Fortress of Dragons

C.J. Cherryh - Fortress of Dragons

Long after the Shaping Tristen turns back an evil sorcerer and places his friend Cefwyn on the throne, Cefwyn is once again threatened by the forces of evil, a situation that brings Tristen unexpected challenges.

Fortress in the Eye of Time

Despite a few brief, shining moments, Cherryh's (Foreigner) new fantasy novel (her latest SF novel is reviewed below) proves an overwrought concoction. After a moderately interesting foray involving Mauryl, the aging wizard who conjures a "Shaping" named Tristen, the meandering of the nearly empty-headed Shaping takes center stage for far too long. Tristen sets off upon a quest knowing neither who he is nor what he seeks. Fortuitous happenings eventually bring him to Cefwyn, a prince in line to rule the land, and to Cefwyn's wizard, Emuin, himself a former student of Mauryl's. (The villains here are of two types: nebulously motivated men and erotically minded women.)