Fires of Azeroth

The Morgaine Cycle #3

by C.J. Cherryh

The Gates were relics of a lost era. The Union Science Bureau surmised that they had once linked a whole network of civilizations throughout the galaxy-an empire ruled by a ruthless race known as the qhal. This qhal empire had spanned both Space and Time, for their Gates warped time, enabling qhal travelers to step from point to point across light-years unaged. It was even possible to travel into the future. However, intervention in backtime could affect entire worlds and civilizations, could change the course of galactic history, could destroy empires and possibly even implode time itself...and this was what the Science Bureau believed had happened-sometime, somewhere in the unreachable past, an arrogant power-drunk qhal had done the unthinkable, and warped the very fabric of space and time.

Morgaine: pale in coloring and as tall as the tallest men, it seems clear that this mysterious traveler is a descendent of the long-vanished qhal. Aided by a single warrior honor-bound to serve her, it is her mission to travel from world to world sealing the ancient Gates whose very existence threatens the integrity of the universe. But will she have the power to follow her quest to its eventual conclusion-to the Ultimate Gate or the end of time itself?

Cover artist: A. Pedro

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Adventure, Audiobook

236 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1979

About the author

Currently resident in Spokane, Washington, C.J. Cherryh has won four Hugos and is one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed authors in the science fiction and fantasy field. She is the author of more than forty novels. Her hobbies include travel, photography, reef culture, Mariners baseball, and, a late passion, figure skating: she intends to compete in the adult USFSA track. She began with the modest ambition to learn to skate backwards and now is working on jumps. She sketches, occasionally, cooks fairly well, and hates house work; she loves the outdoors, animals wild and tame, is a hobbyist geologist, adores dinosaurs, and has academic specialties in Roman constitutional law and bronze age Greek ethnography. She has written science fiction since she was ten, spent ten years of her life teaching Latin and Ancient History on the high school level, before retiring to full time writing, and now does not have enough hours in the day to pursue all her interests. Her studies include planetary geology, weather systems, and natural and man-made catastrophes, civilizations, and cosmology…in fact, there's very little that doesn't interest her. A loom is gathering dust and needs rethreading, a wooden ship model awaits construction, and the cats demand their own time much more urgently. She works constantly, researches mostly on the internet, and has books stacked up and waiting to be written.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another rather bleak installment of Morgaine series; this concluded the trilogy, but Cherryh wrote another installment in the 80s, which I will check out. The second book in the trilogy ended with Morgaine and Vanye fleeing through the gate on a dying, drowning world, before the gates were sealed forever. Unfortunately, they gate also let through a massive hoard of warriors and killers from that world into the new one. Some irony here, as Vanye urged Morgaine to let them come, she adamantly voiced that was a bad idea; in fact, 1000 years or so ago a hoard entered the drowning world which reshaped the society not for the better.

In any case, Morgaine and Vanye fled the emerging hoard and found refuge deep in a massive forest with a small village. Morbidly tired after all the events of the last two volumes, they take some time to rest and recoup; along the way they learn about this new world from the villagers. Life is peaceful on this world, with the Qhal and humans living in peace and have been for over 1000 years. While the Qhal still retain the powers of the gate, they are used sparingly to maintain the law; something like philosopher kings. The isolated human villages in the forest are carefully maintained with a balance of nature with the Qhal serving as protectors and overseers. The invading hoard, however, will soon upset this balance, especially as their leader has a blood vendetta against both Morgaine and Vanye and immediately starts sending parties to seek them out...

All three of the volumes possess a tragic feel; Morgaine seems to be compelled to complete her mission, all the while knowing that misery and death often results. Morgaine seems cold as ice, but she obviously has feelings. Vanye continues to act something like her conscious; pretty cool gender reversal here from Cherryh back in the 70s! Once again, as almost destined, Morgaine and now Vanye, will most likely shatter this peaceful society, leaving the wreckage to continue Morgaine's mission to close all the gates. Emotionally draining at parts, Cherryh can really pull at your heart.

I have read over 30 of her books now and in these early works you can see some of her 'style' in early form. Typically, her later stories build deep characters facing various troubles, which become resolved in a smashing climax. The Morgaine Saga is more action packed than her later works, but her building of flawed characters facing unenviable decisions is just as pronounced. These are also more tragic than her later works, which often end with some sort of optimism. This is almost grimdark before there was grimdark. 4 brooding stars!!

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morgaine and Vanye finally get some down time on a nice planet, in a great neighborhood with cool people.
Their relationship really seems to deepen before the shit hits the fan. Things are always a bit up in the air with them. They clearly have some feelings for each other but the dynamic between them only gets more complicated.
Further complicating the situation is the horde of warriors that escaped through the gate of the drowning world before they closed it.
And then there’s Roh, Vanye’s cousin who may or may not be not only himself but also an ancient alien entity inhabiting his body that he is in constant conflict with.
Once again morgaine has a slew of tough decisions and moral quandaries that she suffers alone, though increasingly begins to rely on Vanye.
This is the last of the original trilogy and while it does shed some light on morgaine and wraps up a few loose ends, it’s just as wide open for a sequel as the others.

There is a fourth book in the series, written in the early nineties that’s much thicker and I hope it gives more back story.

[Pam Baddeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third of the Morgaine books (and the conclusion to the trilogy, as the fourth book was produced years later), Morgaine and Vanye have come through the Gate between worlds/times, along with the horde of Barrowers, Marshlanders and Shiua lords (degenerate descendants of the qual, the alien race who originally caused havoc with uncontrolled time travelling via the Gates). They are forced to flee to the vast forest which surrounds the plain - Azeroth - which contains the Gate, known in this world as the Fires. They encounter peaceful human communities which live in harmony with this world's qual - for once, the descendants of the qual here are protective to the humans and have a close bond, some of them forming two person teams who protect the various human villages in clearings within the forest.

As ever, Morgaine's mission is to close the Master Gate and thereby disable all others, but she discovers - via the sword Changeling - in reality a portable Gate - that the Gate through which they entered is the Master, and it is controlled by a vast army of their enemies in a loose coalition led by the halfling lord who caused murder and mayhem in his own land. Other factions follow their enemy, the longlived qual who body-snatched the body of Vanye's cousin Roh, but only for as long as it suits them. Morgaine and Vanye have to convince the qual protectors in this world who are disquieted by their arrival among such a threatening mass, and who would oppose her mission if they knew it, as they have small jewels which they use to protect the forest - actually fragments of the same Gate-stuff of which Changeling is made. As ever, nothing goes smoothly and Vanye is soon separated from Morgaine, who he last saw wounded by an arrow, and tortured by his Barrower enemies, then 'rescued' by a qual noble from the invading army, who hands him over to his supposed halfling lord. Roh - who may or may not be more his good-hearted cousin than the cynical murderer who possesses his body - is Vanye's only hope of survival.

The story features a lot of action after an idyllic beginning among the peaceful villagers, and kept me guessing till the end whether they would survive, whether Roh would betray them or they would kill him, and whether they would somehow succeed in their mission. There is a nice hint towards the end that Morgaine, despite her often cold-hearted exterior, actually has far more regard for Vanye than he could have dreamed. And the epilogue, featuring a minor character who befriended Vanye at the start and who appears at intervals in the story, is rather touching.

The only thing that kept this from a 5-star rating is that there are quite a few bit parts on the side of the good guys who have names which are not dissimilar and it sometimes gets confusing keeping straight who is who, plus some of the characters who are established earlier on as the pair's guides are hardly more than name checked when they finally reappear. It's easier keeping track of who is who among the villains, though there are several of them too.

[Oliver Brackenbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glad I finished the series, but my personal enjoyment - as opposed to the quality of writing - dipped with the finale.

I get that it's really Vanye's story, that Morgaine is supposed to be mysterious and so you don't want to overexplain her whole deal...but separating the two characters for so much of the book, sticking with Vanye the entire time, didn't work for me. When all is said and done, Vanye's the sidekick, and when you add in perhaps doing too good a job putting the reader in the character's shoes when the character is going back and forth, back and forth on an arduous, grueling journey while having an extended argument with the sympathetic villain...

All this in a world which didn't feel terribly novel, and was crowded with enough of its own Fantasy Words (tm) to be difficult to keep track of, and yeah...just kinda lost me.

Maybe it's not what would have best served the story, but I couldn't help wanting a more alien world, more time with Morgaine, and a bit more time exploring the mystery of those who left the gates behind. But for the last 35 pages or so, this felt like more of a stretched out middle to a trilogy than the actual middle book had.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

From trouble to a brief respite -- Nhi Vanye and Morgaine come from drowning Shiuan through the Gate at Azeroth to a strangely peaceful world. But the world holds perilous secrets, and at their heels come savage hordes out of Shiuan and Vanye's own cousin, Roh.

Again, a very well-crafted, carefully-drawn tale; again, Vanye finds himself torn between the bonds of his honor and the bonds of his oath to Morgaine; again Morgaine finds herself torn between the bonds of her single-minded pursuit of her mission and the bonds of her obligations to Vanye. Again, very, very highly recommended.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another banger from CJ.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

At the end of Well of Shiuan the many thousand refugees of a doomed world pour through the open Shiuan Gate into a new world. The consequences are dealt with here, and here lies Morgaine and Vanye's most difficult and unpleasant task yet.

The world of the Azeroth Gate, or at least its immediate vicinity, is ruled by a society of remnant qhal people, those who once used and controlled the entire Gate system. In this world they have learned restraint and reason and have found a way to live as benevolent overlords, guiding the resident humans and managing the Shathan Forest. To this peaceful situation comes the savages of Shiuan, whose qhal have slid into decadence and brutality and only barely control the coalition of mutual enemies that is their horde. Their goal is of course conquest, especially of the Azeroth Gate.

Despite the peaceful inhabitants of Shathan needing Azeroth for defense of their land, Morgaine and Vanye must somehow seal the Gate as part of the mission to serve the greater good. Success means the likely obliteration of Shathan by a hungry and barbaric horde.

As in the previous books, a web of power and need drive the characters and the factions they represent. The khal--the Shiuan qhal--compete amongst themselves but are dependent upon an outsider's Gate knowledge. The horde is only united through the force of one man's personality and the possibility of gaining greater power. The humans among the horde are divided and united by their own factionalism. The people of Shathan, while their interests align with Morgaine, have no reason to trust her.

The contrast between qhal and khal is a constant factor, with the qhal in a Tolkienesque-elf role while the degenerate khal brought Moorcock's Melnibonéan people to mind.

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardship, risk and great peril lies at the heart of the stories in this superb series, delivering many decisive moments that expose the individual nature of the journey each character undertakes. Morgaine and Vanye face endless difficulties in the Fires of Azeroth, balancing varied needs to achieve their task while remaining true to those who matter to them. Grim meetings with unknown threats, ill-advised choices and endless travel through dangerous lands provide mature reading that, under Cherryh’s skilled hand, builds heightened tension of a very high standard – this narrative flows with dark energy, and ultimately delivers an adult adventure of immense appeal.

[Caleb Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend told me recently that there's nothing like reading a series that you know is going to be in your favorites of all time. This is by far the best way I could describe the Morgaine series by C.J. Cherryh! Not only will one of the books in this series be up for book of the year, but Vanye has a serious chance at being the new character of the year for me.

[Nigel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After two books of headlong flight through a nightmare of violence, betrayal and divided loyalties, Morgaine and Vanye get a chance to catch their breath with some hospitable people, but knowing that they've brought an army of desperate, angry, well-armed refugees from a dying world led by people bent on revenge and domination puts a pall on the idyll and soon things return to normal, with violence, confusion, terror, captivity, intense physical and psychological strain as war threatens the peaceful land and Morgaine's secrets threaten a fragile alliance.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

”Even my mercies,” she said, “are not without calculation. You know this of me.”

A somewhat meandering finale after the gripping Well of Shiuan, but not without its moments.

[Shaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

The world visited in this third book of the series is a kinder and gentler place than that in the second and over all this is a less bleak situation if still desperate and tense in its climax.

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right, so by the time you reach this book in the series you know exactly what Cherryh is going to do and yet...I almost find my self surprised when the inevitable occurs. Basically, this is just me whining about her killing/getting rid of my favorite characters at nearly the moment that they reach that status. ROOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Ah, that's better. I did need to get that out of my writing system. That example there is probably her best work, changing a character from someone I couldn't even actively hate to my absolute favorite even while I had the knowledge of said character's impending end. She knows her heartstrings, that Cherryh.

Also, by this book, you realize basically that Morgaine is more like a typical fantasy male and Vanye is much more like a fantasy lady. Their personalities mostly show this, the dynamic of the relationship between them has a lot of it, then there's the fact that Vanye tends to damsel throughout half of each book. I think it's kind of awesome to flip the usual roles, but it has gotten a tad predictable. I have a feeling she might flip it again for the last book, just to show me what's up. I'm likely gonna wait a few days before the next book, because I need to emotionally recover from this one.

[Gio C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written early in the authors career. I felt like it was a regurgitation of the novels before. The same predicaments keep happening. The story is slow. The language that the characters use doesn't flow. Nobody wants to answer any damn questions to progress the overall story. It was a little rough to get through. I will say that there were somethings that were tied up in the end of this. Also at the end some things were explained. I have been told the next and last novel so far in the series is next and it was much better than the original three. I will read it.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the first two, really strong' books this one feels weaker and gives you the impression that this series is now an 'endless quest' story and we won't be getting much in the way of closure or resolution.
Still love the two leads and the idea, but this adventure felt a bit generic and I'm pretty tired of them constantly chasing the same foe.

[pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Even my mercies,” she said, “are not without calculation. You know this of me.”
“I know,” he said.

[William Leight · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Probably closer to 3.5 stars]

This book has, it has to be said, absolutely no connection to Warcraft, and as far as I can tell the fact that both include a land named Azeroth is pure coincidence. Instead, this is the most obviously Tolkienesque of the original Morgaine trilogy. Names — Mirridrim, sirrindrim — are drawn from similar linguistic sources, the qhal here are fairly clearly elves, and the way that their power is connected to the larger and evil power of the Gates that must be destroyed parallels the connections between the Three and the One Ring. Most importantly, Roh takes a step forward: no longer just a villain, he is now someone who has used the evil power that Morgaine and Vanye seek to destroy to prolong his lifespan, and is also at war with himself, partly wanting to grab the power Morgaine has for himself and partly striving to return to the simpler ways he knew when he was one of Vanye’s people. In short, whether deliberately or not on Cherryh’s part, he’s Gollum, and therefore easily the most interesting character in the book. Cherryh also follows Tolkien in believing in the power and importance of atmosphere: just as an air of doom lies over Middle-Earth, Vanye’s story is suffused by a constant feeling of dread, that at any moment something terrible will happen and there’s nothing Vanye can do to stop it. Vanye has come by these feelings honestly — he knows that Morgaine’s quest makes her the enemy of pretty much everybody she comes across — and his desperate ducking and dodging from frying pan to fire and back again, with Roh sometimes being helpful and sometimes not, is pretty well executed. But in the end, Cherryh doesn’t know quite what to do with Roh, and he turns out to be mostly extraneous in the last part of the book, the possibilities of his character largely gone once Vanye meets up with Morgaine again. Instead, Vanye and Morgaine’s relationship seems to be becoming more personal, which I found to be rather unimaginative, diminishing the force of Morgaine’s unusual character for the sake of giving an added punch to an ending that turns out to be kind of anti-climactic. Cherryh keeps the action moving and the book is highly readable, but it’s not quite the conclusion to the trilogy that it could have been. (Perhaps that’s why Cherryh came back and wrote a fourth book later.)

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Passing through another gate and another story. Not quite this time. Having passed through the gate from Shuian in the last book, Morgaine and Vanye, are now trending on the world of Azeroth (or so it is referred to) where the qhal and man live together in respectful peace. But that peace is disturbed by those that fled flooding Shuian. Marsh-dwellers and qhal not only want to create a place for themselves - and their alienation is only put aside to focus on revenge. Revenge on Morgaine and Vanye.

Instead of the next story in the series, it seems more like a continuation and tying up of loose-ends from the previous book. Even with the new characters and culture on the Azeroth side of the gate. Admittedly, the qual-human relations with the harilim - a true alien race that sound like a cross between a heron and the personification of Famine (Horseman of the Apocalypse notoriety) - provide not only an interesting side trip through the forest (a couple of times) but a devastatingly brutal ally to the residents.

While separated from Morgaine, Vanye was able to make peace with his cousin, Roh, who shares his body and mind with an evil character from the first book and managed to flee to Shuian and eventually lead the marsh-dwellers through the gate to Azeroth.

Without giving away too much more, the Shuian invaders - for the most part - are defeated. Survivors willing to live in peace and cooperation with the native occupants are - not necessarily welcomed but the qual-humans are willing to give them a chance. Roh stays in Azeroth while Morgaine and Vanye move on to the next world, destroying the gate behind them.

I originally read this series years ago and it has been a interesting review of what my reading style was like then. Some - like this series - are definitely a fun read while others make me wonder what was going through my head and my life at the time.

Eventually, I'll go on to the fourth and last in the series to see if it was as good as my vague memories of it tell me.

2020-218

[Douglas Milewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fires of Azeroth (1979) by C. J. Cherryh picks up where the previous book left off, bringing us to a new world all the trouble hitting the fan in the last book, with Morgaine and Vayne slogging through it once again.

Functionally, the book is about on par with the previous title, coming in at the same level of quality, tone, and readability, making it quite the competent third work. The parts that flow well work, and the ones that don't, or feel confusing, still feel confusing. Battles especially feel confusing. The fantasy feels archaic compared to today's writing, still mostly sword and sorcery, but also taking slow steps away from the genre while dwelling in it, towards a something else, but what that something else might be is not yet apparent.

While Cherryh's world building has not improved, her situation building has, with the situation here increasing in complexity over the other two books. Villains get a little less villainish while heroes grow a little less heroic. Perspective means that heroism and villainy depend on who you talk to. The very fact that Morgaine carries Changeling places her firmly into the indeterminate category, with allies and enemies created filtered entirely through her own agenda.

If you liked her previous work, this is worth a read. If you are new to the series, this book is a poor place to begin. While some back story gets explained, there's not enough there to give the situation any weight.

[Matt Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily the best of the original Morgaine trilogy, Fires of Azeroth has much better pacing than the first two, is written in better prose, and actually goes somewhere and does something with its story. This is a truly enjoyable SFF crossover adventure, though I doubt it would work as a standalone; the end and coda could have been cheap or maudlin, but the progression of the story, the presentation of the local culture of this world, and development of the characters allow the emotional denouement to work. While the first two books (Gate of Ivrel and Well of Shiuan) consist almost entirely of helter-skelter, grab-ass running about from one ill-conceived skirmish to the next, with Vanye repeatedly getting separated from Morgaine and beaten senseless by somebody-or-other, FoA takes its time. The characters here get to catch breath and speak in full sentences, frequently get from Point A to Point B before Something Unexpectedly Occurs, and there are minor characters who are not just scenery or asshats.

Sounds like condemning with scant praise, but this is a good novel and makes suffering through the first two worthwhile. It's pretty plain, though, that Cherryh's strengths lie in harder SF, and she did improve her writing skills as she went along.

[Juushika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journeying to a new world, Vayne and Morgaine encounter an existing qhal society and a people from Moragine's past. The pacing in this final book is significantly different: the first third opens room for peaceful domesticity, the second third once again separates the protagonists, and it all functions to create parallels to (via supporting characters) and a distanced view of Morgaine and Vayne's relationship. This slows and frustrates the larger plot, and the focus on the relationship overshadows the worldbuilding--I kept waiting for more science from the science fantasy, or to see the worldbuilding directly inform the plot, and that never came. But the highlighted central relationship is distinctly Cherryh, all sublimated intensity and conflicted, bittersweet tone, and it benefits from the reflection encouraged by this book. Insofar as a review of a finale is a review of its series: this series isn't worth it, but I don't regret reading it; it's a peek into the voice and themes that I love in Cherryh's later work.

[Nenya · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the Morgaine books because of the relationships between qhal and humans in this one. There are distinct Lord of the Rings overtones to parts of it, which don't strike me as derivative as much as a homage/callback. And, of course, IN SPACE, in the universe of the Gates.

Of course further Bad Things Happen To Vanye. ;-) And this time around, I knew to expect the continued Roh plot--the first time I read it, I expected Chya Roh to exit the tale at the end of the first book, and felt like he just dragged on & on, but this time I knew where she was going with it and was much better able to appreciate the arc. Very satisfying ending, I felt.

(I also realized that this is the end of the trilogy, and Exile's Gate is a sequel written ten years later. This makes a lot of sense of the differences in pacing and approach between this one and the next.)

Definitely my favourite. (Even though Moar Spoilers re: worldbuilding in the next one.)

[January Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the backstory is science fiction, the book could be almost entirely read as fantasy or swords and sorcery. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” as Arthur C. Clarke wrote.

One might be forgiven for missing the numerous subtle hints Cherryh drops into this story of the future to come. Or at least, I hope so. I missed many of them on my first reading, and continued to miss several of them on my second, third, fourth, etc. readings. I've lost count of how many times I've read the Morgaine Cycle now, but I generally re-read it almost every year, because it is that good.

There are some heart touching moments in this book. There's plenty to think about when it comes to honor, loyalty, brotherhood, friendship, kindness to strangers, and more. Some scenes are so warm, the reader may wish to be transported there to feel the emotional warmth. Also, have tissue on hand for the tears sure to arise.

[Suzanne Thackston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started with the fourth in the Morgaine series, and it's by far my favorite. But every now and then I revisit the original trilogy, just to spend a little time with Morgaine and Vanye (and Arrhan and Siptah) in their earlier adventures.
Thoroughly enjoyed them, especially this one. CJ Cherryh seems to get better and better with these particular characters as she goes on.
I wish there were more. Too many series go on for too long. I know her hard sci fi are the ones most fans love, but this is one of my favorite series of all. I want to yank her back over the line into her wonderful fantasy stuff.

[Evan Þ. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beyond another worldgate with an army come chasing them from the dying world, led by our protagonist's cousin from the first world (or the possessing spirit that's grabbed his body) - the setting here isn't memorable except for the clearest descriptions Cherryh gives of the Gate, and the plot mostly isn't either.  But the twists of our protagonist's relationship with his maybe-cousin are good, down to the surprising final mercy given at the ending.

Here, Cherryh let the series rest for years, and it's a fitting ending.  She did take it up again for one final book much later, and I'll continue to there - but this would have been a good ending in itself.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the book that made me decide to try this series. The cover says something to compare it to lord of the rings but it’s nothing like that book.
Honestly it’s a good series and this was an enjoyable book. It’s not prefect. It has some flaws and there are some parts that seem extremely illogical and it’s ends kind of abruptly, almost unfinished, but to think it was written in the 70s seems amazing to me. The female character is well done and the relationship is too. Without spoilers it’s such a different story than anything else that I think it’s worth your time.

[Chinasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this up. CJ doesn’t disappoint. It did feel slightly similar in plot to the 2nd book with all of the “getting captured, staying at peoples holds, getting separated from morgaine” stuff but I loved it all the same. I think the 2nd book was my favorite of the 3 so far. I can’t wait to read Exiles Gate. I’m going to be so sad when my journey with these characters end. Good thing CJ Cherryh has written like a million books lol

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion the best of the four Morgaine books which is saying a lot. I absolutely loved this book. It was lyrical and intimate and I loved it.

This is not a fantasy with magical creatures and talking dragons; it is a great SF swords and ray guns story in the grand tradition of yester-year.

Read the series in order, including #4, to understand #3.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this story that I started in 2004. I am surprised that I recall enough of the previous reading to pick up the story in Chapter 16 of Book 2, where I left it off back in 2004, 2005.

Good story, better now to the new me than it was to me in 2004/5 time range.

[Stephen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another fun little installment. Started to drag a bit for me. Not enough real reveal about what's going on at a higher level, and find myself a little bored with the plot. Maybe I'll come back to this.