Rating: 9.75/10 Stars
Loved by Tolkien fans, innkeepers named Lutgerd, role players, half-ogres, and drunkard thieves who can't keep their tiny paws to themselves.
Set in the fantasy kingdom of Kjeldale, this tale features a world inspired by Norse mythology, rich with bittersweet nuances and dry wit.
What happens to the legendary adventurers at the end?
Did Njörn die? Who’s the traitor? Will they get out of the mountains? What are the orcs really up to? Will the world end in Ragnarök? And most importantly...will Dianne get to taste frothy ale? Find all the answers to your questions inside.
Harbingers of Twilight is the second book in the Tales of Kjeldale series, picking up immediately after the events in A Company of Adventurers, a book in which the aforementioned adventurers were searching for a lost group of adventurers, not realizing they were walking into a trap that could possibly lead to Ragnarök. Book two picks up that tale as the adventurers, now reunited, have to escape the army of orcs they discovered, all while trapped inside a mountain surrounded by an evil God's magic. Super easy, barely and inconvenience you say? Well, there may be a bit more going on, like two evil gods working on murdering the gods Odin and Frigda, and trying to end humanity, but they won't be doing it unopposed. With the remnants of the original adventurers, there is a new group of outside adventurers with their own quests to help stop the orcs and their evil God's ascension and help keep the other Gods of the world alive as well. It all comes rushing to a head as the various survivors meet in a climactic battle, with the fate of the world at stake.
The world building is similar to the first book, in that it doesn't spend a lot of time lavishing detail about every little room or piece of furniture, instead focusing more on the general feel of the cities, although the smaller towns, taverns and the mountain and surrounding woods get a lot more description. This makes sense, since it's just a typical medieval type of city seen in any number of fantasy and historical shows and movies, and plays a really small part in the plot. Most of the action is in the woods around the mountain and in the mountain itself, with a flow of evil magic adding a level of menace to every step. It is a fleshed-out world though, and you will find yourself immersed in it throughout.
The characters are where this story really shines. It uses a variety of POV characters, and each of them has an important part to play. Lia as a POV character is carried over from the first book, a retired ranger who just wants to find her lost husband Talen and return to their son. She is the kind of person who will move heaven and earth for her family, and in this case, it may even be literal. Dianne is another POV character, a "legendary" thief stuck in the mountain, jonesing for a frothy ale, or anything alcoholic, in way over her head with stakes this large. That being said, she can rise to the occasion when called upon, that pesky conscience of hers leading her to more heroics than she'd ever want.
Shazor the Bright, a fire mage, is introduced in this book, and his determination to be the best adventurer serves him well as he puts together a team of adventurers to help stop Ragnarök and possibly save the kingdom of Kjeldale as well. He is arrogant and brash, but it's not an undeserved arrogance, since he is almost as good as he thinks he is. He and a cast of secondary characters really add to the story as a whole, and you find yourself rooting for them, even though all hope seems lost at times.
The villain of this story is excellent as well. The orc High Death Shaman Zaa'Crillow is such a great villain. Rising to power through willpower and faith in his evil god Vanargand, wolf god of the orcs, he is trying to also free the evil god Sevgoz to try and bring about the end of the humans, who pushed the orcs off their hunting grounds centuries ago, and who remain their main enemy. He is a brilliant strategist, and his planning is diabolical and meticulous, and you are in real doubt until the very end about whether the adventurers and even the gods can stop his plan from finding fruition. He is a true representative of the strong and cunning wolf God, and he is an excellent foil for the heroes.
Final Thoughts
This story is definitely a page turner. With it's mix of fast paced plot, excellent characters and world building, and the end of the world stakes, it's easy to get invested. It also brings this story arc to a close but leaves the door open for more potential stories down the road, which is a good thing, since I personally would love to see these characters in more adventures. This book is easily as good as the first, and I give this series my highest recommendation.
No comments:
Post a Comment