There is more action in this book than its prequel, “The Ruins of Gorlan”. But I preferred the first book with its fascinating descriptions of woodcraft as the mysterious Ranger Halt teaches his apprentice Will the ways of the Rangers.

This time, Will-and-Halt don’t get as much airtime: they are separated when Will joins an embassy to the king of Celtica (yes not very original: the geography of the world of this series seems very Northern European), while Halt remains in Redmont Fief to see to the preparations for war. Horace, once Will’s enemy and now a promising young Battleschool apprentice, joins in to complete the trio. As they travel towards the capital of Celtica they come upon empty villages and deserted guardposts and realise that something is going wrong. For Morgarath has a cunning and devious plan and he has pulled wool over everyone’s eyes…and will continue to do so but for the inquisitiveness and the quick thinking of the Rangers.

There are episodes of sheer unbelievability in this book (the first book had minor loopholes that seemed puzzling but here it was like “Whaa-?”), nevertheless this remains good escapist fiction and a worthwhile continuation to the series. And now of course because it ends as a cliffhanger everyone will be waiting on tenterhooks for the third book to come out. Dang!