Closer to 3.5 stars. Not quite as compelling at the first book, but still very enjoyable. I really liked how the story used Corum’s magical eye, and I liked Gaynor’s appearance in the book. The end felt a bit deus ex machina (literally), but the way it was explained tied in to the themes of the story and foreshadowing, making it work well enough. Still, as I read this one, the struggle against the invading forces of chaos reminded me a lot of Stormbringer, but without the same impact. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s the lack of Elric’s sense of doom and dread. While Corum’s stories can be very dark at times (e.g. the summoning of the dog and the bear), they feel more upbeat than Elric, especially with Jhary becoming a major character. I’ll see if that trend continues later in the series.