The Dark Ferryman (The Elven Ways, 2)

Once the action picks up I was dragged right back in to this great story! I have no idea where things are going and I'm not sure that one of the principle "good guys" hasn't been brainwashed into being a principle bad guy! Great character development!

The Dark Ferryman is even better than The Four Forges (the first book in the series which was a very good read). The Dark Ferryman continues to follow the lives of Rivergrace (an elf with strong but unknown powers), Sevryn (a loyal guard to the queen), Nutmeg (a funny, rowdy, loyal "dweller"), the Queen of the Vaelinars and her brother, Quendius (the evil, plotting villain), among many other interesting characters. This book answers many of the questions that were raised in the previous book. The characters continue to develop and enter into and out of alliances. Rivergrace tries to discover her past only to find an answer that no one expected. Sevryn's loyalty is questioned. The Dark Ferryman makes several appearances and does several things, which adds an interesting spark to the storyline. Conclusion: Amazing book, couldn't put it down until I was done. I read it in a day and a half (which was great but I got one heck of a headache from sitting in the same position all day, but it was worth it!)

I had been very pleasantly surprised by the first book of The Elven Ways, The Four Forges: (The Elven Ways #1) (The Elven Ways), so I was eagerly anticipating Rhodes's second book. I was not disappoited. As a previous reviewer stated, it does start out rather slowly but once things got rolling, I did not want to put the book down. Once again, this book has everything: action, adventure, romance, intrigue, comedy, drama, betrayal, joy, lust, loss, sadness, etc... This is a series that I highly recommend & am, once again, eagerly awaiting the next installment.

The first book of the Elven Ways Series "The Four Forges" was a book that showed a different story to the Elven Mythos that littered typical fantasy. In the first book the author painted a picture of Elves of a being more aligned with humans than the reclusive, nature loving elves of mondern day High Fantasy. It was also a book about how these elves affected the world and other races they currently were in. The book had it all. Action, romance, humor, and a character driven narrative with a gigantic cast of characters. The book also did a great job of telling a story, ending it, but leaving enough loose ends to extend to another novel for the series. "Enough" might be an understatement. It left a plethora of loose ends that one hardly even contemplated until they began to read the second book in the series. The Dark Ferryman. The story in the dark Ferryman starts up getting the reader familiar with the plot. Now the plot is so heavy that it actually takes a long time to finnally really get going with something new. But Rhodes counteracts this with jumping right into the action and suspense. In the first few chapters you are introduced to a new enemy (Raymy, actually an ancient enemu which reappears), You get reacqainted with a couple of old enemies as well as pretty much all the central characters. 100 pages into the book and you got all the background you need, and sets the stage for all of the plotlines to unfold. And Unfold they do. Rhodes finnally fits the pieces together to the world of Kerith and the Vaelinars (Elves). In the book you actually get to find out about Rivergraces parents who were briefly apart of the first book, More about the Warrior Queen's Talent's, The true motivations of the Galdarkan Diort, and you get to find out the reason why and how The Vaelinars were sent to the world of Kerith on an otherworldly storm. And their is so much more you learn and then some. This book also touches on the struggle one has with themselves as many of the Main characters are left to fight inner demons. From Rivergrace and Sevryn's fight with REAL demons possesing them, to Lariel having startling dreams of what can be, Bistel's bastard son from an uncommon bonding, to Nutmegs and Jeredon's struggle to accept that their love cannot be, to Narskap's struggles in general. But the part of the book which I wish was gone into more detail was the motives of the Dark Ferryman. We are given a glimspe of what the Ferryman is, but we are not given a concrete reason to why he helps out Rivergrace so much in the book. The pace of the book is fast, answers are given, and readers are not left hanging. But they will want more. Very good second book, and their are enough questions I have about some of the characters that I hope for a second book.

The Gods were disgusted at the damage that the Mage Wars did so they took the magic away from them and turned their backs on the people of Kerith. The Vaelinar Elfin like beings of magic were thrown into Kerith and over the centuries this long life spanned species entrenched their way into the infrastructure of this world. Lariel the Warrior Queen rules the land, but she has enemies within and without as civil war seems imminent. Half-breeds Rivergrace and Sevryn, the Queen's Hand find love, but Lariel supervises them until she can make sure that the former is not a traitor or a threat to her rule. The powerful Warlord Quendius leads his ruthless army of two deadly races, one of which is the Raymy, a deadly race of sentient reptiles. Lord Diort has his Boelgers, Galdarkin and his Kerran as allies and they prepare for war against Kerrith. Enemies become allies and friends become seditious foes as the Ways become dangerous with only the DARK FERRYMAN seeming to know the answers, but his cost is exorbitant; just ask Rivergrace and Sevryn. Jenna Rhodes has written a wonderful epic fantasy in the tradition of Terry Brooks and Kate Elliot. THE DARK FERRYMAN is filled with backstabbing political intrigue and fascinating characters who mostly have personal agendas to gain power. Especially fascinating is a brilliant Machiavellian traitor who makes the Neocons look honest as this genius plays puppeteer operating from the shadows to string those in the inner circle of the queen. There are plenty of surprises and twists starting from the moment the beleaguered Lariel no longer trusts those whom she always thought were loyal and as revelations surface, readers cannot put down this superb tale waiting for the next spin to occur. Harriet Klausner