Rating: 
Summary: A wonderfully story full of twists that i couldn't put down!
Review: A seperate story from the first, which told of the fall of Gent. This tells of the recapture of Gent but yet continues the series in an excellent manner. Elliot uses great elements of literature to make the story seem real and derives another totally believable world into pieces of paper bound together to amuse readers of the world. The characters were totally believable except for how Liath acted when Hugh was around. Besides that I would have to say the best character is Wolfhere, he reminds you of a Sean Connery type in a way, next would be Sanglant. A charater completely changed by his year in captivity by Bloodheart. Yet his character seems a lot more developed now than during his time as the captain of the Kings Dragons. I read it once. Then I read it again after the third came out, which I am in the middle of. An excellent series for everybody who likes true fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: Prince of Dogs: Principly Disappointing
Review: Although I greatly enjoyed the first novel in this series, and eagerly snatched up Prince of Dogs two years later when it came out in semi-affordable paperback, I was greatly disappointed and at points outraged by the novel's content. Although the first book focused mainly on the various characters going about their usual fantastic lives with little snippits of what appeared to be a para-Catholic Church, Prince of Dogs focused mainly on the topsy-turvey religion proving that although Ms. Elliott may be an expert at Medieval Facts, she is not an expert of either Medieval Culture and Thought (re: Dante) or the truth of the Catholic Church. Prince of Dogs also focused on the banal, grammar school interests of "how do they go to the bathroom" with several scenes taking place in the privy. The characters are melodramatic, and usually either excessively cruel, excessively weak, or excessivly solipsistic (centered on the self). A good portion of the "action" of this book was nothing but angst and repetition of angst. Read the first book, but borrow the rest from the library if you absolutely must find out what happens to Sanglant et. al., but I'd advise you to drag out actual Medieval Literature and peruse Dante or Beowulf.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful and Engrossing
Review: Although many have criticized Elliott's adaptation of "real" history into her own world, I think that it is the countless details she has added that make _A Prince of Dogs_ worth reading. I'm not talking just historical odds and ends, but also the plot twists that crop up maybe on second or third reading, the complex web of magic that stretches across the entire world, and the characters that seem more and more real with each chapter.It is clear that this is one author that has done careful research not only into the events, but also into the context in which historical material from our world could be fitted into hers. But research aside, her writing is some of the most compelling that I have come across in years. I am impressed by the amount and quality of work that Kate Elliott has produced, and desperately wish to see more of Liath, Alain, and Sanglant!
Rating:
Summary: Appearance is deceiving...
Review: Beauty may hide a demon while the hideous may conceal a true warrior heart. This chapter in a quest for truth illustrates a reality as old as man. Will our heroine come closer to her true birthright? You'll have to keep reading to find out!
Rating:
Summary: totally unconvincing
Review: Considering the concept and ingredients the story sounded promising. But I'm afraid it was not. The story line was very predictable, no surprises, despite the occasional hinting at deeper hidden meanings. It is an admirable attempt to grasp the reader's attention through hundreds of pages with promises of a deeper layer, but alas so far no more than 2-dimensional, flat, stereotyped characters whom I could not care less about. I mean if you want to change history (religion that is) and put women on top of religious hierarchy, I think the author missed a great opportunity here to actually do something with such a different concept. Wouldn't it have been much more logical that with that in mind religious history would have taken a quite different path? It is just not convincing, and after yet another lesson in biblical paraphrasing you just get bored and toss it aside.
Rating:
Summary: Very well written. A definate "Couldn't put it down!"
Review: Excellent sequel to the well written "Kings Dragon". Very real reading; The battles are truly intense and the character development and storyline interwieve beautifully. I most definately recommend it to fantasy as well as nonfantasy readers everywhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic !! Could not put it down !! Bring on Volume 3 !
Review: I criticised the first book for being too slow. This one got straight into it and I just could not put it down. I love the Characters. I really enjoy the fact that the 'hero & heroine' are not an 'item' it makes it a little different from some other fantasy books I have read. I love the way their world is similar to ours.It almost makes me believe I could have lived through this story if I had been born in the Middle Ages. I thoroughly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A series on a downhill slide
Review: I enjoyed the first book of the series, but this one, while continuing with the interesting stories of the 4 main characters, was leaden and so boring in places I found myself skimming.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing...a very beleivable fantasy world
Review: I read it a second time because of the fullness of the developed world. Helps to understand our own real history in terms of the role and importance of the church. The characters are have real motivations, both the heroes and the villains. Nobility, commoners, magic, men-at-arms, clergy, and all the intrigue involved are all in the book. Read the first one also to enjoy both even more.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular use of history in fantasy.
Review: I really connected with the first book in this series and am eagerly awaiting the third (August can't come soon enough!). This is a fantastic series with serious scholarly kudos due! If you like fantasy and historical fiction than don't miss Crown of Stars. The detail on medieval life and the spin on religious schisms is fantastic - all on top of a great story with great characters. It was fantastic to see Sanglant, a character of whom more was heard than read about in the first book, come to the fore, and the degradation of his character relly struck a chord. Similarly for Liath - the trials she went through in the first novel come back to haunt her and Elliott convincingly relates her trauma and inability to act in the face of her past. She develops a longing for the fulfillment of the characters separate destinies in the third novel very well. I think that it helps to have some knowledge of the classic texts and languages she manipulates in this novel for fuller appreciation, for example if you knew Sapientia meant wisdom in the first book (she only says so in the second) you can appreciate her character a lot more readily. This goes for Lupus/Wolfheim as well. And the ironies of the attributions of classical texts in this novel is also enriched by knowing the originals e.g. the Heleniad by Virgilia (a story about a woman by a woman) rather than the Illiad by Homer and the Aeneid by Virgil (stories about men by men, with a woman at the heart of it all - Helen and Pallas Athene respectively). But even if you aren't interested in the development of heresies or other topics that are entwined through the heart of the fast-paced action and character travails that propel this series, if you like good quality fantasy you'll still enjoy Crown of Stars. I recommend Gore Vidal's JULIAN for anyone interested in the idea of the development of the Church as a succession of Synods, and Guy Gavriel kay's one off novels TIGANA, LIONS OF AL_RASSAN, and A SONG FOR ARBONNE for anyone interested in fantasy which is enrichened by a historical basis. For medieval historical fiction I can't recommend anyone more than Sharon Kay Penman's Plantagenet series.
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