Trial of Intentions

March 15, 2015
Second installment of an overstuffed fantasy series following The Unremembered (2015). A magical Veil keeps the evil Quiet trapped in the Bourne. A sect of magical singers maintains the Veil by singing the Song of Suffering. But as the singers falter, the Veil weakens, so the defenders need a grand alliance to fight the invading Quiet, whose ranks include evil wizards, giants, and numerous quasi-human species. A catastrophic defeat leaves each of our heroes with a problem or two to solve. Vendanj, a Sheason, or wizard, must persuade a pacifistic faction of the order to join him in battle. Bowman Tahn Junell will travel to Aubade Grove to rejoin a colony of scientists, hoping to find a means to strengthen the Veil. Braethen, a warrior-scholar sworn to protect the Sheason, carries the magical Blade of Seasons but doesn't know how it works. Root-digger Sutter will take his Sedagin glove, blade, and magic sigil to Alon'Itol and attempt to persuade smith king Jaales Relothian to join the alliance. And magical singer Wendra travels to Descant Cathedral in order to learn from Maesteri Belamae how to control her powerful song. A couple of other narratives weave in and out, one about a seeming good-guy faction within the Bourne and another, particularly annoying, thread in which manipulative League of Civility leader Roth Staned hatches despotic plots while his opponents stand around wringing their hands. Once again it's a case of intriguing ideas drowned in details; characters who prefer talking to doing, even in the middle of a battle; and an author seemingly convinced that more is better. In sum, more of the same, at even greater length.

May 15, 2015

The veil that protects humankind from the rogue god and his creations has weakened. Tahn, who set off on a journey to recover lost memories in The Unremembered (recently rereleased in a new edition), here seeks a way to strengthen the veil.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
This epic fantasy is book two of Orullian's Vault of Heaven series, which began with The Unremembered (2011). The Quiet are imprisoned behind the Veil, but the Veil has weakened, and if the Quiet break out, they will bring death and destruction throughout Aeshau Vaal. Tahn, Wendra, and Sutter, the young heroes from the first novel, are determined to keep the Quiet at bay, and they depart on separate quests to prepare for battle: Tahn travels to debate scholars on the workings of the magical force known as the Will. Wendra strengthens her song, using the Will to keep the Veil strong. And Sutter travels to confront a bitter king and elicit his help. In the city of Recityv, the League of Civility views the Quiet and the Veil as mythical nonsense and plots to take over governance. Impressive world building and competent storytelling drive the narrative, but the dizzying array of fantastical elements may leave some readers a bit lost. Still, fans of George R. R. Martin or Robert Jordan will enjoy Orullian's intricate but nonetheless immersive story. Those new to the series, however, should start with the first volume.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)