From Publishers Weekly
In Australian author Fallon's solid second installment of her Wolfblade fantasy trilogy (after Wolfblade), Damin Wolfblade, heir to the High Throne of Hythria, learns "the Rules of Gaining and Wielding Power" from the dwarf Elezaar at the insistence of his powerful mother, Marla, High Prince Lernen's sister. The teenage Damin, along with his siblings, stepsiblings and various other young relatives, find themselves caught up in court intrigue and backstabbing schemes, not to mention an assassination plot or two. As Damin grows to manhood, he learns whom he should hold close, whom he should keep at a distance and just how much of his keen intelligence and political skills he needs to hide. Damin is indeed his mother's son. While this middle book's somewhat predictable maneuvering for position engages the reader's interest, one is left hoping the concluding volume will offer more swashbuckling action. (Sept.)
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From School Library Journal
Adult/High SchoolΠ²ΠβIt's been eight long years since ambitious Marla Wolfblade buried her husband and claimed royal power for herself. This second volume in the trilogy shows her shift in focus from securing her own power to transferring it to her teenage son, Damin. Elezaar, the dwarf who taught her everything she knows, takes young Damin under his wing and teaches him the Rules of Gaining and Wielding Power, a fantasy-world version of Machiavellian methods. Damin proves an apt pupil, but just as he nears the age of taking the throne, the lord High Arrion of the Sorcerers' Collective, a dark and devious faction within the kingdom, decides to turn the young ruler into a puppet or tear the throne away from him. Damin must decide whom he can trust and how to claim what belongs to him. With strong characters and layers of political subtext, Fallon creates a tight tale of intrigue, espionage, thievery, and assassination attempts. Despite being the second part of a trilogy, this volume stands on its own as a coming-of-age story. Those looking for action-packed, sword-wielding quests will likely find Damin's story slow but those craving subtle variations within the field of fantasy will find much to enjoy._Π²ΠβMatthew L. Moffett, Ford's Theatre Society, Washington, DC_
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