Lies of Light

Lies of Light is the second installment in Athans' Watercourse trilogy. The first book, Whisper of Waves, was something truly refreshing in WotC publishing. It was really brilliant, and set a high standard for this book to follow. And it did. Story kicks of where the first book left it, so it is absolutely necessary that you read the first novel before this one, or nothing will make sense to you. They are more like a single book divided into volumes, then 2 separate books. Where the first book focused mostly on introducing the characters, this one focuses on plot. The canal construction is well under way and subplots from the first book are merging into a single complex main plot. Interesting, unpredictable and different then what you probably got used to in FR novels. Characters from first book are all there, but in this one it's Phyrea that steals the spotlight. Willem's road to self destruction continues, and we get to know some new side characters. What I would have liked to see was more of genasi Pristoleph, who all but disappeared since the start of book one. To put it short, characters are just as imaginative, believable and free of clichés as in the first novel. If you like intrigue, politics, introspection and serious fantasy, pick up this trilogy. If you like senseless slaughter of monsters, then this is not the book for you. Athans delivers again, five stars from me.

I enjoyed this one better than the first one published, it had more "life" to it. There were some aspects of it though that seemed as if I was still missing something, or that there could've been more said. All in all though, I enjoyed it and am awaiting the third book.