Leaves of Flame
Well of Sorrows trilogy, No 2
Benjamin Tate

Daw Books, Inc.
January 3, 2012 / ISBN: 0756407044
Fantasy
Amazon

Reviewed by Jan Fields

In this series, the world is divided into three main races: normal human, long lived Alvritshai, and Dwarren. As the book opens, the three are living in relative peace and security, mostly because of a human-turned-immortal, Colin. Colin has planted magical trees in each of the lands that are home to these races. The trees prevent the world from being overun by the forces of darkness -- Wraiths, Shadows, and some new creepies lurking in the book. But since nothing runs smoothly for too long in epic fantasy, the bad guys strike back in this installment of the series.

The Leaves of Flame is the second book in this epic fantasy series and it covers a lot of ground. In the beginning of the novel, we cover decades between scenes, which can make it a bit tough to follow, especially if you haven't read the first book. Also, it moves at a glacial pace for the good portion of the novel, so you really need to be dedicated to stick with it until the action and tension level picks up. Once the story gets going, it's quite engaging. There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but some of them are fascinating. I especially liked the Dwarren and the mysterious Wraith woman. For fans of epic fantasy, there is much here to like -- some nice twists on the genre, lots of mechinations by unsavory sorts, and plenty of battles. So if this is your first meeting with the series, but you like epic fantasy, I encourage you not to be put off by the slow start -- before you know it, it will definitely have your full attention.

Follow-up to: Well of Sorrows by Benjamin Tate