This is an absolutely wonderful fantasy series! Kudos to Williamson for creating such a rich world full of realistic characters. Her protagonists, Achan, the orphan who finds himself heir to a contested throne, and Vrell, a young noblewoman who has disguised herself as a stray boy to avoid the advances of the pretender to the throne, are both winning characters with all sorts of unspoken chemistry between them. They are protected by a group of knights who are so completely different from each other it's a wonder they can hold together as a group. But they're all likable in their own ways and bring warmth and realism to the story.The villains are just as despicable as the heroes are winning; Esek, the arrogant minor noble who seeks to usurp Achan's throne; Sir Kenton, the knight charged with guarding a king who he instead murders; Sir Khai, a snake for hire; and others too numerous to mention.There's plenty of action here as fortune first favors then eludes Achan and Vrell. There's also great tension as Achan senses that Vrell is keeping something secret from him, even as they become close friends. I can't wait for the next book in the series.I highly recommend this fantasy series to anyone who enjoys the genre. I enjoyed the first book in the series; the characters were interesting. I wanted to like this second book, but about half way through it became a chore, at 3/4's I really just wanted to give it up. I thought I was reading a fantasy book, instead, it was constant preaching. I don't mind a little religion or belief structure in a book, but this was over the top, forcing it on the reader, page after page, chapter after chapter. It also happened to be a way of interpreting the scripture with arguments that felt forced and false, shaping the characters into people I could nolonger relate to or barely like. I made the mistake of buying the 2nd and the 3rd book together, after having enjoyed the first book. Now I have to decide if I am going to push through and see the story to the conclusion and read the third book, which at this moment, seems unlikely. I'd give this book maybe 1-1/2 stars.
Do You like book To Darkness Fled (2010)?
Fantastic book. Loved it! Can't wait to read the 3rd one.
—Sergejs
