticism, poetry, possession, power plays, blood magic, and hellish gods using mortals as bait, waiting to pounce on each other are afoot, and the kingdom of Alanya is the centre of all that. Steering all those elements are the two powerful female leads.

Cyra is a Sylgiz (an Endless Waste tribe) by birth, and royalty (albeit it minor) in exile, as the daughter of Khagan Yamar. But she has spent adulthood as a favourite - as close as a daughter - of Shah Tamaz of Alanya. Tamaz is a clever, long-reigning, pious, and mostly benevolent ruling monarch. Cyra's estranged brother Cihan is now the powerful warlord of her old tribe.

Cihan wants his sister back in the fold. He also wants revenge on Cyra's new people of Alanya. Cihan believes that Tamaz has wrongfully executed some of Cihan's men. Cihan is ready to wage war on Alanya, for this cause alone, and also to feed his own ambitions.

Though due to her familial relationship, Cyra is sent to treat with Cihan on Tamaz' behalf, Cyra has no intention of rejoining her real family and being a minor noblewoman among nomads in the Endless Wastes. She wants power and prestige, and the opulence of Alanya'sSand Castle and its court. The upstart Cyra aspires as high as the wife of the future Shah.

But Cyra hides lots of secrets that could compromise her plans. Among them, due to searching for love in all the wrong places, boredom, desperation, and a desire to be useful, has driven her to become entangled in the plots of the scheming Hadrith, her paramour.

Hadrith's causes might seem outwardly just in the end, but he also might be using Cyra to destabilizeAlanya, to increase his own gain. The consequences of his schemes could harm all Cyra holds dear.

Meanwhile Zedra, as well, is favoured by Tamaz, and like another daughter to him. Little more in actuality that a concubine to Tamaz's heir, Kyars, Zedra has borne Kyars a son, and the potential future Shah of Alanya.

As the mother of the Crown Prince's child, and being beloved of Tamaz, Zedra wields some measure of influence, like her best friend Cyra, in Alanya. But Zedra is keeping far darker secrets than Cyra. For an ancient sorceress, tied to those who worship Father Chisti - called the Children - lurks inside the body of Zedra. A shapeshifting being, obsessed with restoring the faith of the Children, and in the process, potentially destroying the world.

For me, of course, the most important thing about a book is always the characters. I loved what Akhtar did with "Conqueror's Blood", following a similar format in "Gunmetal Gods", where we alternate POVs between two people who are on opposite sides. This time, the two female leads are close friends, and it is only as things unravel we see how diametrically opposed they are.

Even if one character is obviously more sinister than the other, that other character is highly flawed, makes horrible decisions, and does bad things. Cyra is tortured by what she does to find comfort, and guilty over whose arms she find comfort in. But she is exceptionally cunning, brave, and fundamentally, a good person at her core.

Consequently, the "bad" main character, Zedra, also internally feels remorse for her crimes, and might even evoke sympathy from the reader, as we gain insight and understanding into why she is the way she is. Powerless to escape her long history of brutality, both that she has committed, and what has been enacted against her family, all in the name of religion and the gods, Zedra was my favourite character of this book. So compelling, sometimes so sinister, and yet so vulnerable, I was drawn to this main player, to see if there was any redemption possible for her.

Moreover, the secondary characters are all highly grey, with murky motivations, continually shifting loyalties, willing to do the worst to further their aims. And, with varying factions within factions, the reader's emotions will roller-coaster as they change sides too, uncertain of who truly to root for in terms of who deserves to ultimatelyemerge victorious, as Akhtar pulls us along like puppets on a string, through a bloody trail of deceit, siege, and primeval gods.

As with "Gunmetal Gods", Akhtar is on the top of his game in terms of the mind-boggling world building, in "Conqueror's Blood". He makes me want to take a stroll through the streets of Alanya, soaking in the poetry in Laughter Square, eat a bowl of tamarind sherbet, and inhale all the spices. The world is so layered, beautifully textured, replete with different customs, cultures, faiths, languages, attire, idiosyncrasies, literature, and everything else that makes it feel completely real.

We get so many amazing and interesting themes in this novel, but again, the heart of it is religion and faith. We see and hear more of the gods, and the main one who dominates the last quarter of the book is about as despicable as they come. The scarier thing is that he might not be the MOST despicable of what IS coming.

And we see mortals (and sort-of-mortals) completely not only at the mercy of the capricious gods' ambitions, but also paralyzed by their own faith, their prejudices against the faiths of others, and driven to terrible, inhumane acts by zealotry. The end always seems to justify the means, in the mind's of the faithful, and by the time there is any real kind of self-reflection, and examining of what one is willing to do for one's gods, and if those gods are worth all the horror, it's usually far too late.

Akhtar may have created an intellectual, sophisticated world where poetry is appreciated, even revered, but I find much of his writing to be poetry itself. I keep finding myself re-reading passages, for the beauty of the words. I attach one of my favourites below:

"Did she want me to say sorry? Sorry I destroyed your life...I wished I'd never done it, but I couldn't hold that remorse. True remorse requires repentance, and true repentance requires justice, and if I were to face justice, then who would protect my son?"

The magic in the books is eerie. Blood magic, where everyone's blood has a different value.

"And worse...it can only be written with saint's blood, angel's blood, or god's blood. Three of the rarest flavors."

Zedra uses blood as the engine for her powers, and it is truly chilling to behold. But besides the blood magic aspect, it is the gods in the book that really make things fascinating. The epic climax, when some of them come calling, is completely breathtaking.

This book leaves a lot of futures in question, a lot of character arcs incomplete, and the reader begging for more.

"Conqueror's Blood" is an extremely dark book, violent, haunting, beautifully written, and simply marvelous. Far better than five stars, and there is no way I will ever miss out on reading everything Akhtar writes.I have no idea where he is taking me next, but I'm going definitely going along for the ride. It promises to be wild!

For more reviews go to www.Wolfmantula.com, and follow me on Twitter @wolfmantula

In Gunmetal Gods, I had an issue with the narrator’s main character voices being too similar which led to some confusion on my part at times and me giving it 4 stars, despite how amazing the book was. I was running into a similar issue in Conqueror’s Blood, with both Cyra and Zedra, the new POV’s voices being similar. After speeding up the audio from 1.0 to 1.25, I could hear a bigger difference in their voices and this may be because Peter Noble reads a bit slow. That may also have been why I judged Gunmetal Gods audio too harshly. If you plan to listen, I would recommend listening at 1.25 or faster, for a much better experience.

“We are but playthings
for the gods. They dress us up and set
us against each other.”

This is an incredible sequel with a fast paced and deep plot of political intrigue, divine intervention, well written characters that are not free from harm, and dazzling Middle Eastern settings of landscapes, palaces, bazaars and foods that make you wish you were there seeing all these places, eating the food and drinking the date wine. As mentioned, we get 2 new POV’s in Cyra and Zedra who are at first friends and later become enemies and the fate of all is in their hands. The gods and Djinn are creepy but at the same time, they are absolutely a epic (look at the cover). The ending was terrific and gives a nice twist that leads us into book 3, which I expect to be just as epic.

“Patience in a moment of
anger prevents a thousand regrets.”

The author has said he believes this is his best work yet, and I have to agree. This took what was already a great story and took it to another level, and only makes me thirst for book 3 to come out. What I love most about Zamil’s world is how little I know of Middle Eastern history and culture. While most of us know a lot about Greek, Norse and Roman mythology, there is a seriously untapped market for Middle Eastern. Some will find it as a detriment because they don’t know it, I love it. I love learning, and the more I read from Zamil, the more I look up and the more educated I feel.

The only thing I wished this had was a “story so far” even though it wasn’t really needed to keep up with this story. Just a refresher of what happened so far and what lead to the events in this book, since there are elements of book 1. Fingers crossed for one in the next book of the series though!