Lord of the Fire Lands: A Tale of the King's Blades

The book starts out familiarly -- Ironhall, the epitome of a warrior's finishing school is going full force and the seniors are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the King. Once the king arrives, at least generally, the most senior student is bound to the king, or whomever he may choose, for years. There's a twist, though. One of the seniors refuses to be bound and that's where the real story begins. Partly based on Nordic and very early English sagas...remember reading Beowulf?...this book makes the leap to fantasy in a most satisfying way. Fair warning -- it's not really a sequel to the first installment and there is an alternate reality ending, which I actually preferred to the ending Ambrose faced in the first book. This is a rousing story of friendship, honor, betrayal and duty interwoven with magic, incantations and dragons. An absolute pleasure to read. Can we hope for more "Blades" in the future?

A great sequel to THE GILDED CHAIN, except it isn't quite. A trip to Baelmark with a red-headed Hamlet and all the attendant lords begins to carry the reeling plot farther and farther from the ending of GILDED CHAIN. Will we see Fat Ambrose killed in several alternate ways as these books proceed? Who cares, with this kind of action and humor? Baelish society is truly disgusting and sadly real, and the supporting research makes their language as real as any pseudo-Tolkien 'elvish.' Duncan's messing with your minds; repeal Time and reread the book.

Why does everyone find this book confusing? It seems fairly clear to me, but then I paid attention when Duncan explained that Time is an element which can be revoked by means of an octogram. So it ends differently from the first book; so what? There are still bloody swordfights, evil wizardry, and large amounts of fire and betrayal mixed with strong characters and a wild, pseudo-Shakespearian plot. You got a problem with that? Well, there's always Harry Potter...

In a crowded field this book stands out. It is well written, has great character development and never stops. I read it from start to finish in one night and couldn't wait to order the next Blade book.

Both books are awesome and I recommend them to readers. Can't wait for the third book, which would clarify the mystery formed by an apparent contradiction between the two books, which happens at the end of the second book.. Awesome hanging ending at the end of the second book, made me crave for more...