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by Michelle L. Levigne Michelle L. Levigne's fantasy of the a world tainted by starmetal (substances which fall toward the planet in meteor-like showers), and the struggles between three races continues in Braenlicach, the second book in the series. Tensions still are present between the Rey'kil, who have mental and magical powers and the ability to work the alien starmetal, their allies the Noveni, and the warring Encindi who birthed the Nameless One who sought to destroy all Rey'kil. This evil was thought destroyed in the first book, Zygradon (also reviewed on Myshelf.com), when the two young heroes Mrllis and Ceera, along with twelve other adepts, developed their abilities to such a degree they forged the mysterious healing bowl made of starmetal called the Zygradon. In Braenlicach, Mrllis and Ceera are grown and married, trying to raise a family of their own. Into this serenity comes more evil rooted in the Nameless One through a series of dastardly plots over a long period of time. To combat this, Mrllis and Ceera and the original forgers of the Zygradon gather another group, including three orphan offspring of the Nameless One who had seemed to prove their loyalty to the Rey'kil and their alliance, to forge a new weapon, the Braenlicach, a sword of great power. Braenlicach is an ambitious book because it covers several decades, enough time that Mrllis and Ceera become grandparents. Because of the amount of plotting by the bad guys and events in those years, sometimes the book reads less like a novel than a chronicle of the history of the Rey'kil. The action scenes, nonetheless, are well-paced, and the endearing romance between Mrllis and his lady Ceera, the ruling Queen of Snows, fleshes out the two main characters and gives them a depth readers can really enjoy. These elements keep readers turning through the complex plot of this book. Unfortunately, there is little time to develop many of the other characters because of the length of time and the events covered in this book. Though I found Braenlicach to be a bit rushed and not quite as satisfying as Zygradon, it is a necessary part of the unfolding chronicle of the Rey'kil. Levigne also sets up the next book in the series so fans will certainly want to grab that one when it is published to find out how the rest of the story unfolds. |
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Braenlicach