Disciples of Chaos

Seven Faceless Saints, the first volume of Lobb’s fantasy duology, ended on a somewhat positive note in that the reconciliation between Roz Lacertosa and Damian Venturi had allowed their romance to blossom anew. As well, the need for new leadership in the city state of Ombrazia offered the possibility that the “unfavored”, an underclass consisting of all those who had not been “blessed” by being given the magic associated with one of the saints, might have an opportunity to play a role in the governance of the city.

Though Disciples of Chaos begins by repeating that hope of change, things very quickly go south as the chief magistrate-designate uses an assembly of disciples and the unfavored to arrest the latter and to send any of them suspected of being rebels to fight in the Second War of Saints that is being waged in the north against the land of Brechaat. When friends of Roz and Damian are included amongst those conscripted, essentially a death sentence, the couple determine to journey to the Brechaat front and stage a rescue. However, instead of liberating anyone, Roz and Damian are, themselves, captured, an event which ultimately leads to
Roz’s collaborating with the Brechaatian general to overthrow Ombrazia, a happening that Damian reluctantly supports. The romantic relationship between Roz and Damian experiences extreme stress as Damian not only receives his magic but becomes the incarnation of the banned saint Chaos, and Roz, a disciple of Patience, has to consider the costs of fulfilling her destiny as set out in “Saints and Sacrifice: The Unredacted Publications”.

Because Lobb did the majority of the world-building in the initial volume, she assumes that readers will bring this knowledge to their reading of Disciples of Chaos. Though this second book might possibly be read on its own, much will be lost, especially in terms of the relationships amongst characters, if readers have not first met Seven Faceless Saints. Lobb maintains her engaging structure of having the chapters being told from the perspective of one of the two main characters.

With the majority of the action in this second volume occurring within the time frame of a week, Disciples of Chaos is both fast-moving and highly emotionally charged as the paths of two saints collide.