THE BOOK OF THE SWORD

Opening where the previous episode, Coming of Dragons (2006), left off, young castaways Edmund and Elspeth are seized and carried in the talons of the immense dragon Torment toward a confrontation with the chained trickster god/demon Loki. As before, Lake builds a quick-paced plot filled with suspenseful chases, narrow escapes, rescues and dangers, as Elspeth carries the magical sword that will either slay Loki, or free him, down into the fiery cavern where Men and “Fay” had imprisoned him long ago. The author surrounds her with sturdy—if sometimes, particularly in Edmund’s case, conflicted—allies old and new, tucks in several revelations, plus a magnificent battle between outsized dragons, then leaves the door open for further adventures. A better-than-average middle volume that keeps the story rolling along nicely. (Fantasy. 12-14)