The Swithin Chronicles 2: The Comet’s Tail by Sharon Maria Bidwell is the second book in The Swithin Chronicles.

Markis is the Swithin Shavar, King, who has the power of the Comet at his control, but mostly he just tries to maintain control of the Comet. The Shavar may have the power, but he has always been under the control/supervision of the seers who teach the Shavar how to control the comet’s powers until Markis broke from tradition by taking a male lover and choosing his own bride. Now the group is returning to the Swithin home lands. Markis’s bride Tressa is from a culture that is very restrictive of women with many antiquated restrictions- unlike Swithin. Tressa has many things to learn about life and how to live in the Swithin world. Tressa is having a hard time adapting to her new world. Ully, Markis’s lover, is from a group of people that the Swithin conquered and has been living on the streets as a thief. Ully never had a loving relationship or a home life to speak of, and he has to find his way through his past life before he can forge a new life. Add to this Ryanac, Markis’s childhood friend, head Guard, and lover and you have a complicated mix of characters which keep the reader guessing form the start.

Ms. Bidwell has continued her original book with this sequel. The story begins where the other story ends, and while it does a good job continuing their lives it also has a tendency to drag. The character of Tressa appears very different from the first book where she was more of a free spirit and now her true personality emerged. Ully didn’t really enter the story line much in the first few chapters. I was fascinated when Markis asked Ryanac to enter and share a little of his powers of the Comet. The experience of watching Ryanac and Markis share their inner thoughts was intriguing, but at times I got lost in the plotline. Overall, I liked the book, and think it will be interesting to see what life holds in store for them with the arrival in the Swithin world.



Reviewed by: Teresa