By Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Trust cuts both ways.

An ancient war ended when four new worlds were created from the elements of the old one. The series eventually touches on all of them, but this volume focuses on the world of air. Humans and elves fight on floating islands, while dwarves toil away in blissful ignorance on the lowest levels, tending to a giant machine.

The story begins with an assassin, hired to do a job he doesn’t fully comprehend. Next the audience meets an inquisitive dwarf, struggling to understand the world around him, much to the chagrin of his people, who value submission. The story itself is fairly simple at first, until treachery and misfortune unite the characters in common cause, forcing them to work together to survive, as governments plot their demise. The cast steadily grows, as new characters become entangled in the plot, but the story manages it well, transitioning between perspectives with masterful timing. The characters themselves are well developed, if a bit cliché, and their story, while familiar, is still an entertaining read.

+Strong Setting
+Strong Descriptions
*Strong but familiar characters
*Strong but familiar plot
-Some Confusing Scenes

3.5/5

Next Time…
Elven Star-DGC 02
2016/07/21