In Howard's gripping second volume in her Rune of Unmaking high fantasy series (after The Hidden Stars
), Ouriána, the queen of Phaôrax, seeks an heir. Since Ouriána has lost one son and does not trust a second, she sends her high wizard north in search of her niece, a princess who's living as a healer under the name Winloki. Some of the northerners have other plans for Winloki, particularly the wizard Sindérian and her father, Faolein (in the form of an owl). Sindérian and Faolein arrive too late to forestall the high wizard, but set off after him and Winloki on a long and breathless chase by land and by sea. On the way, daughter and father encounter caverns of the dead, kingdoms of dwarves and vicious manticores. Swift pacing, well-crafted characters and vivid battle scenes lift this well above the average Tolkien-inspired fantasy. (Dec.)
