The Fall of Waterstone – Lilith Saintcrow

This sequel to “A Flame in the North” is not as good as its predecessor. The first book started with a quirky and interesting Norse-inspired milieu, and segued to a Tolkien-inspired one. This book abandons most of the former, and leans more heavily into the Tolkien. (The reliance on Tolkien is deliberate: The part deals with Orc-like creatures called ‘orukhar’, a whip-wielding creature called a ‘belroch’, et several cetera. Some of the background echoes stories from the Silmarillion.) This second book is also (go figure) very second-book-in-a-trilogy, and only a few key events are likely to matter to the third book.

Most of the book takes place at Waterstone. Much that comes as a surprise to the protagonist does not come as a surprise to the reader. For example (spoiler alert) Waterstone falls. And the reader is likely to suspect that the treachery to which the cover blurb refers comes from the shifty character who tends to wear black.

On the other hand, the pacing is good, relations between major characters are developed, and a good foundation is laid for the third book. (We are told it will be called “Doom of the Elder”.) If you thought “A Flame in the North” a satisfying story, you will probably enjoy “The Fall of Waterstone”.