In this second book, Isabeau takes a bit of a back seat, recovering from her ordeal in delivering the talisman, and learning humility and obedience as a servant in the Righ's palace. There is a shift of interest to her twin sister, Iseult, whom Meghan discovered when she visited the Dragons. Iseult, raised by her faery kin on the icy Spine of the World, seems as different from Isabeau as night is from day. where Isabeau is laughing, impetuous, and headstrong, Iseult, raised by a tribe of fierce warriors in a dangerous, snowy land, is solemn and disciplined. Meghan convinces Iseult that she must leave her tribe and seek out her destiny among her mother's people. Meghan and Iseult meet up with the lost prionssa who has been hiding for years, since escaping from his brother's treacherous wife. He is a bitter young man, passionate in his desire for revenge against the Banrigh, Maya the Ensorcellor. Guided by Meghan, he and Iseult set off on the dangerous quest to unite the rebels, depose the Banrigh, and restore the Coven. To do this, they must rescue the Lodestar, an ancient magical scepter which has been locked away since the day the witches were betrayed, and which is dying from lack of contact with the royal family. The character of the prionssa is delightfully complex. Just because he's supposed to be some kind of hero to the people and to us doesn't mean they or we always like him, and it doesn't mean he always does everything right. Some people prefer cardboard cutout characters that are some kind of archetypal representation of an idea of a hero or a villan or a leader or an ingenue. And some people like characters who are made from their experiences, with a dash of nobility of character which makes them strive to overcome their experiences to be and do more. The latter should be pleased. When you finish The Pool of Two Moons, I know you won't be able to wait for The Cursed Towers (so maybe order them both together).
