Review: The second installment is as good as the first
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2011
After defeating two impressively potent foes, Vinyanel Ecleriast is given a promotion that leapfrogs to a much higher level than even he expects, and the extra attention doesn't sit well with him.  An assassin's attempt on his life puts him back into familiar ground and starts him on a quest to retrieve missing talismans that compromise the safety of the Elven homeland.Windrider Part II: A Greater Strength continues the adventures of a Vinyanel, his dragon, and his mentor.  They're joined by a former superior officer who doesn't much like Vinyanel, the assassin who tried to kill him twice, and a young officer who's as well educated as he is skilled with blades.Unlike many sequels and Part IIs, A Greater Strength is not simply a rehash of old story elements from the first round.  The fast-paced plot holds interest well, and the episodic, serial-type chapters end with tense cliff-hangers.  The well-written climactic duel holds some surprises for the reader.The characters have depth and complexity.  They have strengths and weaknesses.  They make mistakes and they learn.Settings are more varied than in Part I as Vinyanel's squad travels the land in search of the talismans.  In his travels, Vinyanel encounters a wild array of different kinds of creatures, sentient and otherwise.The wide-ranging travel doesn't bog the story down, and not all problems are solved with the application of sharpened metal. Vinyanel doesn't always have the answer to the problem but learns to trust the others in his group and keep his faith squarely on his Creator.Windrider Part II: A Greater Strength is a fascinating story full of betrayals, unexpected alliances, double-crosses, and redemption.  I wonder, will there be a Part III?