"Marinkyst" was one of the first indie books I read, and it remains one of my top reads. I was thrilled at the chance to read early versions of "Scales of Justice" while it was still being written. Even in its rough draft form, it was heading toward a five star rating, and the published version is even better.

This is one of those sequels that surpasses the previous work in almost every dimension, without also diminishing what came before. It expands on the mythology of the various gods in delightfully inventive ways. I still can't get over the imagery behind the Lomprir Tirse. Granted, it's been a while since I read "Marinkyst," but I don't recall there being as many scenes set in the various gods' dreamscapes, nor as many interactions with the gods in general. That was probably my favorite aspect of this book.

The stakes of the plot are higher, and the scale of the story expands to cover the whole kingdom. It's got this feel of an epic quest where characters join as the tale moves forward. You don't HAVE to have read "Marinkyst" to pick up this one (though I encourage you to do so because I'm always a fan of reading series in order).

The author has set up this series brilliantly to be a set of interconnected stand-alone books. Finn was a secondary character in the first book, and is now the main protagonist in this one. Geoff the Lore Keeper was in more of a supporting role in "Marinkyst" but has been promoted to a secondary character here. We also meet brand new characters like Imerna, Viviana, and Heramon, all of whom have big parts to play. Imerna was an absolute blast as the sacred companion of the God of Luck. I won't go into further details now so as not to spoil the surprise.

I don't know where the Voice of the Gods series goes from here, but you can bet I'll be here for it. Personally I would love to see a tale of Geoff and Imerna going off on an adventure somewhere, but I also want to revisit Keirnan and Addy a bit to see how the events of the final scene have impacted them. I also wouldn't mind learning more about the other gods we haven't heard as much about so far.

All in all, this was an immensely entertaining read and you need to add this to your TBR, like… yesterday.