Book Review - THE LESSONS NEVER LEARNED by Rob J. Hayes

(Title: The Lessons Never Learned / Author: Rob J. Hayes / Publisher: Self-Published / Publication Date: April 28, 2020)

Rob J. Hayes' War Eternal series started off with a resounding bang with Along the Razor's Edge.  It was simply a jaw-dropping first entry that had me engaged from first page to finish.  Rob just seems to get better and better with each book and series in my opinion.  And he has this cool ability to reinvent himself every time.  So I had the briefest moment of hesitation before I opened up book #2 because, what if this was the book where Rob slumps a bit?  The guy's winning streak has to hit a speed bump at some point, right?  I mean, he can't possibly keep churning out brilliant book after brilliant book can he?  He's not a machine after all!  Oh yes he can and yes he is.  

THE LESSONS NEVER LEARNED begins soon after Eskara, or Eska, is free from her torturous underground prison called the Pit.  Ten years of her life were wasted toiling in its dark depths for nothing more than hard labor mandated by her jailers Deko and the overseer.  But they did not break her.  Now she finds herself on the run from a variety of assassins sent forth by the overseer to bring Eska back, dead or alive.  You see, nobody leaves the Pit and lives to tell the tale.  At least, not for very long.  Eska is faced with some hard choices as she struggles to survive, for around every corner an assassins blade or arrow could be pointed in her direction.

She arrives in Ro'shan, a floating city that orbits the Terrelan continent below.  The city is technically outside the power and jurisdiction of the Terrelan empire, existing as a trading entity that anchors itself periodically to conduct commerce.  It's a pretty mysterious place quite frankly.  Eska finds some semblance of asylum there from the Emperor, who she has now attracted the attention of.  But how long can her false sense of safety last?  Will the Ro'shan leaders continue to shelter her, or will they just throw her to the wolves the first chance they get?   The answer to that may lie in the powers of sorcery that she possesses and whether or not she may be able to help them in some way.  People have been using Eska for her powerful sorcery since the day she was born, and it seems as if her would-be savior is no different.   But make no mistake, Eska is taking names.   She yearns for the day when she can exact her revenge on all of those who have wronged her in both the past and present.

This is such a fabulous series and I'm happy to say that THE LESSONS NEVER LEARNED has brought it to an even higher level.   Where book one was very tightly focused and centered mostly on Eska's plot to escape her captivity, this one had a lot more twists and turns to it.  There's a great deal more moving around to different places and encountering different types of inhabitants of the outside world.  There's also a considerable uptick in the action, as Eska gets involved in a few tussles while she flees those hired to track her down.

Oh, did I mention there's a FREAKING FLOATING CITY?!  Rob has definitely stepped up his game in the world-building department and I thought the introduction of things like this really pumped up the wow factor a lot.  There are a number of really cool revelations in this second book that shed some light on Eska's past and also portend certain things to come in the future.  Eska learns more about her magic as well and this makes her an even more threatening foe to her enemies.  She's making a lot of those by the way.

But at the heart of this story and series is the character of Eska herself.  The thing that makes her such a compelling character is that she has this palpable sense of determination and strength, yet sometimes doubts herself in certain situations.  This gives her a very relatable air of vulnerability that makes her easy to connect with.  The struggle between those two conflicting attributes is also what makes her one of my favorite characters in any fantasy book.   There is a complexity and depth to her that is hard to define.  I'd like to share my favorite quote from the book that I believe perfectly captures Eska and what a kick-ass MC she is: "Scars are proof of a life lived, of hardships that changed us yet didn't kill us.  I wear mine with pride and I have many of them."   It's a killer damn quote.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I absolutely loved THE LESSONS NEVER LEARNED and need the final book of this series in my hands immediately.  Rob J. Hayes continues to write mind-blowing fantasy that delights with every turn of the page.  If you aren't reading his books, you are missing out on a truly special talent.  I can't ever say enough about how much I enjoy everything he writes.  The book is officially available to purchase on April, 28th, but can be preordered now.   My suggestion would be to pick up book 1, Along the Razor's Edge while you are waiting and start this outstanding series today.

(My Rating: 9.5/10)