Knight of the Silver Circle

The explosive second installment in Hamilton’s Dragonslayer trilogy (after Dragonslayer) juggles the machinations of mages, warriors, and scheming politicians in a land beset by dragons. Guillot only survived killing his first dragon with the help of a magic cup that enhanced his power, but his victory earns him a reputation as a dragonslayer, and more and more villages turn to him for help. Gill’s friend Solène has powerful magic that’s all her own, but she can’t control it. She returns to the city of Mirabay to study, but soon realizes that the city is not as safe as it used to be. Meanwhile, Amaury, the Prince Bishop of Mirabay, discovers that the king he put in place to be his puppet may not be as easy to control as he had hoped and launches a desperate quest to get his hands on Gill’s cup and the power it can give him. The jam-packed plot ends on a cliffhanger that expertly sets up a new world order for the final installment. Those who appreciate suspenseful battles fought with magic, swords, and wits will enjoy this epic page-turner. (Nov.)