Fortress of Frost and Fire (The Bard's Tale, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Larry Elmore (Illustrator), (Collaborator), (Collaborator) "For the first time in many days, the west wind died away with sunset..." (more)
Key Phrases: throat ominously, silence for some moments, peasant lad, Snow Dragon, Dark Elf, Master Naitachal (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Evil forces and temptations threaten the welfare of Gawaine, a young human, and his master, Naitachal, a Dark Elf who had abandoned the sinister powers of necromancy to become the first elven Bard.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Baen; First Edition edition (March 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671721623
• ISBN-13: 978-0671721626
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #375,833 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A continuing tale of the Black Elf Naitachal, August 27, 1998

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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An interesting tale of the black elf Naitachal, who is now a free bard, and an apprentice bardling, Gawaine, he acquired sometime before the story begins. They go off on a quest to find a valley of ice that Naitachal has heard an account of, and pick up an odd assortment of traveling companians along the way. The tale involves overcoming a dragon to win their way to freedom. Overall, a fair story to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down! , August 22, 2006

By	Lazuli - See all my reviews

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After reading and enjoying Castle of Deception I was pleasantly suprised to find out the second book in the series is about my favorite character Naitachal who gains more bonus points for being way beyond cool in this sequel. This is my favorite book in the series. It is written well, characters are unique and rememberable. The relationship between Gawaine and Naitachal is my favorite part about the book; I love the vunerability of the young bardling and the unbelievable humor of his Master. Let's not forget the unforgetable journey to "onion village" LOL being one of the best parts of the book and the most humorous! Near the middle of the story it starts to take off more, the scenes with the camp during the journey are some of the best, touching scenes I could see clearly in my mind while reading the story--won't say much so not to spoil anyone--and I was hooked from that moment on. Second half has some of the best parts of the story, felt like I was really there experiencing the adventure. Ending was great, filling, and humorous.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing romp., January 27, 2006

By	C. Reaves "Klawzie" (South-Eastern USA) - See all my reviews

My mom recently bought a lot of books from a library sale/fund-raising project. Remembering that I liked Lackey, she picked this up for me. I set it aside, assuming I wouldn't like it. Last night, however, I needed a book I could take to the bathtub with me (I never take new books to the bath, but a used book I hadn't read yet? Sure.) I was surprised how much I did enjoy the book.

I wasn't really sure what 'universe' this took place in. I assumed "A lot like D&D, but not D&D" and I guess I was correct considering how the different elves and dragon types were introduced.

The story setting seems uneven. The first half or more of the book reads like a slightly funnier, 'safer' version of the Dungeons & Dragons universe (with fewer races). The last part of the book read like a fairy tale. I enjoy both types of settings, but it seemed rather uneven that the more fairy-tale feeling of the end of the book appeared nowhere in the first part of the book. I agree with one of the other reviewers that it was a bit ... abrupt... how they dealt with the party member they lost. (And, for the record, disregard the female character and the building on the front cover. I kept wondering where this chick came into the story, leading me to suspect one of the male characters in the book was a female in disguise.)

For all my chatter so far, you may be wondering why I rated the story a 4 out of 5. Well, despite it feeling very obvious which parts were written by which author, and thus it not feeling like a hybrid of their styles, but closer to one of them misunderstanding how the "universe" this story is in worked (IS it more like a fairy tale? Or was it supposed to be a more serious fantasy?) ---- despite that, I enjoyed it.

The characters were engaging (perhaps some of them too engaging), the elements of the story very visual, and the ending of the story (other than their handling of the lost member of the party) satisfying.

Buy it used and I doubt you'll regret spending the money.