Shadow

Elliott expends little effort in making this tepid sequel to 2014’s The Pilgrims accessible to newcomers. Those who skip over the Dramatis Personae list at the beginning will not find its vital information elsewhere, and the absence of even a brief prologue makes the plot murky for anyone without a solid recall of the previous book. Eric, an undistinguished journalist, chanced upon the world of Levaal by entering a red door, and is now known in that realm as the Pilgrim. As this book opens, a god with the uninspired name of Valour warns that “the Pendulum has begun to swing,” presaging radical changes for Levaal. Eric is viewed as a counter to the forces of darkness threatening the realm, someone whose talent for “changing people’s minds” could make “all the world... beautiful.” The notion of the human savior of another reality is familiar to epic fantasy fans, and Elliott doesn’t offer any memorable variations on it. Readers who enjoy smooth narration will also be uncomfortable with Elliott’s radical changes of tone. Agent: Lyn Tranter, Australian Literary Management. (Feb.)