Die Insel der Elben

A Man of His Word #2

by Dave Duncan

Inos, the late king's daughter, had been kidnapped through the magic casement even as the Impish legions overrunning her tiny kingdom were storming the castle tower. Now she was a prisoner in a desert land ruled by a dockside whore with a talent for magic and a passion for politics. But loyal stableboy Rap had jumped through the casement after her. He was determined to rescue his beloved queen, and not even the monsters and headhunters of Faerie or the paranoid machinations of an evil sorcerer would stand in his way . . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adventure

472 pages, Paperback

First published March 13, 1991

About the author

Originally from Scotland, Dave Duncan lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds were more satisfying than the real one, he published more than 60 novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical.

He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")

His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.

He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.

He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Algernon · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Tis all a Chequer-board of Nights and Days
Where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays:
Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays,
And one by one back in the Closet lays.
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Among of the Easter-eggs to be found in the Man of His Word fantasy epic are these fragments of poetry that the author inserts inbetween chapters to highlight and put in context the tribulations of his heroes. So, how does Omar Khayyam and the games of Fate figure into the action of the second volume in the series?

The first one is easy: after we spent much of the first novel on a small kindom an a frozen rocky island by the arctic ocean, we now follow the princess Inosolan as she is is sent, much against her will, to Zark, at the other end of the map, as hot and dry as her native Krasnegar was cold.

Eastward from the bare crags of the Agoniste Mountains, the land fell off in scabby ridges and gullies, sere and drab. Rare oases like green wounds pitted the valleys, but otherwise that desolate country was fit only for antelopes and wild goats, watched over by buzzards drifting in the thin blue sky. Below the hills, a roasted desert stretched away to meet the surf of the Spring Sea.

The choice of Omar Khayyam for the poetry is justified by the fact that the desert of Zark is home to a population of djinn, a type of society that borrows heavily from the lore of the Arabian Nights. Djinns are proud and easy to anger, fierce warriors and jealous lovers who like to hide their womenfolk in harems and behind black veils. Compared to other nations and races that Dave Duncan uses to populate his Pandemia world, the djinns are a bit too generic and unsubtle for my taste. He is good though with individual characters, like Azak ak'Azakar ak'Zorazak, Sultan of Arakkaran, who has his own problems dealing with sorcery in his own palace, but in my opinion he is a tad lazy in his worldbuilding.

A little more originality can be found in the island kingdom where the stableboy Rap is sent. The Faery Lands are similar in many ways to the Pacific tropical islands, but there is mystery aplenty and a curious aboriginal population with magical abilities that is unlike any other elves I have come across in fantasy. The "forlorn" in the title is amply justified.

By mentioning the two places where Inos and Rap have been sent, I come to the reason many readers, myself included, rate the second book lower than the opening volume. I still love the style of presentation and the main characters, but nothing much happens to push the plot forward. At the end of the second novel, Rap and Inos are basically in the same position they were at the beginning of it. The main aim of this second book is to expand the story and give it the epic scope it needs. From a focus on the tiny kingdom of Krasnegar, the author patiently builds his case for why these two young people are important to the world at large, and how their fate is closely linked with events in the capital of the Impire and in the minds of the four warlocks that control magic use with an iron fist. It is a necessary exercise, whose benefits would be revealed in the next two novels in the series, but it does have the drawback of slowing things down in the present one.

Many of the movements of Rap in the Faery Islands and of Inos in Zark seem random and unnecessary, justifying the opening quatrain and suggesting the author, or the God who made a brief but important appearance in the first book, is playing an obscure chess game with the young people's destiny. Hindsight is a great help, and I must confess I already read the next two books before writing my review, so I sort of know what happens next, and why the separation of the heroes and the wandering months are important. I urge readers tempted to give up on the series to be patient and give the story some credit, a chance to woo them back.

In a character driven epic, I have another confession to make. Inosolan is growing less interesting as the beautiful, gutsy princess with a wild streak, and I am starting to enjoy more the chapters that follow the perils and the evolution of Rap from stableboy to magic wielder. I remember I read once a commentary on Tintin, the young adventurer / journalist of the Belgian comic strips, that he was created as a placeholder for the imagination of the reader who is supposed to cast himself as the hero of the quest, fighting the dragons and saving the maidens. There is a lot of truth in this statement, at least for me, but what I like most about Rap is his steady moral compass, his instinct for doing the right thing. Knights in shiny armor seem to have gone out of fashion, ceding the limelight to skilled assassins, sarcastic thiefs or berserk warriors who flirt often with the Dark Side of the Force. ( Most people don't know what they really want from life, Master Rap. We all think we know, but we often deceive ourselves in one way or another. We think we want to help a cause and secretly desire only power. We think we love, when what we feel is lust. We crave revenge and call it justice. Our self deceptions are endless. As the title of the series suggests, Rap is a Man of His Word, and I hope he will keep faith with this atitude as the author continues to put obstacles in his path and to pit him against increasingly stronger adversaries. I thing this next quote defines him, as he has to chose between saving his skin and going back to rescue a companion a goblin whose sole purpose in life is to torture Rap to death as slowly as possible :

He planned to live to an extreme old age, and that meant he must live with his conscience for a long time yet. He had promised to return.

I have given only three stars to this second novel, mostly to reflect a minor disappointment with the pacing, but the talent of Dave Duncan as a storyteller continues to impress me and to make me keep on reading after midnight even on weekdays when I need to wake up early and go to work. Until I come back with the review for book three, here's another Easter egg, one more quatrain from the Rubayat about love, companionship, and reading:

A book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread - and Thou,
Beside me singing in the Wilderness
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As other reviews have mentioned, the second book is not as good as the first.

The author could have told the same story in half the time.

It is overdescriptive, revealing little information.

I skimmed.

I am moving on to the third book, but am dangerously close to not finishing.

Safety-violence and talk of torture.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, yet it felt slow at times. Maybe the scene-hopping slowed the momentum as we jumped from one place to another. Most of the time, Rap is on the island of Faery with Little Chicken and the sequential 5-in-1 cabal. Meanwhile, Princess Inos and Aunt Kade are in sunny Arakkaran, in Zark (think Arabia) with the Sultana on the other side of the impire (not a typo).
I enjoyed the transitions from one setting to another, as Duncan often uses the rising/setting sun or the weather to segue from Zark in the East to Faery in the West. However, I wanted to spend less time with Princess Inos and more time with Rap.
The POV is 3rd person, mostly Rap's or Inos's perspective, but oddly enough we also hear from a sailor, Gathmor, and Aunt Kade.
As with book 1, some anachronistic language occasionally pulled me out of the medieval setting.

Notable scenes: Rap realizing they like him as he is, making friends. Sultana Rasha's meeting with the Warden of the East. The sailing scene is vivid and engrossing -- finding the way in the dark, dehydrated, with cannibals on the shores. Brilliant scene with mad Bright Water (the goblin Witch of the North) and the insecure but über-powerful dwarf, Wizard of the West. Sad scenes involving faeries and trolls.

There is a little romance, but only a bit. Not enough to classify this as a romance, but enough to pull on the heart strings.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may be in the minority, but I loved this second book of the series. Pure, simple, old time fantasy that was a romp and so much fun.

Our hero, Queen-in-Waiting Inos, has been whisked through the Magic Casement and kidnapped by a prior lady-of-the-night sorceress (I did tell you this is a hoot!). Inos' one and only loyal subject, Rap, was also thrown through the Casement but to the other side of the world to the island of Faery. To Rap's great dismay the 5 in 1 personality body and Little Chicken have travelled with him and there is no guarantee who will be available to help Rap get off the island and rescue Inos. Along with his travel companions Rap faces the 4 Wardens (North, South, etc.) , very reminiscent of the Wizard of Oz, except not one of them is a "good" .

An added bonus, for me at least, is the inclusion of excerpts from Wine of the Mystic: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: A Spiritual Interpretation. Having never heard of this I went down one of those great black holes on Google with it, and that added a ton of enjoyment for me.

Only recommend to true Epic and Old time Fantasy lovers.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, joy. I almost underestimated him again, didn't I? read the first one, felt a bit "so so". look where that got me last time!

The tension is on, our heroes scattered throughout Pandemia, and alliances forged and broken and who to trust is never a certain thing.

We have our young queen, seemingly wedged between the mercies of a calculating sorceress and a rather sultry sultan with her kingdom far away and in the hands of enemies. Then there's the bloodthirsty goblin, who's holding his head high because prophecy has told him he's getting exactly what he wants. Our gestalt continue to seek words of power, and then there's Master Rap, thrown hither and thither, from thief to magician to sorcerer to sailor, all the while trying to find his queen.

The politics, the scenery and the power play between the Wardens all serve as excellent fodder, and as the characters wend their way through a world so divided it makes one wonder just where everybody is going to end up and who's going to pull through it all. This book ends on Rap, "bound with ties of friendship" to the sailors, divided emotionally as well as by great distance from where he originally set out to be.

and the saga continues!

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Palace life might be very enjoyable, but her kingdom had been stolen from her, and she must see about getting it back.

A pleasant romp through a Middle Earth/Arabian Nights-style fantasy universe. Well-written romantic fantasy adventure. Star-crossed protagonists who don’t yet know they love each other. Structured magic and hierarchies of magic users, even making room for alteration of chance and probability. And occasional divine interference.

A word of power made its owner lucky. Was this curious opportunity somehow important?

Enjoyable if not engaging. More satisfying than contemporary fantasy fiction. Each chapter opens with a quote from Edward Fitzgerald’s 1859 translation of THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM Fitzgerald's English Version, which provides the chapter title and theme.

“A wise sultan always has a variety of plans in store, and rarely tells anyone what they are.”

Duncan is pulling a Robert Jordan. Instead of advancing the plot, he’s going sideways. Adventures for the sake of adventures. Not necessarily bad, but boring. Those who prefer the road to go on and on will be pleased.

“The Gods sent you, lad. Do it, and you’re a free man.” [Redacted] did not reply. If he didn’t do it, he would be a dead one.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know what I was reading back in 1990 when this series of books kicked off. I guess I was busy being dazzled by the huge names of fantasy that crossed my path at that time like Stephen R. Donaldson, David Eddings, Terry Brooks. The point is, I had no idea who Dave Duncan was until I ran across the first book of this series last fall featured as part of a sale on Audible.com. However late it might be, this second book has convinced me that I am glad to have finally met Dave Duncan

The first book, The Magic Casement, ended with young Queen Insolan of Krasnegar and her Aunt Kade being rescued /kidnapped through the Magic Casement (a portal of sorts) to the far away land of Arakkaran. They don’t know what has happened to their other companions, Rap, Little Chicken and the Sequentials (5 people/personalities sharing one existence) but they assume they have been killed by the unfriendly soldiers that were beating at the door of the Magic Casement room. In reality, Rap and the other two have also gone through the Magic Casement portal hoping to follow Insolan but instead ending up on the island of Faerie. The bulk of the book’s perspective is from Insolan and Rap (there are a couple chapters from Aunt Kade) and they are really focused on adjusting to their new bewildering situation and maneuvering to achieve their goals: Insolan to regain the crown of Krasnegar and Rap to find and help Insolan.

This installment really ramps up the political maneuvering and in a way is a little like a PG version of today’s more popular gritty fantasy like Joe Abercrombie and George RR. Duncan has created a really interesting world where he has drawn on the creatures of myth and perhaps imagined their origin as different races of people. For example Goblins are just a violent and savage people with a slight greenish tint to their skin, Fauns are particularly hairy, Djinn are desert dwelling folk with a reddish tint to their skin, eyes and hair etc… The most powerful race are the Imps with their Impire which seems a bit like Rome and the British Empire rolled into one. The world also has a unique magic system based on magical words that are passed on as people are dying or when they are forced. The possession of one word gives the possessor some heightened skills with a touch of magic. Rap possesses one word and he can calm and control animals and also see people and things for a great distance around him without using his eyes. The more words you know, up to a maximum of four the more powerful you are. Each region of the world is also ruled, by ancient right a very powerful sorcerer called a Warden. Insolan and Rap are trying to negotiate a way through all of these powers and also at times seem to be pawns in the political games being played.

So the premise isn’t terribly original – it’s basically a quest fantasy with a throne as the sought after item – but the originality of the world and magic system and the strong likeable characters keep it from being too blah. Insolan (and her Aunt Kade too) are strong female characters and I have really appreciated Insolan’s journey from a bratty selfish kid at the beginning of the first book to a young woman who has embraced the importance of duty. She doesn’t want to achieve the throne through marrying and become a figurehead while her husband rules but she is also willing to make that sacrifice if it means it will save her people from a war. The country of Arrakaran is modeled after a strict Middle Eastern society where men have harems and women must cover themselves so Insolan has a particular challenge in making herself heard and asserting her independence. Rap as the extraordinary stable boy is also in an unenviable position, traveling in an unknown country with a Goblin who wants to kill him very painfully and the sequentials who can’t really be trusted. Rap’s true role in the bigger picture is still rather mysterious which keeps things interesting.

Final Verdict: Basically, I’m glad to have found this older series. It’s not my new favorite series that I must read all of right now but I will definitely be looking forward to book three in the series.

[Nikhil Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I feel I am a bit too miserly with the shiny stars but this book just doesn't feel right. Currently, I'm not sure whether it is meant for children or young adults. I feel truly confused, not because the plot seems to be too childish but because the language is simply awkward when you take the context into consideration.

Maybe I'm just a miserable critic.

Be that as it may, I wouldn't recommend this book to a person I wish to do no harm. Although, I have to add, I cannot but complete the entire series because of my congenital inability to be not-curious.

Having said that, the plot is stubbornly shallow, the characters imprisoned in two dimensional sheets of paper and Rap is clearly retarded. Perhaps because the author wanted to portray a miraculous make-over in the successive books, or maybe a Thomas Covenant style anti-hero gone bad but this time with brains truly addled.

Whatever, just...avoid.

I might sound acerbic but this is for your own good.

[M.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Faery Lands Forlorn”, Dave Duncan’s 1991 fantasy novel is the second book in the four-part A Man of His Word series. While plotted better than the first book, “Magic Casement”, “Faery Lands Forlorn” somehow feels less fresh and engaging than its predecessor.

(This review is part of my “Nostalgia” series, where I infrequently revisit a small collection of fantasy novels in my possession—most of which I inherited when I was younger—to determine if they hold up decades later and are worth keeping.)

The story picks up where “Magic Casement” abruptly left off. Rap, Little Chicken and the Sequentials (perhaps the name of an R&B-inspired doo wop high school band) find themselves lost in the far-off jungles of the tropical island of Faerie, as Rap continues his quest to return to his queen, Inos. It is a journey that takes him into the middle of a seemingly escalating cold war between the world’s four most powerful warlocks and witches. Inos and her aunt, for their part, are “guests” of a sorceress who has cursed the country’s rightful ruler and has ambitions of her own.

The story is better put together than its predecessor, in some respects, as it creates a stronger sense of forward momentum and its cliffhanger ending feels less abrupt and more earned than the one that shaved some goodwill from “Magic Casement”. We learned more about the world, as the story fleshes out the conflict between the all-powerful wardens who effectively rule the magic system that runs parallel to the mundane order of things. it is missing the freshness of the first novel.

While the mechanical aspects of the book seem to be stronger—with the above noted improvements to the plotting and pacing—the fantasy stereotypes feel a little more egregious. Inos, the main female protagonist, manages to take steps both forward and backward as a character in ways that can be frustrating to the reader (though, fortunately, she never becomes the fainting damsel even if she is technically a captured princess/queen and the object of the main rescue narrative). Rap gains in confidence and skill, though he is little different in any other respect, and continues to act as the author’s moral compass and provide an outsider’s view of the world in a way that could have easily have been mishandled (but is not).

Overall, the second book in the series is a pleasant light read that manages to push the action forward and introduces the first hints of a more traditional epic fantasy tale (for better or for worse), but isn't necessarily a strong entry by itself.

[Chander Govindarajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Duncan's writing has improved a lot, the pacing and setup is more consistent thoughout the book, much better than the first part.

Unfortunately, the world has got a lot grittier, though not too dark or explicit. The culture in the Impire and beyond is now suddenly filled to the brim with misogyny; women of all stations, even queens and mages, are belittled and objectified.

Rap continues to be the only hook for the reader, in his unwavering loyalty to Inos.

[Emil Söderman · Rating 2 out of 5]

So in this second book, not much happens.

Seriously, Princess is stuck in a badly written pseudo-arabia, where the interesting ideas gets completely ignored. Stablehand is running around in the jungle and then becomes a sailor. The only vaguely interesting bits are the machinations of the Wardens. (although the solution seems to be obvious by now)

I'm still curious about South (we've seen all the other Four) but other than that, this feels extremely turgid. And Inosolan's tendency to get stuck with sexually threatening men is kind of alarming.

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good installment! I was equally interested in both Inos' and Rap's predicaments this time, neither one did anything boring. It was especially fun to read Inos learning about politics and how to be a queen and realize all her "lady training" is pretty much useless. The politics involved are a little confusing, but I'm definitely gonna continue the books. The magic system is still really interesting too.

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that maybe the second book would be better than the first one. I was wrong.

So basically, nothing happens in this book. We learn a few interesting things about Pandemia, but otherwise I can't see how Duncan managed to fill this book with so little a story. Inos is making stupid things as usual, and Rap is trying and failing to help her, just as in the first book. I wonder when this will end.

[Jessica Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good- if not better than Magic Casement. I still stand by my review from the that one though- I just wish these books were longer with more in-depth story lines... but still good, nonetheless. I'm immediately starting the next book in the series!

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading some memories are coming back and I think I remember how the series ends. It's still nice to re-live Rap's and Inos' journey after over 20 years. The series definitely holds up after all this time.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I blitzed through this book super-fast. I could hardly put it down, and stayed up way too late into the night to read it.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Duncan has written two series with many of the same characters. The first series is A Man of His Word and the second is A Handful of Men. Because the two series are contiguous and share the same characters I am just going to review them together.

The first book, Magic Casement, from the first series was one that I liked and would have rated a 4 probably. I thought of it as a well-written YA fiction. The main characters in the book are teenagers and Duncan does, in my opinion, a very good job of expressing through the characters the feelings and viewpoint of teenagers even today. So I continued to read the series and Duncan did a poorer job of expressing the characters as they got older. But the progression of their growth and their stories was pretty well done and overall I would have given the series a 3.5.

While the first series was adventurous it was also more character-driven. The second series, which takes place 15 years after the first, is less character-driven and more political. Meaning political in terms of the disputes between the different regions and races. It could have been an excellent series based on that but it really wasn't.

The series is made up of all the mythical creatures devised by our world. Well, probably not all of them but a great deal. There are goblins and Jinn and pixies and fauns and trolls and so many more, including some I had never heard of. In addition, there are different locales inhabited by the different races. For example, the Jinnq live in awhat would be the Middle East today. (If you like world building, you probably wouldn't like that. It helped me to place some of the races and locales.) For me, given all the races, and their various characteristics, and their various locales, I found it exceedingly confusing. I don't know if that's because I needed a scorecard or if it was because the author made them sort of a muddle or whether I'm just not too bright, but I had trouble keeping track of all the players. And I should say, that there were a lot more players in this series than there were in the first series. And, in the first, the characters stayed together most of the time. They might have passed through a number of different locales but they did it together. In this series the characters were in pretty much all the locales but they went separately. So the stories would jump around between characters and locales. And sometimes a couple characters would come together and then they would separate, later coming together with different characters.

Finally, the climax and finale are a total mishmash. Seems that Duncan wanted to tie everything together in a pretty little bow in a very big hurry. As a result, the bow was squished and untied in places and just ugly. So if I were rating just the second series, I would give it a 2.5 and that might be generous.

In summary, I had to give the two series an overall 3. I really couldn't give it less since I read all 8 books. But if I had to do it over again, I would read the first series but not the second.

[Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling adventure

Follow up to “The Magic Casement”, we follow Rap, Inos, Kade, Little Chicken, and the scoundrels on their adventures throughout Pandemia. The truth is, not much happens in this novel in particular, but we learn a lot more of the lore, peoples, places, and magic. Duncan is really great at world building. I mean, fantasy wise, he’s probably one of the best out there. He can pump out novels like Stephen King, but they never lapse in quality and prose. This world is really interesting, and the magic system is air tight and very interesting.
Sorta big spoilers:
Pandemias magic system works based on magic words. These words work as grimoires, wherein they contain magical knowledge allowing you to perform mundane or magical feats. One word makes a genius. A genius is a personification of ones innate talent magically amplified. If you are a good singer, now your voice is bewitching. If you’re a playboy, now you can make the most stubborn conquest eat out of your hands. Two words makes an adept. All mundane feats can now be learned or performed with ease. Any talent or fear a normal person can do, so can you. This also strengthens your previous talents immensely. Three words makes a mage. A mage can perform magic, which is temporary. Four words make a sorcerer. Sorcerers can perform sorcery, which is permanent. As one gains words, they also gain wisdom and insight. However, it is hard to gain words (power) in itself due to the words themselves. They are enchanted. Wherein, they can only be given by speaking your magical word to another. The words power, and as a result your own power is weakened by sharing. so they are often given on deathbeds or to one whom you trust wholeheartedly. Once a person dies, that power is returned. There is a lot more to it, but I’ll let you read up on it yourself. Enjoy!

[David Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the "Man of His Word" series was more enjoyable than the first, I think. A lot of that is due to the fact that our viewpoint characters understand more about what's going on in the world, and thus we as the audience do, too. That extra knowledge helps open up the world and elevate the series into a more adult and provocative series, rather than living so firmly inside the minds of confused teenagers, a more limited perspective that can only go so far in this style of breezy mass-market fantasy fiction. "Faery Lands Forlorn" compensates by pulling the camera back to take us inside the scheming of the powerful, and amping up the action, to good effect. The "word"-based magic system continues to be intriguing and relatively fresh, decades later.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I like about this book? It has challenged me like few have in years. I looked up at least a half dozen words in the dictionary, and that hasn't happened since high school (20 years ago now!) A word lover like me got a giggle from several passages that Dave clearly had too much fun composing. Yes, the book didn't go where I wanted it to go, or where I expected it to go, but I had been warned up front this series is by no means formulaic and will surprise. For that, I applaud it.

[Robert Spellmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

I read for entertainment or education. We seldom find education in action fantasy. Dave Ducan is an exception. Amazing vocabulary! Of, course, most of the words I'd not read before are not any I'll ever use. *smile*. But I'm certainly glad Kindle shows definitions or I'd be all over a large dictionary. rofl

[Sean Helms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dave Duncan is always good, however, this book wasn't at his usual par.
Rap has misadventures that generally lead him nowhere and left me feeling disappointed. Inos has some 'sort of' adventures of her own, but nothing much worth mentioning. The two characters are best when together and hopefully they will find their way back to each other in the next book.

[Laura Gilfillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inos is stuck in Zark, plotting an escape from the powerful sorceress, Rasha. Meanwhile Rap finds himself in Faery, but determined to get to Inos somehow, so he can rescue her. But Faery has secrets, and Rap has gotten the attention of powerful sorcerers.

[Sarah Swarbrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t read if you haven’t read book 1. The reviews are split, and I understand. There is so much to love about this book, the characters, the world, and yet .... Thos book is building to something (I hope), and we just have to follow along until we get there.

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pile of boring, slow shit. Not terrible enough for me to have realised i should stop here.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging tale

[Empress5150 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought this one dragged on and on a bit. Hoping it pick back up in #3.

[Stuart Macmartin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just under 4 stars, because not a complete story in itself. Interesting development of the world, the characters, the magic, the events. Drew me in more that the first book (which I enjoyed)

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The other reviews are right, it's not as strong as the first one, but it's a good scene-setting book. There's also some worthwhile character development. And most importantly, it's still fun to read.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

See review for the Magic Casement