The Iron Tower

Plot

A harsh, unending winter grips Mithgar, and whispers of Vulg raids on Warrow farms are growing. In response, every young male Warrow in the Boskydells begins training as a Thornwalker. Tuck Underbank, Danner Bramblethorn, and others leave their families and Tuck's dammia behind. After a deadly fight with Vulgs kills one of them, the Warrows, now led by Patrel Rushlock, reach Spindle Ford and start their watch.

A messenger from Challerain Keep arrives, warning that Modru of Gron is attacking and asking for aid, but a Vulg kills both the messenger and a friend of Tuck's by knocking them into a frozen river; only Tuck survives. Danner, Tuck, and Patrel travel to Challerain Keep, where they meet High King Aurion Redeye, Prince Igon, Princess Laurelin, the elf lord Gildor Goldbranch, and Hrosmarshal Vidron. They attend Laurelin's nineteenth birthday party, but a messenger warns of an imminent attack.

The Warrows fight in the battle against Modru's Horde. Tuck gets lost and ends up in a crypt with Crown Prince Galen, where he finds a small red arrow. They escape as Challerain Keep is destroyed and are cared for in an elven village. Igon is found unconscious in the snow, and Gildor reports that Aurion is dead.

The next part begins with Laurelin's capture by Modru's forces; she is sometimes treated well, sometimes brutally, and witnesses the torture and murder of Vanidor, Gildor's twin brother. Tuck and Galen decide to gather allies instead of rescuing Laurelin, and Gildor joins them. They pick up the dwarf Brega, the last survivor of a dwarf brigade that fought the Foul Folk. Brega leads them to the ancient dwarf mine of Kraggen-Cor, where a monstrous tentacled creature nearly kills them, and Gildor collapses when he senses Vanidor's death.

Reception

The Iron Tower trilogy has been frequently compared to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, a resemblance that has drawn significant criticism. Kirkus Reviews gave negative assessments of all three volumes, describing The Dark Tide as a derivative and dreadful imitation, Shadows of Doom as a meaningless copy, and The Darkest Day as slightly less imitative but still relying on a formula of long speeches, cliches, and juvenile content, recommending it only for dedicated fans.

In Different Worlds magazine, E.S. Erkes noted the absence of the cultural richness that made Tolkien's work vivid, calling McKiernan's songs and poems awful, yet still highly recommended the series, claiming some scenes recreate the feeling of reading Tolkien for the first time. A Black Gate reviewer acknowledged the trilogy is a crude copy of The Lord of the Rings, but upon a recent re-read of The Dark Tide, found it to be a mildly entertaining, light read.