Jack Flint has defeated the Morrigan and looks forward to going home, or perhaps finding out more about his missing father - but fate and the heartstone have other plans for him. When his friend Corriwen disappears through the wrong gate betwen the world, Jack and is fellow traveller Kerry must follow, to save both her and the mythical world of Eirainn from destruction by a fearsome warlord and his sorcerer...

The second book in the Jack Flint series, this novel is good for a light read, but in other respects it leaves much to be desired. The concept of setting a fantasy novel in the complex world of Celtic mythology is an apealing one, but unfortunately the effect in these novels is disappointing, and does not realise the full potential of the rich source material. The world Donnelly depicts does not come to life, as it lacks the fine detail which is such an attraction in the fantasy genre, and his characters and the situations they encounter are two-dimensional and taken very much from the fantasy genre stock supply; there are no surprises and there is very little complexity or coherence to the plot. Also, as a sequel it has the added difficulty of failing to properly explain events which have occured inthe frst book, leaving the reader at times unsatisfied and confused. Even the dialogue is insipid and unrealistic. I found this book very difficult to engage with, and was on the whole disappointed.

2008-08-08