I love James Clemens. He's my favorite author, period. I highly admire his writing talent and his well developed, thought out storylines.

I enjoyed "Hinterland" even more than "Shadowfall", the first book of this series. There was more action and suspense wrapped up in this book than the last one, in my opinion. It just moved faster.

As is his style, Clemens packed in the mystery and intrigue. As soon as one question gets answered, two more pop up to take its place. The lines between ally and foe are always sketchy. Any regular reader of Clemens' work will expect plot twists, but they stay fresh and mostly unpredictable.

The tension between the gods has gotten much worse in this continuation. There are many, both god and man, who aren't happy with Tylar's current position of power. One god in particular turns his wrath on not only Tylar, but on the keep of the Shadowknights, determined to topple their stronghold. Tylar escapes with a dead rogue god's skull to attend other important duties while leaving some of his allies behind to fend off not only the angry god, but also the demon witch lurking in their cellars.

The plot development was rich and fit very well together. Some characters took more of a backseat while others got a bigger role in the spotlight, but of all the changes that have taken place, my biggest disappointment comes out of Rogger, the snarky thief that is Tylar's close friend. In "Shadowfall" his witty and sarcastic remarks would have me literally laughing out loud, but in this book, his personality has become much more serious. I didn't even chuckle once. However, where he fell short in that, the loam giant substituted.

Over all, this is a highly entertaining book. I definitely recommend it.