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The Elder Scrolls #2
Lord of Souls
Forty years after the Oblivion crisis, the empire of Tamriel is threatened by a mysterious floating city, Umbriel, whose shadow spawns a terrifying undead army. Reeling from a devastating discovery, Prince Attrebus continues on his seemingly doomed quest to obtain a magic sword that holds the key to destroying the deadly invaders. Meanwhile, in the Imperial City, the spy Colin finds evidence of betrayal at the heart of the empire--if his own heart doesn't betray him first. And Annaïg, trapped in Umbriel itself, has become a slave to its dark lord and his insatiable hunger for souls. How can these three unlikely heroes save Tamriel when they cannot even save themselves?
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2011
155 people are currently reading
3460 people want to read
About the author
Greg Keyes
84 books653 followersGregory Keyes is a writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and "Greg Keyes".
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
October 17, 2011
"Stop right there, hack author scum! You've taken a rich fantasy world and boiled it down to tasteless mush! Now pay the court a fine or it's off to jail!"
I wanted to like these books and despite getting the feeling of the Elder Scrolls universe very wrong found the previous book in the series The Infernal City to be tolerable. Lord of Souls, along with each of it's characters story lines completely falls apart by the end.
If you want to read something amazing and Elder Scrolls related, an ingenious fan took all of the books from Oblivion, printed them and had it bound in leather. He also made the complete text available in eBook format: here. Enjoy.
I wanted to like these books and despite getting the feeling of the Elder Scrolls universe very wrong found the previous book in the series The Infernal City to be tolerable. Lord of Souls, along with each of it's characters story lines completely falls apart by the end.
If you want to read something amazing and Elder Scrolls related, an ingenious fan took all of the books from Oblivion, printed them and had it bound in leather. He also made the complete text available in eBook format: here. Enjoy.
May 5, 2012
Perhaps I have shocked people a little, being one of the very few who have given this book five stars. You would have thought reading English Literature at university had really refined my criticism skills when reading books but this is not so - case in point, Lord of Souls.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It gave me shivers of delight when I recognised mentions of things I recognise, whilst at the same time providing die-hard fans who think they know everything about this world they're immersed in with something they didn't know. The book certainly added depth to the the Elder Scrolls world.
When reading The Infernal City, I was at first a little perplexed at the whole Elder Scrolls world being condensed into 300 or so pages. I was reading it as somebody who loves fantasy - and I kept on thinking about how non-fans would approach the book. There was so much going on, and sometimes I felt it was too much.
What a difference Lord of Souls made! Far superior to its predecessor, Lord of Souls could be read as a stand-alone alone novel - especially useful because I had completely forgotten what had happened in the first book. It was really exciting. I was soon absolutely absorbed back into Tamriel and the characters. I found, however, I wanted a map of the world by me at all times so I could trace the journeys of the different characters - perhaps there were too many. It all got sorted out eventually, though. I thought the ending came too abruptly.
Out of Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim (the first of which I've played more than anything else, and for longer) the novels remind me of Morrowind the most, with very strange occurrences - but in some ways also of Oblivion: Shivering Isles.I can't say it reminds me too much of Skyrim, though - I've barely played it.
You really need to be a true fan to appreciate this book. You also really need to forget about the (possibly) poor writing and confusing plots all mixed up. You need to imagine the characters as if you are playing them - using the voices in the games, imagine what they would wear, and try to immerse yourself in these books as you would in one of the games.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It gave me shivers of delight when I recognised mentions of things I recognise, whilst at the same time providing die-hard fans who think they know everything about this world they're immersed in with something they didn't know. The book certainly added depth to the the Elder Scrolls world.
When reading The Infernal City, I was at first a little perplexed at the whole Elder Scrolls world being condensed into 300 or so pages. I was reading it as somebody who loves fantasy - and I kept on thinking about how non-fans would approach the book. There was so much going on, and sometimes I felt it was too much.
What a difference Lord of Souls made! Far superior to its predecessor, Lord of Souls could be read as a stand-alone alone novel - especially useful because I had completely forgotten what had happened in the first book. It was really exciting. I was soon absolutely absorbed back into Tamriel and the characters. I found, however, I wanted a map of the world by me at all times so I could trace the journeys of the different characters - perhaps there were too many. It all got sorted out eventually, though. I thought the ending came too abruptly.
Out of Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim (the first of which I've played more than anything else, and for longer) the novels remind me of Morrowind the most, with very strange occurrences - but in some ways also of Oblivion: Shivering Isles.I can't say it reminds me too much of Skyrim, though - I've barely played it.
You really need to be a true fan to appreciate this book. You also really need to forget about the (possibly) poor writing and confusing plots all mixed up. You need to imagine the characters as if you are playing them - using the voices in the games, imagine what they would wear, and try to immerse yourself in these books as you would in one of the games.
January 6, 2019
2.5. No mucho mejor que su predecesor. Considero que esta segunda parte no es otro libro, es literal la segunda mitad de la primera novela y eso les juega en contra. La narración es mala, los diálogos causan gracia, y el world-building, al suponer que venimos de jugar los juegos, deja mucho que desear. Sin embargo todo lo concerniente a Umbriel es interesante y está bien armado. Me pregunto cuánto de ello fue invención del autor o le bajaron línea desde arriba. Como sea, sirve para pasar el rato.
August 4, 2016
3+ / 5
Lord of Souls is the second novel in the Elder Scrolls series and constitutes the final part of the duet that started with The Infernal City. As a whole this book is more interesting, better paced and generally an improvement compared to the first book, if only marginally.
The big improvement here is the story and the pace. While the first book felt aimless, finally in this one there's some cohesive direction that the reader can follow. There's an actual story with high stakes, which I actually cared about and wanted to learn how it ends. That was sorely missing in The Infernal City. The book was also better structured with a more enjoyable pace.
Unfortunately though, the improvements kind of stop there. The characters remain very two-dimensional, cliched, indifferent and ultimately complete unrealistic; Dialogue sadly even more so. Some new characters are introduced, even a new POV, that create more question marks and feel totally redundant and needless.
After reading his two Elder Scrolls books, back to back, I would conclude that Greg Keyes is at best an average, if not mediocre writer but luckily for him I will throw the blame towards another scapegoat: the lack of a competent editor for both of those books! I mentioned it in my previous review and I will repeat it again, this story would be much better and captivating if it had gone through some serious editing. As it is, the low quality of editing is apparent in so many ways it's embarrassing. Typos and grammatical mistakes ("your" vs "you're" omg!), unintroduced characters, unresolved or messed-up plot elements, badly written dialogue that sometimes makes no sense or is completely unnecessary are just some of those.
Don't get me wrong, this novel is not bad; it's actually better than the first and for those who read the first and enjoyed it even a little then this one gets a sure recommendation from me. But it could have been something greater, if only...
3+ / 5
Lord of Souls is the second novel in the Elder Scrolls series and constitutes the final part of the duet that started with The Infernal City. As a whole this book is more interesting, better paced and generally an improvement compared to the first book, if only marginally.
The big improvement here is the story and the pace. While the first book felt aimless, finally in this one there's some cohesive direction that the reader can follow. There's an actual story with high stakes, which I actually cared about and wanted to learn how it ends. That was sorely missing in The Infernal City. The book was also better structured with a more enjoyable pace.
Unfortunately though, the improvements kind of stop there. The characters remain very two-dimensional, cliched, indifferent and ultimately complete unrealistic; Dialogue sadly even more so. Some new characters are introduced, even a new POV, that create more question marks and feel totally redundant and needless.
After reading his two Elder Scrolls books, back to back, I would conclude that Greg Keyes is at best an average, if not mediocre writer but luckily for him I will throw the blame towards another scapegoat: the lack of a competent editor for both of those books! I mentioned it in my previous review and I will repeat it again, this story would be much better and captivating if it had gone through some serious editing. As it is, the low quality of editing is apparent in so many ways it's embarrassing. Typos and grammatical mistakes ("your" vs "you're" omg!), unintroduced characters, unresolved or messed-up plot elements, badly written dialogue that sometimes makes no sense or is completely unnecessary are just some of those.
Don't get me wrong, this novel is not bad; it's actually better than the first and for those who read the first and enjoyed it even a little then this one gets a sure recommendation from me. But it could have been something greater, if only...
3+ / 5
August 1, 2023
Either the style got better or I got used to it. I enjoyed this second part more than the first, even though it is still rather basic in storytelling and character design.
January 24, 2016
While I will comment that the overall story to this is conceptually interesting but has nothing in relation to the TES games other than the occasional name-drop, I can separate my level of enjoyment purely through the different chapters and the perspectives they follow in each.
The highlighted main character of this story, Annaïg, has an ok story arc, though its irrelevance to anything that's ever been seen in the TES universe before makes it really difficult to get invested in it because a lot of the things that surround her sound like things that could exist in any universe (as well as the fact that there is a lot of descriptions of cooking which seem to take away from the overall excitement and thrill of the action and suspense of being an intruder in plain sight). What made these chapters so difficult to get invested in is the fact that she's such a boring character. I can detect a developmental arc of her going from "innocent child of Black Marsh" to "ruthless, back-stabbing chef", but the lack of emotional involvement in her reflections and retrospections make these chapters feel really dry, and act as an obstacle to overcome before I get to the good chapters. At least these chapters sometimes contained the salvation of going to Mere-Glim's perspective, whose deep thought and spiritual connection with his culture gives him a lot of depth when exploring a world that has similar traits his own destroyed home; his motivations build gradually, and the writing provides a lot of clarity as to what moves him and how it effects him.
Unfortunately, this cannot be said for any chapter interactions with Colin. I still can't fathom as to why Colin was even involved with the story as much as he was, because he achieves literally nothing except acts as a lockpicker to break the best characters in this book out of jail. The ending with Arese/Letine (I really don't know if this is her whole name or whether they just couldn't decide on a name, because it kept switching between these two names interchangeably without once referring to them together) is really convoluted and renders all the filler text that make up about a third of this book previous to this chapter completely pointless. I don't even remember what he did in the first book to make him important enough to appear in this one, and I'm not driven to find out.
With all the negativity out of the way though, the newest additions of perspective to the book, Mazgar and Brennus, supply a down-to-earth perspective of what civilians and soldiers would probably be feeling in response to this continental crisis that is killing thousands of people. Their realistic level of conversational banter is unique enough to remain entertaining but not contextually lacking, and, despite their sparse amount of chapters, the build-up in their relationship from mage and guardswoman to friends is really sweet. While I don't like what happened in the ending for them, I think it's a great stroke of bittersweetness that sums up the whole story in one small chapter, which I reckon is why Keyes made the book (excluding the semi-pointless epilogue with ham-fisted attempt at a love-at-first-sight plot).
Now, for the real treasures of this book, Sul and Attrebus. I adored these two in the first book, so perhaps I am biased because the sentiment is continued over, but I fully believe that the relationship between these two is truly realistic and touching to follow, as well as the fact that their pursuits never let them exhaust the world's potential for adventure and action. Attrebus was sort of useless in the first book, but watching him flourish into someone that is emotionally capable to handle himself and his responsibilities is enthralling, and really made me grow fond of him as I read through their chapters. The die-hard commitment to revenge that Sul has is handled really well, since his coolness and terse attitude give very little away, except in little glimmers. And the ending! Oh, gods preserve me, the ending! I'd recommend these books solely on following this beautiful story of two friends (though, you do need to read at least Annaïg's and Glim's chapters to understand the ending as well, unfortunately).
So, overall, as aforementioned, I definitely recommend this book, but only for the chapters where it shined (AKA Sul and Attrebus, Mazgar and Brennus). Getting through the other chapters was a genuine plight of anguish, especially in Part One where there is a seemingly endless repeating chapter pattern of Annaïg, Colin, Annaïg, Colin, Annaïg, Colin, etcetera. Still, I never turn down an exploration into TES lore, so anyone interested in that should definitely read these, as well as anyone who is looking for the bros-for-life plotline of a lifetime.
The highlighted main character of this story, Annaïg, has an ok story arc, though its irrelevance to anything that's ever been seen in the TES universe before makes it really difficult to get invested in it because a lot of the things that surround her sound like things that could exist in any universe (as well as the fact that there is a lot of descriptions of cooking which seem to take away from the overall excitement and thrill of the action and suspense of being an intruder in plain sight). What made these chapters so difficult to get invested in is the fact that she's such a boring character. I can detect a developmental arc of her going from "innocent child of Black Marsh" to "ruthless, back-stabbing chef", but the lack of emotional involvement in her reflections and retrospections make these chapters feel really dry, and act as an obstacle to overcome before I get to the good chapters. At least these chapters sometimes contained the salvation of going to Mere-Glim's perspective, whose deep thought and spiritual connection with his culture gives him a lot of depth when exploring a world that has similar traits his own destroyed home; his motivations build gradually, and the writing provides a lot of clarity as to what moves him and how it effects him.
Unfortunately, this cannot be said for any chapter interactions with Colin. I still can't fathom as to why Colin was even involved with the story as much as he was, because he achieves literally nothing except acts as a lockpicker to break the best characters in this book out of jail. The ending with Arese/Letine (I really don't know if this is her whole name or whether they just couldn't decide on a name, because it kept switching between these two names interchangeably without once referring to them together) is really convoluted and renders all the filler text that make up about a third of this book previous to this chapter completely pointless. I don't even remember what he did in the first book to make him important enough to appear in this one, and I'm not driven to find out.
With all the negativity out of the way though, the newest additions of perspective to the book, Mazgar and Brennus, supply a down-to-earth perspective of what civilians and soldiers would probably be feeling in response to this continental crisis that is killing thousands of people. Their realistic level of conversational banter is unique enough to remain entertaining but not contextually lacking, and, despite their sparse amount of chapters, the build-up in their relationship from mage and guardswoman to friends is really sweet. While I don't like what happened in the ending for them, I think it's a great stroke of bittersweetness that sums up the whole story in one small chapter, which I reckon is why Keyes made the book (excluding the semi-pointless epilogue with ham-fisted attempt at a love-at-first-sight plot).
Now, for the real treasures of this book, Sul and Attrebus. I adored these two in the first book, so perhaps I am biased because the sentiment is continued over, but I fully believe that the relationship between these two is truly realistic and touching to follow, as well as the fact that their pursuits never let them exhaust the world's potential for adventure and action. Attrebus was sort of useless in the first book, but watching him flourish into someone that is emotionally capable to handle himself and his responsibilities is enthralling, and really made me grow fond of him as I read through their chapters. The die-hard commitment to revenge that Sul has is handled really well, since his coolness and terse attitude give very little away, except in little glimmers. And the ending! Oh, gods preserve me, the ending! I'd recommend these books solely on following this beautiful story of two friends (though, you do need to read at least Annaïg's and Glim's chapters to understand the ending as well, unfortunately).
So, overall, as aforementioned, I definitely recommend this book, but only for the chapters where it shined (AKA Sul and Attrebus, Mazgar and Brennus). Getting through the other chapters was a genuine plight of anguish, especially in Part One where there is a seemingly endless repeating chapter pattern of Annaïg, Colin, Annaïg, Colin, Annaïg, Colin, etcetera. Still, I never turn down an exploration into TES lore, so anyone interested in that should definitely read these, as well as anyone who is looking for the bros-for-life plotline of a lifetime.
April 11, 2017
*I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for my honest review.*
Despite the fact that I haven't read the first book, nor have I played the game, I had no problem picking up on what was going on. It took a little bit, and I'm sure some of the finer details of the world were lost on me, but during no point in the book was I thinking, "What is going on?!" So I appreciate the fact that Greg Keyes did an awesome job in making this read like a stand-alone novel.
Besides that, it's a really interesting story. As is usual with fantasy, there are multiple viewpoints, and I enjoyed most of the characters and their personal involvement with the larger problem at hand. There was one character I didn't care for (Mazgar), just because I didn't think her story was as developed as the others'. I thought that Annaig and Glim's stories were by far the most interesting and entertaining. They had a stronger connection, and I think they were the characters that had the most to lose if things didn't turn out well.
I enjoyed the intrigues and the suspense. There were a few times that I was completely surprised by the turn of events (and a few plot twists that were predictable, but that's okay). If you're a fan of fantasy, I think you'd enjoy this story. Some have complained about it being too difficult to follow along without reading the first book, though. But it may not be a bad thing to read more of this series, since the plots and the characters are so well-constructed.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
Despite the fact that I haven't read the first book, nor have I played the game, I had no problem picking up on what was going on. It took a little bit, and I'm sure some of the finer details of the world were lost on me, but during no point in the book was I thinking, "What is going on?!" So I appreciate the fact that Greg Keyes did an awesome job in making this read like a stand-alone novel.
Besides that, it's a really interesting story. As is usual with fantasy, there are multiple viewpoints, and I enjoyed most of the characters and their personal involvement with the larger problem at hand. There was one character I didn't care for (Mazgar), just because I didn't think her story was as developed as the others'. I thought that Annaig and Glim's stories were by far the most interesting and entertaining. They had a stronger connection, and I think they were the characters that had the most to lose if things didn't turn out well.
I enjoyed the intrigues and the suspense. There were a few times that I was completely surprised by the turn of events (and a few plot twists that were predictable, but that's okay). If you're a fan of fantasy, I think you'd enjoy this story. Some have complained about it being too difficult to follow along without reading the first book, though. But it may not be a bad thing to read more of this series, since the plots and the characters are so well-constructed.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
September 30, 2011
As an experienced gamer who’s played the last two Elder Scrolls roleplaying games, Morrowind and Oblivion, I grabbed at the chance to learn even more about one of the most realistic and epic fantasy gaming worlds ever created.
Reading “Lord of Souls” seemed a sure-fire way to immerse myself once again in the sophisticated, detailed culture, history and politics of Tamriel, a continent on the planet of Nim filled with countries and kingdoms, cults and cabals, guilds and governments, wizards and warriors, dangerous magicks and murderous mayhem.
A spicy place, really. A place to get lost in for dozens and dozens (and dozens) of gaming hours, ripe to bursting for storyline expansions just like this book promised to provide.
Boy oh boy, was I wrong.
Or is it just that I’m not twelve anymore?
And is it even fair for me to review this book that feels so contrived, as if its storyline were outlined in a boardroom and farmed to a writer-for-hire, from an adult’s point of view?
I’ve never felt so muggle. And I realized, muggle that I am, even if this book is written and marketed to twelve year old fantasy-loving boys and girls, it still doesn’t have to be a terrible (case in point, J. K. Rowling's wonderful Potter books).
So I’m going to cut to the chase: “Lord of Souls” is vapid, predictable, toothless, boring, filled with a main cast of characters so thinly drawn as to be almost invisible on the page.
It’s a marketing tool—not anything to be taken too seriously.
But I suppose, if you’re twelve, it’ll still be a romping good read.
More experienced readers? Steer clear.
Reading “Lord of Souls” seemed a sure-fire way to immerse myself once again in the sophisticated, detailed culture, history and politics of Tamriel, a continent on the planet of Nim filled with countries and kingdoms, cults and cabals, guilds and governments, wizards and warriors, dangerous magicks and murderous mayhem.
A spicy place, really. A place to get lost in for dozens and dozens (and dozens) of gaming hours, ripe to bursting for storyline expansions just like this book promised to provide.
Boy oh boy, was I wrong.
Or is it just that I’m not twelve anymore?
And is it even fair for me to review this book that feels so contrived, as if its storyline were outlined in a boardroom and farmed to a writer-for-hire, from an adult’s point of view?
I’ve never felt so muggle. And I realized, muggle that I am, even if this book is written and marketed to twelve year old fantasy-loving boys and girls, it still doesn’t have to be a terrible (case in point, J. K. Rowling's wonderful Potter books).
So I’m going to cut to the chase: “Lord of Souls” is vapid, predictable, toothless, boring, filled with a main cast of characters so thinly drawn as to be almost invisible on the page.
It’s a marketing tool—not anything to be taken too seriously.
But I suppose, if you’re twelve, it’ll still be a romping good read.
More experienced readers? Steer clear.
May 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Review to come.
January 20, 2024
I really enjoyed this little series! I wouldn’t recommend for an intro to the elder scrolls, but it was fun to read as a seasoned elder scrolls fans :)
August 28, 2025
I went into these books with low expectations based on reviews and the fact that they are based on a video game series (albeit one with fascinating and extensive lore). While I can understand why some people weren't into it, I did find myself pretty attached to the characters by the end. It takes a while for things to really get going, and as some people have said, it really feels like 2 parts of the same book rather than two separate novels.
They would probably be pretty incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't played an Elder Scrolls game, though.
They would probably be pretty incomprehensible to anyone who hasn't played an Elder Scrolls game, though.
July 27, 2016
6/10
I won an Advanced Uncorrected Proof of this book in a First Reads giveaway.
Lord of Souls is the sequel to The Infernal City and exceeds it in every way, but still falls short. The story is filled with action, but there is just not enough backstory or context for all that action to matter very much. There continue to be references to characters, races, places, and events that seem to have importance but we never find out why. The motivations of several of the characters remain a mystery.
Yet the individual stories of Annaig, Glim, Colin, and Attrebus are engaging and not too predictable. Fitting their stories into the larger context of the Empire, the floating city of Umbriel, and the various demons/spirits is where things seem to fall apart for this reader.
I won an Advanced Uncorrected Proof of this book in a First Reads giveaway.
Lord of Souls is the sequel to The Infernal City and exceeds it in every way, but still falls short. The story is filled with action, but there is just not enough backstory or context for all that action to matter very much. There continue to be references to characters, races, places, and events that seem to have importance but we never find out why. The motivations of several of the characters remain a mystery.
Yet the individual stories of Annaig, Glim, Colin, and Attrebus are engaging and not too predictable. Fitting their stories into the larger context of the Empire, the floating city of Umbriel, and the various demons/spirits is where things seem to fall apart for this reader.
July 2, 2016
I had grown an interest in playing elder scrolls games and I also enjoyed learning more about the lore, but when I learned about the book I was very excited, After I read it it didn't see as good as I thought because it bends the lore and almost destroys it. Still utilizing the lore it just wasn't good enough. I am still glad it read it
March 10, 2018
For fans of the Elder Scrolls (of which I am one of millions) - 4/5
For fans of fantasy novels in general - 3/5
For everyone else - don't bother.
You'll either think it's great, or think it's schlock. There's no middle ground here.
For fans of fantasy novels in general - 3/5
For everyone else - don't bother.
You'll either think it's great, or think it's schlock. There's no middle ground here.
November 21, 2025
I’ll admit, I was not very optimistic going into this book. I found the first in the duology, The Infernal City, to have some cool ideas but overall be pretty mediocre and unmemorable; I don’t think this follow-up is necessarily amazing, but I do think it’s at least a step up.
The strongest element of this book to me is the plot. It picks up exactly where the previous book left off, with the mysterious city of Umbriel threatening Tamriel and a handful of heroes trying to stop it. The first book did a lot of good setup, so this one really has all the follow-through. There are a lot of really interesting moments here and plot lines that I was legitimately invested in, especially Annaig who is trapped on Umbriel and is trying to bring it down from the inside. The story progresses to an action-packed conclusion that ends the duology well. I also continued to love the worldbuilding here—this was probably the biggest point in the first book’s favor, and it’s still done well in this one. Umbriel is such a fascinating concept and seeing how this book used it and brought in other elements of Elder Scrolls lore was really cool.
Sadly, I don’t have much else positive to say here, but that’s mostly because I have little to say in general. The characters here are decent, with maybe a standout or two, but overall I found this to mostly be a “just fine” book much like the first—although slightly better. Additionally, I do think this one highlights a big issue I have with this duology: it should have been one book. This duology in general feels to me like it’s greater than the sum of its parts—the individual two books are just decent, but when put together they actually tell a pretty cool story. I think it’s something like 600 pages in total, and if this had been something like one 500 pages book, I think it would’ve not only made the presentation of the story better, but I think it would’ve been stronger as a whole.
Overall, this book is a step up from the previous one, though I would say a small one. I would recommend this duology to Elder Scrolls fans, despite its issues.
Rating: 7/10
The strongest element of this book to me is the plot. It picks up exactly where the previous book left off, with the mysterious city of Umbriel threatening Tamriel and a handful of heroes trying to stop it. The first book did a lot of good setup, so this one really has all the follow-through. There are a lot of really interesting moments here and plot lines that I was legitimately invested in, especially Annaig who is trapped on Umbriel and is trying to bring it down from the inside. The story progresses to an action-packed conclusion that ends the duology well. I also continued to love the worldbuilding here—this was probably the biggest point in the first book’s favor, and it’s still done well in this one. Umbriel is such a fascinating concept and seeing how this book used it and brought in other elements of Elder Scrolls lore was really cool.
Sadly, I don’t have much else positive to say here, but that’s mostly because I have little to say in general. The characters here are decent, with maybe a standout or two, but overall I found this to mostly be a “just fine” book much like the first—although slightly better. Additionally, I do think this one highlights a big issue I have with this duology: it should have been one book. This duology in general feels to me like it’s greater than the sum of its parts—the individual two books are just decent, but when put together they actually tell a pretty cool story. I think it’s something like 600 pages in total, and if this had been something like one 500 pages book, I think it would’ve not only made the presentation of the story better, but I think it would’ve been stronger as a whole.
Overall, this book is a step up from the previous one, though I would say a small one. I would recommend this duology to Elder Scrolls fans, despite its issues.
Rating: 7/10
April 19, 2023
The characterization in this book was phenomenal. Keyes managed to make me enjoy and like every character even if they were (or became) murderous bastards. I felt for them, even in moments that they’d done something terrible.
The climax and falling action were spectacular! Everything came to a head so perfectly, and everything began to make sense. It was so intense that I need to give myself a breather before picking up another book.
I adored the themes of friendship and love, of loving someone as much as one would a romantic partner without actually being romantic.
I cried reading this. I was so moved by certain moments. This was a wonderful dive into the world of The Elder Scrolls, and I really wish there were more novels taking place in it.
The climax and falling action were spectacular! Everything came to a head so perfectly, and everything began to make sense. It was so intense that I need to give myself a breather before picking up another book.
I adored the themes of friendship and love, of loving someone as much as one would a romantic partner without actually being romantic.
I cried reading this. I was so moved by certain moments. This was a wonderful dive into the world of The Elder Scrolls, and I really wish there were more novels taking place in it.
June 3, 2025
The author does a great job at winding half a dozen different narratives together in a way where each ending is heartbreaking, varied and satisfying. Not something a lot of authors are capable of.
It's a shame he didn't seem interested in making an elder scrolls series at first. The first book in the series takes place almost entirely in his "fan fiction kitchen island" that explicitly barely exists in the universe and doesn't follow its rules.
The second book course corrects leaning into the source material and focusing deeper into its characters.
Im leaving feeling satisfied but it took much sump wading to get there.
It's a shame he didn't seem interested in making an elder scrolls series at first. The first book in the series takes place almost entirely in his "fan fiction kitchen island" that explicitly barely exists in the universe and doesn't follow its rules.
The second book course corrects leaning into the source material and focusing deeper into its characters.
Im leaving feeling satisfied but it took much sump wading to get there.
January 2, 2012
I read the first Elder Scrolls book, The Infernal City, and liked it, so I was excited to finish the adventure in the second book.
Incidentally, this is the first book I bought for my Kindle, and the first book I’ve read on it.
Summary
The floating city of Umbriel is advancing on the Imperial City of Tamriel. Prince Attrebus and his dark elf companion, Sul, are sent back to Tamriel by the daedric prince Malacath to fulfill Sul’s vow of vengeance against the master of Umbriel, Vuhon (Malacath being the prince of revenge). Colin, a spy working for the Empire, joins with an older colleague and learns that Umbriel’s presence in Tamriel is due to a traitorous counselor among the Emperor’s inner circle, while a half-orc warrior-woman working for the Imperial scouts fights withdraw after withdraw against the host of undead who march out from under the shadow of Umbriel. Lastly, Annaïg, a human girl trapped on Umbriel and forced to cook meals for the demonic princes who rule over it, continues to plot the city’s destruction even as she grows in prestige and power. Her friend, the lizard-man Argonian named Mere-Glim, finds purpose in supporting the slaves who keep the floating city working properly.
Everything comes to a head as Umbriel advances on the White-Gold Tower of the Imperial City, and all those fighting to defeat the city, save the slaves, and fulfill the various evil designs of the villains come to a climactic finale.
OVERALL: 3.4 out of 5
For someone who has a hard time enjoying fantasy, and automatically assumes any book based on a video game is probably going to stink, this book is a real treat. There is fighting, romance, political intrigue, conflict between friends, character development, and everything else somebody could want. Sometimes certain characters get more focus than they deserve, but I can recommend this book.
I am biased in more than one way. Not only am I a big fan of the video games, but the first book really paves the way for this one. I already knew Prince Attrebus, Sul, Annaïg, Mere-Glim, and Colin. It had been over a year since I last visited with them (I reviewed the first book on 4/11/2010), and it was good to be with them again and read the conclusion of their epic adventure.
I had doubts about the overall storyline when these books were announced. The floating city idea is nothing new in fantasy, but Greg Keyes took a familiar trope and made it work to perfection in the Elder Scrolls setting. I hope he produces more books in the world of Tamriel soon.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
Characters: 4 out of 5
The characters here were mostly developed in the first book, but there are some new surprises here. Prince Attrebus has accepted that all his heroics and fighting skills were staged and is now trying to be the man the songs are about. Sul is still obsessed with vengeance, but he has some surprises in store for readers that only make him a better character (probably my favorite of both books). Annaïg comes to the chilling realization that while she despises Umbriel, it is the only place she really belongs. Mere-Glim finds a real cause of his own, and Mazgar proves that an orc warrior doesn’t have to be nothing but stupid brawn. Even Colin Vineben, the Imperial spy who alternates between sudden action and sudden doubt (& hesitation) has some touching moments, making him one of the most human characters of the story.
Pace: 3 out of 5
This isn’t a large book, and things move quickly. The parts of the book that dealt with the Imperial spy, Colin, initially bored me, but his adventures open up a storyline of assassins from the Dark Brotherhood and political treachery absent in the rest of the story.
Story: 4 out of 5
This story works because it really takes place in four genres. For Prince Attrebus and Sul it is a fantasy adventure. For the orc warrior-woman named Mazgar gra Yabash it is “bloody swords and boots in the mud” military action. Colin Vineben works the political intrigue and urban “knives in the dark”. Annaïg and Mere-Glim are the rebels fighting against overwhelming odds through espionage and treachery in an alien place.
In short, all the threads weave an exciting story that may have been slow and quiet at some times, even anti-climactic at others (Mazgar’s battles could have been given some more narration), but everything leads into an exciting conclusion that involves a massive siege, desperation for everyone, and a chance for some of the characters to show their true colors.
Dialogue: 3 out of 5
The dialogue is well written. There are no modern terms, or modern colloquialisms unnecessarily mutated into something that is supposed to be more fantasy-sounding. Dialogue is crisp and well written. I wish there had been more between Attrebus and Sul though. The lords of Umbriel are well written.
Style/Technical: 3 out of 5
I am not a fan of so many viewpoint characters, but they serve their purpose. The writing is well done, though there are a few things here that aren’t good. Sometimes parts of the story are skipped and the explained in hindsight (such as Mazgar’s experiences escaping from Cheydinhal). It probably needed to be done, but I’m not a fan of it. However, there is nothing in the technical execution of this book to really detract from it.
Incidentally, this is the first book I bought for my Kindle, and the first book I’ve read on it.
Summary
The floating city of Umbriel is advancing on the Imperial City of Tamriel. Prince Attrebus and his dark elf companion, Sul, are sent back to Tamriel by the daedric prince Malacath to fulfill Sul’s vow of vengeance against the master of Umbriel, Vuhon (Malacath being the prince of revenge). Colin, a spy working for the Empire, joins with an older colleague and learns that Umbriel’s presence in Tamriel is due to a traitorous counselor among the Emperor’s inner circle, while a half-orc warrior-woman working for the Imperial scouts fights withdraw after withdraw against the host of undead who march out from under the shadow of Umbriel. Lastly, Annaïg, a human girl trapped on Umbriel and forced to cook meals for the demonic princes who rule over it, continues to plot the city’s destruction even as she grows in prestige and power. Her friend, the lizard-man Argonian named Mere-Glim, finds purpose in supporting the slaves who keep the floating city working properly.
Everything comes to a head as Umbriel advances on the White-Gold Tower of the Imperial City, and all those fighting to defeat the city, save the slaves, and fulfill the various evil designs of the villains come to a climactic finale.
OVERALL: 3.4 out of 5
For someone who has a hard time enjoying fantasy, and automatically assumes any book based on a video game is probably going to stink, this book is a real treat. There is fighting, romance, political intrigue, conflict between friends, character development, and everything else somebody could want. Sometimes certain characters get more focus than they deserve, but I can recommend this book.
I am biased in more than one way. Not only am I a big fan of the video games, but the first book really paves the way for this one. I already knew Prince Attrebus, Sul, Annaïg, Mere-Glim, and Colin. It had been over a year since I last visited with them (I reviewed the first book on 4/11/2010), and it was good to be with them again and read the conclusion of their epic adventure.
I had doubts about the overall storyline when these books were announced. The floating city idea is nothing new in fantasy, but Greg Keyes took a familiar trope and made it work to perfection in the Elder Scrolls setting. I hope he produces more books in the world of Tamriel soon.
RATINGS BY CATEGORY
Characters: 4 out of 5
The characters here were mostly developed in the first book, but there are some new surprises here. Prince Attrebus has accepted that all his heroics and fighting skills were staged and is now trying to be the man the songs are about. Sul is still obsessed with vengeance, but he has some surprises in store for readers that only make him a better character (probably my favorite of both books). Annaïg comes to the chilling realization that while she despises Umbriel, it is the only place she really belongs. Mere-Glim finds a real cause of his own, and Mazgar proves that an orc warrior doesn’t have to be nothing but stupid brawn. Even Colin Vineben, the Imperial spy who alternates between sudden action and sudden doubt (& hesitation) has some touching moments, making him one of the most human characters of the story.
Pace: 3 out of 5
This isn’t a large book, and things move quickly. The parts of the book that dealt with the Imperial spy, Colin, initially bored me, but his adventures open up a storyline of assassins from the Dark Brotherhood and political treachery absent in the rest of the story.
Story: 4 out of 5
This story works because it really takes place in four genres. For Prince Attrebus and Sul it is a fantasy adventure. For the orc warrior-woman named Mazgar gra Yabash it is “bloody swords and boots in the mud” military action. Colin Vineben works the political intrigue and urban “knives in the dark”. Annaïg and Mere-Glim are the rebels fighting against overwhelming odds through espionage and treachery in an alien place.
In short, all the threads weave an exciting story that may have been slow and quiet at some times, even anti-climactic at others (Mazgar’s battles could have been given some more narration), but everything leads into an exciting conclusion that involves a massive siege, desperation for everyone, and a chance for some of the characters to show their true colors.
Dialogue: 3 out of 5
The dialogue is well written. There are no modern terms, or modern colloquialisms unnecessarily mutated into something that is supposed to be more fantasy-sounding. Dialogue is crisp and well written. I wish there had been more between Attrebus and Sul though. The lords of Umbriel are well written.
Style/Technical: 3 out of 5
I am not a fan of so many viewpoint characters, but they serve their purpose. The writing is well done, though there are a few things here that aren’t good. Sometimes parts of the story are skipped and the explained in hindsight (such as Mazgar’s experiences escaping from Cheydinhal). It probably needed to be done, but I’m not a fan of it. However, there is nothing in the technical execution of this book to really detract from it.
May 27, 2024
As someone who is familiar with the world and thought the first book was decent, this one while still having some basic characters is an improvement on the infernal city in pace and flow as well as having an ending I really enjoyed.
March 16, 2021
Full honesty it was amazing, way better than it should off been I read this book in two days I definitely reccomend it.
December 24, 2024
myślałam, że jej nigdy nie skończę
January 3, 2021
This is the second, and final, book in a two part story. I loved all of the characters, and I already knew the world well enough from the games. It was quite happy with the story until the end. I felt the writer rushed out the last bit and I was left with some unanswered questions.
March 15, 2025
Wasn’t bad, but it felt kind of all over the place like the first book
April 17, 2024
I cant believe the elder scrolls book made me cry
January 25, 2024
I tend to be a critical reader, and the reviews on this book had me worried, so I found myself perplexed with how engrossed I was in this book!
Overall an amazing read for Elder Scrolls fans and anyone who enjoys fun and intriguing characters whose stories interweave and leave you cheering for their happily ever after 🫶🏻
Overall an amazing read for Elder Scrolls fans and anyone who enjoys fun and intriguing characters whose stories interweave and leave you cheering for their happily ever after 🫶🏻
December 24, 2018
didn't need to be two books
an enjoyable conclusion to the tale, with everyone getting a good payoff and things escalating quickly. a few too many twists around the centrAl mystery got a little annoying. should have been a single chunky book
an enjoyable conclusion to the tale, with everyone getting a good payoff and things escalating quickly. a few too many twists around the centrAl mystery got a little annoying. should have been a single chunky book
July 22, 2017
DEFINITELY SPOILERS BEWARE:
I thought this book and The Infernal City were wonderful books, especially as I am a big fan of the Elder Scrolls world. Greg Keyes writes extremely well, and the way he shows the reader the wonders of the Elder Scrolls universe is exactly what I wanted it to be. Even further, his writing conveys the sense and feeling of the settings and characters in a way that really allows you to visualize the fantastical and otherworldly creatures and worlds in the book. My only disappointment with this particular book is the ending. After two books of writing with such a wonderful story and interesting characters and dilemmas, it was a but of a letdown to see that the "ending" of Umbriel encompassed essentially a sliver of the book. In short, it felt rushed. Annaig and Mere-Glim were on Umbriel for quite a bit, and we were able to really get and understanding of what was going on there, both below and above-ground. Attrebus and Sul were also having their arduous journey, which seemed to be more to do with the whims of the Divines more than anything else. Keyes also brings us to the front line with Mazgar and Brennan, joining soldiers and battlemages facing off against the undead army. They are very interesting perspectives and purposes, with characters that are memorable. The three characters that I have no understanding of, however, are Colin, Letine, and Minister Hierem. For the first two, their overly charged sexual relationship is pointless at best and seriously satirical at worst. I'm not sure what their point is other than to be the boots on the ground in finding out what Hierem is up to and why he summoned Umbriel. They succeed in this venture as Attrebus and Sul teleport into Umbriel, catching Hierem as he returns along the same portal. Hierem's reason for bringing a piece of Oblivion into the world that wrought destruction across Tamriel? Apparently he just wants the souls it has collected. A bit of a letdown considering Vuhon's rather more compelling backstory. Colin and Letine succeed in killing Hierem, who has some Daedric staff, which goes unexplained. Letine double-crosses Colin and takes it for what seems to me, as a reader, no real reason. Something about her not being afraid of anything anymore; frankly, it was a poorly thought-out twist for an otherwise great story. Our main heroes? Well, turns out that the entire time that Annaig and Mere-Glim's plans were essentially pointless, as some Hist-like trees are really what save the day. Attrebus and Sul's final battle was at least a bit more interesting and moving, but with Annaig and Mere-Glim is seemed to be a bit more of a letdown. I appreciate the way Keyes spun the two's characters in this tale, as they begin and end in the two books as completely different people. I appreciate the restraint for Attrebus and Annaig as well, though there possibly couldn't have been a more depressing way to propose marriage. Overall I think they were really fun novels, though the ending could have been a bit better.
I thought this book and The Infernal City were wonderful books, especially as I am a big fan of the Elder Scrolls world. Greg Keyes writes extremely well, and the way he shows the reader the wonders of the Elder Scrolls universe is exactly what I wanted it to be. Even further, his writing conveys the sense and feeling of the settings and characters in a way that really allows you to visualize the fantastical and otherworldly creatures and worlds in the book. My only disappointment with this particular book is the ending. After two books of writing with such a wonderful story and interesting characters and dilemmas, it was a but of a letdown to see that the "ending" of Umbriel encompassed essentially a sliver of the book. In short, it felt rushed. Annaig and Mere-Glim were on Umbriel for quite a bit, and we were able to really get and understanding of what was going on there, both below and above-ground. Attrebus and Sul were also having their arduous journey, which seemed to be more to do with the whims of the Divines more than anything else. Keyes also brings us to the front line with Mazgar and Brennan, joining soldiers and battlemages facing off against the undead army. They are very interesting perspectives and purposes, with characters that are memorable. The three characters that I have no understanding of, however, are Colin, Letine, and Minister Hierem. For the first two, their overly charged sexual relationship is pointless at best and seriously satirical at worst. I'm not sure what their point is other than to be the boots on the ground in finding out what Hierem is up to and why he summoned Umbriel. They succeed in this venture as Attrebus and Sul teleport into Umbriel, catching Hierem as he returns along the same portal. Hierem's reason for bringing a piece of Oblivion into the world that wrought destruction across Tamriel? Apparently he just wants the souls it has collected. A bit of a letdown considering Vuhon's rather more compelling backstory. Colin and Letine succeed in killing Hierem, who has some Daedric staff, which goes unexplained. Letine double-crosses Colin and takes it for what seems to me, as a reader, no real reason. Something about her not being afraid of anything anymore; frankly, it was a poorly thought-out twist for an otherwise great story. Our main heroes? Well, turns out that the entire time that Annaig and Mere-Glim's plans were essentially pointless, as some Hist-like trees are really what save the day. Attrebus and Sul's final battle was at least a bit more interesting and moving, but with Annaig and Mere-Glim is seemed to be a bit more of a letdown. I appreciate the way Keyes spun the two's characters in this tale, as they begin and end in the two books as completely different people. I appreciate the restraint for Attrebus and Annaig as well, though there possibly couldn't have been a more depressing way to propose marriage. Overall I think they were really fun novels, though the ending could have been a bit better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2022
This sequel is not bad I think it was better than the first
August 27, 2025
This story isn't perfect, and not all the characters are rewarding, but it has some amazing details regarding the interior of Umbriel, and what it's like for it's citizens to exist within it. The story does an excellent job of showing their perspective, and revealing how they feel. And the friendship and experiences that Anne and mere-glim go through together is worth the cost alone.
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