Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews
Book Review: Dog in the Dark
By Sandy Amazeen Jan 21, 2013, 2:16 GMT
The Noble Dead series has been hailed as "a crowd-pleasing mix of intrigue, epic fantasy, and horror.?* Now, national bestselling authors Barb and J.C. Hendee present the latest thrilling novel following the adventures of dhampir Magiere and half-elf Leesil... Barely escaping the city of Calm Seatt-and the assassins hunting them-Magiere, Leesil, and the elven dog Chap sail south to continue their quest to find the powerful Orb of Air before ...more
Once again, Magiere, Leesil, and the elven dog Chap team up to locate one of the missing orbs, this time the orb of air, before it can come into the possession by an enemy. Fleeing south from the city of Calm Seatt, the trio soon discovers the dreaded Loyalists of Most Aged Father are hot on their heels with personal axes to grind. Magiere and Leesil are forced to accept the company and protection of Brot’an, an old elven assassin and although Chap goes along with the plan, he suspects Brot’an has a deeper agenda. Too bad Chap is correct as Magiere’s past catches up with them but then, she is not the only one struggling with past events and they could just determine the direction of the future. Gaining control of the orb of fire cost Magiere dearly and as time goes on; she begins understanding just how steep that effort is turning out to be.
Primarily set aboard ship, this excellent addition to the long running Noble Dead saga introduces some interesting new secondary characters, most notably Brot’an and Leanalham. The pacing is a bit jerky as the storytelling alternates between current events and old memories but all that background answers several questions, resolves issues and lays the groundwork for more. There are nice tie-ins with the Noble Dead along with plenty of plot twists to keep fans riveted. As usual, the character and world building are incomparable, the plot imaginative and fans that preferred the first segment of the saga will rejoice at the overall tone of this latest tale.
