Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman

… What would have been a standard band-of-heroes-on-a-quest-to-save-civilization-from-the-evil-monsters story in the hands of a lesser author shines here with Friedman’s writing. Her prose is lush, and she uses incredible imagery to create a world that lives. She elicits an emotional response from the reader, at one point bringing tears to my eyes, and at another point leaving me stunned in shock. The pacing is impeccable. Even though this is the second book in the series, it manages to simultaneously advance the story and set up the finale, while yet having a major climax and resolution of plot lines that makes the story stand on its own… Read the rest.