The second book in a trilogy, The Golden Horn finds Alfred, elf and priest, in Byzantium during the Fourth Crusade and the sack of Constantinople, c. 1203 [the "Golden Horn" of the title -- named for its shape and its famed wealth]. Alfred begins to reconcile body and mind, and continues to grow as a person, while questioning his own and his Kinsmen's part in his religion. After reading The Isle of Glass, I found the Golden Horn something of a disappointment. Everything about it seemed rushed, unfinished. The writing is only a little better than average for a fantasy novel, and I craved more of the rich characterization and dialogue that I found in the first book. Still, entertaining enough.
