The Wind from Miilark (Norothian Cycle #3) - M. Edward McNally

I think it's time for us to return to the Norothian cycle.  If I'm lucky, I'll get all five of these books reviewed by the time McNally publishes the sixth and final book.

And I got lucky again -- I reviewed this one on Goodreads. Go me!  Here's what I said about it:

McNally has once again provided readers with a crackling good time.

In the third installment of his Norothian Cycle, John Deskata goes home to Miilark to find his ancestral home being dismantled by Miilark's new ruling house. With help from allies -- including Rhianne, his foster sister and the love of his life -- he procures a pirate ship and embarks on a war against his new foes.

Despite some old friends turning up along the way, things don't go exactly according to plan.

And Rhianne must get to know this new, battle-hardened John, and decide whether he is still the man she once loved.

I would only add that if you like pirate stories, you'll like this book.  Also: dragons.  In case you like that sort of thing.

Death of a Kingdom (The Norothian Cycle Part II) - M. Edward McNally

It's been awhile since I reviewed the first Norothian Cycle novel here, so methinks it's time for another.

My 5-star review on Goodreads for this book was terse:

This series keeps getting better. I love the focus on Tilda's friends in this book, and Allison is the most kickass princess I've ever met. Looking forward to books 3 and 4!

All of which is true (and books 3, 4, and 5 are, in fact, terrific; we will get to them in time), but it requires some elaboration.

In Death of a Kingdom, our intrepid band of friends splits up.  Tilda Lanai, the hapless Zeb Baj Nif (who's also haplessly smitten with Tilda, and why not?), and lapsed Circle Wizard Phinneas Phoarty (I started to call him a renegade, but that's too swashbuckling an appellation for poor Phin) travel with Duchess Claudja back to her home in Chengdea.  Of course, it's more complicated than that; the kingdom of Daul, of which Chengdea is a part, is crumbling, and is at risk of being overrun by Ayzantium. Claudja and her father cook up a desperate plan to save Chengdea by forging an alliance with the Codian Empire, and Tilda, Zeb and Phin are enlisted to escort Claudja to Emperor Albert's castle at Laketon and home again.

Enter Allison, Princess of Beoshore and Albert's sister.  She makes her appearance in our tale dressed as a warrior -- which, in fact, she is, and quite a good one.  Allison and Claudja bond, and Allison returns with them all to Chengdea to help in the coming battle.

Nesha-tari, meanwhile, goes home -- and learns a surprising secret there.

The only one of the Sable City band who does not appear in this book is John Deskata.  But don't worry, he turns up again in the next book.

In all, Death of a Kingdom is a satisfying second book in this epic fantasy series.

The Sable City - M. Edward McNally

The Sable City by M. Edward McNally

I thought I'd kick off Rursday Reads with a no-brainer.  

The Sable City is the first in McNally's epic fantasy Norothian Cycle.  I'm always on the lookout for epic fantasy that doesn't recycle Tolkien's elves/dwarves/Orcs, and McNally does a good job here of inventing some new stuff.  Oh, sure, one of the main characters in this book (Captain Block) is a dwarf, and McNally adds a dragon (or two) and a demon (or several) here and there.  But the main characters are pretty much assuredly human.  Although you've gotta wonder about that guy with the katana....

Here's my review from Goodreads:

McNally does a great job with this, the first in (at least) a trilogy. I loved many of the characters -- the inept wizard Phin, the mercenary Zeb, the devil Balan (who, I suspect, is a refugee from our own world), and of course Tilda, the novice Guilder who, even after she's lost everything, just keeps on keeping on.

If you like epic fantasy -- and I know that a whole bunch of you do -- check out this series.