Consuming Worlds: The Black Tower by Steven Montano {Blog Tour: Review}

Today's the day. The final day of The Black Tower Blog Tour and I get to wrap things up with a review of the last book in this trilogy. It is always honor to work with Steven Montano. He is not only an incredibly talented author, but he is also a great friend. I am definitely glad I met him on the Twitterverse some one and a half years ago. Now let's get on with it.

Please make sure you enter to win the signed paperback copy of Vampire Down at the bottom of this post. Miss the other posts on the tour? Check out the schedule here.

*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Blurb:

War returns to Malzaria in this epic conclusion to The Skullborn Trilogy.
Deep in the wastes called the Bonelands, rival crime guilds and renegade Bloodspeakers battle through the ruined streets of Corinth. At the heart of the doomed city lies a magical portal which grants access to the dark citadel of Chul Gaerog, wherein lie the secrets of the long dead Blood Queen.

Armies amass to the south as powerful forces from the Jlantrian and Den'nari Empires make ready to clash with the monstrous Black Army and its frightful leader, the black giant called Ghul, agent of the Cabal and ally of the dreaded Iron Count.

And deep in the heart of the black tower, the dream witch Ijanna Taivorkan comes face-to-face with the dark angel Calladar, once guardian to the Blood Queen and self-appointed master of the citadel. Only the fallen knight Azander Dane can help her survive her trials, but first he must face the demons of his past, as well as a merciless squad of Jlantrian hunters sent to destroy the woman he's sworn to protect...

Return to a world of dark magic, tainted heroes and dark plots in this action-packed sequel to City of Scars and Path of Bones.

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review~

What can I say about The Black Tower? No, seriously, what can I say? Maybe shorter would be better here because there really isn't much I can say without giving something away, so let me say this.

The Black Tower was one action sequence after another. Again author Steven Montano dazzled me with his ability to weave incredible action into his well developed and complex story. There is no possible way for you to get bored in this book. The story is constantly moving forward, moving to that destination that only the author knows. That deep dark secret that you know in your gut to be true, the one that maybe you don't want to face or accept. And that's just one thing that makes this book so exciting. There are things, dark things occurring in this book. And each of these actions or events leads to the one thing that could mean the end of everything.

Like the other books in the series we follow multiple characters and story lines as they all converge on each other. As the reader you know this is going to happen from the minute you read City of Scars and with each page of each book the tension builds, until finally it all comes together in one epic ending. Was it a satisfying ending? Well maybe, but this really isn't the end of this series, so I expected that. I didn't expect sunshine and rainbows when this book ended.

Steven Montano has incredible talent for building amazing worlds, that are easily imagined allowing his readers to become completely immersed in the story. He understands the fine art of giving the reader just enough information to build a world in their imagination. A talent that is hard to find.

The Black Tower will make you bite your nails, cringe, and maybe even wish you could unsee those things you envisioned when you devoured the words on the page. It is a non-stop thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end and is a true Fantasy tale that will definitely fill your bookish appetite.

"All the measure of his worth, all he'd done to redeem himself, and again the need for him came down to his capacity to slaughter." (kindle, loc. 4820)

This is just one example of why I love the main character Azander Dane. He is unlike most main characters. He isn't the perfect hero. He has a dark past and struggles to make amends for his crimes. He is a hero on a path to redemption, his just isn't an easy path.

Find It: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Steven Montano is an author, geek, and accountant. He also spends way too much time drinking wine, hiking, and watching bad 80s movies.

Steven is the author of the Blood Skies series, the Skullborn Trilogy, and something black...
His upcoming novels are The Last Acolyte, the first novel in the military sci-fi/space opera sequence The Rike Chronicles; The Alchemist, the first in the paranormal action Tooth & Claw series; and Colder, a mystery/thriller.
Steve and his family live in Michigan. They’re still wondering how they got there.

Find out more at http://steven-montano.com/