Review : The Lessons Never Learned by Rob J. Hayes

“𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀, 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀.”

• Release : April 28th 2020
• Publishing house : Independant
• Series : The War Eternal
• Pages : 528
• Illustrator : Felix Ortiz

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Spoilers ahead

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Eskara is free of the Pit, but far from safe. She is beset by the ghosts of those she has killed, and plagued by the ancient horror that possesses her. Enemies dog her heels, determined to see the last Orran Sourcerer dead. Worse still, there is new player in the game, one far more dangerous than anything she has faced before.

But there is one place that might offer her both the safety she needs to survive, and the power she needs to strike back; Ro’shan, the flying home of a God.

Eska will soon learn that all power comes with a cost, and some prices are too high.

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Characters :

Eskara : She is both an infuriating and endearing character. Infuriating because of her habit to fly off the handle at the slightest thing where a lot of situations could have been settled without the need to fight or to throw insults at each other. And endearing because of all the things she has had to go through during her life, both at the academy, in the Pit and in the world.

Like in Along the Razor’s Edge, the book is 95% told by Eskara (the young and older versions of her). Hayes has also added an interesting point of view : Josef’s. Eskara’s evolution in this book is phenomenal. Where most of the story happened in the Pit, she had no place for feelings and the likes whereas in The Lessons Never Learned, she’s all about feelings. All along the book, we see her opening up, making new friends, trying to get her life together, falling in love (I feel like it was more of an infatuation with Isen), discovering maternal love and so on.

I have loved her old version, the one who reflects on her past life with observations full of wisdom and bitterness.

As for the secondary characters, we have those who have been with Eska for some time then those we are introduced to all along the novel. I’ve really loved the way they’ve grown and developed since the first book. As for the others, I am curious as to how Hayes will develop them. I loved Tamura

Story :

The book picks up just after their escape of the Pit. But things aren’t easy neither outside. People are after them and they intend to kill her. Taking refuge on Ro’shan, the flying city which goes round the world, she meets a lot of new people including one of the most powerful characters in this world. Then after it’s only twists and turns, action, betrayal and emotions. Best be prepared !

“The world is founded on lie, upon lie, upon lie. But the truth is always there, just waiting for an opportunity to tear down everything we have built.”

The world-building is splendid here. We are introduced to a lot of new things : from new species, to new characters or even new magic. I have loved his ability to create a comprehensive world with a lot of depth. We get to know more about the history of the world, about the conflict between the Djinn and the Rand, about the Other World and the War Eternal.

Despite some editing mistakes and some repetitions, The Lessons Never Learned is a great sequel. A lot of things happen, and the way the story evolves makes me excited as to the last book, From Cold Ashes Risen. It has tons of action, tearful moments and incredible revelations.