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Mithgar (Publication) #13
Into the Fire
Tipperton and Beau, having delivered a mysterious coin to the reclusive King Agron, discover that the coin was actually a plea for help from King Blaine for aid in the Great War of the Ban. But the two adventurers are still not free from duty. Tip burns to avenge the death of his ladylove, fallen in battle, and Beau the healer cannot ignore the suffering of those around him. So they join the fight, leading Agron's army into the lands of their enemy, the Black Mage Modru, carrying with them an ancient prophecy of victory...or horrible defeat.
560 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
18 people are currently reading
544 people want to read
About the author
Dennis L. McKiernan
69 books521 followersMcKiernan was born in Moberly, Missouri, where he lived until he served the U.S. Air Force for four years, stationed within US territory during the Korean War. After military service, he attended the University of Missouri and received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1958 and an M.S. in the same field from Duke University in 1964. He worked as an engineer at AT&T, initially at Western Electric but soon at Bell Laboratories, from 1958 until 1989. In 1989, after early retirement from engineering, McKiernan began writing on a full-time basis.
In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, McKiernan was hit by a car which had crossed the center-line, and was confined to a bed, first in traction and then in a hip spica cast, for many months. During his recuperation, he boldly began a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The publisher Doubleday showed an interest in his work and tried to obtain authorization from Tolkien's estate but was denied. Doubleday then asked McKiernan to rewrite his story, placing the characters in a different fictitious world, and also to write a prequel supporting it. The prequel, of necessity, resembles The Lord of the Rings; the decision of Doubleday to issue the work as a trilogy increased that resemblance; and some critics have seen McKiernan as simply imitating Tolkien's epic work. McKiernan has subsequently developed stories in the series that followed along a story line different from those that plausibly could have been taken by Tolkien.
McKiernan's Faery Series expands tales draw from Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, additionally tying the selected tales together with a larger plot.
McKiernan currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.
(Biography taken from Wikipedia)
In 1977, while riding his motorcycle, McKiernan was hit by a car which had crossed the center-line, and was confined to a bed, first in traction and then in a hip spica cast, for many months. During his recuperation, he boldly began a sequel to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The publisher Doubleday showed an interest in his work and tried to obtain authorization from Tolkien's estate but was denied. Doubleday then asked McKiernan to rewrite his story, placing the characters in a different fictitious world, and also to write a prequel supporting it. The prequel, of necessity, resembles The Lord of the Rings; the decision of Doubleday to issue the work as a trilogy increased that resemblance; and some critics have seen McKiernan as simply imitating Tolkien's epic work. McKiernan has subsequently developed stories in the series that followed along a story line different from those that plausibly could have been taken by Tolkien.
McKiernan's Faery Series expands tales draw from Andrew Lang's Fairy Books, additionally tying the selected tales together with a larger plot.
McKiernan currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.
(Biography taken from Wikipedia)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 31, 2023
The conclusion of Hel’s Crucible finds Tip and Beau acquiring more friends and forging alliances together and apart with the former taking on the role of scout and the latter a medic. Battles, skirmishes, and eventual war take place and McKiernan is able to put one right in the middle of all of it.
March 8, 2010
I am a fan of Mithgar and as such I have yet to come across a Mithgar book I didn't like. Of course some are better than others and it's been a while since I read this particular book, but it is an enjoyable story and time well spent.
March 10, 2018
The Hel's Crucible duology is comprised of Into the Forge and Into the Fire. It's actually one really long story, so I suggest reading them back to back. It's the story of the War of The Ban, one of the most important events in the history of Mithgar, one which is mentioned frequently (and mysteriously!) in the earlier volumes. Forge moves rather slowly, but Fire picks up the pace and satisfactorily wraps up numerous plot points that have been left hanging for a long time. McKiernan's Mithgar series is one of the best modern high fantasies, and this is one of the keystone stories. (And no, it's not just for Tolkien fans!)
December 31, 2015
I am a great fan of the Mithgar novels of Dennis McKiernan. This second book of the Hel's Crucible duology was excellent. Really enjoyable Epic Fantasy. " It's all connected, you know"
April 8, 2017
I love epic fantasy, and this one doesn't dissappoint. Mr. McKiernan is a great fantasy writer, and an original fan. This story follows Tip and Beau as they continue their journey to deliver a coin to the king. Many new characters, and old ones return. Loved the new types of fantastical characters, not just your typical dwarves, elves, and such. Great story.
March 17, 2015
Don't read a book just because a pretty girl likes it.
September 16, 2013
If you like fantasy you'll going to love this book. It's the second part of Hels Crucible. It's got everything that a fantasy book needs. Move over Lord of the Rings.
February 25, 2024
When halflings are Warrows and there seem to be dozens of names for other fantasy “races,” one knows that one is in the midst of an epic fantasy. Into the Fire is not part of a trilogy, however, but is the final work in the Hel’s Crucible duology. Hel’s Crucible is (mild spoiler alert) the site of the final epic battle in the narrative. I mention the Warrows in particular because most of the story is told from their perspective and, through the magic of what Jung called serendipity, these characters seem to have a key role in everything. I believe Tolkien would have been pleased with this mixture of cultures and elements of homage to his classic works. I also like the way that real-world languages are mixed into the fantasy tongues used in the book. For example, one weapon described is Dunamis, a blade forged in Duellin by Dwynfor (p. 440). The name of the blade, of course, is Greek for power and it was forged in a town with a name that sounds like “dueling.”
Although the Hel’s Crucible duology is clearly built around a lengthy war, it is also clearly an anti-war saga. The characters do their duty, but there isn’t a sense of seeking glory or much (if any) pleasure taken in the honors received by various characters. The “butcher’s bill” as they called it in the fighting sail novels, was extremely steep.
The saga begins with a massacre and a token, a necklace with a coin being given as a vital message to be taken to a far-off kingdom. The coin doesn’t get there in Into the Forge, the first volume, but Spoiler Alert it does reach its destination in Into the Fire. I spoil this because it is symbolic of the high cost of war. “The coin was a Gjeenian penny, practically worthless in and of itself. Yet now an army marches in Gron because of it.” (p. 239) That’s how the main protagonist’s friend describes it. To which a mage responds: “Many tokens of power are that way: rather plain in and of themselves, but mighty in what they bring.” (p. 239)
In true epic tradition, there is ample time for celebrations, rituals, songs, and tales. There is even a double wedding where these words are spoken to the couples: “’Till Death do us a part’ is not a phrase used in Elven vows, for Death was ever meant to be a stranger to Elvenkind. Yet heed, our vows are worthy, regardless of mortality or not.” (p. 373)
The climactic battle is almost overwhelming. Even when you see how the tide (somewhat literally) is turned, you do not see how devastating the results are going to be. Much like weapons of mass destruction in our own age, this fantastic (in the literal sense) solution has unanticipated consequences which affect the world in more ways than deciding a war. Indeed, that is what makes Into the Fire so satisfying. One expects a victory in such a story, but not necessarily one which cuts so deep.
The entire duology is a marvelous work. There are sections that I would rate as five full stars. However, there are times when the pacing drags on (perhaps to illustrate an attribute of war) when it seems unnecessary. As a result, I liked Into the Fire but I didn’t love it.
Although the Hel’s Crucible duology is clearly built around a lengthy war, it is also clearly an anti-war saga. The characters do their duty, but there isn’t a sense of seeking glory or much (if any) pleasure taken in the honors received by various characters. The “butcher’s bill” as they called it in the fighting sail novels, was extremely steep.
The saga begins with a massacre and a token, a necklace with a coin being given as a vital message to be taken to a far-off kingdom. The coin doesn’t get there in Into the Forge, the first volume, but Spoiler Alert it does reach its destination in Into the Fire. I spoil this because it is symbolic of the high cost of war. “The coin was a Gjeenian penny, practically worthless in and of itself. Yet now an army marches in Gron because of it.” (p. 239) That’s how the main protagonist’s friend describes it. To which a mage responds: “Many tokens of power are that way: rather plain in and of themselves, but mighty in what they bring.” (p. 239)
In true epic tradition, there is ample time for celebrations, rituals, songs, and tales. There is even a double wedding where these words are spoken to the couples: “’Till Death do us a part’ is not a phrase used in Elven vows, for Death was ever meant to be a stranger to Elvenkind. Yet heed, our vows are worthy, regardless of mortality or not.” (p. 373)
The climactic battle is almost overwhelming. Even when you see how the tide (somewhat literally) is turned, you do not see how devastating the results are going to be. Much like weapons of mass destruction in our own age, this fantastic (in the literal sense) solution has unanticipated consequences which affect the world in more ways than deciding a war. Indeed, that is what makes Into the Fire so satisfying. One expects a victory in such a story, but not necessarily one which cuts so deep.
The entire duology is a marvelous work. There are sections that I would rate as five full stars. However, there are times when the pacing drags on (perhaps to illustrate an attribute of war) when it seems unnecessary. As a result, I liked Into the Fire but I didn’t love it.
February 19, 2018
This was definitely better than the first half of the duology, as there was a lot more action and interesting stuff. Honestly, I think if Hel's Crucible had been presented as one longer book rather than two, it could've been fairly good. If the travelogue style of the first volume was made into a much briefer bit on the front of this, it would've been kinda fun. And in a way, reading the first volume isn't totally necessary because the summary at the start of this one handles things pretty well.
This second book finds Tip and Beau and their companions heading out from a Dwarven stronghold to continue their quest to deliver a coin to one of the kings of Mithgar. They have to break a siege and slay a gargon (Mithgar's very vague equivalent of a Balrog, at least in terms of its position in the hierarchy of evil monsters) to finally discover that the coin is a message from the High King seeking aid. Further adventures and false starts occur before finally Tip and Beau and various other characters, some from this novel and others cameoing from Voyage of the Fox Rider, march south to join the High King for the final battle in Hel's Crucible. There are some fun parts to the story, like Tip and Bekki's quest to retrieve herbs to fight a plague and Tip's harrowing experience trapped in a cave after a snowstorm and a poisonous bite from totally not a warg. There's also a lot of not very well done parts, and the plot feels like it wanders aimlessly for a while once the coin has been delivered. Also, as this is meant to be Mithgar's equivalent to the Silmarillion, there are similar events such as the sundering of Mithgar and the heavenly realm that the elves come from and the destruction of Atalar (which totally isn't Numenor guys no siree). The latter especially falls flat because none of the books have ever actually visited Atalar and given us a reason to care. At least when the previous novel sinks the Mage's island the reader has seen a bit of it and thus cares some about it - here I felt basically nothing at all.
I do like that McKiernan attempts to deliver a message about the horrors of war, and as always there are some interesting ideas in terms of plot and setting. It's just that a lot of things fall flat, especially characters and any attempt at writing romance. I didn't completely loathe this the way I did the first half of the story, and I do plan to read more Mithgar novels since as generic Tolkien knockoffs go, they're at least moderately entertaining. I like Shannara a lot better, and feel like Brooks becomes much more original and interesting, but there is something fun about reading a fairly comfortably generic and unsurprising tale of elves, dwarves, andhobbits I mean warrows.
This second book finds Tip and Beau and their companions heading out from a Dwarven stronghold to continue their quest to deliver a coin to one of the kings of Mithgar. They have to break a siege and slay a gargon (Mithgar's very vague equivalent of a Balrog, at least in terms of its position in the hierarchy of evil monsters) to finally discover that the coin is a message from the High King seeking aid. Further adventures and false starts occur before finally Tip and Beau and various other characters, some from this novel and others cameoing from Voyage of the Fox Rider, march south to join the High King for the final battle in Hel's Crucible. There are some fun parts to the story, like Tip and Bekki's quest to retrieve herbs to fight a plague and Tip's harrowing experience trapped in a cave after a snowstorm and a poisonous bite from totally not a warg. There's also a lot of not very well done parts, and the plot feels like it wanders aimlessly for a while once the coin has been delivered. Also, as this is meant to be Mithgar's equivalent to the Silmarillion, there are similar events such as the sundering of Mithgar and the heavenly realm that the elves come from and the destruction of Atalar (which totally isn't Numenor guys no siree). The latter especially falls flat because none of the books have ever actually visited Atalar and given us a reason to care. At least when the previous novel sinks the Mage's island the reader has seen a bit of it and thus cares some about it - here I felt basically nothing at all.
I do like that McKiernan attempts to deliver a message about the horrors of war, and as always there are some interesting ideas in terms of plot and setting. It's just that a lot of things fall flat, especially characters and any attempt at writing romance. I didn't completely loathe this the way I did the first half of the story, and I do plan to read more Mithgar novels since as generic Tolkien knockoffs go, they're at least moderately entertaining. I like Shannara a lot better, and feel like Brooks becomes much more original and interesting, but there is something fun about reading a fairly comfortably generic and unsurprising tale of elves, dwarves, and
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April 11, 2024Mithgar books are like a comfortable blanket for me on a cold day. They tend to follow a general pattern: warrows (halflings essentially) join with members of the other free races to stop an evil and travel across the world in the process. Into the Fire is no different, but it's still a satisfying read. It's nice to read about warrows, dwarves, elves, men, and other free folk unabashedly show love and camaraderie with each other as they face certain death - no unnecessary grittiness or edginess needed. It's wholesome and I wouldn't have it any other way. This novel tells about warrows and the War of the Ban, mentioned as early as the very first Mithgar novel. This one went on perhaps a bit longer than it needed to, but I still enjoyed it.
April 23, 2025
Book 2 of a Dualology, I was kind of enraptured by the story of the war as seen through the POV of two Warrows, Tip and Beau. Oh what a journey they have, from the humble beginnings where fate thrust upon them a quest to deliver a message delivered to them by a dying soldier, taking them throughout Mithgar until they deliver the message and the story continues. (being deliberately vague here). I've long been a fan of Mithgar and Dennis L McKiernan ever since the original stories, opting to take wonder in his obvious homage to Tolkien instead of umbrage, and now I've returned to reading the mithgar series in world chronological order (after reading the original 5 over the past few years). This does mean I'm seeing some books I read long ago, as well as finding new ones I hadn't read. These were new to me and I'm so glad I read them. What we have here is so rare, a series of books where Elves, Dwarves, and (Hobbits er Warrows) exist and fight against the big bad and his minions. They are WELL written, and so worth your time. Because we've gone beyond the original novels, the stories have long left any likeness to Tolkien and are fun, Fantastical adventures. Read them!
March 17, 2018
Part two of the series, this is a well written high fantasy adventure that I really enjoyed. The characters are interesting and enjoyable. The story is compelling and sad. I think the author does a good job with the emotions and with the battle scenes. I liked this book.
June 28, 2024
Another fantastic Mithgar novel and a powerful conclusion to Hèl’s Crucible. The long journey and many sacrifices and battles during the War of the Ban were poignantly told as ever; and the conclusion in the Crucible was thrilling all the way through. I loved it.
October 30, 2022
Great story😀😊
I enjoyed the tale and the fact that the heroes were small and not usual hero type. I'm looking for more of these tales to enjoy
I enjoyed the tale and the fact that the heroes were small and not usual hero type. I'm looking for more of these tales to enjoy
did-not-finish-or-start
October 29, 2023DNS 10/28/23
July 9, 2011
Another disappointing book by Dennis McKiernan. He has been bashed to death already in reviews already so I won't pile on.
February 5, 2014
Yes, yes, the same as book 1. Just read it. You'll love it.
April 10, 2014
The first book in the duology was the better written of the two, yet this was fine as an adventure I suppose.
October 7, 2015
Better than the first of the duology. Still nothing to write home about. I continue to maintain these books are good for reading while you figure out what you really want to be reading.
October 4, 2025
Great read tons of action and so much more.
I loved the Warrows they are are the best part of this story. They live in a world filled with adventure.
I loved the Warrows they are are the best part of this story. They live in a world filled with adventure.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews