A Dark Sacrifice: Book Two of The Rune of Unmaking [Paperback]

Madeline Howard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Rune of Unmaking | Publication Date: November 20, 2007

More than a century has passed since the mighty struggle between the wizards and the mages ended in their mutual destruction, and more than forty years since the Empress Ouriána became the Divine Incarnation of the Devouring Moon. Appointing twelve deadly sorcerers as her priests, she rules the land in darkness unending.

Yet there is a small chance for hope, if one foreordained princess can survive. But she has vanished behind enemy lines, and even a brave band of heroes may not be able to reach her in time. For Ouriána's dark reign has woken the ancient terrors of legend, and their vengeance will be swift and all-consuming. . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Howard's gripping second volume in her Rune of Unmaking high fantasy series (after The Hidden Stars), Ouriána, the queen of Phaôrax, seeks an heir. Since Ouriána has lost one son and does not trust a second, she sends her high wizard north in search of her niece, a princess who's living as a healer under the name Winloki. Some of the northerners have other plans for Winloki, particularly the wizard Sindérian and her father, Faolein (in the form of an owl). Sindérian and Faolein arrive too late to forestall the high wizard, but set off after him and Winloki on a long and breathless chase by land and by sea. On the way, daughter and father encounter caverns of the dead, kingdoms of dwarves and vicious manticores. Swift pacing, well-crafted characters and vivid battle scenes lift this well above the average Tolkien-inspired fantasy. (Dec.)
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About the Author

Debut author Madeline Howard enjoys gardening, Celtic myths, and working on the next Rune of Unmaking book. She lives in Northern California with her family.

Product Details

• Paperback: 418 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; 1 edition (November 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060575921
• ISBN-13: 978-0060575922
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,276,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly good!, March 12, 2010

By 

Ren - See all my reviews

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This review is from: A Dark Sacrifice: Book Two of The Rune of Unmaking (Mass Market Paperback)

I picked up the first book The Hidden Stars on a whim and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I eagerly looked forward to the second book and I was not disappointed.

The story was even more developed and I found myself being drawn deeper into the work that Madeline Howard created and started to care about the characters. The pace is a bit slow but not ponderous and not detrimental to the book's quality overall but gives a chance for the fully developed world to emerge. The books ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger that leaves you guessing.

Looking forward to the next book in this series!

4.0 out of 5 stars Well done, interesting, the pace is slow, January 28, 2008

By 

E. McNeil (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dark Sacrifice: Book Two of The Rune of Unmaking (Paperback)

I could sum up what happened in this book in about 5 sentences. The pace is glacial. On the other hand, I enjoyed the writing style and the book was an interesting read so I won't complain too much. Too many prince and princesses here, I agree with another reviewer. Well done fantasy world otherwise, not too many characters, interesting characters. Predictable in some ways some interesting plot twists too. Of course, my final opinion will be based on how the series ends as this book left quite a few threads to tie up.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful fantasy, December 7, 2007

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dark Sacrifice: Book Two of The Rune of Unmaking (Paperback)

Ouriana is the Divine Incarnation of the Devouring Moon, strong in magic due to the deity that resides in her. Like her, it feeds on blood and death and works only dark sorceries. She is impregnable and is served by the Furiadhim, mutated beings who were once men who wield black magic. The only thing that Ouriana fears is the prophecy that states one of her blood will overthrow her. Her niece Winloki is the child of the prophecy all grown up and living in Skyrana in the north adopted by King Ristil who is at war with the Eislanders.

Winloki, a healer accompanies Prince Kivlik and his relative Skerry to battle but they are overrun and find themselves trapped in the fortress at Tirfang. A small group who want Winloki to fulfill the prophecy are marching to the fortree including the powerful healer Sinderian, her dead father who takes the shapes of various birds and the half-Faery Prince Ruan. The people are under siege from giants, shapechangers and Eislanders. When Winloki is kidnapped by the Furiadhim, the siege ends; her allies go out to find and rescue her. Both groups face danger from various creatures and supernatural beings.

A DARK SACRIFICE is a wonderful fantasy set in a world where magic is taken for granted and dwarves, the fae and other creatures of myth and legend are real and dangerous to humans. Readers will feel sorry for Winloki who has to adjust her conception of herself and admire Sinderian who is willing to do whatever it takes to defeat Ouriana. These strong willed independent women come to realize the power that resides within them and make difficult choices according to their nature. Madeline Howard is a first rate fantasist.

Harriet Klausner