Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Legacy Of Ogma, the first book in E.A. Rappaport's Weapons Trilogy, I was eager to sink my teeth into book two, Forging Paradise. Forging Paradise is also the second book in the War Trilogy. The Legacy Of Ogma is also book one of the Betrayal Trilogy. Scratching your head yet? I sure was when I received Paradise; What this slight confusion actually is is what is called an Interlocking Matrix of nine books in six separate (yet intertwined) trilogies collectively known as the Legends of the Four Races. Don't worry, though, you can read both of the above books as stand alone titles.

If you've read Ogma, you'll recognize the happenings in Paradise as a precursor to that story. The reader learns in Paradise how the weapons that are found in Ogma come to be. The story opens with an advancing army of seemingly unstoppable strength. As kingdoms fall, the remaining heroes gather at Zairn and prepare for a great and, perhaps, final battle against this new enemy that was once considered nothing more than a myth. The great and radical wizard, Ogma, sends five of the best warriors on a quest into the netherworld to retrieve things necessary to create weapons that even this new enemy cannot withstand.

Rappaport introduces each of the heroes with their own brief stories. My personal favorites were Kronwulf and Aethelwyn. As with Ogma, each of the primary characters brings something wonderful to the story. From an aged warrior to a hot-headed prince, we get to see each hero grow both in wisdom and courage.

At the end of the story is the appendix of The Four Hungry Brothers, which gives the reader a deeper look into the mythos of Rappaport's new world. The tale is written at a brisk pace and readers in their teens and up will definitely enjoy this story. It's a fantasy full of magic, war, demons, and even a little bit of humor. Rappaport is well on his way to creating a wonderful world that any readers of fantasy can find themselves lost in. Is it the next Lord of the Rings, not hardly, but it is some of the best fantasy to hit the page in a long time.

Highly recommended.

K. Fontenot - Amazon Top 500 Reviewer