Student ranger Durren Flintrand had thought he was settling in at the Black River Academy for Swordcraft and Spellcraft. But when rebellious rogue Tia Locke uncovers a horrifying secret in the dungeons beneath the school, Durren quickly realises that the challenges he's faced so far were scant preparation for what lies ahead. Along with magic-averse wizard Arein and blunt but good-hearted fighter Hule, he and Tia find themselves on Black River's first student exchange program: they're being sent to the Shadow Mountain Academy in the dank and dismal land of Ursvaal, and they're going whether they like it or not.

At Shadow Mountain, things are done differently. No longer is Durren a ranger but a bard, despite his lacking the slightest notion of what being a bard involves. And not only that but Tia is acting even more strangely than usual, Hule is taking being a paladin awfully seriously, and Arein has a new party member with ideas very different to her own to contend with, in the shape of irascible cleric Cailliper Ancrux - who wants nothing less than to be involved with Shadow Mountain's unpopular newcomers.

The four Black River students will have to relearn everything they thought they knew; but the threats surrounding them aren't about to wait. Can they hope to survive an uprising of the dead, the winged horror that haunts this desolate land, and an ancient plot risen from the blackest depths of Ursvaal's history? And even if the somehow should, can Durren possibly overcome his tone deafness and learn to play the lute?

Reader Reviews

Daniel Wright

(5/5)

Apr 03, 2025

An enjoyable sequelI read the first and enjoyed it enough to continue on. I love how fun the book. It struggles in terms of character development but makes up for it in good action and the enjoyable plot. I just hope the writer decide to explore the different characters, races, and the world the story takes place in further in future installments. I want more of the explanations like sudra syn and tia's mother but applied to the other characters and possibly new characters.

Doug

Good bookSolid storyline. Great characters. Gritty and endearing. The chaotic naturalness of it all blends in an amalgam of youth on a mission to do good. Well played

Jason Houlden

This was a very well written book with a very good story. If you like D&D related novels then you will like this. All the characters are well thought out and the story has a great twist and turn, and also a great ending. Cannot wait for another book from this author.

Brian Turner

(3/5)

3.5 starsThe adventuring party of Durren, Tia, Hule and Alein (and Pootle) having levelled up in The Black River Chronicles: Level One now find themselves sworn to secrecy.Fortunately, there is a student exchange program that just happens to get them out of the way as they head to Ursvaal.Unfortunately, there are just as many strange things happening there. Throw in the fact that the head tutor doesn't seem to like having the group there, and it's another decent read.The story moves at a good pa...

Ron

(4/5)

Good ReadEnjoyed the story... ... ... Would like to read more from this series? ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Dan

Love these Black River books.Yep, awsome. Gives some good inspiration for my D&D sessions.Can't wait for the next one! Ugh why do I have to put so many words in my review?

Felicity Keane

This was a nice book to get me through the Christmas break. After reading reviews of the first book, there was a lot of comparison to the Harry Potter books. I’m therefore glad that this one doesn’t seem to get as repetitive as some of the earlier Potter books and feels a lot more comfortable in its own world. Here we get a welcome change in location, new characters and our central protagonists are given new roles and duties to flesh them out. Nobody feels underdeveloped or left behind – this is...

Stephen Morley

(2/5)

Super slow, not nearly as fun as pt 1I’m sorry this book was really slow in how it developed. I’m not sure I’ve yet to buy into the whole student exchange or Tia breaking into the shapeshifter cell. Ultimately, I’m not sure I enjoyed Durren’s slow progress as a character. He can be interesting and does offer some interesting narration of the events but he isn’t a character that I love reading about. This is my opinion and I can figure out why.The ending was by far the best part of the book. The

TONY

More please Fanfuntastic! Not a real word but real emotion behind it! Thanks for the adventures!!!

Rebecca Laurento

EntertainingVery Good readI love the leveling based stories and hope to read more on the future.Thank you very much

Grant Leishman

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman Durren Flintrand and his three questing team members, Tia, Arein, and Hule have just been promoted to Level Two in their studies at the Black River Academy. In The Black River Chronicles, by David Tallerman, their reward has come for unmasking and defeating a creature thought wiped out centuries ago – a shapeshifter. Rather than basking in the glory of their achievement, the team find themselves unceremoniously transferred to a sister school, the

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The Black River Chronicles: The Ursvaal Exchange

The Black River Chronicles: The Ursvaal Exchange

The Black River Chronicles: The Ursvaal Exchange

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