A review by nightxade
Nightborn by Lou Anders
4.0
With thanks to Penguin Randomhouse for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The outside world was the best kind of terrifying." With a tasty opening line like that, I know I'm in for some fun.
Nightborn is the second book in Anders' Thrones & Bones series. It returns us to the vast continent of Katarnia, which expands beyond the frozen north we discovered in the first book, Frostborn. It also begins by introducing us to a new race of people and the character of Desstra, a dark elf intent on fulfilling her dream of becoming a member of the deadly Underhand. Desstra is a rogue skilled in the fine arts of traps and poisons, but she lacks that killer instinct that defines the dark elves in general, and the Underhand in particular.
Soon enough, the story pops back over to Karn, the main protagonist of the series, and it quickly jumps into the adventure when Karn is summoned by the great dragon, Orm. Orm has a quest for Karn: find the Horn of Osius--because, as it turns out, the dragon-controlling instrument Orm destroyed in the first book was not the only one in existence. The other catch? Orm has already sent Thianna on this quest, but the half-giantess has disappeared.
Karn's friendship with Thianna is what spurs his decision and remains the key motivator of the story for both Karn and Desstra, who inevitably comes in contact with the boy, since the dark elves are also hunting for the horn for their own dastardly reasons. The adventure takes us into the southern lands where we get to meet more elves, gnomes, dwarfs, and the various other creatures typical of fantasy realms, though Anders adds his own little quirks to make them all fresh and interesting. Thianna is missing for a good chunk of the book, which is disappointing, but the giantess definitely makes up for it when she finally arrives on the scene.
The sense of adventure never slows down, teetering from challenging riddles and games (this book introduces the game called Charioteers) to battles and sieges and even a manticore driven chariot race that would impress and amuse Ben-Hur.
One of my favourite things about Anders' series is the way he interjects little bits of trivia into the story, ensuring that there's lots of learning as well as fun for all ages. I also like that he's not afraid to let things get a little dark, even in a kids book. Parents can determine whether or not their children are ready to handle man-eating monsters and assassins, but I'd rather have the dark mixed in with the light, than have it omitted all together. Still, Anders' sense of humour lends just the right touch to keep things from getting too scary.
www.BiblioSanctum.com
"The outside world was the best kind of terrifying." With a tasty opening line like that, I know I'm in for some fun.
Nightborn is the second book in Anders' Thrones & Bones series. It returns us to the vast continent of Katarnia, which expands beyond the frozen north we discovered in the first book, Frostborn. It also begins by introducing us to a new race of people and the character of Desstra, a dark elf intent on fulfilling her dream of becoming a member of the deadly Underhand. Desstra is a rogue skilled in the fine arts of traps and poisons, but she lacks that killer instinct that defines the dark elves in general, and the Underhand in particular.
Soon enough, the story pops back over to Karn, the main protagonist of the series, and it quickly jumps into the adventure when Karn is summoned by the great dragon, Orm. Orm has a quest for Karn: find the Horn of Osius--because, as it turns out, the dragon-controlling instrument Orm destroyed in the first book was not the only one in existence. The other catch? Orm has already sent Thianna on this quest, but the half-giantess has disappeared.
Karn's friendship with Thianna is what spurs his decision and remains the key motivator of the story for both Karn and Desstra, who inevitably comes in contact with the boy, since the dark elves are also hunting for the horn for their own dastardly reasons. The adventure takes us into the southern lands where we get to meet more elves, gnomes, dwarfs, and the various other creatures typical of fantasy realms, though Anders adds his own little quirks to make them all fresh and interesting. Thianna is missing for a good chunk of the book, which is disappointing, but the giantess definitely makes up for it when she finally arrives on the scene.
The sense of adventure never slows down, teetering from challenging riddles and games (this book introduces the game called Charioteers) to battles and sieges and even a manticore driven chariot race that would impress and amuse Ben-Hur.
One of my favourite things about Anders' series is the way he interjects little bits of trivia into the story, ensuring that there's lots of learning as well as fun for all ages. I also like that he's not afraid to let things get a little dark, even in a kids book. Parents can determine whether or not their children are ready to handle man-eating monsters and assassins, but I'd rather have the dark mixed in with the light, than have it omitted all together. Still, Anders' sense of humour lends just the right touch to keep things from getting too scary.
www.BiblioSanctum.com