Tomes of Spellcasting--The Shining Ones

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: The Shining Ones
Author: David Eddings
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1993

What do you do when faced with an enemy possessing the power to call forth monsters--real and illusory--and warriors from the past to throw at you? You have your own allies, of course: a handful of knights versed in the arts of Styricum, a high priestess of a goddess, a practical young man and his light-fingered brother, a polished diplomat, and a fiesty little Child-Goddess ready with pert replies and kisses to bestow upon you. Oh, you also have a gem whose power is unrivaled by anything else in the world. A fairly accomplished group of seasoned fighters, overall. What, then, can possibly improve them? Well, how about a myth come to life? How about a member of a race unseen for generations? How about the mind-reading, light-warping, magic-muting leader-elect of the legendary Delphae, a.k.a. the "Shining Ones"? Now you have a crew capable of dealing with just about any threat that comes at you. But is it enough? Are your chosen companions sufficient to stop some of the greatest renegade wizards of Styricum, their hordes of long-dead warriors, and the machinations of an arrogant god? That's what Sparhawk wants to know!

This second book of the Tamuli is a terrific addition to David Eddings' impressive writing credentials. Same cast, as you might expect, but this time around they have different roles to fulfill. Sephrenia originally served as a mother-figure, but this time she's on her home turf--more or less--and isn't quite so meek and gentle; she was actually quite forceful and, at times, rather vindictive, I thought. We also get to see a powerless emperor pull off the coup to end all coups. True, we had a chance to see a queen manipulate the church of all Eosia, but this was just as impressive, if not more, when you consider everything took place in a room covered with nacre tiles.

As far as the story goes, it was really enjoyable. Nothing to compare to Patriarch Ortzel's Drychtnathasaga, but the stories that were told were all interesting. I especially enjoyed finding out more about Sephrenia's early life and the rise of the Sparhawk line. This is the first time we really get to find out how Sephrenia entered into the service of Aphrael, and though we receive hints about it in a prologue in one of the Elenium books, only now do we really learn about the origin of the ties between the House of Sparhawk and the Royal Family of Elenia. Of course, everything is revealed from a certain slanted perspective, but it's all still reasonable neutral enough that we can accept it mostly as legitimate and unexaggerated.

The Shining Ones is a terrific sequel to Domes of Fire. We get to see just who the Shining Ones really are (in addition to the illusions conjured up by the enemy), as well as learn more about the various gods. All the storytelling is impressive, and that's what makes reading this novel--stories within a story--so great!

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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