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The War of Powers #2
The City in the Glacier
Book 2 of the series War of Powers...The Amulet of Living Flame, the most powerful talisman in existence. Its magic brought the dead back to life. They all wanted it, but only one of them could ...
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 18, 2019
Fost Longstrider and Princess Moriana - along with their annoyingly hedonistic ghostly companion, Erimenes - have fled from the Sky City under threat of death...and worse...from her sister Synalon who has murdered their mother and accomplished a coup by taking the throne. Moriana's only hope to save her people is to find the Amulet of the Living Flame and use its power to take back her city. Fost, on the other hand, wants the amulet simply for the fact that it will grant the wearer immortality. As the two draw closer to their goal, they know that soon they will have to set aside their feelings and only one will achieve their destiny.
Robert Vardeman and the late Victor Milan continue the story of the War of Powers in this the second volume. While this is pretty standard fantasy quest fare, Vardeman and Milan add their own unique twists to the characters' trials and tribulations with a dash of very adult themes thrown in. Fantasy creatures…talking glaciers (yes...TALKING GLACIERS!!!)…bear riding nomads...ancient cities...and all those things that make fantasy so much fun, and more.
While the authors have written a story that could be picked up by the casual reader and enjoyed in and of itself, it's recommended that the first book in the series - The Sundered Realm - be read at some point to fully fill in the back ground and driving issues behind this story.
On to volume 3...
Robert Vardeman and the late Victor Milan continue the story of the War of Powers in this the second volume. While this is pretty standard fantasy quest fare, Vardeman and Milan add their own unique twists to the characters' trials and tribulations with a dash of very adult themes thrown in. Fantasy creatures…talking glaciers (yes...TALKING GLACIERS!!!)…bear riding nomads...ancient cities...and all those things that make fantasy so much fun, and more.
While the authors have written a story that could be picked up by the casual reader and enjoyed in and of itself, it's recommended that the first book in the series - The Sundered Realm - be read at some point to fully fill in the back ground and driving issues behind this story.
On to volume 3...
August 7, 2011
Every so often, I crave trash -- and I make no bones about it.
I first read the War of the Powers series when I was a sophomore in high school, and I'm pretty sure that I was part of the target audience: young, horny, pimple-faced, socially retarded, tasteless semi-literates. As literature, the WP series is rather unlikely to eclipse the work of Tolkien, Dunsany, or Hodgson -- to name a few . It is, however, loaded with graphic violence and gratuitous sex -- consummate "*pork* sword and sorcery," as it were. And in all fairness, each of the six books is a fast-paced, entertaining read.
I first read the War of the Powers series when I was a sophomore in high school, and I'm pretty sure that I was part of the target audience: young, horny, pimple-faced, socially retarded, tasteless semi-literates. As literature, the WP series is rather unlikely to eclipse the work of Tolkien, Dunsany, or Hodgson -- to name a few . It is, however, loaded with graphic violence and gratuitous sex -- consummate "*pork* sword and sorcery," as it were. And in all fairness, each of the six books is a fast-paced, entertaining read.
December 28, 2025
Honestly, a lot of this book felt like filler until the last few chapters. Then again, it’s an adventure book, so they’re supposed to get sidetracked along the way. For what that adventure was, it includes a delusional cult, bear-riding warriors fighting an evil sorcerer, running from the sadistic eunuch Prince Rann, they fight the worms on the front cover, and finally they find the Macguffin. A fun ride.
November 6, 2021
6/10
Not much is lost in the rerouting of this story for the second book’s plotline. Good pacing and fun landscapes with creative environments.
Not much is lost in the rerouting of this story for the second book’s plotline. Good pacing and fun landscapes with creative environments.
August 9, 2009
It has all the elements and was a decent read, but I didn't find it strongly compelling. I have the others in the series and will probably eventualy read them but I don't feel a strong sense that I'll enjoy them a lot.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews