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Darwath #2
The Walls of Air
Three thousand years before, the monstrous Dark had sprung from loathsome underground lairs to destroy most of humanity. Now they were again ravening and ruining in their blood-hunger. Only a few thousand people had managed to find refuge in the ancient fortress Keep of Renweth.
There, even the magic of the wizard Ingold Inglorion could offer them little hope against the Dark.
To defeat the savage horror, they must gain help from the Hidden City of Quo, to which all other wizards had been summoned. But Ingold could not pierce the walls of illusion that separated Quo from the world.
With his student, Rudy Solis, the old wizard set out to cross two thousand miles of dangerous desert to the City of Wizards.
What he might find there he could not know -- and dared not guess!
There, even the magic of the wizard Ingold Inglorion could offer them little hope against the Dark.
To defeat the savage horror, they must gain help from the Hidden City of Quo, to which all other wizards had been summoned. But Ingold could not pierce the walls of illusion that separated Quo from the world.
With his student, Rudy Solis, the old wizard set out to cross two thousand miles of dangerous desert to the City of Wizards.
What he might find there he could not know -- and dared not guess!
297 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
59 people are currently reading
998 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
204 books1,580 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 19, 2018
Great continuation of the Darwath Saga. Barbara Hambly doing an amazing job using the standard 1980s fantasy tropes in creative, unexpected ways, as well as crafting deceptively well-rounded and realistic characters in Gil, Rudy, Ingold, and Minalde. And the easter eggs! Man are there easter eggs everywhere in this one, but you never are quite sure how to take them until Hambly brings it all together in the final book. Can't wait to dive into book three!
October 31, 2025
It was a world where magic worked within a logic of its own. And it was a world where the loathsome Dark were again ravening, after they had lain almost forgotten in underground lairs for three thousand years.
Gil Patterson and Rudy Solis are portal transferred from California to the world of Darwath by a wizard named Ingold Inglorion. Marooned in these dangerous lands, Gil and Rudy try to help the surviving population against the attacks of the Dark – wraith-like monsters coming up from underground caves to ravage the cities and enslave the population of Darwath.
All of this takes place in the first volume, The Time of the Dark, a not very original but very well written portal fantasy from the 1980s, a period that marks the start of my own growing passion for the genre.
This second episode suffers a little from the middle book of a trilogy syndrome, but it continues to hold my interest due to the quality of the writing, the fast paced action and the careful characterization that first attracted me to the works of Barbara Hambly.
How come just when things look blackest, I turn around and they get worse?”
Things were already grim in the first book, and the trend continues in this sequel. The forces of the dark have total control over the night skies while the few survivors hide in an ancient fortress built with magic forces after the first invasion from the Dark.
Gil, a post doctorate historian on Earth, has joined the King’s Guards and is training heavily in sword fighting while she tries to navigate the perilous power games between monarchy, church, magic practitioners and refugees inside the fortress. She makes friends with the queen regent Minalde and together they explore the lost chambers inside the fortress for answers about the technology or the magic that makes it function.
Rudy, a decal artist for motorcycles and a drifter while on Earth, is discovering he has a natural talent for magic on Darwath and that he is secretly in love with queen Alde.
Together with wizard Ingold, Rudy sets out on a perilous quest to traverse the continent in winter, in search of the fabled city of Quo, home of the wizards and of the Archmage who might provide the answers about the origins of the Dark and about how to defeat the monsters.
The journey is terrible enough, with the frequent ice storms, feral beasts attacks, the Dark patrolling the night skies and the ever present danger of White Raiders attacks. Ingold uses the time spend together to teach Rudy the rudiments of magic:
“Wizardry is knowledge.”
Yet the greatest challenge awaits the wizard and his young apprentice when they reach the foothills of the mountains that hide the city of Quo. When the Dark started to rise from their catacombs, the magicians in the city raised a maze-like barrier of enchantments and traps known as the Walls of Air, impassable even for one of their own. Ingold and Rudy must fight for every inch of the treacherous path, often being driven back to their starting point after long days of struggle.
And inside the magic walls, even greater dangers and disappointments await.
Things always get darker in epic fantasy before the courageous fellowship of underdogs has a chance to bring down the evil overlord bent of total world control. Tolkien’s imagination casts a very long shadow over the realms of fantasy and few were the aspiring writers or publishers who dared to cut new storytelling paths.
Barbara Hambly remains firmly within the established canon of the genre, but she does bring her own sharp tools for atmospheric setting, tight plotting and, in particular, believable ordinary people who are forced to extraordinary deeds by circumstances and yet, will hold on to their humanity, their compassion, their need for love and companionship.
Well, what the hell, he thought. We’ve all changed. Even old Ingold.
Her characters are never cardboard or static. They tend to learn from experience and to strive to do better for their companions.
The last book in the series will probably hold little real surprises in terms of plot or world-building, but I am looking forward to spending more time in the company of Gil, Rudy, Alde, Ingold and the rest of the cast.
Gil Patterson and Rudy Solis are portal transferred from California to the world of Darwath by a wizard named Ingold Inglorion. Marooned in these dangerous lands, Gil and Rudy try to help the surviving population against the attacks of the Dark – wraith-like monsters coming up from underground caves to ravage the cities and enslave the population of Darwath.
All of this takes place in the first volume, The Time of the Dark, a not very original but very well written portal fantasy from the 1980s, a period that marks the start of my own growing passion for the genre.
This second episode suffers a little from the middle book of a trilogy syndrome, but it continues to hold my interest due to the quality of the writing, the fast paced action and the careful characterization that first attracted me to the works of Barbara Hambly.
How come just when things look blackest, I turn around and they get worse?”
Things were already grim in the first book, and the trend continues in this sequel. The forces of the dark have total control over the night skies while the few survivors hide in an ancient fortress built with magic forces after the first invasion from the Dark.
Gil, a post doctorate historian on Earth, has joined the King’s Guards and is training heavily in sword fighting while she tries to navigate the perilous power games between monarchy, church, magic practitioners and refugees inside the fortress. She makes friends with the queen regent Minalde and together they explore the lost chambers inside the fortress for answers about the technology or the magic that makes it function.
Rudy, a decal artist for motorcycles and a drifter while on Earth, is discovering he has a natural talent for magic on Darwath and that he is secretly in love with queen Alde.
Together with wizard Ingold, Rudy sets out on a perilous quest to traverse the continent in winter, in search of the fabled city of Quo, home of the wizards and of the Archmage who might provide the answers about the origins of the Dark and about how to defeat the monsters.
The journey is terrible enough, with the frequent ice storms, feral beasts attacks, the Dark patrolling the night skies and the ever present danger of White Raiders attacks. Ingold uses the time spend together to teach Rudy the rudiments of magic:
“Wizardry is knowledge.”
Yet the greatest challenge awaits the wizard and his young apprentice when they reach the foothills of the mountains that hide the city of Quo. When the Dark started to rise from their catacombs, the magicians in the city raised a maze-like barrier of enchantments and traps known as the Walls of Air, impassable even for one of their own. Ingold and Rudy must fight for every inch of the treacherous path, often being driven back to their starting point after long days of struggle.
And inside the magic walls, even greater dangers and disappointments await.
Things always get darker in epic fantasy before the courageous fellowship of underdogs has a chance to bring down the evil overlord bent of total world control. Tolkien’s imagination casts a very long shadow over the realms of fantasy and few were the aspiring writers or publishers who dared to cut new storytelling paths.
Barbara Hambly remains firmly within the established canon of the genre, but she does bring her own sharp tools for atmospheric setting, tight plotting and, in particular, believable ordinary people who are forced to extraordinary deeds by circumstances and yet, will hold on to their humanity, their compassion, their need for love and companionship.
Well, what the hell, he thought. We’ve all changed. Even old Ingold.
Her characters are never cardboard or static. They tend to learn from experience and to strive to do better for their companions.
The last book in the series will probably hold little real surprises in terms of plot or world-building, but I am looking forward to spending more time in the company of Gil, Rudy, Alde, Ingold and the rest of the cast.
February 26, 2014
I'm loving this old fantasy series I stumbled upon. In this second book Ingold and Rudy set off to the city of Quo to get help against the Dark ones. For a couple of wizards, they sure have to put up with a lot of shit on the way. I like that they're not able to solve every problem with magic, but you'd think they'd device some spells to ward off hungry neanderthals and dragons.
Meanwhile Gil, now part of the royal guard, stays on at the Keep and buddies it up with Queen Alde. Gil still identifies as a scholar, we're told a bunch of times, and spends many scholarly hours investigating old records trying to figure out who built the Keep and how. I'm expecting major discoveries in the next book. She's also pining over Ingold, which I find worrisome. He's old and bearded, it'd be like having sex with Gandalf.
These books are dark and funny and occasionally scary, and I wish I'd found them when I was a kid.
Meanwhile Gil, now part of the royal guard, stays on at the Keep and buddies it up with Queen Alde. Gil still identifies as a scholar, we're told a bunch of times, and spends many scholarly hours investigating old records trying to figure out who built the Keep and how. I'm expecting major discoveries in the next book. She's also pining over Ingold, which I find worrisome. He's old and bearded, it'd be like having sex with Gandalf.
These books are dark and funny and occasionally scary, and I wish I'd found them when I was a kid.
August 26, 2020
See short summary for book 1 - the only thing I would modify this with, on August 2020 re-read, is that this does suffer slightly from the middle book of a trilogy syndrome, because the characters are split up and I did remember the big shock-horror revelation early on in my re-read. But staying true to my original perception, I am leaving this at 5 stars.
September 5, 2023
You can't stop at just one. One of the trilogy, that is. Having picked up The Time of the Dark after many years' absence, I plunged right into this book. Once again I am really enjoying the excellent storytelling and the details that I'd forgotten. Most of all, however, I love being immersed in this world and adventure.
March 5, 2018
I loved this trilogy.
September 16, 2012
I first read this series in (cough) 1986 at the age of 14 or so and it gripped me and scared me witless in equal measures. Rereading it as an adult, it doesn't scare me quite as much, but it's still a wonderful series with well drawn characters including one of the best gandalf-type wizards in contemporary fantasy, all the better because he is NOT infallible.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard community and the way that the state falls between the two. None of your Harry Potter-type back-room government shenanigans here as the wizards are considered to be the agents of the devil by the church, yet they are not condemned by the state.
The Dark of the title are a protoplasmic being that have "risen" from their lairs. The whole of this series asks the question why? Why did the Dark rise and what can be done. The way that Hambly deals with this is fascinating as it's not just a "humans good, unpleasant people-killing protoplasmic beast bad" situation.
Despite the "real-world" sections of this book being very obviously set in the 1980s, the series does not suffer from feeling too dated by this. I highly recommend the series.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard community and the way that the state falls between the two. None of your Harry Potter-type back-room government shenanigans here as the wizards are considered to be the agents of the devil by the church, yet they are not condemned by the state.
The Dark of the title are a protoplasmic being that have "risen" from their lairs. The whole of this series asks the question why? Why did the Dark rise and what can be done. The way that Hambly deals with this is fascinating as it's not just a "humans good, unpleasant people-killing protoplasmic beast bad" situation.
Despite the "real-world" sections of this book being very obviously set in the 1980s, the series does not suffer from feeling too dated by this. I highly recommend the series.
November 30, 2017
While we are no closer to finding out who or what the enemies are, the worldbuilding is much more fleshed out. Tragedy rises as well. It seems rather hopeless, but everyone is fighting, and despite it all they're still optimistic of their own fate. Let's see what happens next.
April 21, 2020
Frankly, I was on the lower-end of lukewarm about the predecessor to The Walls of Air—
The Time of the Dark
—for several reasons:
The Dark are too one-dimensionally evil/powerful. There’s little intrigue to be had in watching humanity hopeless run for their lives.
Rudy’s sudden need to love and calling to magic felt hollow.
Gil’s stolid selflessness and willingness to sign away free-will to join the guard felt unrealistic and disingenuous to her character.
Still, I kept reading, mostly because I knew that Barbara Hambly was better than The Time of the Dark. There was potential for things to pick up.
And in some ways, the story did pick up. In others, though, it got so much worse.
Rudy and Ingold set off on a nigh-impossible quest to reach the wizards at Quo who have—for unknown reasons—completely isolated themselves. To accomplish this specious task, Ingold and Rudy must walk 1500 miles through the churning apocalypse which, I feel the need to remind you, includes the Dark, a much higher likelihood of bandits due to the ruin of civilization, climate change, and enemy tribes being displaced directly into their path because of all of the above. Also, at the end of their journey is a magical maze of illusion that could be deadly.
As much as Ingold carried The Time of the Dark, I largely disliked this quest for one reason: Rudy.
I still don’t buy him. He’s still too perfectly the aloof almost-bad-boy with a sensitive heart of gold just looking for meaning and love. And his lack of set-up continues to undermine my ability to take him seriously. You know what it is? He took on both magic and Alde so effortlessly and thoughtlessly that it feels like a fad. Any day now he’ll grow bored and wander off.
Also, he’s a coward. Him constantly hanging back and letting Ingold take on every single bad thing that came their way may be realistic, but it isn’t a good look. It also, imho, leads to subpar pacing. Fight sequences need to be quick. With Rudy standing off watching but not particularly getting involved, he has plenty of time to narrate blow-by-blow action. Sometimes a scuffle lasts pages. Especially when it’s mostly sword-play, it gets boring real quick.
Throughout the quest there are pops of excitement that had me eagerly turning pages. I liked everything about the White Raiders, for example, but most of it was them walking, getting lost, or Rudy watching Ingold fight something.
Back at the keep, Gil and Alde are exploring both the structure itself and countless old tomes on loan from the church. They seek some bit of knowledge to give them any hope against the Dark.
This is slightly more interesting, but also contains some of the most irksome incongruities The Walls of Air has to offer.
For example: More refugees arrive. They’re initially turned away because there’s no room, but then Alde throws her weight around to gain them admittance. To make room, they move all the food into hastily-constructed structures built outside the keep.
Outside, where no guard will patrol after twilight or before dawn because of fear of the Dark.
Outside, where a freak ice-storm, a falling tree, a mammoth, or any number of other accidents might jeopardize the structure and expose their meager food supplies to scavengers and the elements.
Outside, where starving people driven to desperation would absolutely take a crack at stealing some food despite the threat of the Dark.
Outside, where the Dark, who are said to have their own alien intelligence, gather at night and try to destroy the denizens of the keep. As it’s been said that they learn and grow more sophisticated in their behavior, is it that much of a stretch for them to realize the easiest way to destroy the people is to destroy the grain?
Seriously. The keep is running desperately low on food and Alwir and Alde fear they’ll face starvation come spring. Why are they gambling on where they store their food? Surely there’s some way to keep it inside.
I struggled on this for days. I eventually had to force myself to either move on or quit reading.
I moved on, and GIl and Alde pick up their exploration of the keep. Mapping the floors is slow and tedious because the rooms are built all slapdash and often empty or simply piled high with old, rotting furniture, making it hard to gauge—wait. Huge areas are empty? Then why the fuck was the food moved outside?
I wanted to quit almost as badly as I wanted to understand why or how this obvious incongruity made it into the book. I kept reading and eventually figured out the answer: two subplots that fill in for the lack of an engaging overarching plot involve folks sneaking outside before the gates are closed to get a whack at the food while it’s unguarded.
Which proves my point: banking on fear of the Dark to keep people away from the food stores at night is unbelievably naive and foolish. Considering how shrewd Alwir is about maintaining power, and how suspicious Gil is, and how intuitive Alde is … realistically someone would have realized this would be a problem.
While that is the least-spoilery and simultaneously most egregious example, The Walls of Air is filled with these contrived story-telling conveniences. It is frustrating.
So, if I barely finished The Time of the Dark, and only did so because of Ingold, and Ingold’s ability to shine is now hampered by Rudy’s blandness, then why did I finish The Walls of Air?
About the time that I was railing against their storing food outside, Rudy and Ingold start to explore the concept of the Dark a little more. Likewise, Gil and Minalde are unearthing some of the keep’s secrets. While the villain of the piece is still several times too powerful, at least now my curiosity might get some satisfaction. Because I am curious. Why do the Dark slumber for millennia between terrorizing the earth? How was the keep built? Does any of this connect back to our earth?
I want to know.
It also helps that Gil and Minalde come into better focus. Gil is still strangely dedicated to risking life and limb in the guard, but she’s also not doing outlandish things like volunteering to carry heavy loads of food out of a Dark-infested basement the day after she gets sucked through the portal, so that helps. Her past life as a scholar comes back to her, as well, and this clearly central part of her character affecting how she behaves feels right.
Minalde also shines in her own way as a selfless queen whose biggest flaw is an inability to stand up for herself. It’s a personality pairing that makes a lot of sense and, honestly, it feels too real. Unlike bullshit like Wizenbeak where the evil queen keeps the throne at the expense of the kingdom, I feel like Minalde’s circumstance is much, much more common: a woman who could have all the power she wanted reduced due to her inability to stand up to those close to her.
And Ingold, though I wouldn’t say he shines on his quest, well, at least nothing ruins him for me.
So I have four characters I’m invested in and a handful of questions I’d like answers to. I’m actually in a better spot than I was at the end of The Time of the Dark. So long as I can forget about the stupid food storage.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
The Dark are too one-dimensionally evil/powerful. There’s little intrigue to be had in watching humanity hopeless run for their lives.
Rudy’s sudden need to love and calling to magic felt hollow.
Gil’s stolid selflessness and willingness to sign away free-will to join the guard felt unrealistic and disingenuous to her character.
Still, I kept reading, mostly because I knew that Barbara Hambly was better than The Time of the Dark. There was potential for things to pick up.
And in some ways, the story did pick up. In others, though, it got so much worse.
Rudy and Ingold set off on a nigh-impossible quest to reach the wizards at Quo who have—for unknown reasons—completely isolated themselves. To accomplish this specious task, Ingold and Rudy must walk 1500 miles through the churning apocalypse which, I feel the need to remind you, includes the Dark, a much higher likelihood of bandits due to the ruin of civilization, climate change, and enemy tribes being displaced directly into their path because of all of the above. Also, at the end of their journey is a magical maze of illusion that could be deadly.
As much as Ingold carried The Time of the Dark, I largely disliked this quest for one reason: Rudy.
I still don’t buy him. He’s still too perfectly the aloof almost-bad-boy with a sensitive heart of gold just looking for meaning and love. And his lack of set-up continues to undermine my ability to take him seriously. You know what it is? He took on both magic and Alde so effortlessly and thoughtlessly that it feels like a fad. Any day now he’ll grow bored and wander off.
Also, he’s a coward. Him constantly hanging back and letting Ingold take on every single bad thing that came their way may be realistic, but it isn’t a good look. It also, imho, leads to subpar pacing. Fight sequences need to be quick. With Rudy standing off watching but not particularly getting involved, he has plenty of time to narrate blow-by-blow action. Sometimes a scuffle lasts pages. Especially when it’s mostly sword-play, it gets boring real quick.
Throughout the quest there are pops of excitement that had me eagerly turning pages. I liked everything about the White Raiders, for example, but most of it was them walking, getting lost, or Rudy watching Ingold fight something.
Back at the keep, Gil and Alde are exploring both the structure itself and countless old tomes on loan from the church. They seek some bit of knowledge to give them any hope against the Dark.
This is slightly more interesting, but also contains some of the most irksome incongruities The Walls of Air has to offer.
For example: More refugees arrive. They’re initially turned away because there’s no room, but then Alde throws her weight around to gain them admittance. To make room, they move all the food into hastily-constructed structures built outside the keep.
Outside, where no guard will patrol after twilight or before dawn because of fear of the Dark.
Outside, where a freak ice-storm, a falling tree, a mammoth, or any number of other accidents might jeopardize the structure and expose their meager food supplies to scavengers and the elements.
Outside, where starving people driven to desperation would absolutely take a crack at stealing some food despite the threat of the Dark.
Outside, where the Dark, who are said to have their own alien intelligence, gather at night and try to destroy the denizens of the keep. As it’s been said that they learn and grow more sophisticated in their behavior, is it that much of a stretch for them to realize the easiest way to destroy the people is to destroy the grain?
Seriously. The keep is running desperately low on food and Alwir and Alde fear they’ll face starvation come spring. Why are they gambling on where they store their food? Surely there’s some way to keep it inside.
I struggled on this for days. I eventually had to force myself to either move on or quit reading.
I moved on, and GIl and Alde pick up their exploration of the keep. Mapping the floors is slow and tedious because the rooms are built all slapdash and often empty or simply piled high with old, rotting furniture, making it hard to gauge—wait. Huge areas are empty? Then why the fuck was the food moved outside?
I wanted to quit almost as badly as I wanted to understand why or how this obvious incongruity made it into the book. I kept reading and eventually figured out the answer: two subplots that fill in for the lack of an engaging overarching plot involve folks sneaking outside before the gates are closed to get a whack at the food while it’s unguarded.
Which proves my point: banking on fear of the Dark to keep people away from the food stores at night is unbelievably naive and foolish. Considering how shrewd Alwir is about maintaining power, and how suspicious Gil is, and how intuitive Alde is … realistically someone would have realized this would be a problem.
While that is the least-spoilery and simultaneously most egregious example, The Walls of Air is filled with these contrived story-telling conveniences. It is frustrating.
So, if I barely finished The Time of the Dark, and only did so because of Ingold, and Ingold’s ability to shine is now hampered by Rudy’s blandness, then why did I finish The Walls of Air?
About the time that I was railing against their storing food outside, Rudy and Ingold start to explore the concept of the Dark a little more. Likewise, Gil and Minalde are unearthing some of the keep’s secrets. While the villain of the piece is still several times too powerful, at least now my curiosity might get some satisfaction. Because I am curious. Why do the Dark slumber for millennia between terrorizing the earth? How was the keep built? Does any of this connect back to our earth?
I want to know.
It also helps that Gil and Minalde come into better focus. Gil is still strangely dedicated to risking life and limb in the guard, but she’s also not doing outlandish things like volunteering to carry heavy loads of food out of a Dark-infested basement the day after she gets sucked through the portal, so that helps. Her past life as a scholar comes back to her, as well, and this clearly central part of her character affecting how she behaves feels right.
Minalde also shines in her own way as a selfless queen whose biggest flaw is an inability to stand up for herself. It’s a personality pairing that makes a lot of sense and, honestly, it feels too real. Unlike bullshit like Wizenbeak where the evil queen keeps the throne at the expense of the kingdom, I feel like Minalde’s circumstance is much, much more common: a woman who could have all the power she wanted reduced due to her inability to stand up to those close to her.
And Ingold, though I wouldn’t say he shines on his quest, well, at least nothing ruins him for me.
So I have four characters I’m invested in and a handful of questions I’d like answers to. I’m actually in a better spot than I was at the end of The Time of the Dark. So long as I can forget about the stupid food storage.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
June 25, 2022
Two stories in one, and no beer cans for the wizard Ingold this time. Obviously the middle book of a trilogy, and need to read the third to finish the stories.
The first and most satisfying story is Gil's time at the keep. Her past drives her to understand the history, and that seems to be something the rest of the folk in this world have little interest in. We really see her relationships grow with Alde and the Bishop as well. Just as they found the most interesting things (machinery! gems that "store" light!) we reach the end of this book.
The other story, interwoven, is Rudy and Ingold's trek to the wizard community, sealed against the rest of the world. This is a long trek. With the nature of the "Dark" described in the first book, it feels like the trip should be impossible. Minor spoiler, they make it, and the return is apparently so easy it gets no pages in the text. Perhaps the dark is not as all-encompassing as it seemed? It's a community rather than a condition? Book 3 will hopefully reveal all.
I felt Rudy confronted some of his character, with the result of some growth. Ingold is also changed here, and while none of this is in his voice, I'll bet these changes are important in the future. I like this wizard, and I really his take on (or the author's design of) magic.
Partly because of interruptions, but partly because the story didn't grab me as much, reading this took a month. I'd like to dive into the third sooner than the year I waited for this one - and I'd like to see that wizard get another beer.
The first and most satisfying story is Gil's time at the keep. Her past drives her to understand the history, and that seems to be something the rest of the folk in this world have little interest in. We really see her relationships grow with Alde and the Bishop as well. Just as they found the most interesting things (machinery! gems that "store" light!) we reach the end of this book.
The other story, interwoven, is Rudy and Ingold's trek to the wizard community, sealed against the rest of the world. This is a long trek. With the nature of the "Dark" described in the first book, it feels like the trip should be impossible. Minor spoiler, they make it, and the return is apparently so easy it gets no pages in the text. Perhaps the dark is not as all-encompassing as it seemed? It's a community rather than a condition? Book 3 will hopefully reveal all.
I felt Rudy confronted some of his character, with the result of some growth. Ingold is also changed here, and while none of this is in his voice, I'll bet these changes are important in the future. I like this wizard, and I really his take on (or the author's design of) magic.
Partly because of interruptions, but partly because the story didn't grab me as much, reading this took a month. I'd like to dive into the third sooner than the year I waited for this one - and I'd like to see that wizard get another beer.
June 1, 2024
Reread filed under nostalgia. Forty years ago nostalgia. And forty years is enough time for me to have forgotten much (read: most), but it came back in snippets. I’d reread the first eight years ago with the intent, naturally, of reading the rest but I don’t know why I didn’t. Anyway, part two, the filler book - some trilogies seem to dip in the middle. This did and didn’t. Lot of backstory, and as I don’t remember how this resolves, the third should be new all over again.
This one didn’t have a lot of depth, but as a fantasy in the early 1980s, it was both familiar and novel. One thing that stood out to a far more mature me:
“lt took the girls a little over an hour to reach the camp.”
Even Hambly wrote for males. Not “women”…girls. I don’t know if she changed from her debut as she’s been writing ever since.
October 21, 2023
3.5 Stars
2nd in the Darwath Series
Everything I love in a fantasy. Even a little love story thrown in.
Continued in The Armies of Daylight
2nd in the Darwath Series
Everything I love in a fantasy. Even a little love story thrown in.
Continued in The Armies of Daylight
September 27, 2014
"The Walls of Air" is perhaps a slight letdown from "The Time of the Dark", mostly because it's a transitional book: we're given hints -- in particular about the origins of the Keep and the magical engineering that keeps it going, the possible relation between the Dark and wizardry, and the nature of the Dark -- but we're clearly being set up to be given the big revelations in the 3rd book, when presumably the Dark will be defeated and all will be well. Mostly "The Walls of Air" allows us to see new sides of the characters. Gil, who we previously knew mostly in her newly-acquired capacity as a warrior, is allowed to display her scholarly side again, as she researches the history of the Keep and investigates its workings. (She gets a couple of opportunities for heroism, too, just to keep her hand in.) In this she is aided by Alde, who is starting to come out of her shell and assert herself, in particular against her brother. Meanwhile, Rudy slowly turns into a wizard, even if he's not quite cut out for the heroic stuff just yet, and even Ingold isn't perfect for a few chapters, although it takes the weight of a considerable tragedy to reduce him to this condition. Lesser characters get the treatment as well: most notably, we see Alwir be heroic, if only briefly, and Bishop Govannin gets to show her human side (and the Church is further humanized by the appearance of the not quite so fanatical Bishop of Penambra, leading what's left of that city). If, for the most part, this book is intended simply to set us up for the climax, it does its job well, and Hambly manages to inject a certain amount of suspense into Rudy and Ingold's trip to Quo even though we are already well aware that nothing good will come of it.
The one false step is the introduction of the Empire of Alketch, which is just Tolkien's Harad or Lewis's Calormen, a barbaric and cruel southern empire of dark people. You'd think an actual medieval historian writing in the mid-'80s would know better than to contrast a relatively enlightened and progressive white north with a brutal and fanatical dark south, but I guess some habits are hard to break. Hambly's only innovation is to have Alketch's Church be the same as Darwath's, rather than have them worship a terrible false god, as Lewis and Tolkien do, but as it's implied that they are far more fanatical about their beliefs than the northerners, the end result is pretty similar. However, the envoy from Alketch only really plays a role for a single chapter, so for the most part you can ignore this particular slip-up and just enjoy the story.
The one false step is the introduction of the Empire of Alketch, which is just Tolkien's Harad or Lewis's Calormen, a barbaric and cruel southern empire of dark people. You'd think an actual medieval historian writing in the mid-'80s would know better than to contrast a relatively enlightened and progressive white north with a brutal and fanatical dark south, but I guess some habits are hard to break. Hambly's only innovation is to have Alketch's Church be the same as Darwath's, rather than have them worship a terrible false god, as Lewis and Tolkien do, but as it's implied that they are far more fanatical about their beliefs than the northerners, the end result is pretty similar. However, the envoy from Alketch only really plays a role for a single chapter, so for the most part you can ignore this particular slip-up and just enjoy the story.
February 18, 2020
The Darwath Trilogy (1982-83), by Barbara Hambly, is really one giant book broken into three pieces. It's a portal fantasy of two people who go to a fairly bland fantasy world and wind up helping to fight "the dark."
I got bored quick. This just wasn't for me. The writing was perfectly fine, just not left-field enough for me. Note that it's not a bad novel, just dull.
The writer tried for more realism, which was great, except that she picked all the most boring realisms.
Our protagonists are unamazing and just there. Our wizard is another Gandalf clone. The remaining characters are even less engaging.
Our main antagonists are the dark, which I'm never quite sure if they're supposed to be real or be supernatural. They seems to alternate depending on whatever's convenient.
Like all overwhelming and unstoppable opponents, the dark are boring. They exist more as a force of nature than anything that can be talked about or out-maneuvered.
The main job of religion in the novel seems to be yelling "heresy" on a near constant basis and otherwise being jerks. Considering that religion was supposed to be very important to the people of Darwath, it provided little or nothing to the practical story. If the entire religious storyline had been cut, nobody would have noticed.
Only in the last third of the book, the last novel, do things start getting interesting, but by then, they don't matter. I was already bored and skimming heavily.
I got bored quick. This just wasn't for me. The writing was perfectly fine, just not left-field enough for me. Note that it's not a bad novel, just dull.
The writer tried for more realism, which was great, except that she picked all the most boring realisms.
Our protagonists are unamazing and just there. Our wizard is another Gandalf clone. The remaining characters are even less engaging.
Our main antagonists are the dark, which I'm never quite sure if they're supposed to be real or be supernatural. They seems to alternate depending on whatever's convenient.
Like all overwhelming and unstoppable opponents, the dark are boring. They exist more as a force of nature than anything that can be talked about or out-maneuvered.
The main job of religion in the novel seems to be yelling "heresy" on a near constant basis and otherwise being jerks. Considering that religion was supposed to be very important to the people of Darwath, it provided little or nothing to the practical story. If the entire religious storyline had been cut, nobody would have noticed.
Only in the last third of the book, the last novel, do things start getting interesting, but by then, they don't matter. I was already bored and skimming heavily.
January 20, 2013
Couldn't put this series down.
First sentences
PROLOGUE GIL PATTERSON THOUGHT HER vision of the strange city was all a dream—until the wizard Ingold Inglorion appeared one night in her kitchen, seeking a place to bring the infant Prince of Dare from the ancient horror that was attacking the city of Gae. Rudy Solis didn’t believe in wizards and magic—even when he saw Ingold emerge, with an infant in his arms, beside the place where Rudy had stopped to fix his car. But when one of the monstrous, evil Dark crossed the Void in Ingold’s wake, their only escape was back with the wizard to the embattled world from which he had fled. It was a world where magic worked within a logic of its own. And it was a world where the loathsome Dark were again ravening, after they had lain almost forgotten in underground lairs for three thousand years. Gae had fallen, and the city of Karst was jammed with refugees. The King was dead, and proud, ambitious Alwir was now Regent for the infant Prince Tir, as brother to the young Queen Minalde—or Alde, as most called her.
Hambly, Barbara (2012-09-11). The Darwath Trilogy: The Time of the Dark, The Walls of Air, and The Armies of Daylight (Kindle Locations 4244-4252). Open Road. Kindle Edition.
First sentences
PROLOGUE GIL PATTERSON THOUGHT HER vision of the strange city was all a dream—until the wizard Ingold Inglorion appeared one night in her kitchen, seeking a place to bring the infant Prince of Dare from the ancient horror that was attacking the city of Gae. Rudy Solis didn’t believe in wizards and magic—even when he saw Ingold emerge, with an infant in his arms, beside the place where Rudy had stopped to fix his car. But when one of the monstrous, evil Dark crossed the Void in Ingold’s wake, their only escape was back with the wizard to the embattled world from which he had fled. It was a world where magic worked within a logic of its own. And it was a world where the loathsome Dark were again ravening, after they had lain almost forgotten in underground lairs for three thousand years. Gae had fallen, and the city of Karst was jammed with refugees. The King was dead, and proud, ambitious Alwir was now Regent for the infant Prince Tir, as brother to the young Queen Minalde—or Alde, as most called her.
Hambly, Barbara (2012-09-11). The Darwath Trilogy: The Time of the Dark, The Walls of Air, and The Armies of Daylight (Kindle Locations 4244-4252). Open Road. Kindle Edition.
September 14, 2019
Many middle books of trilogies feel a bit weaker. We've met most of the main characters, and the author doesn't really resolve the storyline. Still somehow, there needs to be enough story to keep our interest. This book does that. This fantasy follows the pattern of Tolkien's The Two Towers and splits up the characters. Rudy and Ingold head off to the wizards' city while Gil and Minalde stay behind in the Keep.
Through Rudy's eyes, we learn more about the nature and perils of magic. Gil is a historian and intent on finding out more about the physical infrastructure of the Keep while trying to dodge most of the political and social infighting. I found both alternating stories interesting in their own way. Unifying them both is the threat of the Dark and how people deal with adversity and tragedy.
I enjoyed the story and, while I noticed it was the middle book, I also thought it had enough going on that it wasn't significantly weaker than the first book. Highly recommended for fans of The Time of the Dark.
Through Rudy's eyes, we learn more about the nature and perils of magic. Gil is a historian and intent on finding out more about the physical infrastructure of the Keep while trying to dodge most of the political and social infighting. I found both alternating stories interesting in their own way. Unifying them both is the threat of the Dark and how people deal with adversity and tragedy.
I enjoyed the story and, while I noticed it was the middle book, I also thought it had enough going on that it wasn't significantly weaker than the first book. Highly recommended for fans of The Time of the Dark.
March 15, 2019
The wizards Ingold and Rudy travel to Quo (the wizards' home base) while Gil and Queen Minalde investigate historical records in the Keep.
I gave this book a four, rather than the five I gave "The Time of the Dark", because the quest to the wizard city slowed things down a tad. I was much more interested in what Gil and Minalde were digging up by rummaging around dark and creepy corners of the Keep. And add in the fact that the Dark show they can hollow out a person and insert themselves, and you've gotten an additional layer to the nightmare they're living. I loved the gentle relationship tweak between Ingold and Gil. And I remember being traumatized when I first read this as a teen that the Icefalcon was presumed dead - he was the ultimate bad boy/Viking braid boy of my dreams. I can't wait to read the third book which I remember does a very precise job of showing how many little bits of information are connected.
I gave this book a four, rather than the five I gave "The Time of the Dark", because the quest to the wizard city slowed things down a tad. I was much more interested in what Gil and Minalde were digging up by rummaging around dark and creepy corners of the Keep. And add in the fact that the Dark show they can hollow out a person and insert themselves, and you've gotten an additional layer to the nightmare they're living. I loved the gentle relationship tweak between Ingold and Gil. And I remember being traumatized when I first read this as a teen that the Icefalcon was presumed dead - he was the ultimate bad boy/Viking braid boy of my dreams. I can't wait to read the third book which I remember does a very precise job of showing how many little bits of information are connected.
December 11, 2011
I read this series from start to finish without putting it down. That really says it all in terms of the pacing and suspense elements. As a thriller, this is a 5 star book.
The weakness to me lies in the character development, specifically in the romances. They are not really central to the series, but apparentlyare required elements, so they are there. To me, they don't really work. In writing, for a romantic relationship to work, the characters need chemistry. Just saying that they get a jolt when they touch doesn't create chemistry.
I was also disappointed in the direction of the Gil character. Rather than finding herself, it felt like she lost something.
The weakness to me lies in the character development, specifically in the romances. They are not really central to the series, but apparentlyare required elements, so they are there. To me, they don't really work. In writing, for a romantic relationship to work, the characters need chemistry. Just saying that they get a jolt when they touch doesn't create chemistry.
I was also disappointed in the direction of the Gil character. Rather than finding herself, it felt like she lost something.
March 28, 2009
This is the second book in a series with all that usually entails -- its primary use is a bridge, I suspect. There is a great deal of traveling from one location to another, lots of studying and exploring and question-answering, with occasional instances of action. So in that respect, it is fairly standard.
But it's written by Barbara Hambly, and she continues to provide writing that is exceptional in its readability hand-in-hand with characters (and a world) that are complex and easy to love.
A very satisfying mid-80s fantasy, and I look forward to the conclusion of the series.
But it's written by Barbara Hambly, and she continues to provide writing that is exceptional in its readability hand-in-hand with characters (and a world) that are complex and easy to love.
A very satisfying mid-80s fantasy, and I look forward to the conclusion of the series.
July 14, 2018
The Walls of Air is an exceptional book. Not only does it progress the story of the people struggling against the ravages of the Dark zones, but it casts a light on the characters more giving them more shape.
Barbara Hambly is a fantastic writer and storyteller. I had no idea that th Darwath series was written in the 80’s as her first books and I was surprised that they were so good.
This book is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. The ending leads to an opening for the next book in the series as there is no clean ending in this one.
Barbara Hambly is a fantastic writer and storyteller. I had no idea that th Darwath series was written in the 80’s as her first books and I was surprised that they were so good.
This book is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end. The ending leads to an opening for the next book in the series as there is no clean ending in this one.
October 18, 2018
This is the second book in the series that introduced me to my favorite author. I love how Hambly sets up her world, and especially her magic system. Having everyone, both good and bad, human and non-, have sensible motivations really sells it for me, although some are discovered quite late (as it should be).
July 24, 2007
Smart, fun fantasy.
June 25, 2008
Barbara Hambly continues to enthrall me with the lives in Darwath. I couldn't put it down as I was captivated by the idea of what was to come next. Anxiously moving on to the next book.
April 7, 2014
Reread in 2014.
Book 2 of one of my favorite trilogies of all time.
Book 2 of one of my favorite trilogies of all time.
January 8, 2019
Would write a review, but let me be honest I would rather read book 3 now.
So go read this series...
So go read this series...
August 18, 2019
Again she has made this world seem real and exciting.
September 20, 2019
Leaves me wanting to start book three
January 8, 2020
Loved it! I could hardly put the book down. I read this series a long time ago and am rereading it. The three main characters really come to life in this second volume, and the plot thickens.
September 19, 2020
Second in this saga series and not so big on action but more so flushing out cosmology and some main characters, as two distaff pairs work in their own ways to advance the side of good in this underdog struggle against the forces of the Dark Ones. Wizard Ingold and apprentice Rudy go on a perilous journey (with the supply burro Che) to the impenetrable fortress city of the old wizards school, Quo, while the young widow Queen and Gil the scholar/lady warrior comb the darker and hidden recesses of the Keep where they have holed up, trying to discover and decipher any lost methods the ancient pones might have had to fight the forces of evil.
I did like how the book depicted encounters with Neanderthals, mammoths, and dragons on the wizards' trek. A very exciting battle scene really pulled me in the last part of the book; I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened. This is followed by a solid conclusion that sets us up well for the next book to come.
I did like how the book depicted encounters with Neanderthals, mammoths, and dragons on the wizards' trek. A very exciting battle scene really pulled me in the last part of the book; I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened. This is followed by a solid conclusion that sets us up well for the next book to come.
January 31, 2025
Three thousand years before, the monstrous Dark had sprung from loathsome underground lairs to destroy most of humanity. Now they were again ravening and ruining in their blood-hunger. Only a few thousand people had managed to find refuge in the ancient fortress Keep of Renweth.
There, even the magic of the wizard Ingold Inglorion could offer them little hope against the Dark.
To defeat the savage horror, they must gain help from the Hidden City of Quo, to which all other wizards had been summoned. But Ingold could not pierce the walls of illusion that separated Quo from the world.
With his student, Rudy Solis, the old wizard set out to cross two thousand miles of dangerous desert to the City of Wizards.
What he might find there he could not know -- and dared not guess!
There, even the magic of the wizard Ingold Inglorion could offer them little hope against the Dark.
To defeat the savage horror, they must gain help from the Hidden City of Quo, to which all other wizards had been summoned. But Ingold could not pierce the walls of illusion that separated Quo from the world.
With his student, Rudy Solis, the old wizard set out to cross two thousand miles of dangerous desert to the City of Wizards.
What he might find there he could not know -- and dared not guess!
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