Having already read book one of this triology I had some high expectations. Book one was good, and kept me guessing. Book two was a little bit of a let down. In my opinion part of the book goes into too much detail. Parker got a little too wordy for me with the explanations of the Forge and what it takes to make different items. Thats why I gave it a three star. Overall I enjoyed Poldarn and his misadventures and how everything just seemed to go wrong with anything he did. Book two did leave me hanging, but thats ok because its the middle of a series and what do you expect. If you read book one and liked it, book two won't be that bad for you. Parker still keeps you guessing about the origins of Poldarn. The reader is shown more about the life of Poldarn but his true origins remain hazy. I am looking forward to reading book three.