Shadow
The Pendulum Trilogy#2
by Will Elliott
Tor, $25.99, 400pp
Published: February 2015
Eric Albright was a luckless journalist living in London. He had a rather boring life…until the day he and his friend Stuart Chase opened a mysterious red door and entered Levaal, a magical world between worlds. Levaal is a place inhabited by dragons, mages and a mad ruler, Lord Vous who wants to be a god. Vous had been defeated in his plans because the Wall at World’s End had kept the land contained. But now the Wall at World’s End has fallen, Vous has almost achieved godhood, one of the great dragons has escaped its prison, tormentors have invaded Lavaal through the breach in the wall…war is coming and Eric and his friends are in the midst of it all. Complicating matters further is the presence of Shadow; a mysterious being who looks remarkably like Eric and a growing realization that actions in Lavaal can have repercussions on three worlds.
A solid entry in the trilogy that concludes with World’s End to be released in March 2016. This is a wonderfully crafted world with rich characters and masterful story telling. Highly recommended. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon