I loved The Last Page, which is the first book in this duology about Caliph the reluctant king of Stonehold. (That’s the word the author uses to describe these books so I’m going with it.) The Last Page is a combination of fantasy, science fiction, and a little bit of steampunk. Black Bottle is a bit of the same with a strong end of the world vibe. Since I never did get around to talking about The Last Page when I read it, I’m reviewing the two books as a whole.

Basic premise of The Last Page: Caliph Howl is the reluctant heir to the throne of the Duchy of Stonehold. At 23, he becomes king and is forced to confront a possible civil war, and every dirty secret held by the Duchy. What he really misses, is his lover, Sena. They met in school and Caliph fell hard for the witch, and while she returns to him, it’s not for love, it’s for his blood. The woman is looking for a book called the Cisrym Ta. This book can destroy the world, and she’s the only one who knows how to open it.

So, The Last Page = awesome. Seriously, read it. Thanks to Elizabeth over at Dark Cargo for pointing this one out one day. It’s a book worth your time.

Basic premise of Black Bottle: Caliph Howl has been raised from the dead by his witch, Sena — or at least that’s what everyone believes. Thanks to this tidbit of gossip, the Duchy of Stonehold has now captured the interest of the rest of the world. When Caliph is invited to speak as part of a delegation, Sena’s action’s may bring about Caliph and Stonehold’s demise.

I liked Black Bottle but I didn’t love Black Bottle. The reason is not because it wasn’t The Last Page but because at certain points, I didn’t know where the story was going. It felt a little lost to me. Overall, I think these two books make an epic worth reading and maybe I would have enjoyed the second book more if I had read it closer in the timeline of life to The Last Page. I think my love may have rubbed off on it, but as that didn’t happen, I think I was waiting for the love to arrive in the same magnitude.

This is a dark world that Huso creates. Blood magic, death, monsters, witches, black holes where no life exists. The blood magic is amazing — horrific, painful, and deadly — and as dark as it should be. Sena is the epitome of her order, she knows and understands more than her closest peer, but even she can’t use the magic without being hurt. While not going into it for spoilerific reasons, her transformation throughout the story was interesting. Also, I liked that there are strong female characters in these books but I do wish they weren’t only witches and/or addictive personalities with crazy hallucinations though.

Am I glad I read both books? Yes. Will I recommend them? Yes. Will there be caveats? Probably, especially in regard to Black Bottle, but final word — read them if you’re looking for an epic to keep you company in the cold.

The Last Page

By Anthony Huso

Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC

ISBN: 9781429964869

Black Bottle

By Anthony Huso

Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC

ISBN: 9781429985536