The Lesser Kindred (ISBN 0312890664)

Awesome! More then five stars! Summer Paulus:
When I read the first book I thought it was good, but when I read the secound book, Wow, I could not get enough! The first book was filled with action, drama, and romance. This one was filled with more action, drama, and a whole lot more romance! Now that I put the book down, well I'm waiting for the last book to come out in paperback. And now that I must wait, I'm tapping my pencil and chewing on my finger nails, I can't wait! But I'm disapointed because the books have to end so soon. Elizabeth Kerner is so talented I want more! I'm writting my own books and look up to Elizabeth as an idal, I'm a huge fan of her books. And now that the books are ending so soon, I don't know what to look for next. I just hope she will write another series that will be as good as this one. I want to be a famouse Author and working on a book right now called Elegant Sea.

Do not buy this book w/o the sequel:
While the first book (Song in the Silence) had a satisfying conclusion w/ just enough loose ends to make the TOR marketing department happy, The Lesser Kindred might as well have ended mid sentence. "Book" is too long a work to describe it, I would call it a "bo" and can only assume the "ok" will come in Redeeming the Lost. Of course, as of 2/20/05, it is only available in hardcover and I refuse to reward TOR w/ my $17.65 for such a blatant disregard of the reader. If, however, you are reading this once all the books are available in paperback... together they form a light story w/ an interesting take on dragons, people and demons. If I had been able to get Redeeming the Lost right away (in paperback) I probably wouldn't have been as irritaed by the format and would go on to read the rest of the story b/c it has been fun so far.

I love this book!!!! (and you will too!) :):
The Lesser Kindred is the breath-taking sequel to Song in the Silence, continuing the story of Lanen Kaeler and her born again husband. Kerner writes with the same resonance as in her first book, and gives the reader a deeper look into the wonderfully vivid characters and their all too fragile world Kolmar. Starting out precisely where her last book left off helps the reader get into the book all the more quickly. Do not be put off by the repetive first chapters of the newly wedded couple, the story takes off soon enough. As with the first book, The Lesser Kindred weaves several plots seamlessly together, leaving the reader enthralled and wanting more. The final book in the trilogy, tentatively titled Redeeming the Lost, is due out the summer of 2004. I know that anyone who reads this book will be marking their calenders for this coming summer. Song in the Silence and Reedeming the Lost are honestly two of the best fantasy books out there!

The Lesser of Kerner's work:
The story and characters of this series are awesome, Kerner's writing style is top-notch, and when these books reach a climax they are nearly impossible to put down. However, in this second book of the series, Kerner has failed to impress. The first 3/4 of the book is spent recapping the first book or wallowing in unimportant details that don't progress the plot at all. Only in the last hundred pages or so does the story really pick up steam and some action finally come into play. I really wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people start reading this book and quit half-way through (which is not what I reccomend, because the last bit of this one is extremely exciting). As far as the multiple first-person narrative writing style, I think it is a cool idea and works very well in most regards. It allows for an intimate look into all of the characters minds, providing a deeper understanding of all that happens. However, because the story is told as if the characters have written the book to tell a story that happened long ago, it doesn't really make sense that a character could be telling his story right up until the point when he dies. That's a petty complaint though, and it doesn't take away from the story. I can't wait to read the last book, this one sets it up for a spectacular ending.

Good middle book:
This is the second book in the current trilogy about Lanen Kaeler. It is great at being one of those "middle" books in trilogies that tend to not be as good as the rest of the series. Though I think it is the weakest of the three, it is still a great read and you shouldn't miss it. The beginning of the book about drove me out of my mind with all the mushy love talk, and I mean mushy. It goes on for quite awhile, but if you can make it past that the book gets much better. I don't think Kerner has quite mastered the art of going back and talking about things that happened in the previous book. She is almost reciting it to you, rather than the characters telling you here and there what you have missed and need to know about the preceding story. If you can get past the first couple chapters of this book, the rest of the book is excellent!