Commandment

Daryl Chestney
Daryl Chestney (2011)
ISBN 9780984070732
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (10/11)

Lakif and Torkoth, who were introduced in the first book of the series, “Dominion,” continue the quest for power as Lakif searches for a way to unlock the forces within the Rare Earth Stone.

At the end of Book One, Lakif had managed to obtain the Stone she had been seeking, and Book Two picks up shortly after that adventure with the Acaanan realizing her quest is far from over because now she must find a way to unlock that power. She soon discovers the path to becoming a warlock is even harder than she originally imagined it would be.

I was a fan of the author’s first book in the series, although I did comment on the lack of action during the first half of “Dominion.” There’s no such problem in “Commandment.” With the main characters already established, the action starts early on and continues until the end of the book, with new insight into Lakif and Torkoth being provided along the way.

Lakif still seems like an unlikely hero, with a few of her flaws highlighted throughout the story and she often seems to be merely swept along by the actions of others while having no clue as to what to do herself. Still, she manages to remain firmly planted in the role of good guy… for now. I still expect her lack of focus and failure to plan for anything to open up doors to danger and adventure that wouldn’t otherwise exist, and I’m looking forward to seeing how she gets out of the predicaments that wait for her beyond the horizon.

Half-Man Torkoth continues to be my personal favorite as the talented warrior with no memory of his past. Like any man who lives by the sword in a world of fantasy, he seems to scoff at the suggestion of magic and prefers the solid assurance of steel. While his history remains a mystery to us as well as to him, we do get to see a softer side of Torkoth at one point, which is refreshing. Still, some things seem to come all too easily for the man with no memory so suspicions are raised as to how much the half-man/half-reptile actually recalls about his former life. One thing in particular that got my attention was the fact that Torkoth continues to wear the rope around his ankle that had him shackled as a prisoner when he supposedly woke up with no memory. A memento of imprisonment doesn’t seem like something a person would want to hold onto, and I’m intrigued to find out more about the mysterious warrior.

A new character, Bael, is also introduced to readers. Aside from sharing a childhood past and aspirations of becoming a warlock with Lakif, Bael is almost the exact opposite of the Acaanan. Just picture the manliest, noblest, most perfect hero you’ve ever read about and you’ll have a good impression of Bael. He’s the type of guy that seems too good to be true, which makes you automatically wonder what type of flaw this stereotype of perfection might be hiding. While perfection usually equals boring, the fact that he seems a little too perfect makes Bael a character that always has your undivided attention.

The depth of detail in the descriptions and histories of the city of Grimpkin continue to impress me. Chestney has put some serious time and effort into the creation of this world and it shows with the turn of every page in “Commandment.” While the main story definitely has my attention, I can’t help but wonder what else might be going on with some of the other colorful inhabitants of this world. The story continues with “Enmity,” and I can’t wait to see what new dangers lie ahead for our heroes.

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