In this sequel to The Prince of Shadow
(2001), Benjamin provides plenty of rousing fantasy adventure rooted in the traditions and philosophies of East Asia. Llesho, the prince who escaped from slavery in the first book, is on a quest to find his four (out of six) older brothers still missing, raise an army and free his homeland, Thebin. Master Den the trickster God, the Emperor Shou, Adar (the first of his two brothers with whom he's been reunited) and a host of others accompany our hero on his mission. When the enemy Harn who haunt his dreams capture his companions, two of his brothers whisk him away to assist the dream readers of Ahkenbad, who are dying from drought. Aided by Pig, a Jinn in the dream world, he is able to secure a water supply, but his old enemy, the magician Markko, murders the dream readers. When the good magician Habiba arrives, the two of them attempt to free Llesho's friends and the emperor from the Harn. Joining forces with the Southern Khan, Llesho takes instruction with their shaman to learn to master the dream world and change shape. While many characters are little more than names, Benjamin is adept at blending the various fantasy elements into a vivid, richly detailed narrative. Those who haven't read The Prince of Shadow
may have trouble getting their bearings at first, but once they do, they'll enjoy the pell-mell ride as much as existing fans. (Sept. 3)
