Empress Of Clouds

Rating:
Summary: Eternal Love
Review: "Empress of Clouds" is a sequel to an earlier novel "Moonsword". In "Moonsword", Druidic prophecy foretells the coming of an all mighty Demon who will destroy the World. The only hope of salvation is for Prince Tolian, the heir to the Lorm throne, to be transformed into a woman.

The Demon makes a comeback in "Empress of Clouds". The Demon secures the help of Dowbreth, a powerful faerie warrior. Dowbreth must neutralize Tolian because she is the only one who can stand up to the Demon and defeat him.

Dowbreth's job is made easier because the members of the court despise Tolian. A powerful woman frightens the men. The men can not stand the idea of a woman ruling the kingdom. The women in the court are not only jealous of Tolian's beauty, but also dislike her for never having to experience the discrinination that goes along with being born a woman. It is amazing how soon the members of the Lorm Court forgot how Tolian saved their lives and the world.

Through treachery and dark magic, Dowbreth strips Tolian of her powers, kidnaps her and take her to an unaccessible place. Brythia, Tolian's devoted wife must discover how Tolian lost her powers, deliver the Moonsword to Tolian and find a passage to the unaccessible place where her lover is imprisoned. The action is fast paced and exciting. Other elements in the story include, cruelty, blackmail, male chauvinism, eternal love, superhuman efforts and feminine courage.

This reviewer believes that the author could have done a better job in linking these two books togehter. The second book, "Empress of Clouds" should have picked up right at the end of "Moonsword" instead of several months later. An earlier start would have permitted the author to better explain why the Druidic Prophecy strained the delicate, political balance in Lorm.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful read
Review: Diana Hignutt takes the reader on the wings of imagination to a world of wonder and fantasy in "Empress of Clouds." Princess Tolian saved his kingdom and the rest of the world from a diabolical demon by being transformed through druid magic from a man into a woman, a woman who is the physical manifestation of the Moon Goddess. While this book picks up the story of Tolian it is not necessary to read the first novel, "Moonsword," to fully enjoy and understand "Empress of Clouds."

Tolian continues to explore the mysteries and frustrations of being female and her powers as a goddess on earth, but not for long. Through cunning and deception her powers are subverted and she is kidnapped by an overlord of the faerie kingdom. The rest of the story flies by as Brythia, Tolian's wife both pre and post transformation, and her staunch supporters strive to rescue Tolian, before the faerie world and the mortal world are destroyed.

Occasionally the unusual names of the characters interrupt the reader's immersion into this fantasy tale, but that's the only criticism. Hignutt skillfully interweaves captivating descriptions of Tolian's world without slowing down the pace of the story. "Empress of Clouds" is a delightful read.

Dee Power Co-author of "The Making of a Bestseller"

Rating:
Summary: Exhilarating
Review: In the sequel to Moonsword, Princess Tolian of Lorm has overcome her discomfort over her transformation from male to female and begun to accept her fate as a woman as well as the earthly incarnation of the Moon Goddess. Her cousin, Prince Kelvris, incensed that a woman may ascend to the throne, feels he should be rightfully named King of Lorm and accepts an offer made by Dowbreth, a faerie warlord, to help him in this effort. After minimizing Tolian's powers, Dowbreth kidnaps her and takes her to the faerie world. He forces Tolian to claim her right as Empress of Faerie and agree to wed him, ensuring his position as Lord of Faerie. Tolian's wife, Brythia, tracks Tolian, in an effort to save her from the faerie warlord's control. All seems lost when Brythia learns the faerie world has been closed and no one can enter, but she refuses to accept this and calls upon her own druidic powers to take her to Tolian and deliver to her the Moonsword.

Diana Hignutt weaves her own form of magic with this tale of fantasy. Displaying a creative imagination for imagery, visual detail, and interesting characterization, she moves the story along at a fast pace, with a chase sequence that is exhilarating to read.

This is the first fantasy I've read, and I admit to being spellbound the entire book. Ms. Hignutt delivers a nice twist at the end, brilliantly setting up the next book in the series, one that I am sure will be highly anticipated.