Wolves of the Gods

Tales of the Timuras: 2

ISBN: 0-34540179-4 Order from: Amazon.com

This action-filled sequel has some good characters; however, the plot is a bit choppy; the world, while filled with wonders, is not as solid as one would hope.

Reviewed by David on June 18, 1998

Genre: Fantasy (High Fantasy)

Synopsis: Safar Timura, the young sorcerer who was once the best friend, and later a deadly enemy to the emperor Iraj Protarus has retreated to his birth place in the mountains. However, there are powerful old enemies who will not let him or his people live in peace. Safar must lead his reluctant people on a perilous journey, hounded by armies, spies and wizards. His mission is not just to survive and save his people, but to save humanity from the final cataclysm.

Full Review: This book is a sequel to Wizard of the Winds. The Wolves of the Gods is clearly the middle portion of a trilogy, and should be read in order. The world is vaguely Central Asian, and the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is used to frame the book. Much of the novel is spent in traveling, and the book ends in a cliffhanger.

The first book pretty much took care of Safar's erstwhile friend and leader, the empire-builder Iraj, especially in the epilogue. Therefore, I regretted discovering that the author decided to resurrect the old enemy, apparently changing his mind.

Plagued by Iraj, who after his temporary demise is bursting with vengeance and newly found magic, Safar must lead his peaceful and stubborn people on a long journey to a distant island, not just to escape Iraj's rebuilt armies, but to learn more about the disaster overtaking the world.

Once, a great demon wizard had predicted that the world would end. Already some countries lie dead of volcanoes, poisons and evil magic coming from deep within the earth. Now, only his vague writings, and Safar's intuition, hint at the truth: it appears that the world decided to cleanse itself of life.

The book is full of adventures, as Safar and the people of his valley run from the armies of Iraj and his diabolical allies. On the way, Safar has to gather the pieces to the puzzle left by the ancient demon wizard. Only thus can he discover the real reason for the coming destruction, and try to avert it.

The world is colorful, but a bit too episodic to be really solid. New cities, magic powers and religions pop up and fade from view with abruptness. Safar's half-demon adopted son Palimak is maturing at a frightening speed and becoming an interesting character in his own right: I suspect the author is grooming him to become a hero of his own adventures.

The major characters, including Safar's nemesis Iraj, are pretty detailed and interesting. The vague prophecies of the old demon mage are irritatingly annoying: why can't you ever have a magic book that clearly communicates the writer's knowledge, especially on a subject as important as the end of the world?

On the whole, I thought the plot rather contrived. If you liked the Wizard of the Winds by all means read this sequel: it sets up for the further adventures. Otherwise, give this book a miss.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 5; Characters: 6; Style: 5; World-building: 6; Originality: 5.5;

ISBN: 0-34540179-4 Order from: Amazon.com