Review: Disappointing!  A let-down after Book I...2 Stars
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 10 14, 2011
"The Shadow at the Gate" is the second book in the Tormay trilogy by Christopher Bunn. This Kindle book is a 838 Kb download an is priced at $2.99.Many SPOILERS to followThis book continues to follow Jute (and others) as he continues to grow and learn about his new role in life after his ill advised decision  in book I  to look in  the mysterious box.The Pros:1.) the overall premise for the main story was intriguing.2.) some areas that were extremely well written and presented3.) a great map4.) stunning cover artThe Cons:..1.) long drawn-out escapes that bordered on the unbelievable.2.) animals that talk...horses, wolves, squirrels, a hawk and a few others. And these creatures had major roles in many scenes.3.) ghosts...in the latter part of this book our adventurers come across a group of ghosts. These are not sinister, malevolent minded spirits, but instead seem to have been include for comic relief (my first thought was of Casper the friendly Ghost). They get into inane conversations and frequently squabble with one another. In a word...silly. What was the author thinking about...talk about bringing a potentially good fantasy story to a grinding halt.4.) several contrived situations and conversations that seemed out of place and just didn't seem to fit comfortably into the story.5.) a trek in the latter part of the book that seemed lose focus and went on and on.Impressions:Something changed early on in this book and unfortunately it was not for the better.Things that were just barely acceptable within the context of fantasy in book I, seemed to become a major stretch for the believability factor in book II.This book in general, rapidly degenerated into what could best be described as Young Adult fare (as illustrated in my Cons: above)Conclusion:I'd described book I as one one the best fantasy books I had read this year...did book II change that much or was I blinded by what I thought was some decent story telling in the initial book. Whatever the case, this book was a major disappointment.A book that became a chore to finish...I found myself starting to skim areas towards the end...not an encouraging sign for book III.As it is...2 Stars.Ray Nicholson