We celebrated today, but what about tomorrow? Tomorrow, I saw war. I saw blood spilled before palace walls. —Tol
Kathrine Briggs concludes The Threshold Duology with The Immortal Abyss, my favorite kind of fantasy—the kind that’s full of meaning, adventure, otherworldly creatures, interesting characters, and magic.
To learn about the first book in the duology, read my Goodreads review of The Eternity Gate.
Unfolding the Story
Tol, a nobody in the rebellion, travels to the capital city to deliver a crucial message. When her life and the lives of others fall into peril, she must contend with:
- Monstrous shadow creatures
- A terrible drought
- Her own powerful and fatally flawed magic
- Disparate factions
- Betrayal
- Dragons
An ancient prophecy also whirls around her like a curse. It made sense to her once, but the more she learns of it, the less clear it becomes. The fate of the world hangs in balance, and there may be no good ending for her.
A starpalm will walk the desert in human form —The Ancient Prophecy
Examining the Themes
Briggs writes from a Christian worldview, which shines through character actions, events, and conversations.
The truth is a mist in the back of your mind. How can you know it when you’ve been steeped in lies your entire life? —Xanala
One of the characters serves as a Christ figure in the story. Yet this character also has weaknesses and flaws and struggles with sin. So, this person serves more as a type of Christ, similar to what we see in Joseph or King David, than as an incarnate Christ figure, as seen in a character like Aslan.
The themes explored in The Immortal Abyss include:
- Trust and mistrust
- Redemption and restoration
- Sacrifice for others
- The importance of perseverance
- Overcoming personal weakness
- Dependence on God
Briggs delivers these meaningful themes with a delicate touch. She doesn’t pull punches when making them clear, but doesn’t force them either. They come through the story naturally. No talking at the reader. No characters saying or doing things just to make a point. No preachiness.
Reflections
Having Forgotten Much
I read the first book, The Eternity Gate, more than a year before reading this one. I was concerned that the details I’d forgotten would have been critical to understanding book two. But The Immortal Abyss focuses on other characters in another part of the world. It felt like I was starting from the beginning of the story.
However, if you’re looking forward to seeing your favorite characters from book one, they do appear, just not right away. There were some details I was glad I remembered from The Eternity Gate, but the story wouldn’t have suffered much if I’d completely forgotten them.
So, I wouldn’t say you have to read the first book to enjoy the second, but it’s definitely better if you do.
Characters
In The Immortal Abyss, everybody has a secret, which makes for good relational tension. And it seems the characters always have something new to unveil.
I don’t want you to go near the Abyss. The atmosphere surrounding it is deadly. —Roji
Occasionally, the characters acted in ways I found frustrating. Surely, they should’ve done X in that situation. Nevertheless, the rest of the story and writing carried me through these troublesome spots.
The character secrets sprinkle little twists throughout the book, which keeps things interesting. And about halfway through the book, Briggs drops a bombshell of a plot twist. Not only would I never have predicted it, but it ratcheted the story way up for the rest of the book. Fantastic.
Mid-Level Epic
I liked the level of epic Briggs put into this epic fantasy. There are multiple factions, but not numerous factions. There are several important characters, but not so many you lose track of them. The plot is complex enough to be interesting, but not to the point you get confused.
Only the blood of the guilty will satisfy the Abyss. —Tol
Will You Like It?
This book is for you if you:
- Enjoy fantasy with adventure and mid-level epic scope.
- Like characters with secrets.
- Are looking for Christian themes.
- Read The Eternity Gate and want more.
If that sounds good to you, check out The Immortal Abyss →
It’s best to read the first book first, so if you haven’t yet, check out The Eternity Gate →