bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
I'm loving this old fantasy series I stumbled upon. In this second book Ingold and Rudy set off to the city of Quo to get help against the Dark ones. For a couple of wizards, they sure have to put up with a lot of shit on the way. I like that they're not able to solve every problem with magic, but you'd think they'd device some spells to ward off hungry neanderthals and dragons.
Meanwhile Gil, now part of the royal guard, stays on at the Keep and buddies it up with Queen Alde. Gil still identifies as a scholar, we're told a bunch of times, and spends many scholarly hours investigating old records trying to figure out who built the Keep and how. I'm expecting major discoveries in the next book. She's also pining over Ingold, which I find worrisome. He's old and bearded, it'd be like having sex with Gandalf.
These books are dark and funny and occasionally scary, and I wish I'd found them when I was a kid.
Meanwhile Gil, now part of the royal guard, stays on at the Keep and buddies it up with Queen Alde. Gil still identifies as a scholar, we're told a bunch of times, and spends many scholarly hours investigating old records trying to figure out who built the Keep and how. I'm expecting major discoveries in the next book. She's also pining over Ingold, which I find worrisome. He's old and bearded, it'd be like having sex with Gandalf.
These books are dark and funny and occasionally scary, and I wish I'd found them when I was a kid.
jennykeery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia
A slur is used once by a member of a crowdgon8go's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the first book but this one was even better. It did a great job of building on the deepening mystery of the dark and building the characters into complex, mult-layered people rather than just archetypes. The author does a great job with this middle act, giving it a downbeat feeling with a bit of hope. I’ll be reading part three shortly.
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Two stories in one, and no beer cans for the wizard Ingold this time. Obviously the middle book of a trilogy, and need to read the third to finish the stories.
The first and most satisfying story is Gil's time at the keep. Her past drives her to understand the history, and that seems to be something the rest of the folk in this world have little interest in. We really see her relationships grow with Alde and the Bishop as well. Just as they found the most interesting things (machinery! gems that "store" light!) we reach the end of this book.
The other story, interwoven, is Rudy and Ingold's trek to the wizard community, sealed against the rest of the world. This is a long trek. With the nature of the "Dark" described in the first book, it feels like the trip should be impossible. Minor spoiler, they make it, and the return is apparently so easy it gets no pages in the text. Perhaps the dark is not as all-encompassing as it seemed? It's a community rather than a condition? Book 3 will hopefully reveal all.
I felt Rudy confronted some of his character, with the result of some growth. Ingold is also changed here, and while none of this is in his voice, I'll bet these changes are important in the future. I like this wizard, and I really his take on (or the author's design of) magic.
Partly because of interruptions, but partly because the story didn't grab me as much, reading this took a month. I'd like to dive into the third sooner than the year I waited for this one - and I'd like to see that wizard get another beer.
The first and most satisfying story is Gil's time at the keep. Her past drives her to understand the history, and that seems to be something the rest of the folk in this world have little interest in. We really see her relationships grow with Alde and the Bishop as well. Just as they found the most interesting things (machinery! gems that "store" light!) we reach the end of this book.
The other story, interwoven, is Rudy and Ingold's trek to the wizard community, sealed against the rest of the world. This is a long trek. With the nature of the "Dark" described in the first book, it feels like the trip should be impossible. Minor spoiler, they make it, and the return is apparently so easy it gets no pages in the text. Perhaps the dark is not as all-encompassing as it seemed? It's a community rather than a condition? Book 3 will hopefully reveal all.
I felt Rudy confronted some of his character, with the result of some growth. Ingold is also changed here, and while none of this is in his voice, I'll bet these changes are important in the future. I like this wizard, and I really his take on (or the author's design of) magic.
Partly because of interruptions, but partly because the story didn't grab me as much, reading this took a month. I'd like to dive into the third sooner than the year I waited for this one - and I'd like to see that wizard get another beer.
vaderbird's review against another edition
4.0
Would write a review, but let me be honest I would rather read book 3 now.
So go read this series...
So go read this series...
wealhtheow's review
3.0
Part two of the Darwath trilogy, which was written in the early eighties. Rudy and Gil are still trapped in a medieval fantasy realm on the verge of complete collapse. A tiny portion of the population is holed up in the Keep of Dere, a mysterious black keep built before recorded history. The social order is slowly collapsing, which makes the power struggles all the more vicious. Rudy and the powerful wizard Ingold set out to get help from the remaining wizards, while Gil and Queen Minalde remain behind, trying to investigate the Keep’s secrets while maintaining the tense community. I skipped whole sections of Rudy and Ingold’s trek across the kingdom, because A) I don’t buy Rudy as a character and B) long descriptions of the land=unreadable. The other problem I had was that it seemed like every other page, one character of the other was described as “going pale” or “becoming white with strain” and then the unimaginable pain and suffering they were going through was described. I agree that the characters are heroes—I don’t need them to perpetually comment on how heroic they all are. I found it increasingly annoying. All that said, this is good solid fantasy, complete with fairly unique characters, a well-developed world, and a compelling danger.
jameseckman's review
4.0
Rudy and Ingold set off for the Hidden City of Quo, both of them will be sorely tested during this Journey. Meanwhile, back at the keep, Gil uses her scholar's training finding out more about the Keeps secret operations. See also stops the doors from being thrown open to the Dark. A good adventure, it's above average when compared to second volumes in other series. I'd forgotten about this book, so it was like reading a new book.
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