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The Legend of Asahiel #2
The Obsidian Key
In battle's fire, young Jarom became Torin, King of Alson, and now must forge his kingdom from the ruins of an empire. But by recklessly reclaiming the Crimson Sword of Asahiel, Torin reopened a dimensional realm no longer sealed by the power of the Obsidian Key. And now the Illysp have emerged from history's darkest hour—foul spirits that possess men's bodies and enslave their souls. With enemies advancing on all sides, Torin must undertake a perilous voyage to unearth the ancient secrets once used to overcome the vile interlopers. Yet even if Torin can somehow miraculously survive, it may already be too late for his devastated land.
752 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 4, 2006
16 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Eldon Thompson
16 books172 followersAfter surrendering his dream of playing pro football, Eldon Thompson set out to publish a fantasy adventure novel. In 2003, he sold his Legend of Asahiel trilogy to HarperCollins, which kicked off with The Crimson Sword in 2005. He is also a graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, and in 2007 sold a feature adaptation of Terry Brooks's The Elfstones of Shannara (his favorite childhood novel) to Warner Bros. He has signed and dined with the likes of Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, and Patrick Rothfuss, but wrote chiefly for Hollywood until 2013, when "Unbowed," a short story featuring fan-favorite character Kylac Kronus, appeared in the Grim Oak Press anthology, Unfettered. Scratching that itch led to the long-promised delivery of Kylac's full-length return in the Warder trilogy, beginning with The Ukinhan Wilds in August of 2018.
Mostly, he continues to fantasize about being an NFL quarterback.
Mostly, he continues to fantasize about being an NFL quarterback.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 5, 2015
The Obsidian Key, Eldon Thompson
When Soric, an insidious and conquering sorcerer, declared war on Alson less than a year earlier, Jarom was forced into a birthright he had never asked for. Torn from his quiet life as the Farson of Diln, he soon found himself floundering as the new king following his father's brutal assassination. Jarom's quest to defeat Soric and an awakened demon queen from a bygone age drove him to seek out the fabled Crimson Sword, the magic of which promised to be Alson's salvation. But the talisman was more than just hidden away and served as a key, locking a more dangerous enemy than anyone could imagine in the astral plane they come from.
The Illysp rose on mass when Jarom took the Crimson Sword and began, in secret, a new invasion of Pentania. It is not long before the new king learns of the Illysp and he embarks upon a dangerous quest to the distant shores of Yawacor. Legends say that the remnants of Finlorians, elves who are ancient and wise in the use of magic, fled to the most inexcessible regions of the far continent after their civilisation on Pentania collapsed. The Finlorians, who had once pervailed over the Illysp and locked them away. Jarom must find them if he is to save his country and friends. He must speak with their elders and learn their dearest secrets,
The Good
The Obsidian Key is fast-paced and exciting, being full of the same gripping danger and strife that made The Crimson Sword so exhilarating. Many of the enemies Jarom made in the first book resurface and Eldon Thompson has managed to end many of the story arcs that were left open in favour of new ones that should develop interestingly.
The Bad
Once again, Jarom's character was one of the worst things about the book and he was understanding and docile to the point that it wasn't plausible or reflective of real life. No matter what happened to him, he never became angry or hurt over events or betrayals and worked things through logically so he could emphasise with that person. Even the nicest and wisest people in real life aren't that understanding and forgiving, which added an unbelievability to an already bland character, Furthermore, it rendered Jarom's acts of violence slighty absurd when he suddenly dove into battle and began hacking down enemies left, right and centre.
As in the series first book, The Obsidian Key is full of extremely stereotypical villains and cheesy mannerisms. They 'snicker' and 'smirk' over the 'evil' things they do at every chance, which, again, is slightly unrealistic. Criminals in real life commit crimes and hurt people because it works to benefit them in whatever way, rarely because they enjoy being 'evil.' A man doesn't 'smirk' and 'snicker' when he robs or store or shoots someone dead, and I find it a bit unplausible when Thompson's antagonists do this.
My Thoughts
Overall though, The Obsidian Key was a good read and was a nice instalment to The Legend of Asahiel. I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to finishing the trilogy in The Divine Talisman sometime soon.
When Soric, an insidious and conquering sorcerer, declared war on Alson less than a year earlier, Jarom was forced into a birthright he had never asked for. Torn from his quiet life as the Farson of Diln, he soon found himself floundering as the new king following his father's brutal assassination. Jarom's quest to defeat Soric and an awakened demon queen from a bygone age drove him to seek out the fabled Crimson Sword, the magic of which promised to be Alson's salvation. But the talisman was more than just hidden away and served as a key, locking a more dangerous enemy than anyone could imagine in the astral plane they come from.
The Illysp rose on mass when Jarom took the Crimson Sword and began, in secret, a new invasion of Pentania. It is not long before the new king learns of the Illysp and he embarks upon a dangerous quest to the distant shores of Yawacor. Legends say that the remnants of Finlorians, elves who are ancient and wise in the use of magic, fled to the most inexcessible regions of the far continent after their civilisation on Pentania collapsed. The Finlorians, who had once pervailed over the Illysp and locked them away. Jarom must find them if he is to save his country and friends. He must speak with their elders and learn their dearest secrets,
The Good
The Obsidian Key is fast-paced and exciting, being full of the same gripping danger and strife that made The Crimson Sword so exhilarating. Many of the enemies Jarom made in the first book resurface and Eldon Thompson has managed to end many of the story arcs that were left open in favour of new ones that should develop interestingly.
The Bad
Once again, Jarom's character was one of the worst things about the book and he was understanding and docile to the point that it wasn't plausible or reflective of real life. No matter what happened to him, he never became angry or hurt over events or betrayals and worked things through logically so he could emphasise with that person. Even the nicest and wisest people in real life aren't that understanding and forgiving, which added an unbelievability to an already bland character, Furthermore, it rendered Jarom's acts of violence slighty absurd when he suddenly dove into battle and began hacking down enemies left, right and centre.
As in the series first book, The Obsidian Key is full of extremely stereotypical villains and cheesy mannerisms. They 'snicker' and 'smirk' over the 'evil' things they do at every chance, which, again, is slightly unrealistic. Criminals in real life commit crimes and hurt people because it works to benefit them in whatever way, rarely because they enjoy being 'evil.' A man doesn't 'smirk' and 'snicker' when he robs or store or shoots someone dead, and I find it a bit unplausible when Thompson's antagonists do this.
My Thoughts
Overall though, The Obsidian Key was a good read and was a nice instalment to The Legend of Asahiel. I enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to finishing the trilogy in The Divine Talisman sometime soon.
December 14, 2022
I'll write as spoiler free as possible, heck half wont make sense unless you've read it (and then who knows how much of that half will).
It's tough as I don't want to write a mean review for fear of an author actually coming to check out the review and become disheartened for any reasons but here we go.....
To me a big part of reading is the flow of a novel. How well the characters are developed, how they go from event to event, how the in between of big events happens, for fantasy the fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses of characters, and really the most important is whether or not I can remember what I read after i'm done reading it (title, characters, etc). This book sadly I did not remember the title, nor the proper spelling of some characters' names.
Firstly the writing is very dull. It has very good description of environments and surroundings but when it comes to actually swordplay or witty dialogue look elsewhere. Not to knock the book too much but most of the time I get bored reading the fluff that happens from event to event unless there is some point to it but really there seemed to be none. There was very good use of words that aren't used too often though, so makes ya feel kinda smart reading it.
The characters now: I liked Torin. Good noble guy who just wants to do the right thing. I was nearly dumbfounded though at the turn of events at the end, because anyone who finds something in which the entire first book seemed to be the important part and then is just ok with it!?! is well I can't even explain it without giving spoilers. Torin's dialogue is never witty, funny, etc... it's more tailored to his "torment" of not being able to do the nymphs he is with.... that and the twist mentioned before really lend to the written from a male's PoV (not that I care what sex writes a book but some ideas of love really seem to slip)
Now for the best friend and the girlfriend who get trapped over on the other side without Torin (who mind you is out trying to save the world nonetheless).... well I just do not like them anymore. Allion for whatever reason has become a total coward 90% of the time (not everyone is duke nukem but sometimes you gotta ask if they dropped yet) and the whole change of the novel with him and Torin's girlfriend (or was it wife haha!).... well again makes me question myself on how well I read the first book.
sigh who else was there... the entient dad was overly gruff to the point as to how could someone be this angry. His role late redeemed himself some(although again it made me wonder what i was reading because a lot of things seemed to not fall into place... a lot of missed chances, etc)
Now that we're done with writing style and characters I guess the most disappointing part of the book was the plot.
Reading other peoples reviews I guess I took his book a different way... but really to me there was no nice flow to it, something that separates a reading by the toilet novel to one that you can't set down.
all in all not the best book but the firm grasp of the English language (lacking the emotion / dialogue / psyche) makes it a novel you're not embarrassed to have read.
It's tough as I don't want to write a mean review for fear of an author actually coming to check out the review and become disheartened for any reasons but here we go.....
To me a big part of reading is the flow of a novel. How well the characters are developed, how they go from event to event, how the in between of big events happens, for fantasy the fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses of characters, and really the most important is whether or not I can remember what I read after i'm done reading it (title, characters, etc). This book sadly I did not remember the title, nor the proper spelling of some characters' names.
Firstly the writing is very dull. It has very good description of environments and surroundings but when it comes to actually swordplay or witty dialogue look elsewhere. Not to knock the book too much but most of the time I get bored reading the fluff that happens from event to event unless there is some point to it but really there seemed to be none. There was very good use of words that aren't used too often though, so makes ya feel kinda smart reading it.
The characters now: I liked Torin. Good noble guy who just wants to do the right thing. I was nearly dumbfounded though at the turn of events at the end, because anyone who finds something in which the entire first book seemed to be the important part and then is just ok with it!?! is well I can't even explain it without giving spoilers. Torin's dialogue is never witty, funny, etc... it's more tailored to his "torment" of not being able to do the nymphs he is with.... that and the twist mentioned before really lend to the written from a male's PoV (not that I care what sex writes a book but some ideas of love really seem to slip)
Now for the best friend and the girlfriend who get trapped over on the other side without Torin (who mind you is out trying to save the world nonetheless).... well I just do not like them anymore. Allion for whatever reason has become a total coward 90% of the time (not everyone is duke nukem but sometimes you gotta ask if they dropped yet) and the whole change of the novel with him and Torin's girlfriend (or was it wife haha!).... well again makes me question myself on how well I read the first book.
sigh who else was there... the entient dad was overly gruff to the point as to how could someone be this angry. His role late redeemed himself some(although again it made me wonder what i was reading because a lot of things seemed to not fall into place... a lot of missed chances, etc)
Now that we're done with writing style and characters I guess the most disappointing part of the book was the plot.
Reading other peoples reviews I guess I took his book a different way... but really to me there was no nice flow to it, something that separates a reading by the toilet novel to one that you can't set down.
all in all not the best book but the firm grasp of the English language (lacking the emotion / dialogue / psyche) makes it a novel you're not embarrassed to have read.
August 5, 2017
A fantastic adventure! A little background on me reading this series:
I picked up the first book in the series way back in 2008 or 09. It looked interesting and so I snagged it. Every time I would try to read it, I never got though the first few chapters, and it sat on my book shelf for years. Eventually I decided to pick it up and read the darn thing. I was whisked away on an adventure of a life time.
Now in 2017, I finally decided to sit down and finish the second book in the series, and I can say the same. The book is wonderfully written. Eldon tells the story in such an elegant way that the words are pleasant to hear.
The book is a tome at over 700 pages, but those 700 pages are pages that draw you in, and make you linger in the world. You draw close to the characters, and start to relate to their own thoughts. It truly feels like you are traveling with the main characters, and by books end you really don't want to leave. This book deserves the attention.
I have to give this one 4.5/5
Highly recommended.
I picked up the first book in the series way back in 2008 or 09. It looked interesting and so I snagged it. Every time I would try to read it, I never got though the first few chapters, and it sat on my book shelf for years. Eventually I decided to pick it up and read the darn thing. I was whisked away on an adventure of a life time.
Now in 2017, I finally decided to sit down and finish the second book in the series, and I can say the same. The book is wonderfully written. Eldon tells the story in such an elegant way that the words are pleasant to hear.
The book is a tome at over 700 pages, but those 700 pages are pages that draw you in, and make you linger in the world. You draw close to the characters, and start to relate to their own thoughts. It truly feels like you are traveling with the main characters, and by books end you really don't want to leave. This book deserves the attention.
I have to give this one 4.5/5
Highly recommended.
February 19, 2018
fascinating
I enjoyed this book, but I loved the story first when reading the crimson sword years ago. The conclusion left me in tears, and I can't wait to start the next in the series
I enjoyed this book, but I loved the story first when reading the crimson sword years ago. The conclusion left me in tears, and I can't wait to start the next in the series
March 8, 2021
I will admit, I was not the biggest fan of the first book. I am glad that I read the second in the series. I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, with a very engaging story. A great improvement from the first one.
June 8, 2013
Click here for a full The Obsidian Review
The second installment of Eldon Thompson’s Legend of Asahiel begins not long after the conclusion of The Crimson Sword and the reader is immediately introduced to a more dangerous enemy (that was seen briefly at the end of The Crimson Sword), along with a new cast of characters. The reader is also given a better understanding of the history of this land, although it is shaded through the eyes of a character that has dubious motives and a questionable interpretation. Personally, however, I am still very confused as to the moving pieces of race, politics and mythology that make up this land. The conflicts of the past seem to be very intriguing, even if they are not explored, but I still yearn for either a deeper explanation or a current implication of those stories. It seems to me that the state of the world (humans in charge and the rest of the races pushed to the side) needs some sort of explanation to further understand the large movement of the story line. Click here to keep reading about The Obsidian Key
For more thoughts on The Crimson Sword, visit my website.
The second installment of Eldon Thompson’s Legend of Asahiel begins not long after the conclusion of The Crimson Sword and the reader is immediately introduced to a more dangerous enemy (that was seen briefly at the end of The Crimson Sword), along with a new cast of characters. The reader is also given a better understanding of the history of this land, although it is shaded through the eyes of a character that has dubious motives and a questionable interpretation. Personally, however, I am still very confused as to the moving pieces of race, politics and mythology that make up this land. The conflicts of the past seem to be very intriguing, even if they are not explored, but I still yearn for either a deeper explanation or a current implication of those stories. It seems to me that the state of the world (humans in charge and the rest of the races pushed to the side) needs some sort of explanation to further understand the large movement of the story line. Click here to keep reading about The Obsidian Key
For more thoughts on The Crimson Sword, visit my website.
August 15, 2010
A much slower read than the first one; Thompson takes a long time to warm up. One thing that I found annoying in this book and the first were how similar Allion and Torin are with the exception of a few skills and preferred weapons. While they had started to diverge midway through the first book, I found their personalities and...interests overlap so strongly again that one could be confused who was who, if they weren't in opposite parts of the world. I thought they dealt with Soric and the Shadow far to easily/conveniently too, like Thompson didn't know what to do with them, so he decided to put them in a spot out of the way of the rest of the book, but throw in a loophole for their eventual return.
The ending had quite the surprise though; I didn't see that coming, although I doubt that will stay, it lifted my opinion of the book some.
The ending had quite the surprise though; I didn't see that coming, although I doubt that will stay, it lifted my opinion of the book some.
May 26, 2008
A great follow-up to the Crimson Sword. All three of the main characters do a lot of growing throughout the course of this book and all of the new characters that are introduced are great as well. Finished it yesterday, but still don't quite know what to think about the ending. In the spirit of not spoiling, I'll just say that the ending is making me somewhat hesitant about book 3, though I'll be sure to read that one as well.
November 6, 2007
Read about 100 pages and stopped. Super boring and it reminded of another story. Basically, if Book 1 was "Wizard's First Rule", This book is "Stone of Tears". However, this author is about 100 times worse than Goodkind.
The hero's actions in book 1 caused the problems for book 2...blah blah blah
The hero's actions in book 1 caused the problems for book 2...blah blah blah
May 15, 2008
I loved this book simply because it is so much diffrent Then Normal Series Of super hero's and continues villians This is a twist on the average Fantasy Series and is really worth reading
September 25, 2011
loved the detail and thought process the author gives this series....''a must read if you like old world fantasy''T_Money705
February 5, 2013
They Killed the main character. This makes me have little motivation to read the next one. but I will because it was still a great book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2016
very good book worst in the series but get through this one third is amazing.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews