Palace of Kings

Loremasters of Elundium #2

by Mike Jefferies

Once King Holbian's loyal messenger and now the leader of the Warriors of Underfall, Thane embarks on a perilous quest in search of his nightmare enemy, Krulshards

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

432 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 1987

About the author

Mike Jefferies is a British screenwriter, film producer, and author. Jefferies founded the media and publishing group Mondiale in 1991 which he sold to the Daily Mail in 1999 after winning the HRH Queens Award for Enterprise in 1998.
He was born in Liverpool and now resides in Los Angeles. When he is not working in Hollywood, he is writing fantasy novels.

Reviews

[Chris]

There's something refreshing in reading a fantasy novel where you already know what's going to happen a hundred pages before it does. The author gives the reader no surprises as far as the characters' motivations either. But what I enjoyed most about this book was how the characters negotiate their world and each other. There's a sort of subtle beauty in Kyot and Eventine's interactions.

I can understand why this series isn't as popular as others. It's lackluster, predictable, and a bit horrific (especially what happens to Martbel). But I'm into it, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

[Lorewarden]

I enjoyed this second Elundium novel even more than the first. It has the same tone, more a legend being told in a tavern by a bard than a straight prose fantasy novel, which is fun. What's better is that it expands the world of Elundium past a single road with a couple outposts on it. It's easier to get emotionally involved for a fictional world when the evil threat feels like it's endangering an actual world. The ranks of heroic animals is expanded past horses/owls/wild dogs to also include stags and swans as well.

This novel picks up right where the abrupt cliffhanger of the first novel left off, but ends in another cliffhanger that makes me look forward to the next volume.

[The Honest Book Reviewer]

This is better than the first book in the series. The pacing is amazing and the stakes are more meaningful. It also has a great structure. The plot moves well and still finds space for quieter character moments.

So much is happening. Cities fall in battle, old allies are lost, we meet new companions, and the search for the glass arrows gives us more world building and intriguing character development in a time of intensity and impending war. Victories feels earned rather than foretold, and success seems to come at a cost.

The characters in this series are amazing. Kyot's search for the makers of the glass arrows was one of my favourite parts of the novel. Krulshards is a genuinely creepy and dark villain and his cruelty and cunning makes him impossible to underestimate. Elionbel is one of the emotional centres of the story. I had started to write her off after the first book, but her storyline in this book is thoroughly engaging.

One thing I need to mention it the wizard, Nevian. He appears fleetingly, like a figure trying to move pieces into place rather than directing events outright. His appearances add mystery. I like that he’s written as wise and powerful but with limits. He takes chances but he can’t foresee the future. I do enjoy when fantasy introduces the unknown.

There are some negatives. Characters still recover from danger too quickly, often laughing and charging into battle when seconds before it seemed overwhelming. The plot can lean on prophecy and a little heavily. But I enjoy prophecy in fantasy, so this isn't a major criticism, even though there were moments where events may have been a little convenient.

The ending is amazing because it introduces political uncertainty, hidden secrets, old rivalries, and the consequences of war. There is hope but also future danger. That means book three needs to commit to that promise. Not something that’s always guaranteed.

[T J]

Thane comes down out of the mountain and finds Krulshards is ravaging his world. It will take all he has learned and all his friends to track him down. Great second book and it is one to the third to see what is next for our brave hero.

[Devi]

This is the second volume of the Loremasters of Elundium. It's a good story - Tolkien lite - and a good read that moves along at a good pace.