Razor's Pass

Ascension, Book 2

By: L. Fergus

Narrated by: Mary L Phillips

Every god has a story.

In the daunting peaks of Razor's Mountains, someone has twisted the war cats into hideous meat vegetables, slaughtering and sending them to feed Ravager armies. It's enough to unsettle even Kita's stomach. But she refuses to relent until the war cats and their beautiful and alluring queen, Snowy, are free and have their vengeance.

But is it too late for Kita's Legion?

Kita's army was destroyed at Razor's Pass, and Kita has nowhere left to go but journey into the Unfinished Wastes and learn the horrifying truth. The Ravager armies have overrun the Legion's tubes—but remnants can be saved if Kita can get there in time.

Kita must choose.

Save what's left of her Legion, or stay and protect the woman she loves?

©2019 L. Fergus (P)2023 Chelsea Feeny

The Dark Angel earns her wings

I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request, in exchange for an honest review.

“Razor’s Pass, Ascension Series Book 2” opens with scenes that leave no room for any doubt whatsoever that Kita has a dark side. If you’re the squeamish type, or if you like your heroines who fight evil without, well…evil, then you might seriously want to consider another series. If however, you’re intrigued by the idea of an anti-hero who is both likable and detestable, then I cannot recommend this series highly enough.

In book 2, there’s plenty of action and political intrigue (and yes, some of the action explicitly confirms that Kita is lesbian, and that the war-cat queen Snowy is very interested in Kita!). In between the action, though, much of this book advances the relationships between Kita and her growing team of close friends, especially Snowy, Cowboy and Zidin. Omega, while completely intertwined with Kita, isn’t quite a friend, but is often integral to the survival of Kita and others. Omega is curious about the nature of love, and often acts in ways that will help it/her increase the understanding of emotions.

The narrator, Mary L Phillips, continues to do an amazing job with all of the characters. I should’ve said more in my review of Birthright, because it’s not until the end of book 2 that my favorite of her accents is put back to use: Scottish. Her accent for her mother especially, and for all of her clan is, to my ears, fantastic! She must not be American, because she pronounces omega with the British pronunciation, which sort of drove me a little crazy even though it’s correct! The other accent I found amusing was her voice for Snowy. She sounded Japanese, and I kept picturing images of Japanese manga cats…hardly war-cat-like! It’s a credit to her versatility that she manages to create a wide range of voices, both male and female!

One nitpick with the characters of Kita and Snowy is that they are constantly overly insecure about their relationship, literally running off and slamming doors. Kita just turned 24, and has experienced love and sex before. Snowy is, well…no spoilers, but is considerably older and was married for many years. Yet, they often sound and act like 16yo’s just at the edge of womanhood and newfound emotions.

There are plenty of terrific new and old characters both, and I won’t spoil things for you because some of the surprises are, well….surprising!

5* for Razor’s Pass. I recommend you listen to the audiobook, and I very much look forward to continuing the series!

Highly Enjoyable and Fun

Birthright was the setup, and Razor's Pass took it and ran. All those random bits in Birthright come together to make a fun and exciting story. Kita keeps growing, as she takes on the roles of Rose and Commander, she learns they are more than she was led to believe. Kita adds some new friends. Snowy is a great companion and love interest for Kita. She has a long history that hints at what happened to The Mass. Cowboy proves to be an interesting addition and also has a past.
The narration is excellent with lots of energy and good pacing.

Excellent performance

The narrator really made this story come alive. I especially loved Snowy's and the Arconians' accents, but there were many other characters that were fun to listen to. I enjoyed the relationship between Snowy and Kita. And Kita's characterization in this story was great--fallen angel, protector of the innocent, yet plagued with a bloodthirsty berserking ability that leaves her exhausted and vulnerable.

Interesting story, but could be improved

The title says it all. This is a very interesting story, but there's honestly a number of things that could be improved. Keep reading if you want to see my take of it.


First, describe characters. there were times when a character was named and they were either given a barebone description or none at all. The two named intelligence officers were one such example.

Second, give more description to the scene. There were times when listening that I felt I was just listening to characters talk before the next action occured, or a series of actions with no context to how the character viewed it.

A tale of war, love, and choices!

L. Fergus's "Razor's Pass," skillfully narrated by Mary L. Phillips, cuts through the Razor's Mountains with precision. Fergus's storytelling prowess, coupled with Phillips' captivating narration, creates an immersive experience. A tale of war, love, and choices, this fantasy adventure is a must-listen for those craving a sharp narrative edge.