Product Description

The Long Night has begun. The Endlords and their dark army of Unmade prepare to unleash untold destruction upon the world. Every Sull warrior must step forward and fight, or risk the North falling into eternal darkness. Key to mankind's survival is the sacred warrior Ash March. But for Ash to realise her true potential as a Reach, and become the Sull's greatest weapon, she must keep herself safe as the perils that surround her multiply. Raif Sevrance has an equally perilous task. The exile must travel to the barren wastes of the Red Glaciers and recover the legendary sword named Loss. For Sull legend decrees that he who wields the Sword from Red Ice will bring terror to their enemies. But fulfilment of these goals may yet come too late. In the remote reaches of the Bitter Hills, the Endlords' minions have made a cataclysmic discovery: a crack in the Blindwall, an ancient and unguarded passage leading directly into the realms of men.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41741 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-06
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 720 pages

Customer Reviews

well worth the wait
after waiting several years for this book, i was very happy when it arrived. it only took me 3 days to read it and it is as the others in this series a great read. the storylines continue seamlessly and new charictures are brought in smoothly. my only problem came when i realised that there had to be another book, and given the length of wait for this one i am asssuming that we will finally get the final installment somethime in 2010. but i will be pre ordering it as soon as possible and do urge any other fans to do the same and enjoy the wait with baited breath!!

Punctuated with wonderful moments but otherwise a filler
First of all, the wait for this book was just that bit too long.

And before I launch into an actual review, the edition had LOTS of typos - alot of 'though' when it should be 'thought' and twice the name Raif was written when it should have been Bram. Who got that mixed up?

Generally the book is well written, I mean it's J.V. Jones. I was slightly disappointed to know that this wasn't the end of the series but that there would be more. I don't look forward to the wait.
The characters are always written immensely well. I found myself always drawn into Raif, Raina and Vaylo's stories. However, I found it - dare I say it - a little boring at times. One character is literally floating down a river the whole time her story is covered. The last two hundred pages where all the characters strands are wrapped before the end is the real meat I was waiting for to sink my teeth in. Otherwise I felt rather hungry and empty.

J.V. Jones still describes her world in stunning detail but I think that I must be growing impatient because for the first time I found myself skipping/skim reading parts.

I will stay loyal to this series because development with Raif and Raina is brilliant, as well as Bram, Vaylo, even Angus. It's enjoyable but still doesn't measure to the wonder that was 'A Cavern' nor quite as engaging as 'A Fortress.' I hope the next installment has some real juicy developments. The way J.V. Jones has spun this tale, I'm sure I won't be disappointed. You still have to read this book if you enjoy her writing and have liked the series so far.

Good, but more still to come
Ive been waiting for this book for ages, so was pleased when it was finally released. I found it a real page turner, like its predecessors. in particular the first third raced along and the stories of the main characters developed. I particularly like the way that the world it is set in is somewhat different from usual fantasy fare.

I found the final third somewhat slower, but I suspect that was because by that point I had realised that there was at least one more book to come...

I hope that the next book is released quicker, because this series is building to an exciting climax!