The Gates of Dawn
The Chronicles of Blood and Stone, vol, 2  
By Robert Newcomb

     Following the momentous events of The Fifth Sorceress (also reviewed on this site) Prince Tristram is no longer the irresponsible young playboy, but a man with a price on his head. He is in hiding in the labyrinths under the palace where he formerly lived with the two wizards Wigg and Faegan to help solve his many problems, if they can. He is hated by his people for being guilty of the death of his father, and everybody else he knew is dead, except for his sister and her baby. But he is the Chosen One, destined to lead the people of Eutracia and not able to say die, despite the fact that his enemies want him to do just that.

   Robert Newcomb started writing fantasy after reading a Terry Goodkind book. So, if you are a fan of Wizard’s First Rule et al, then this is also up your dark alley. Newcomb likes to give his characters a thorough pasting, and it is amazing that there is anything left at the end of the story, but there is. As with his first book, there is a relatively small cast of characters whom we get to know quite well (though Shailiha still remains a cipher) but unlike the first dynamic novel, this one tends to sag in places. There isn’t enough action, and not enough that is new to show the reader. The long passages where the wizards explain things to the twins could be a lot shorter, or substituted for some excitement. But this is not a very long book, and there is generally enough in here to interest despite the shortcomings. When the talk is done and the battle commences, Newcomb reveals himself as a writer with a gift for suspense and the book becomes very thrilling, indeed. I’ll be reading the third part to see what other ghastly trials Tristram gets put through.