As the armies of the Horsekin lay siege to the city of Cengarn, half-elven mercenary Rhodry Maelwaedd races against time to bring aid to its defenders-in the form of the legendary dragon Arzosah. Continuing the story begun in Days of Blood and Fire (LJ, 6/15/93), Kerr weaves interlocking tales of past treachery and present danger into a complex tapestry of lives governed by destiny. Fans of the author's Deverry novels will enjoy this latest addition to a growing body of work.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In this direct sequel to Days of Blood and Fire , the city of Cenyan is besieged by an army of both humans and others that, under the inspiration of a false goddess, seeks a fate-bound child. Another, equally mixed army strives to relieve the city, and virtually all the major characters from the preceding novel and A Time of Omens (1992) become involved. This book is haunted by the slight sense that Kerr continues to write her popular novels about Deverry more to please the audience her successful world building has justifiably gained her rather than because she has any potent story to tell. Well, that world building remains admirable, and this novel, though it does not quite stand independently, is a real page-turner. Recommended wherever there are Deverry followers. Roland Green