The Twisted Citadel

April 14, 2008
A hefty and welcome glossary of characters connects this sophomoric second installment of the DarkGlass Mountain trilogy to its predecessor, 2007’s The Serpent Bride
. Maximilian, king of Escator, and his former queen, Ishbel, struggle to decide whether to repair or fully end their romance, while Isaiah, Maximilian’s military leader, and Axis SunSoar, a heroic winged Icarii enchanter, debate how to combat the demonic god Kanubai, who has been absorbed into the DarkGlass Mountain and now poses an even greater threat. Those familiar with Douglass’s earlier Axis Trilogy may savor the intricate interplay between humans, Icarii and their mysterious Lealfast cousins, and the Gollum-like Skraelings, but grisly scenes frequently disrupt the flow of the story, and Douglass’s chatty abandonment of epic tone (“You are in a pickle, Maximilian”) often snaps the necessary suspension of disbelief. Maximilian’s weariness over endless wandering that gets him nowhere proves an apt metaphor for the story.

June 15, 2008
The continent of Tencendor has fallen; new realms have taken its place. Only a few members of the SunSoar family remain, and new movers and shakers have risen to prominence as they try to hold their alliances fast against a new darkness arising from DarkGlass Mountainthe Dark God Kanubai transformed into something much more powerful. The author of the popular "Axis" and "Wayfarer Redemption" trilogies continues her epic saga of lands and populations in peril and of heroes who fight against the ever-strengthening evil in this sequel to "The Serpent Bride". Douglass has established herself as one of the genre's ablest storytellers, able to create vast canvasses upon which her unforgettable characters leave their distinctive marks. Recommended for fantasy collections of any size but particularly where the author has a following.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.