The first volume of this series ended on what seemed like a triumphal note, with the smith Elof and the disinherited prince Kermovan defeating Elo's evil teacher the Mastersmith and saving the great southern city of which Kermovan was the rightful heir. The second volume begins badly, with Kermorvan unexpectedly giving up his claims in the face of factional opposition led by Bryhon. He, Elof, the Duergar princess Ils and their old friend Rok set out to cross the continent to the possibly surviving eastern kingdom of their people. They start with a fair-sized escort, all of whom get unpleasantly eliminated early on, then find themselves encountering the Power (at least demigod) of the Forest, who has presreved several legendary heroes from the lost central kingdom of Morvan. However, this also turns out to be a kind of trap, and they escape and end up going through the underground ruins f the ancient city itself, where Kermorvan is able to reclaim the helm which served as the crown of its kings, his ancestors. They reach the eastern kingdom Morvannec and find it has only recently been conquered by the barbarous Ekwash, led by the Ice Power Louhi, her acolyte Kara whom Elof had once pledged to love, and Bryhon from the west. Elof persuades Kara to switch sides and Kermorvan leads the people of the city in defeating the Ekwash, killing Bryhon in the process. The ending is powerfully satisfying, with a magical pursuit-by-successive transformations by Elof of Kara (reminiscent of "The Coal Black Smith" but much more serious), but the earlier parts of the book are so grim I did not enjoy it as much overall as the first volume. ( )

http://onefinemess.rhinopanda.net/2009/12/20/2-book-reviews-grave-peril-the-forg... ( )