Black Dogs: The Mountain of Iron is the second of two volumes chronicling the adventures of young Lyra, sole survivor of the massacre of her family's estate. After learning in the first volume that things at the House of Diamond are not what they seemed, Lyra and her companions set out to Anu'tintavel to pass the news on to the elves. They are joined by Spite, a Ferran; Gunnar, a Slothan; and Kuroinu, a woman with an unusual past from the Tchang empire. After a long journey, they arrive at Anu'tintavel to find the battle with Vade already in full swing. Lyra has come a long way since the beginning of her journey, and the talents she has developed come in handy in many surprising ways.

With wry wit and offbeat humor, Black Dogs builds a fully imagined world (both physical and metaphysical) that deftly sidesteps fantasy clich