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A mere five years have passed since the knights of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth threw back the Cossack invasion from the East, yet a new and far more dangerous threat appears: Swedish troops are pouring across the northern border. Thus begins Sienkiewicz's sprawling epic sequel to With Fire and Sword ( LJ 3/15/91). As in the first novel, the text brings to life an entire 17th-century culture, unfolding like a richly adorned tapestry. Central to the story is Andrei Kmita, a young Lithuanian noble whose ruthlessness obscures his military sagacity and bravery, branding him an outlaw. But for the love of the beautiful Olenka, he undertakes to reshape his character in the forge of battle, and in so doing helps save king, country, and church from the heretic invaders. Beside him fight Volodyovski, Zagloba, and Skshetuski, the principal knights from With Fire and Sword . In many ways, the new saga in which they appear falls short of the high standard set by that magnificent predecessor. The characters are more stiffly predictable, the pace protracted, and the ending too abrupt. Nonetheless, its significance eclipses its flaws, making it essential in any collection.