Review: A solid sequel to the first story in the series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 25, 2011
A sequel to "The Quest for Nobility," this book takes places several months after the first book ends. As with the first book, the connections between Earth and Otharia are fascinating and make for a good backdrop to the tale. There is quite a number of characters to keep up with in this novel, but the majority of the main characters are developed well enough to help the reader keep track of what is going on. I genuinely liked the characters I was supposed to like, and was intrigued by the ones that were vile. Although I would recommend reading these stories in order, this book could really stand alone as well, as enough information is shared about the characters to allow a new reader to keep up.The plot has four main storylines that initially seem somewhat separate, but are actually interwoven. They are tied together in the end, and an epilogue leaves the story wide open for another follow-up book. The continuity of the various threads was solid, and the overall pacing of each thread worked well. One thing I would have preferred, however, would have been to have the various storylines more evenly spaced in the story. We stayed in one storyline for many chapters, until I had all but forgotten what was happening on Earth. Then we stayed on Earth for a while and my memory of what had happened on Otharia faded. Coming back to each of the threads at slightly shorter, more regular intervals would have made it easier for me to better keep up with everything that was going on.Overall, another engaging fantasy novel that provides a great bridge between the first novel, and the novel to come. Entertaining throughout, this is a good fantasy read that bridges the world of Otharia with that of Earth. I really wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next.Full review @ MotherLode blog [...]