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After the Battle of Riftbridge, twins Emma and Emrys, along with their companions, are seeking to find their brother Aiden and free him from the malevolent Zaphon, who has him prisoner. Zaphon has been using his dark magic to cloud Aiden's mind and finally manipulates Aiden into agreeing to act as a bridge so Zaphon can bring his three demonic children back to his world. With the help of a resistance group, Aiden is able to escape, but he is racked by guilt that he allowed Zaphon to unleash such horrible beings upon the world. Although his sole purpose has been to find his siblings and return home, Aiden begins to realize he has an obligation to put things right and stop Zaphon. However, Zaphon's army is immense, and his children are extremely powerful and cruel. Will Aiden, Emma, and Emrys be able to find each other and, more importantly, find a way to stand against Zaphon's tide of darkness?
One of the first things that stands out in Bowen's writing is his professionalism and craftsmanship. He clearly controls his narrative and keeps his writing clean and clear. The characters have depth, and their motivations shift as they grow more aware of their role in the world and their responsibilities. Anyone who enjoyed the first book of the series will be equally pleased with this second one. There are times when things seem to be too coincidental, and the allusions to other fantasy works occasionally bring the reader out of the story to think about another title. However, rather than targeting long-time fantasy readers, this book will find its best audience among young adult readers just getting into fantasy, particularly those who like the biblical allusions of the Narnia series.