bn.com
If you've read the first novel and you're wondering if the second book lags at all, don't. If anything, there's more going on, as Alain comes into his own and Liath, battling her paralyzing fear and self-doubt, changes the course of a second battle for Gent, and what it contains in the wake of Bloodheart's conquest. I want to say more -- but to say more is to give away not only the end of this book, but chunks of the previous one as well. These books are a lot of fun -- perfect winter reading!
—Michelle West
Library Journal
Believed slain in the doomed battle for the city of Gent, Sanglant, the bastard son of King Henry, hovers on the edge of madness as a prisoner of the barbarian Eika conquerors. While Sanglant's lover Liath struggles to unlock her hidden magic powers, Alainlowborn son of Count Lavastinewages a private battle to prove himself worthy of his father's trust. Continuing the story begun in King's Dragon (DAW, 1997), Elliott weaves together the destinies of star-crossed lovers, ambitious churchmen, and barbarian invaders in a dazzling medieval fantasy set in an alternate Europe. Reminiscent of Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series, this engrossing saga should appeal to fantasy lovers and fans of historical epics alike.
From the Publisher
Praise for the Crown of Stars series:
“In the Jaran series, Elliott proved herself good at setting up conflict on a grand scale…. Here she creates a complex fantasy world with intriguing parallels to European history, colorful characters, and plenty of action and magic.” —Locus
“The saga’s world is extremely well built, its pacing is brisk enough to keep the pages fluttering…. This certainly could become one of the best multivolume fantasies—fans, take note!” —Booklist
“Elliott has a gift for creating grim, dark settings as well as swashbuckling action scenes (both magical and material) worthy of Rafael Sabatini. This is a splendid piece of intelligent entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly
“A solidly engrossing addition to a worthwhile series.” —Kirkus
“Kate Elliott, an excellent fantasist, writes lush and lyrical scenes and uses her characters to scale down cosmic events to a human scale.” —Midwest Book Review
“Ms. Elliott continues to weave an elegantly intricate tapestry of full-bodied characters who will fascinate and intrigue readers up to the very last page.”—Romantic Times Magazine (now RT Reviews)
“Strong plotting, thorough world building and sound characterization and character development make this novel a must-purchase for those collections that have invested in the rest of the series.”—VOYA
“Elliott has created a world with depth and color and peopled it with a large cast of characters, all poised on the brink of a cataclysmic conclusion.”—SF Chronicle
“This is a very good climax to a very long series…. The writing is clear and excellent, the universe is interesting, the politics and warfare believable.”—SFRevu
“Elliott has developed as real a fantasy realm as any writer working in the genre, and the very complexity of the story contributes to its verisimilitude.”—Chronicle
