The first book started little slow but I felt this has more action. There doesn’t actually happen all that much but there was still many battles. I should have re-read the last book because I had forgotten who was whoand what happened but it didn’t take long to remember everyone.

Harold isn’t too happy to be the supposed hero and thinks his life was much more simple as a regular thief. But he’s also started to wonder if he has changed. He didn’t have any friends or family, which he thought was a liability, and now he has whole bunch of outcasts who he can call friends. Has this made him softer?

Harold doesn’t have as much spotlight as in the last book but I didn’t feel like anyone had real spotlight over others.

I couldn’t help but laugh at Kli-Kli the goblin jester . But it seems like there is much more to him than just being a fool. Can’t wait to find out what he really is about. But my favourites were the elves. I wish there was more about them in the next book! I love it that elves resemble orcs with fangs and all.

I had some problems with one battle, mainly with the outcome at least but it’s better not to speak more about it here. I really liked this and you gotta love good fantasy book! Can’t wait to read the next book! ( )

My thoughts:
It’s not often these days that I read translated books, but this is one of them as it is translated from Russian, and the translator does a good job.

In the last book they all left on a long journey, and one traveller died and the loss is still felt. They all know now that they all will not make it to Hrad Spein and even fewer will make it out of there. It will not be an easy journey.

Harold the thief doesn’t have the same spotlight as in book 2, in this one we get of the rest too. For example the goblin Kli-Kli, he plays the fool, but he is hiding something and he is much cleverer than what he looks. Kli-Kli is the humour in this book and that’s nice. As for the rest of the characters, I do like them, and I wonder at the same time how many will remain at the end. An interesting cast, but also a cast of warriors and warriors fall.

This book is all about the journey. They are travelling, going to one city, gets into trouble, and later there is some fighting too. At the end I see a glimpse of something new and interesting. But at the same time the journey does feel a bit long, and in a way not much happen at all. The more interesting parts are the dreams Harold are having, of the Houses of Pain, Love and more, about a figure called the Master, about things passed that led to the Nameless one. And the best of all, a strange world where 3 figures wants him to come and save him. It seems worlds can be created. That whole system of magic fascinated me, and I hope we get more clues to it.

Conclusion:
A good enough fantasy novel, an epic journey, different characters and races, and the hunt for something that might lead to their death. What this book did bring me was more about the world itself. And I would read the next one, and hope he gets what he is after so that I can see the world saved.

Rating:
It was short (for fantasy) so a fast read
( )

3,5 sterretjes

Zit weer wat humor in, het leest lekker. Maar ik heb qua verhaal nauwelijks het gevoel vooruit te zijn gegaan tov het eerste deel. Ook is er nooit ook maar 1 poging gedaan om je 'up to speed' te brengen voor het geval je het eerste boek een flinke tijd geleden hebt gelezen. Gelijk 10.000 namen, geen enkele verwijzing naar wat dan ook.
En om het nog verwarrender te maken wordt er soms iemand bij 3 namen genoemd binnen 3 regels. argh.
Voor een te groot deel van het boek ben ik dit:


En dan is het moeilijk om een fatsoenlijke binding te krijgen met personages en gebeurtenissen. Het beste hoofdstuk was niet geheel toevallig dan ook die waar er werd gefocust op maar 1 personage.

Aangezien een deel van mijn klachten mijn eigen schuld is door een paar jaar te wachten met het lezen van dit 2e deel zal ik het naar boven afronden en 4 sterren geven. Misschien wat minder lang wachten met het 3e deel. :D

Wat trouwens ook niet hielp is dat er werd verwezen naar een Donkere Tijd. Nou ja zeg. Ik heb net een hele serie gelezen wat de Donkere Tijd heet. Was dit boek soms gecreëerd om me te verwarren?! ;) ( )

The first book had a interesting voice and was a interesting take on the standard Tolkieneque plot. But this is the mother of all shark-jumps. The author has written himself in a corner and either the protagonist or the antagonists are stupid beyond believable (or probably both). The plothole is so big it engulfed immersion and suspension of disbelief in one bite and swallow them whole. I thinking of continuing reading in hope that the author somehow in a genius way saves the story .... But I fear that it is way beyond saving unless a savant grade of writing appears.... So I ditch this with disgust. ( )

This one read like a novelised role-playing scenario. Harold and his band of outcasts travel on in their quest for the horn. He's having dreams of the past, some of which explain some legends and he's having to face up to his duties in this quest. He's linked to the key, which will help in the quest to get it back, but there are hints that he's not all that appears on the surface, the elves have a reason for having him there and it will make his role pivotal.

It's not a bad read but nothing spectacular, I'm curious how this is going to end but not driven to read it right now. ( )