The Lesser Sun

The Wandering #2

by L.B. Graham

Kaden Omiir, prince of Barra-Dohn, has survived the collapse of his city and his empire. Now he, along with his family and a small group of other survivors, have chosen to join with the nomadic Amhuru in opposing the Jin Dara, who has satisfied his thirst for vengeance against his family’s ancient enemy but found a new purpose in life – taking all six fragments of the Golden Cord for himself. Kaden and the Amhuru face a difficult choice, whether to break their own laws and risk the perilous trip across the Madri into the Northlands, where they might find aid from their Northland brothers – if they can survive long enough to explain why they have come. Meanwhile, a dangerous seed of treachery is growing in their midst.

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2014

About the author

L. B. Graham (BA Literature, Wheaton College; MDiv, Covenant Seminary) is chairman of the Bible department and teacher of English and Worldviews at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis. He has written several articles in IVP’s Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. He and his wife, Joanne, have two children.

Reviews

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first book (4 stars)

After the destruction of the city of Bara-Dohn, a remnant has fled to protect the remaining piece of the Golden Cord from falling into the hands of the evil Jin Dara. The excitement ramps up as this second novel from the "Wandering" series progresses towards an exciting climax.

Once again L.B. Graham's world-building shines, with fascinating peoples like the Amhuru and Najin, and curious creatures including the elephant-like Omojen, flying gorgaal, and crocodile-like salandra. Graham builds on fantasy writers who have gone before him - the Rivendell-like Azlandalir being one clear example - but there's more content that is original than derived. Many readers will also be glad to know that there's more emphasis on female characters than in the first book, with Olli, Rika, and Nara all playing an important role.

I especially appreciated the broader Christian worldview, and the commitment of the Amhuru to being following the commands of Kalos about the Golden Cord rather than going by their own wisdom. Highlighting the value of complete submission to the Creator's command has much practical ethical relevance today, and it's these kinds of underlying themes that I really appreciate. On to book 3!

[Amy Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the parts discussing the ultimate struggles over the cord, such as crossing the Madri and facing the Amhuru from the North. Graham introduces teenage boy love struggles in this book that are kind of annoying, as he did that in Binding of the Blade, and something about the age differences or the way he has teen broken hearts doesn't seem realistic to me. The clever idea of Draagan and his fight with the Din Jara at the end were very exciting. I do think Graham has strokes of genius in his Christian allusions, such as the Amhuru trying to make ethical decisions in light of "Kalos" commands and their added traditions afterwards.

[Frode · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.B. Graham writes a good book. This one did not disappoint. The story moved along well. The love interests of Delso were a side story. The Jin Dara showed his power, and the big decision about crossing the Madri came and went with interesting consequences. There are Christian allusions in the book and add a bit to the tension, particularly in making major decisions. New characters emerge and play their parts well. Obviously the two villains in the story will link up somewhere in the next book or books and create more difficulties. Many details and events are yet to come. It's a good book for those who like adventure with some Christian elements woven in. I recommend it for teens and above.

Will this series be a trilogy or more? That question is as yet unanswered.