The Second Death, by Teresa Frohock

(Disclaimer: English is my second language, so I want to apologize in advance for there may be mistakes in the text below. If you find any, please let me know so that I can correct it. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.)

Review Soundtrack: I suggest reading this review while listening to The Second Death, by AXXONN (Spotify, YouTube). 

The Second Death, by Teresa Frohock, is the third instalment of Los Nefilim, an ongoing series of novellas whose first two parts (In Midnight's Silence and Without Light or Guide) I've read and reviewed in the past months.   

This chapter opens with Diago, Miquel and Rafael reunited as a family and with their bonds stronger than ever. But this quiet scene is just a mirage, for soon they will be in danger again and they will have to face past enemies as well as new ones. Separated again, they will be forced to use their magic and their intelligence to unravel a conspiracy that is becoming more intricate by the minute and to avoid the fatal, Second Death. 

In this instalment we find quite a number of action and fight scenes and we learn much more about the powers of Diago in particular and of the Angels, Daimons and Nefilim in general. We also discover some interesting and crucial facts about Diago's past, with revelations that help us to understand the different factions and alliances that are struggling for power and also to see how the main protagonist's personality has evolved in his different lives.  

The Second Death may very well be the best novella of the series so far. It has more action, more character development and more magic than any of the two others. However, I confess that I did not enjoy it as much as I expected. The series is getting longer and longer (with these three books the total number of words is well into novel-length territory already) but my feeling is that the main conflict has yet to begin. There are some hints of a bigger picture, but in the end, this is just another adventure of Diago, Miquel and Rafael and I don't feel we are closer to witness the main events of the series. Call me impatient, but I wouldn't like it if the author decides to postpone indefinitely the impeding war that we've been anticipating since In Midnight's Silence.

Anyway, The Second Death is a good fantasy novella and if you've read and enjoyed the rest of the series you will very probably also enjoy this one. I will give a try to the next chapter, but I sincerely hope we see some major events or I think I will start losing part of my interest. 

(You can also read this review in Spanish/También puedes leer esta reseña en español)