If you liked the first book in the series then you will most likely enjoy this second book. If you felt it was so-so then perhaps you might want to s..Show More »kip this series and move to something else; I found it took some determination to get through parts of this book.

One of my pet peeves in any story is repetion of descriptive words, especially when there is a large supply of other words or phrases that could be used. In the first book it seemed every arrow fired and swipe of a sword resulted in "cloven air" or "this cum that" (bookstore cum coffee shop etc.) to explain dual purpose places or things. Thankfully he used a few different ways to describe things here and there.

A great deal of story time has passed between the first book and this one and I wondered if I had picked the third book and not the second, but this is indeed the second. The gap made me wonder what had happened in the story years between. It is as if this book is just a highlight worth noting in the lives of the characters. It isn't a bad thing because listening to day to day and uneventful routines would be quite dull.

At a few points in the story it was hard to determine where or when events were taking place; there was a lengthy flashback (yes flashbacks can be tricky I know) that left me wondering what I had missed is just one example.

The narrator is apparently quite accomplished and that fact leaves me wondering why he tends to repeatedly mispronounce words or if the author has spelled the words this way in the text (teeth bared in great effort pronounced as barred). Either way it the same as fingernails on a chalkbaord. Nobody is perfect of course, that aside, he does a good job with character accents and sound effects (woosh, screech, and so on).

The story is interesting enough to keep me listening, at least through the next book.

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The war promised in the previous book does come to pass. Familiar faces return and a few lesser known characters are explored in more detail. Story is..Show More » split between 4-5 major factions as the action becomes more diverse.

This book seems more "comfortable" with itself and hits the mark promised by the basic premise of the series. Descriptions become a little less repetitive and some characters get a lot more interesting.

Narration is good and addresses some of the more common complaints about pronunciation found in previous books. Could stand to have a slightly longer moment of silence when a scene ends dramatically and before the next scene begins some time later.

Worthwhile reading.

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The story: the story is good, very good. I like post apocalyptic style novels. This one is one with a twist. One I haven't seen before, but that ad..Show More »ds a lovely flavor to the novel.
The writing: The writing is good and gives each character and alliance great depth and a substantial feel
The narrator: The narator does a good job of representing the characters. At times I wonder if he is mispronouning a word due to the characters or just in general. It doesnt subtract from the story and happens only about three times in the book. I have a feeling its because of the nationality of the narrator possibly.
Overall: I read alot, and when I can't read I listen. I listen to audiobooks, especially, when I run. This book held my interest well enough that an hour on the treadmill went by without my looking at the timer.
Members of the society of creative anachronism and readers of Tolkien will feel justified reading this book.

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I just finished listening to this book today. For the past month or so I have been listening to the series and, as usual, was disappointed to reach th..Show More »e end. The characters are easy to like or hate. There is plenty of action in all the books and this is no exception. I recommend that you not read the books out of sequence.
I don't want to write more because I might give hints about the plot and how it develops. So I will end by saying If you enjoy RR Martin's and Robert Jordan's books you cannot go wrong with this series.


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Mr. Sterling's mind continues to run in Turbo Mode. In this volume, some issues are resolved only to be replaced by deeper mysteries. A number of new ..Show More »characters are introduced, some good, some bad, most interesting. Rudy continues to learn and move toward becoming the larger than life hero he must. In the end, we must await another book.

The only criticism I have is the inordinate amount of time taken to describe the many feasts that Rudy and his compatriots must endure on their travels. I can only suspect that Mr. Sterling must write on an empty stomach. I nearly went so far as to give the book only 4 stars for this reason but it is just to darn good everywhere else.

I strongly suggest that if you have not read the previous books in this series that you start with the first and work your way to the last. Otherwise much of the context will be confusing. Fortunately all the previous books are also very good.

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There is a definite problem with the recording in Part 2 at the point when the group returns home. There is a need to correct this and offer a replace..Show More »ment recording to purchasers.
I am less and less satisfied with the series as it moves from a gripping story of diverse and well drawn characters coping with a world that has suddenly changed into a ho hum oft told tale of a quest for the magic thingie that will defeat the evil ... so on and so forth, etc.
This particular episode reads as if the author decided he needed to get the main character home ASAP and finally married to his soulmate. Disappointing

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Didja ever wonder what was going on in Montival while Rudy and the gang were on the sword quest? Me neither. (12 hours of that) . Dies the Fire was ..Show More »a really fun thought experiment. Hard Sci-fi and swashbucker and whatwouldUdo post-apocalypse thought experiment. I even enjoy trying to use my undergraduate physics (quantum mechanics and Boyles Law) to explain the "change" Macguffin to my friends. The 2-followups set the hook ...or maybe I actually just skimmed the food porn in the first four books (advantage to print). Anyway, I'm still enjoying the ride. But the ride IS getting slower. Makes me wonder why he's spends time recapping the origin stories (like sequels usually do) because anyone still here at book EIGHT was surely here from the beginning. Worth a credit for emberverse fans. If you're new, head for book one then decide.

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