The second volume of Iron Empires resembles the first in a lot of ways. A noble warrior on the outskirts of society, whose struggles against their expected societal role are as much a part of them as the physical struggle against a powerful and entrenched enemy. However, it's also a very different story, exploring a little further the notion of psychic powers and how they fit into Moeller's Iron Empires and exploring the notion of a more rural world instead of one that is beholden to the religious/military institution that figured so heavily into the first volume. In addition, the artwork, as with the first volume, is gorgeous, fully-painted vistas that are perfect for this kind of epic science-fiction married with a design sense that wouldn't be out of place at Industrial Light and Magic.
Moeller is best known as a painter, and he's earned those accolades given his skills, but Iron Empires also really shows off his writing skills. Sheva's War, like the first Iron Empires tale, is a large scale story, but Moeller wisely focuses in on a few well-crafted characters and makes it a small story at the same time. Jepard and Ahmi Sheva, Hardi Degas, Phillipe the corrupt Count, Vienne and Lady Rhiannon are the big characters, and while there's a larger cast at play, these handful of characters are really the ones that all the action centers on. Each of these characters as a result gets plenty of time to develop, and they're very interesting characters, heroic but also full of realistic human weaknesses.
It is this latter element that really struck me about Sheva's War. Moeller shifts the perception of the reader throughout the story, and in comparing the first chapter to the last, you can really see the personal journey that these characters have been on as well as the development of the plot. Upon reading the first chapter, the impression one gets of both Baron and Baroness Sheva is that they're somewhat spoiled and decadent, but by the time we've reached the conclusion, their difficult marriage is in a completely different place, and we've seen a lot more of the inner fire that both possess. Lady Sheva is definitely the main character of the story, but Jepard is more inherently noble, as the main change in his character comes from the situation letting his inner nobility come to the fore and having his wife finally see him for the man he is. He's a relatively small player in the story, but one of my favorite characters because of this personality.
The story itself also builds quickly from an isolated incident on the outskirts of the territory into a war that threatens the entire world. Moeller gives the Vaylens' minions a horror movie approach in some regards, not just in their physically disgusting abilities and monstrous appearances but in the way that they appear suddenly out of nowhere. The opening sequence where we first see the Vaylen's creation attack Degas's father is a shocker, and the scenes of hordes of the creatures advancing on the granary or on other positions of Sheva's army are just as effective.
Even then, though, Moeller balances the larger story with the smaller one. His story is one that addresses the question of loyalty from a variety of angles, and the question of growing older and finding your role as well. Whether it's the relationships that Sheva has with Degas, Jepard and Phillipe, all with a touch of romantic love to them but a different role as well (exciting lover, husband and mentor) or the changes that Degas goes through, from farm boy to soldier and from smitten boy with a crush to a man with a love to protect, Moeller's tale explores these notions with different characters and different conclusions as well.
