“Evanswood: Part 2” by Evelyn M. Exley

Evanswood: Part 2

Evelyn M. Exley
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN:  978-1954448018
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (08/2026)

It was pure joy to read and review the first book in this saga, Evanswood: Part 1, by the literary breath of fresh air, Evelyn M. Exley.  So when I was offered the chance to do the same with Evanswood: Part 2, I was thrilled.  At this point, I have two goals:  1) to offer a review worthy of this novel without giving away any spoilers, and 2) to do so without letting my inner fangirl out to gush about this author and her work.  The Vegas odds aren’t good on either one of these…

Picking up with the characters we came to know in the first book, Quenleah, Sentune, Dansalah, Drake, et al., readers will immediately discover that Ms. Exley isn’t going to hold your hand while you get caught up.  I appreciate the trust she has in her readers that we are intelligent enough to remember these characters and what their goals were at the end of the book one.  Exley immediately throws us right back into the fray as a team from Evanswood sets out on a very dangerous journey that will have serious consequences.  A trap is to be set on Tousalah Road to capture a person whose identity has been withheld from Quenleah.  It is said this person has information about an assassination attempt on the King.

Before they left for this mission, the Gift, a form of prescience usually taking the form of visions or intense dreams that Quenleah has relied on all of her life, remained woefully silent.  This gives her a sense of being at loose ends; at odds with nearly everyone.  She’s sure that very important secrets are being kept from her, and she doesn’t like it.

He guarded his secrets well, just as Dansala did, just as Sentune did, just as my father had.  The world of men was full of closely kept secrets.

She’s right.  Life-altering secrets have been kept from her, and as the truth starts coming out, she finds herself having to make decisions that have no good outcome.  Whatever she chooses, she knows that her freedom and her life are in serious jeopardy.  But trust, loyalty, friendship, and even the Code of Evanswood have been broken, and there is no going back.

Do men give trust and respect?  I’m not sure I’m convinced of this.  All my life I have been treated with this coldness, used for my abilities and asked to quietly serve my purpose.

As secrets fall like hail in a spring storm, wreaking havoc in their wake, trust and friendship become the initial casualties.  Quenleah’s freedom follows:  a position she never intended to be in again.  But as it turns out, there’s so much she didn’t know.

These characters created for Evanswood become even more compelling in Part 2.  We learn more about Dansalah, the infamous Black Pirate who created Evanswood and allowed Quenleah and Sentune to attempt the trials to become part of his crew.  He remains a bit of an enigma, but we’re getting glimpses into what made him the man he is, and how he was betrayed by his best friend and brother-in-law.  Drake, the incredibly strong, fiercely loyal right-hand of Dansalah, has seemed a fairly straightforward character.  Until now, when those secrets start raining down, and we begin to see signs of his complexity.  He’s warm and friendly one day, then cold and unreadable the next.  Even Sentune, Quenleah’s closest friend since childhood and the very reason she decided to run to Evanswood, has become sullen and rarely communicative.  None of this bodes well for Quen.

These men were indeed made of calloused leather and sharpened iron.

Quenleah showed us in the first book that she is strong, independent, loyal, a fierce fighter, and stubborn enough to never back down, even to the point of death.  She shows us even more now as we learn how resilient, quick-witted, and capable she is at creating battle plans or negotiating truces.  She is formidable.  She’s also an excellent role model for young women.  Her male counterparts offer excellent balance for her nature, being equally powerful and intelligent.

Exley’s writing remains finely honed, easily read, and delivers full sensory input.  She doesn’t write paragraphs of flowery prose to describe a scene to her readers.  Rather, she allows the scene to unfold organically in such a way that readers feel every sense of the place:  colors, textures, sounds, and smells are all implanted into our vision of the land of Pithany.  Whether we’re in Evanswood or the dire prison of the Royal City, we get full sensory input without pages of exposition and with no slowing of pace.  It’s a rare talent, and it creates a text that flows freely, beautifully.

As in the first Evanswood novel, themes of freedom, liberty, and justice run throughout the storyline.  But perhaps the most important premises found in this second novel are redemption and forgiveness.  Neither is going to be an easy task for many of our favorite characters.

If you are new to Evanswood, I recommend starting with the first novel.  This background will be essential to what happens in Evanswood: Part 2.  I am happy (and a bit surprised) to report that I found this second volume even more compelling than the first. Who would have expected an even greater intensity and danger than the first volume?

So am I just overstating the qualities of this novel and this author because I’ve become a fan?  I indeed became a fan with the first book, but after reading the ending of Evanswood: Part 2, I found myself very satisfied with the outcome, but not at all interested in letting these characters go.  I sincerely hope there will be more trips to Evanswood because Quenleah, Dansalah, Drake, Sentune, and even Lord Paladin have found a place in my heart.  I’m not willing to say goodbye.  Write quickly, Evelyn Exley.