This is the second instalment in Steve D Wall’s flintlock fantasy The Bards & Dragons Saga, and I again listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by the fantastic Steven Pacey. The Sound of Change clocks in at a whopping 23 hours 34 minutes. Bearing in mind the first book only ran to 14 hours 18 minutes, this is getting on for twice as long. Whilst that’s great value for a single Audible credit, this did put me off somewhat. My conclusion, having now finished listening, is despite its length this book really is worth that investment of your time.

Wall’s approach to the sequel is interesting, as he leaves the cliffhanger that concluded the first book dangling a bit longer. Instead, Wall focusses on the ageing businessman and former spy, Lyrrun, who was left behind by the other main characters back in Quinport. Although this approach surprised me, Lyrrun has some great scenes throughout this book. I really enjoyed the intrigue and political battles of the rival Quinport chancellors and how Lyrrun is drawn back into his former career of espionage against his will. Lyrrun’s age and the fact physical exertion takes its toll during his adventures often adds to the tension. I always enjoy reading about a character who must solve the challenges they face with their wits, rather than physical strength or fighting skill. As a result, somewhat against my initial expectations, Lyrrun’s chapters soon became my favourite parts of this story.

In contrast to Lyrrun’s bon viveur, the cursed bard Dellioph is such a sad character, with no true friends. The chapter ‘Meditation’ is the first time Wall really lets us inside his mind, without all the usual misdirection and half-truths Dellioph throws out to avoid people getting too close. His story arc throughout The Sound of Change is both fascinating and wonderfully unpredictable and another highlight of this novel.

The book gradually builds towards an inevitable confrontation with the evil sorcerer Malviaur. Having suffered terribly at his hands, Teo tribeswoman Gali is a carefully drawn study of the impact of grief and loss, and the difficulty of trying to find your purpose once more in such circumstances.

Ulrich and his steadfastly loyal friends Andrastos and Talluah also wrestle with some tough choices. All they want is a fresh start, only to find Ulrich’s reputation as the famed ‘Eternal Colonel’ casts a long shadow, and his history, both illustrious and notorious, soon catches up with all of them.

I liked how this is a book for grown-ups. Magic might exist but Wall makes sure there are no easy fixes. Magic is more like an addiction in this world, and wielding it comes at a real cost. If people get injured they don’t heal up overnight, carrying those physical limitations for the rest of the book in many cases. The language barrier is also realistic and presents another challenge to be overcome, in a situation where so many disparate people must work together if they are to survive.

The length of The Sound of Change offers Wall the opportunity to really delve deeply into his characters and enable us to get to know them. Similarly, it means we can explore the rich world he has created, packed with history, myth, religion and a clever magic system. It does feel like the plot takes a while to really get going in the first quarter, when I wasn’t entirely sure what the book was about. In particular, whilst the antagonist Malvaiur is always running around causing havoc, it’s not entirely clear why. Clearly he is set on growing in power and achieving world domination, but Wall’s deliberate choice to keep him as a remote figure (even when he speaks we can’t understand him due to the language barrier) means his motivations and true character remain something of an enigma, which is in turns both fascinating and frustrating.

If the first quarter is a bit of a slow burn, the action in the final quarter is done really well. If I had doubts after The Way of Renegades that Wall knew how to write a dramatic climax, he completely dispelled that in The Sound of Change. There are plenty of surprises and a few gut punches too before the story is done.

Overall, The Sound of Change builds on everything which made The Way of Renegades such a good book. I eagerly looked forward to each chapter and to losing myself in this wonderful fantasy world, which has been built with such care and skill. Whilst not without its flaws, it felt like this book transcended them and by the end I was fully invested and wanted more. In particular, the ending took us in a direction I wasn’t expecting and I have no idea what will happen in the third book (although I have many theories). More importantly, I have absolutely no doubt I will be spending an Audible credit to find out.

A great sequel. Bravo!