Published: April 25, 2012
Words: 65,214 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781476031378

Short description

The story of Graice, Holder, Caelia and the boy with many names continues. In a world where brutal power is destroying peace and tranquility, two pairs of special people – man and woman, boy and girl – journey toward a common goal. Will the secrets they carry and the strengths they have be enough to free the world from evil?

Extended description

Destiny brings a thirteen year old boy and girl together in a wilderness when she escapes from kidnappers and he flees enemy soldiers. Her name is Caelia and she comes from a community hidden in a cavern. He has spent all his life hiding and only learned his true identity two days earlier. They journey together searching for her family and the secret buried chest he seeks.

Elsewhere, a remarkable young woman named Graice travels with her mentor Sybille and a man named Holder. Sybille has foreseen that Graice is needed for a task vital to the world in Abbelôn, the beautiful peaceful city captured years earlier by brutal men called the Zafiri – and Sybille’s visions are never wrong. Continuing her efforts begun in Part I of the story, Graice does her best to help Holder, who lost his memory around the same time Abbelôn fell. She and Sybille already know he was once someone important. With the help of the man known as the Wise One of Lucidus and others, they continue the seemingl.. (Read more) Destiny brings a thirteen year old boy and girl together in a wilderness when she escapes from kidnappers and he flees enemy soldiers. Her name is Caelia and she comes from a community hidden in a cavern. He has spent all his life hiding and only learned his true identity two days earlier. They journey together searching for her family and the secret buried chest he seeks.

Elsewhere, a remarkable young woman named Graice travels with her mentor Sybille and a man named Holder. Sybille has foreseen that Graice is needed for a task vital to the world in Abbelôn, the beautiful peaceful city captured years earlier by brutal men called the Zafiri – and Sybille’s visions are never wrong. Continuing her efforts begun in Part I of the story, Graice does her best to help Holder, who lost his memory around the same time Abbelôn fell. She and Sybille already know he was once someone important. With the help of the man known as the Wise One of Lucidus and others, they continue the seemingly hopeless journey toward Abbelôn.

Across the land, anxiety increases. An army raised by the Zafiri threatens Anglio, a small city on the edge of the civilized world. The pompous monarchs of the Great Cities promise aid but are really only concerned about their own vanity. Fortunately, arms makers in those Cities have invented powerful weapons named for an old word meaning destruction – cannons. Without the approval of their own rulers, a small group of men rush to deliver these weapons before Anglio is attacked.

In Zigor, home of the Zafiri, enemies not only have weapons of their own but also breed monstrous beasts. Yet their preparations for the war move slowly. Deceit, mistrust, and jealousy are standard character traits among the Zafiri; and the the Overlords who rule spend more time blaming, backstabbing, and conniving against each other than anything else.

When Graice and Holder reach the Pàçian Mountains, they enter the caverns of Annâles-Scientia – Caelia’s home. The people there recognize Holder, calling him by his real name Breyon, and rejoice at his return. Graice discovers that the amulet she wore as a newborn (the only survivor of a shipwreck) is more important than she ever could have expected. Thanks to Graice, Breyon recovers his complete memory and now knows the tragedy of his past.

Having been raised in secret, the boy actually knows little about his own background, but Caelia still recognizes who he really is. When they find a buried book about the history of his family, it confirms her guess. “You must come home with me,” she insists and he agrees, but they suddenly realize that Annâles-Scientia isn’t home for either of them – Abbelôn is. They can’t go there yet, but a wild ride on the mighty horse Glori takes them to the caverns. When the two burst through the entrance, the people there – Pàçians – rejoice to see Caelia and gasp in astonishment at him. In the middle of all the people – his people, not just Caelia’s – he declares his identity.

The only four people who can free Abbelôn and save the world are now united.
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Tags

other worlds, alternate magic, alternate fantasy, heroines and heroes

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Reviews

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Review by: M Mancey on May 29, 2013 :
The mystery and intrigue continues as the story delves deeper into the secrets of an old and advanced civilization. A darker force emerges, spelling a greater threat, with a magic dark and twisted but compelling. The various cities come under attack as it rises. My favorite characters Gracie and Holder, and the boy and the girl are on the road surrounded by peril and heading for distant destinations.

The book is hard to put down with so much at stake. Every chapter is full of intrigue and action even as war brews. It continues in a rich, gripping and complex tale with multiple characters and told from several view points. The amount of thought and planning by the writer becomes even more apparent. I particularly admire how the author very subtly creates a beautiful and thought-provoking legacy of a people long past.


I wouldn't give too much away but there is also an element of satisfaction where the long lost are reunited and a few of the old mysteries are solved. Even so, it ends in a cliff hanger as as the evil Zafiri responsible for the demise of the former civilization seek to wreak more destruction. I look forward to the next book where hopefully these wonderful and gifted people, who were so wronged, can have their legacy restored.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Vanna Smythe on Feb. 02, 2013 :
I read the first part of this series late last year, and picked up the second book as soon as I had some free time. It was great to spend time with Gracie and Holder, and the rest again. All I can say is: "Awesome!" The first book does a great job of laying the scene, and this book, the sequel, is much more fast paced. I enjoyed learning how all the different point of view characters (all of whom are extremely well characterized, and really come off the page and seem like real people) come together to pursue the common goal. I won't give that away, since I hate spoilers.

Apart from the great characterization and the complicated plot, which will keep you guessing and make it hard to put the book down, the fantasy world Bob Craton created is vividly and beautifully rendered. I could really picture all the scenes, places, … which to me is very important. None of the descriptions drag either, which is equally important. I was very impressed by the author's ability to find that perfect balance when describing something and not overdoing it.

In conclusion, let me just say that Part 2 of The High Duties of Pacia series kept me reading well past my reasonable bedtime, but it was all worth it! The second book in a trilogy is usually not as enjoyable to read as the first and third, which is not the case with this book at all. If anything, this book is even more action-packed and more tightly written than Book 1. This is, however, not a fantasy series that you can read out of order.

As for me, I'm getting the final book now, since I can't wait to learn how the story ends.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Jamie Marchant on Jan. 26, 2013 :
This novel continues with the amazing characters created in Part I, but as a novel, it is a superior creation. The characters are just as interesting, but we get a better idea of the conflict and what’s at stake as the disparate characters of Part I meet and become intertwined in each others’ lives. The sense of evil and menace is more palpable, and the reader is more invested in the outcome. After reading Part II, you’ll be anxious for Part III to finish this memorable journey.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: ACWinOH on Dec. 18, 2012 :
Totally enjoyed and recommend this series as "clean" entertainment.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Richard Dodds on May 21, 2012 :
A brilliant book that expertly creates a rich fantasy world. Unputdownable.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

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