Above His Proper Station

The Fall of the Sorcerers #2

by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Anrel Murau, a simple scholar, is secretly the notorious revolutionary Alvos the Orator--the Empire's most wanted man. On the run and nearly penniless, Anrel finds himself forced to seek refuge in the capital city's Pensioner's Quarter, a den of thieves, murderers, and con men. Barely scraping out an existence on the fringe of respectable society, Anrel never forgets his demands for justice, nor the love of the woman he left behind.The civil unrest that has long been simmering in the Empire is beginning to boil over into violent protests and Anrel's enemy, Lord Allutar, continues to corrupt the Grand Council.But Anrel's alter-ego, Alvos the Orator, has taken on a life of his own and many factions of the Grand Council seek a way to harness his followers' political might for their own ends. Which means they need Anrel to take on a surprising new role and gain access to one of the Empire's greatest secrets to stop the rampant evil.The adventure of Alvos the Orator continues with more action, more intrigue, and more suspense than ever before as Anrel seeks to at last clear his name and seek retribution against his old enemy once and for all. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2010

About the author

Also publishes as Nathan Archer

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit unsure about this series after the first book was so slow it almost put me to sleep, yet here I am book 2 and still reading. Overall, I think this series is very slowly inching to become a better series but it's not quite there yet.

Pros of this book:
-It moves a lot faster than the first book. There are huge sections of dialogue and it just seemed parts of the book moved faster.

-There is less traveling and more plot movement which moves the series forward.

-New situations and less mental debte made this a better read than the first book.

Cons of this book:
-While it moved faster than the first book it still is so very slow. Three chapters outline a meal between main character and subcharcter.

-The main chacter is still frustratingly wishy-washy. He wants to be this wonderful middle man that is SO smart, yet acts before he thinks and then complains that no one will follow.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but the main character still annoys me beyond belief. He is supposed to be SO smart yet is probably the stupidest person in this book. He does things and then goes "oh... yeah I didn't think of that" or... "Oh.. I didn't know what I wanted". Which makes me the reader wonder if you were so smart, why didn't you think beyond your initial thought?

So even though I complained I thought it was an okay book and would probably read the third just because it wasn't a terrible experience.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picks up right where the first book left off. Anrel Murau, the young man 'without magic,' is wanted for treason, sedition, and otherwise telling the truth and saying what he thinks about it. But he'd like to be free again - not hunted, able to have a relationship, able to earn a living.... At first, this seems impossible, but a renewed acquaintance and the offer of a political position provide hope.

The characters and setting are believable and engaging. Although this story ends leaving room for a sequel, it seems as if there isn't one. Too bad.

[Lyle Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy sequel to the first volume (A Young Man Without Magic) and even though this arc ended satisfactorily, not only can more tales be told in this "Bound Lands" universe, but I am certainly hoping that they are.

[Grimread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better then the first book. And I'm happy there is no cliffhanger even if it is an open ending.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very pleasant Surprise! The first book in this two part tale was a bit lackluster and i had to work a little bit to get through it. I was left unsure if they next one would be any good at all. Being a devout Watt-Evans fan i purchased it and finished it in less than half the time it took me to read the first one. The quality of this volume vastly surpassed it predecessor. The first chapter was slow going but once i was through chapter two I was hooked. I found no more trouble getting through the book and finished it on short order. The ending was surprisingly pleasing had some great twists. While i think most readers may turn a nose up at this book I think Fans will enjoy it thoroughly and others will be pleasant surprised by the conclusion and will be glad they stuck it out through the first volume. Great read & very enjoyable.

[Maddi Hausmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable fantasy with an undercurrent of the French Revolution to it. Reminded me of some of Harry Turtledove's replayings of history as a fantasy (he did this for World War II in the Darkness series). This book is a sequel to _A Young Man Without Magic_.

[Delshawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE author could have given more detail to the characters and the details were sufficient.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story, featuring an outlaw who weaves his way through many layers of society. Although technically a sequel, the background is well fleshed out, so it stands well on its own.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review book - in process