Sword of Honor
Boundary's Fall, No. 2
By Bret Funk 

     Here is the second in the Boundary's Fall trilogy (a review of Path of Glory is also on this site) and once again, newcomer Bret Funk has shown that he can write Tolkeinesque fantasy like the best of them. Jeran has been sent, along with Prince Martyn to seek out the elves as allies in the coming war, and to reopen their trade route. His friend Dahr has gone to look for his people the Garun'ah and meanwhile the Boundary is weakening still further. Now it is thin enough for the Darklord Lorthas to get through and haunt the dreams of both young men, eager to tell his own tale of his fall from grace and try to get them on his side. As the pair continues to grow up and learn life's lessons the Duranges are planning something major…

     There is a lot of reading in this book; at just over 500 pages it is a modest length by fantasy standards but intense. This is a good thing, as it shows that more than just action happens in these pages and just like the first volume this is one of those books where the characters seem very real. It tends to be absorbing even when not much is happening as there are lovely descriptions of the forest city of the elves to enjoy, or the native American style lives of the Garun'ah and the various doings of the characters. It could stand a little editing, but not too much or a good deal of its essential charm would be lost; this is not a book to read for the adventures and action alone.

Much has been made by the publishers of the author's insistence on "gray" rather than black or white characters and a sense of realism, and although this can be said of parts of the book I felt that it can equally be said of a lot of other good fantasies too. So, this is not as unique as all that. This book has its share of black and white characters too; more than the first part I would say. Bret Funk has much to say about the value of honor, and of getting along with other races but don't think that this is a sermon in fantasy guise as truly what this book amounts to is one of the better books in this genre around today. I do hope that Bret Funk goes on to write many more books…and book three is not too long in coming!