Customer Reviews

The Armlet of the Gods

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(This book is a sequel to The Land Beyond the Gate, and the second book in the quadrilogy.) When he receives a cry for help from the bard Taliesin, Alan MacDougall must reenter Lucifer's world, and see what lies beyond the second gate. Beyond the second gate is Ochren, a dismal land of the gods of the Celtic underworld. While seeking to avoid playing the game of Ahriman, MacDougall must outthink the gods to stay alive. But, with each adventure, he learns more about the powers he possesses in this world, and the true nature of the armlet he carries!

As with the last book, this one is quite interesting. The author makes copious use of dues ex machinas and populates his world with improbable people (Romans, Vikings, Chinese, etc.). However, for all that, the story is so very well written, that you have no trouble suspending your disbelief enough to like the story. I enjoyed the author's use of the Celtic pantheon, and really liked the way he inserted members of the Sumerian pantheon without straining credibility.

So, once again, I would say that this is a good book (though not a great one), one that I highly recommend to you!

Alan MacDougall has vowed never to enter the land beyond the gate again, but something in the back of his mind keeps him in Scotland, as if he is waiting for 'something to happen'. In time the call comes and MacDougall finds himself stepping through a second gate into the magic land beyond. This gate leads to the dim and grotesque island of Ochren where souls lead a tortured and unhappy life. Soon MacDougall is joined by his former friends Taliesin and Nuada and they set off together to learn what new experiences this new land offers.

This story is the second in the four book THE GATES OF LUCIFER: Book (1) One: The Land Beyond the Gate; Book (2) Two: The series. It is a complete adventure in itself, but refers to and builds on The Land Beyond the Gate, the first book, and thus I recommend that you read that volume first. The next two books are The Sorceress of Scath and The Scroll of Lucifer.

As in the first book MaDougall comes up against a full serving of hostile 'gods' and druids. The balance of power, however, has subtly shifted and MacDougall is no longer dependent on others to get him out of trouble. In this tale MacDougall learns more of the secrets of the Armlet and so becomes more competent in magic. This is thus a story of telepathy, clairvoyance, telekinesis, invisibility, shape-changing, freezing people like statues, and making and breaking spells.

Eshbach is a Christian and this book has more religious content than the first. MacDougall becomes uncomfortably aware of the evil force behind the land beyond the gate and of the implied existence of a greater, good creator: Jehovah. This religious content, however, is not overdone and the book can be enjoyed by atheists like myself. Much of it is just further rollicking adventure that keeps the reader turning the pages and wondering what marvel will be encountered next.

<The Land Beyond The Gate> left me wanting to hear more of MacDougall and company, and I certainly found this second book worth reading. This book manages to include enough new angles to remain interesting, though it is perhaps not quite as fresh as the first.