title: The King Commands: Tales of the Borderlands Book Two
author:  Meg Burden 
description: This second episode in the Tales of the Borderlands series sturdily follows the first (Northlander, 2007) with a nearly seamless weave of action and romance amid ethnic strife. Sixteen-year-old would-be Healer Ellin is abruptly banished by the new Northlands king she adoresonly to find her Southern homeland being torn apart by ruthless Guardians bent on extirpating any signs of psychic powers among the general population. Hearing that the Guardians are also building up an ominously large private army, Ellin returns to the five royal Northland brothers who have adopted her, and who make up the rest of the closely knit central cast, to deliver an urgent warning. Ellin and the princes go a long way toward growing up here, as their skein of attachments develops further complexity and her relationship with deaf, scholarly, gentle Prince Flinn deepens. Burden ends the story with the Northlands poised to square off against the faceless Southling villains in the next volume. She also builds in plenty of reasons for readers to care about what happens next. Grades 6-9. --John Peters
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  # The Furnace of Gold
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Philip Verrill Mighels
  
  
  This page formatted 2005 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  CHAPTER I. PRINCE OR BANDIT
  
  
  CHAPTER II. INTO THE MOUNTAINS
  
  
  CHAPTER III. A RESCUE
  
  
  CHAPTER IV. CONGENIAL COMPANY
  
  
  CHAPTER V. VAN'S PARTNERS
  
  
  CHAPTER VI. THE BATTLE
  
  
  CHAPTER VII. AN EXCHANGE OF QUESTIONS
  
  
  CHAPTER VIII. A NIGHT'S EXPENSES
  
  
  CHAPTER IX. PROGRESS AND SALT
  
  
  CHAPTER X. THE LAUGHING WATER CLAIM
  
  
  CHAPTER XI. ALGY STIRS UP TROUBLE
  
  
  CHAPTER XII. BOSTWICK LOSES GROUND
  
  
  CHAPTER XIII. A COMBINATION OF FORCES
  
  
  CHAPTER XIV. MOVING A SHACK
  
  
  CHAPTER XV. HATCHING A PLOT
  
  
  CHAPTER XVI. INVOLVING BETH
  
  
  CHAPTER XVII. UNEXPECTED COMPLICATIONS
  
  
  CHAPTER XVIII. WHEREIN MATTERS THICKEN
  
  
  CHAPTER XIX. VAN AND BETH AND BOSTWICK
  
  
  CHAPTER XX. QUEENIE
  
  
  CHAPTER XXI. IN THE SHADOW OF THE ROPE
  
  
  CHAPTER XXII. TWO MEETINGS AFTER DARK
  
  
  CHAPTER XXIII. BETH'S DESPERATION
  
  
  CHAPTER XXIV. A BLIZZARD OF DUST
  
  
  CHAPTER