The Crimson Sky
Joel Rosenberg

Rating:  
Series: Keeper of the Hidden Ways
Previous Novel: The Silver Stone
Publisher: Avon Fantasy
Publish Date: 1998

            Rosenberg returns to the Middle Dominion, also know as Tir Na Nog, for his third novel in the Keeper of the Hidden Ways series. I preferred this installment over the last offering, The Silver Stone, for a couple of reasons. First, much of the story takes place in our world, but with a predator that the locals are quite ill equipped to deal with, a werewolf. I can also appreciate the way Rosenberg takes the main characters out of their comfort zone by coming after them on their home turf. In the past two books, most of the crossing over was done by Torrie, Ian, Maggie and Thorian. However, in The Crimson Sky, a Son of Fenris stalks the Thorsen family in our world. And this vicious predator is not above killing the innocent to get to its intended prey. Rosenberg tends to swing briefly into horror in this book which I found to be refreshing change from the somewhat formulaic plot line of the past two novels.

            Meanwhile, Ian Silverstein is swept up in the intrigue of The House of Sky and becomes sympathetic for the failing Scion. With his trusty Vestri servant Valin by his side Ian once again tests his skills in the traditional Middle Dominion duels while trying to discover who is responsible for sending the werewolf to hunt his friends in North Dakota. It is Ian's hope that by discovering who sent the beast he will be able to neutralize the threat. However, unknown to Ian and his friends, the stakes are much higher than the survival of a handful of people, in reality the fate of the universe hangs in the balance. There is a god behind the scenes, manipulating everyone for one reason and one reason alone, to take possession of the Brisingamen jewels.

There is a surprise ending that I won't reveal here, but was relatively satisfying. Rosenberg has done an admirable job of reinvigorating his plot line with this novel. The only obvious tip off that we are a long way from seeing the end of this series is that there are seven jewels which compose the Brisingamen necklace, and thus far we have only seen two of them. I am looking forward to the next novel in the series. Three swords for The Crimson Sky.

Reviewed by Chris Hart