Tomes of Spellcasting--Domes of Fire

Tomes of Spellcasting

Welcome to the land of mystery, where the impossible is possible, and the improbable the reality. Join me as I investigate worlds filled with magic and meet the souls that wield this wondrous powers.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: Domes of Fire
Author: David Eddings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1992

Thought Sir Sparhawk's work was done, what with the Bhelliom recovered and Azash destroyed? That's what Sparhawk thought, until an ambassador from the Tamuli Empire pays him a visit and pleads for assistance against supernatural threats that no one in all the empire knows how to combat. Sparhawk heads east, along with a huge company of knights and an entourage that includes, however dangerously, his wife, his daughter, a noblewoman, a serving maid, a bodyguard/slave, and a master thief. Soon enough they find themselves caught up in all the intrigue plaguing the empire, but not even the addition of Sephrenia, the former Pandion tutor in the arts of Styricum, will help them out of the mess they're in. Only Bhelliom can, but where is it? Where did the Child-Goddess Aphrael put it?

The Tamuli opens with a fizzle rather than a bang, but that's all right, because the action quickly picks up and moves the story along. We end up with mostly the same cast of characters that populated the Elenium trilogy, but we also get to see them growing and devloping in different ways as well. Who'd ever think that Kalten of all people would fall in love? And who'd ever think that Sephrenia could be as cold and as conniving as Sparhawk himself? Revealing these new sides of beloved characters makes for interesting reading that keep the characters alive and fresh.

I think the part I enjoyed reading the most was Patriarch Ortzel's relation of the Drychtnathasaga. Boy, this hinted very strongly at an adaptation of Beowulf. I noticed this because I first purchased the book right after we'd read Beowulf in senior English. I noticed the resemblance even more once I'd gone through several English literature classes. The adaptation works, though I think I'd have preferred it more if the names weren't quite so close to the Old English ones. "Kreindl" was just a little too obvious, I'm afraid. All in all, though, the story is sufficiently removed from the Beowulf tradition that it is more than simply an adaptation. It's a minor, almost incidental part of the novel, but it has a great impact upon the story as a whole.

Domes of Fire picks up where The Elenium left off. The book is laden with emotionally trying and touching scenes, including several that make the readers cry and mourn along with the characters. There's also a rhythm to it all--if you're willing to look for it--that makes the book a truly enjoyable read!

Rating: Thumbs up! It's mortals, gods, and an elemental force of the universe vying for survival and worth every word!

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