The Castle of Iron by L. Sprague de Camp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This second book, pubbed in 1950, gives us the same kind of cool magic system as before, with symbolic logic and the law of sympathy, to send us to a couple of imaginary classics including Kubla Khan (Coleridge) and Orlando Furioso (Ariosto), giving us a tale of chivalrous knights and noble kingdoms.

Or at least, this was my impression with a straight read.

I think it's written very well and it's engaging, especially if nobless oblige is what you want. The magic was fun, too. I preferred the first book because I have a soft spot for the Aesir, but this was also interesting. It's light, careful, and quite respectful. Something we don't often see these days.

View all my reviews