Death Seeker is the sequel to Shepherd of Souls, in which we get to see the conclusion of Ettiene, Zuri, and Ryou's adventures. This book is just as good as the first one in the duology, and deals with heavy issues in a mature, nuanced way. After betraying Ettiene and Zuri, Ryou falls into self-loathing and develops a severe alcohol addiction. This is not skated over, and we see the true struggle he faces. The story is accurate in that people can't just overcome their addictions because they want to. Every day, Ryou promises himself he won't drink, but is unable to resist it. It causes him to act selfishly, but the story doesn't condemn him.

There's a strong restorative justice philosophy in this book, not just with Ryou, but with what Zuri learns on her spiritual journey (pun not intended). The idea that concluding you are an unforgivable, "bad" person is shown as unhelpful, and characters are encouraged to have compassion for themselves and work to make amends rather than just concluding they are terrible and weak.

I really like this aspect of the book; we need more restorative justice ideas in literature, as so often it's portrayed as a very clear split between good and evil. I really loved the development of Ettiene, Zuri, and Ryou's relationship, and the ending is absolutely beautiful.

One thing I really like about LSFables' stories is that, while their endings are usually happy in a sense, they are also realistic. There isn't any happily-ever-after; rather, it's a realistic form of happiness where characters grow and heal together despite having some trauma and loss that can never be fixed.

There were some bonus short stories at the end featuring my old favorites Delythe and Alphonse. I loved getting a peak at their life together; their relationship is so sweet and wholesome and the story of their adopted son is equally so.

This second duology set in the world of Illygad has been just as good as the first, and I urge people to consider reading it.