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The Iron Tower Trilogy
by Dennis L. McKiernan
Before I go into any in-depth reviews of the books
comprising this trilogy, I think an explanation is probably in order. The
Iron Tower Trilogy is McKiernan’s first set of novels. Sadly, they are
either out of print or available by special order only. I was fortunate enough
to find the complete set at my local library. I actually had wanted to read some
of McKiernan’s more recent works, but many of them are set in the world of
Mithgar, a world first introduced in this trilogy. I always hate to jump into
the middle of a world with such a rich history and prefer to start at the
beginning if at all possible. Ordinarily, it is FutureFiction’s policy to
review books that are readily available to you, our loyal readers. I enjoyed
this trilogy enough to make an exception to our policy and encourage you to
check out alternate sources to obtain a copy too.
The Dark Tide
by Dennis L. McKiernan 
McKiernan doesn’t pull any punches with this
novel. He admits at the very start that it was written as a homage to J.R.R.
Tolkien and he has closely emulated Tolkien’s style. It is also clear that
this book is the first in a series, so the reader should not be disappointed
that The Dark Tide doesn’t wrap everything up into a neat little ball
at the conclusion of this volume.
Entertaining it was, and short in length. With
such rhythmic, almost melodic, phrasing, McKiernan begins to pull the reader
into a world highly reminiscent of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The main character
of this tale, a Warrow named Tuckerby Underbank, seems quite a bit like a
hobbit. The reader will also meet Elves and Men, along with a vast array of evil
beings, minions of the dreaded Modru. Long banished from the lands of Mithgar,
Modru has broken free and begun to move south to cast his dark shadow across the
world. Responding to the High King’s call, Tuck and a company of Warrows
travel north to fight beside the king. In this novel, McKiernan concentrates
most of the action on the Warrows’ defense of the High King’s citadel,
Challerain Keep, but he hints at other side plots which will be addressed in the
subsequent volumes of this trilogy.
McKiernan is not Tolkien, but I think he did a
very good job of creating a world similar to Middle Earth. It is a world rich in
history and peopled by intriguing and wondrous creatures. The characters in The
Dark Tide are well drawn but not overly complex; the heroes are good, the
villains are unredeemingly evil. The plot moves along quickly without a lot of
distractions or annoying side trips. While the basic premise of this novel is
extremely familiar to fantasy fans, McKiernan has added his own touches and
managed to keep it interesting.
Reviewed by: Diane
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Shadows of Doom
by Dennis L. McKiernan 
Sorry, this book is out of
print. Try one of the Out of Print Book Sellers on our Links
page.
The second volume of The Iron Tower Trilogy
picks up right where the first one left off. In fact, McKiernan is considerate
enough to provide a synopsis of the first book for the reader who either hasn’t
read it or doesn’t remember it. As the book opens, the lovely Laurelin,
betrothed to Prince Galen, is in the last waggon train of refugees being sent to
safety from Challerain Keep. Escorted by the Prince’s younger brother, Prince
Igon, they hope to escape the Dimmendark and Modru’s Horde and rally the High
King’s Host from the southern realms. Unfortunately, their greatest fears
become reality and Laurelin is captured and taken to the Iron Tower, Modru’s
stronghold. Meanwhile, back at the doomed Keep, the small band of Warrows,
including Tuck, Patrel and Danner, has been separated during the chaos
surrounding the final battle. McKiernan follows as each of the characters goes
their separate ways and new groups of allies are formed. Elves, Dwarves, Warrows
and Men all form alliances to fight the encroaching evil. The High King’s
forces are embattled on every front and the situation looks dire for our small
band of intrepid heroes.
Once again, McKiernan has written a fast-paced,
interesting story. I especially liked the Warrows’ outlook on life. No matter
how dreary the situation, they are still able to see the silver lining. This
ability allows them to find humor in all but the worst scenarios. The plot may
be familiar, but the characters are likable and you can’t help but cheer them
on. In this volume, McKiernan provides more information about Modru and the
forces driving him on. By the end of the book, the situation is looking grimmer
and grimmer for Tuck and his friends, but they fight gamely on, determined to
resist the Horde and turn it back. As with the previous novel, the main plot
line is left unresolved. However, this is one of those novels where the journey
is half the fun. Knowing that there is a third and final book in the series, I
don’t mind waiting for the next installment to find out how our heroes will
fare.
Reviewed by: Diane
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The Darkest Day
by Dennis L. McKiernan
The conclusion of the Iron Tower Trilogy is
just as enjoyable as the first two volumes. McKiernan again supplies a brief
recap of the previous two books, just to bring everyone up to date. Cryptic
prophecies begin to unfold, making frightening sense. The fighting stretches
from the Boskydells to the Red Hills, and it seems that no one has been spared
from Modru’s destruction. As understanding begins to dawn, the various groups
of the High King’s Host prepare for a final apocalyptic battle against Modru’s
Horde. Drawn to Modru’s stronghold, the Iron Tower, Tuck, Danner, Patrel and
the others are eventually reunited. Engaged in a race against time to avert the
evil foretold for the Darkest Day, each of these brave souls are faced with
decisions they never thought they would need to make. Will they be up to the
challenge?
McKiernan serves up a fitting finale to this
entertaining trilogy. Written in the same vein as Tolkien’s Lord of the
Rings, the author handles the little group’s quests and battles well.
Although McKiernan is not another Tolkien, and doesn’t pretend to be, I think
that fantasy fans will be pleased with this tale. His characters are truly
likeable and for that reason alone, I was glad to see that McKiernan’s story
didn’t stop with the final battle sequence. Instead, he takes the time to
briefly show how their lives continued afterwards and the changes they all
underwent as a result of the events described in this series. The final bits of
the book include several appendices providing the interested reader with
glossaries, calendars, and other assorted trivia. Overall, a well written tale
with lots of action and adventure.
Reviewed by: Diane
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