Prisoner Of The Iron Tower - Sarah Ash

PRISONER OF THE IRON TOWER


Book 2 of 'The Tears of Artamom'


Read about Book 1 HERE


ISBN - 978-0-553-58622-0
FIRST PUBLISHED - August 2004
PAGES - 542
BINDING - Paperback 
GENRE - Fantasy


AUTHOR - Sarah Ash


BEST-SELLERS - Lord of Snow and Shadows


SYNOPSIS - Gavril Nagarian has finally cast out the the dragon-daemon from witthin himself. The Drakhaoul is finally gone - aand with it all of Gavril's fearsome powers. No longer possessed, he is instead being driven by the Drakhaoul's absence. Worse, he has betrayed his blood, his people, and put the ice-bound princedom of Azhkendir at risk - and lost.


At the mercy of the victorious Eugene of Tielen, Gavril is sentenced to life in an insane asylum. For the power-hungry Eugene longs to possess a Drakhoul of his own, and his prisoner seems the best way to achieve that goal. Meanwhile, a shattered empire reunites. But peace is as fragile as a rebel's whisper - and a captive's wish to be free....


EXCERPT - "I'll be all right, Mother," he said, forcing a bravery he did not feel into his voice.


"I'll be there, Gavril," she cried. "I've friends in Muscobar. Friends in high places!"


Gavril tried to look back over his shoulder, but the troopers were increasing their pace now, walking him briskly under the archway. The last thing he saw was the druzhina go slowly forward, one by one, to drop their weapons at the Tielen captain's feet.


FL Speaks - The war is over. And peace has finally arrived. But peace is just the wind before the storm hits. Eugene has succeeded in invading Muscobar and when he hears that Gavril is no longer powerful, he sends his army to capture him. To save his kingdom, Gavril surrenders to the emperor. But death didn't welcome him, madness did.


By driving the Drakhaoul away, Gavril saved his soul. By surrendering to Eugene, he saved his people. But in doing so, he has betrayed the bond between his people. Far away in Muscobar, Eugene searches for the Drakhoul in hopes of being all powerful. And declared insane by Eugene, Gavril is imprisoned in a far away place where his head is being operated on to find the hidden memories of the daemon.


You simply cannot hate Eugene. He longs to be loved by his wife who still has feelings for Gavril. But that doesn't deter him and his love for his daughter is overwhelming. 


Nearby, the small kingdom of Smarna rebels against Eugene's rule and as the emperor sends his fleet to silence them once and for all, Gavril, whole again, burns the entire fleet to crisp. But the Drakhaoul has plans on his own to save his long trapped brothers and as Gavril sets them free, one of them possesses Eugene as the countdown to madness descends. Somewhere in between, a forgotten dead prince awakens and plots to win his kingdom back.


Sarah Ash continues her fascinating plot with a faced paced sequel. The only con I found was Gavril's constant whining for the better half of the book. (Dude! You should have thought about that before you sacrificed your power!) Nevertheless, the writing was good, even though there is almost no background of the characters. 


When you write a fantasy, background and worldbuilding are the ones that makes or breaks a book. Sarah Ash is determined to be the exception in this case. The final book is resting on my book shelf and I'll take a little break before I learn how Gavril manages to defeat someone who is more powerful. Or does he lose? Wait for the last book. It promises to be one helluva ride.


My Rating - 3.5 stars


PRICE - INR 341/- [Flipkart Price]