Since 1990, when Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time(R) burst on the world with its first book, "The Eye of the World, " readers have been anticipating the final scenes of this extraordinary saga, which has sold over forty million copies in over thirty languages.When Robert Jordan died in 2007, all feared that these concluding scenes would never be written. But working from notes and partials left by Jordan, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete the masterwork. With "The Gathering Storm" (Book 12) and "Towers of Midnight "(Book 13) behind him, both of which were # 1 "New York Times" hardcover bestsellers, Sanderson now re-creates the vision that Robert Jordan left behind.Edited by Jordan's widow, who edited all of Jordan's books, "A Memory of Light" will delight, enthrall, and deeply satisfy all of Jordan's legions of readers.The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. "Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time."
Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder.
It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it.
The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with.
Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war...
In the jungles of Khyrei, an escaped slave seeks vengeance and finds the key to a savage revolution.
In the drought-stricken Stormlands, the Twin Kings argue the destiny of their kingdom: one walks the path of knowledge, the other treads the road to war.
Beyond the haunted mountains King Vireon confronts a plague of demons bent on destroying his family.
Iardu the Shaper weaves history like a grand tapestry, spinning sorceries into a vision of apocalypse.
Giants and Men march as one to shatter a wicked empire.
The fate of the known world rests on the swift blades of Seven Kings...
On the night of the new moon, the demons rise in force, seeking the deaths of two men both of whom have the potential to become the fabled Deliverer, the man prophesied to reunite the scattered remnants of humanity in a final push to destroy the demon corelings once and for all.
Arlen Bales was once an ordinary man, but now he has become something more—the Warded Man, tattooed with eldritch wards so powerful they make him a match for any demon. Arlen denies he is the Deliverer at every turn, but the more he tries to be one with the common folk, the more fervently they believe. Many would follow him, but Arlen’s path threatens to lead him to a dark place he alone can travel to, and from which there may be no returning.
The only one with hope of keeping Arlen in the world of men, or joining him in his descent into the world of demons, is Renna Tanner, a fierce young woman in danger of losing herself to the power of demon magic.
Ahmann Jardir has forged the warlike desert tribes of Krasia into a demon-killing army and proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer. He carries ancient weapons—a spear and a crown—that give credence to his claim, and already vast swaths of the green lands bow to his control.
But Jardir did not come to power on his own. His rise was engineered by his First Wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose formidable demon bone magic gives her the ability to glimpse the future. Inevera’s motives and past are shrouded in mystery, and even Jardir does not entirely trust her.
Once Arlen and Jardir were as close as brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies rise, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all—those lurking in the human heart.
The future holds nothing but blood and death . . . and Teia fears there is nothing she can do about it. Her clan is riding to war, but her secret, untrained gift of foretelling has shown her they are riding to their doom. If she cannot turn them from their course, her only hope of saving them will be to betray them to their sworn enemies.
Gair is mourning his past . . . but there is no time to dwell on his grief or hunger for revenge. Pursuing an artefact from the Founding Wars, he travels deep into the hostile southern deserts. As religious tensions erupt into bloody violence around him, he must make an impossible choice: save innocent lives or sacrifice them in the hope that thousands more can be saved later.
And all the while, his grip on his powers is failing.
Mahala: a city built in the dark depths of a valley. A city built up in layers, not across – where streets are built upon streets, buildings balance precariously upon buildings. A city that the Ministry rules from its lofty perch at the sunlit summit & where the forsaken lurk in the shadowy depths of the Pit.
Rojan is a bounty hunter trying to make his way in the city. Everyone knows he’s a womaniser, a shirker of all responsibility, but they don’t know he’s also a pain-mage: able to draw magic from his own & other people’s pain. He’s not keen on using it (not least because it’s outlawed), but when his niece is abducted and taken to the dark depths of the Pit, he may just be forced to unleash his power...
The Shattered Pillars is the second book of Bear’s The Eternal Sky trilogy and the sequel to Range of Ghosts. Set in a world drawn from our own great Asian Steppes, this saga of magic, politics and war sets Re-Temur, the exiled heir to the great Khagan and his friend Sarmarkar, a Wizard of Tsarepheth, against dark forces determined to conquer all the great Empires along the Celedon Road.
Elizabeth Bear is an astonishing writer, whose prose draws you into strange and wonderful worlds, and makes you care deeply about the people and the stories she tells. The world of The Eternal Sky is broadly and deeply created—her award-nominated novella, "Bone and Jewel Creatures" is also set there.
For the first time in his career, Terry will be publishing a book every six months from the start to end of this series: here is the second in a brand-new trilogy, following The Wards of Faerie, in the New York Times bestselling Shannara universe!
Long ago, many dangerous creatures were locked behind a magical barrier, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. But now those barriers are eroding, and generations of embittered prisoners are about to escape. War seems inevitable...unless a few brave souls can stem the tide. While some venture into the forbidden lands, others must undertake a perilous quest-a quest whose success will mean the death of a young girl who has barely even begun to live, but whose failure will have unimaginable consequences. From riveting start to cliffhanger ending, this is an epic for the ages!
Imagine an Age of Exploration full of alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the alluring Western Ocean. Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And he has a ship.
Pierre Pevel has written a fantasy Dumas novel, and now he's bringing all the skills of a historical fantasy writer to an epic stage. In the wake of Martin and Gemmell, his new project charts a dynastic power struggle between three brothers. When the King dies his will, to everyone's surprise, leaves the throne to the second of his three sons. It's a surprising choice, and a worrying one as it coincides with a prophecy: that the succession will lead to war, chaos and the undoing of the entire nation. It's something his eldest son can't allow to happen ...so he challenges his brother's right to rule - as does the youngest son, with the full support of the Church behind him. But while the prophecy itself is clear, it's not so clear which prince it's referring to. Lorn knows which side he's on: his King chose a sucessor, and Lorn is going to fight to the last to place him on the throne. Honouring that last wish is the right thing to do; Lorn is also fighting for his best friend and the man he believes should be king. But belief is one thing, victory in politics and war is another and the odds are against them. Worse: with every passing day the prophecies grow darker, and a land already torn by civil war is easy pickings for an invasion ...
Find the dead a King, save himself, win the love of his life, live happily ever after. No wonder Marius dos Helles is bored. But now something has stopped the dead from, well, dying.
It’s up to Marius, Gerd, and Gerd’s not-dead-enough Granny to journey across the continent and put the dead back in the afterlife where they belong.
In his critically acclaimed novel Under Heaven, Guy Gavriel Kay told a vivid and powerful story inspired by China’s Tang Dynasty. Now, the international bestselling and multiple award-winning author revisits that invented setting four centuries later with an epic of prideful emperors, battling courtiers, bandits and soldiers, nomadic invasions, and a woman battling in her own way, to find a new place for women in the world – a world inspired this time by the glittering, decadent Song Dynasty.
Ren Daiyan was still just a boy when he took the lives of seven men while guarding an imperial magistrate of Kitai. That moment on a lonely road changed his life—in entirely unexpected ways, sending him into the forests of Kitai among the outlaws. From there he emerges years later—and his life changes again, dramatically, as he circles towards the court and emperor, while war approaches Kitai from the north.
Lin Shan is the daughter of a scholar, his beloved only child. Educated by him in ways young women never are, gifted as a songwriter and calligrapher, she finds herself living a life suspended between two worlds. Her intelligence captivates an emperor—and alienates women at the court. But when her father’s life is endangered by the savage politics of the day, Shan must act in ways no woman ever has.
In an empire divided by bitter factions circling an exquisitely cultured emperor who loves his gardens and his art far more than the burdens of governing, dramatic events on the northern steppe alter the balance of power in the world, leading to events no one could have foretold, under the river of stars.
The dragons' survival hangs in the balance in the thrilling final volume in the acclaimed River Wilds chronicles fantasy series.
The dragons and their dedicated band of keepers have at ast found the lost city of Kelsingra. The magical creatures have learned to use their wings and are growing into their regal inheritance. Their humans, too, are changing. As the mystical bonds with their dragons deepen, Thymara, Tats, Rapskal, and even Cedric, the unlikeliest of keepers, have begun transforming into beautiful Elderlings raked with exquisite features that complement and reflect the dragons they serve.
But while the humans have scoured the empty streets and enormous buildings of Kelsongra, they cannot find the mythical silver wells the dragons need to stay health and survive. With enemies encroaching, the keepers must risk "memory walking"- immersing themselves in the dangerously addictive memories of long-deceased Elderlings - to uncover clues necessary to their survival.
And time is of the essence, for the legendary Tintaglia, long feared dead, has returned, wounded in a battle with humans hunting dragon blood and scales. She is weakening and only the hidden silver can revive her. If Tintaglia dies, so, too, will the ancient memories she carries - a devastating loss that will ensure the dragons' extinction.
Welcome to Steelhaven...Under the reign of King Cael the Uniter, this vast cityport on the southern coast has for years been a symbol of strength, maintaining an uneasy peace throughout the Free States. But now a long shadow hangs over the city, in the form of the dread Elharim warlord, Amon Tugha. When his herald infiltrates the city, looking to exploit its dangerous criminal underworld, and a terrible dark magick that has long been buried once again begins to rise, it could be the beginning of the end.***
Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and greedy scrambling for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces. Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.
Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should...
An omnibus containing two novellas: "The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic" and "The Choir of Knives"
These two novellas tell the story of how Locke, Jean and the other gentleman bastards acquired the Austershalin brandy that played such a key role in the con at the center of THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA and how they managed to avoid being killed by the elite assassins known as the Choir of Knives. These two novellas will fill in the backstory of the Bastards and allow fans to revisit the pleasures of the banter and antics of Calo, Galdo and Bug as well discover how Locke and Jean forged their gang.
The great war cannot be stopped.
The tyrant Geder Palliako begins a conquest aimed at bringing peace to the world, though his resources are stretched too thin. When things go poorly, he finds a convenient target among the thirteen races and sparks a genocide.
Clara Kalliam, freed by having fallen from grace, remakes herself as a "loyal traitor" and starts building an underground resistance movement that seeks to undermine Geder through those closest to him.
Cithrin bel Sarcour is apprenticing in a city that's taken over by Antea, and uses her status as Geder's one-time lover to cover up an underground railroad smuggling refugees to safety.And Marcus Wester and Master Kit race against time and Geder Palliako's soldiers in an attempt to awaken a force that could change the fate of the world.
Discover the fate of the original black Magician, Pug, as prophecy becomes truth in the last book of the Riftwar Cycle.***
I have been Truesword to my friends, Griefbringer to my enemies. To most of you I am just another Northlander bastard here to take your women and drink your mead, but to those who know me, my name is Gallow. I fought for my king for seven long years. I have served lords and held my shield beside common men. I have fled in defeat and I have tasted victory and I will tell you which is sweeter. Despise me then, for I have slain more of your kin than I can count, though I remember every single face. For my king I will travel to the end of the world. I will find the fabled Crimson Shield so that his legions may carry it to battle, and when Sword and Shield must finally clash, there you will find me. I will not make pacts with devils or bargains with demons for I do not believe in such things, and yet I will see them all around me, in men and in their deeds. Remember me then, for I will not suffer such monsters to live. Even if they are the ones I serve.
Geralt was always going to stand out, with his white hair and piercing eyes, his cynicism and lack of respect for authority...but he is far more than just a striking-looking man. He's a witcher; his sorcerous powers, enhanced by elixirs and long training, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer; his targets are the vile fiends and demons that ravage the land. But first appearances can often be deceptive; not everything monstrous-looking is a monster...and even the fairest can have a bite!
Egil and Nix have retired, as they always said they would. No, really – they have! No more sword and hammer-play for them!
But when two recent acquaintances come calling for help, our hapless heroes find themselves up against the might of the entire Thieves Guild.
And when kidnapping the leader of the most powerful guild in the land seems like the best course of action, you know you’re in over your head…
With the destruction of their main power source, the towering vertical city of Mahala is in crisis.Downsiders are verging on a riot, and the mage Rojan Dizon is just trying to keep his head down and some power back to the city --- whilst staying hopeful that he won't get executed for using his magic. Then things go from bad to worse when a Downsider and emerging mage is found murdered. It's a crime that divides all sides, and the result is mayhem.
But Rojan's worst nightmare is just around the corner. When he discovers the killer's identity, he's either going to be responsible for all-out anarchy, or for a war with Mahala's neighboring countries that no one is prepared for.
And there's nothing Rojan hates more than being responsible.
The desert of Gimrael is aflame with violence, and in the far north an ancient hatred is about to spill over into the renewal of a war that a thousand years ago, forged an Empire. This time, it may shatter one.
Wrestling with his failing grip on the power of the Song, and still trying to come to terms with the horrifying events he witnessed in El Maqqam, Gair returns to the mainland with only one thing on his mind: vengeance. It may cost him his life, but when everything that he had to live for is being stripped away from him, that may be a fair price to pay.Old friends and old foes converge in a battle of wills to stem the tide of the Nimrothi clans as they charge south to reclaim the lands lost in the Founding Wars. If they succeed, the rest of the Empire may be their next target. And with the Wild Hunt at their head, the over-stretched Imperial Army may not be enough to stop them.
TWO MEN WHO HATE EACH OTHER. ONE IMPOSSIBLE MISSION. A LEGEND IN THE MAKING.
A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadias can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.
The Crown Tower is the first book in a new series, The Riyria Chronicles, based on characters from The Riyria Revelations. Unlike the previous series, which was a carefully choreographed interconnected series of books, the Chronicles are designed to be stand-alone stories that can be read independent of each other or the prior novels.
To reach the throne requires that a man journey. Even a path paved with good intentions can lead to hell, and my intentions were never good.
The Hundred converge for Congression to politic upon the corpse of Empire, and while they talk the Dead King makes his move, and I make mine. The world is cracked, time has run through, leaving us clutching at the end days, the future so bright that those wh...o see it are the first to burn. These are the days that have waited for us all our lives. These are my days. I will stand before the Hundred and they will listen. I will take the throne whoever seeks to thwart me, living or dead, and if I must be the last emperor then I will make of it such an ending.
This is where the wise man turns away. This is where the holy kneel and call on God. These are the last miles, my brothers. Don't look to me to save you. Don't think I will not spend you. Run if you have the wit. Pray if you have the soul. Stand your ground if courage is yours. But don't follow me.
Follow me, and I will break your heart.
The tale of the early days of Morlock Ambrosius continues! Vocates Aloe Oaij and Morlock Ambrosius go into the Unguarded Lands, on a mission to find the reasons for the godslaying, and to avert any threat to the lands the Graith of Guardians has sworn to protect.
There are no heroes.
Every single person who manifested powers—we call them Epics—turned out to be evil.Here, in the city once known as Chicago, an extraordinarily powerful Epic declared himself Emperor. Steelheart has the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. He is invincible.
It has been ten years. We live our lives as best we can. Nobody fights back . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans who spend their lives studying powerful Epics, finding their weaknesses, then assassinating them.
My name is David Charleston. I’m not one of the Reckoners, but I intend to join them. I have something they need. Something precious, something incredible. Not an object, but an experience. I know his secret.
I’ve seen Steelheart bleed.
Having pulled off the greatest heist of their career, Locke and his trusted partner in thievery, Jean, have escaped with a tidy fortune. But Locke's body is paying the price. Poisoned by an enemy from his past, he is slowly dying. And no physiker or alchemist can help him. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmagi offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him - or finish him off once and for all.
Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body - though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean's imploring - and the Bondsmagi's mention of a woman from Locke's past . . . Sabetha. The love of his life. His equal in skill and wit. And now his greatest rival.
Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow-orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha - or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.
A DEAR FRIEND IS BRUTALLY BEATEN. TWO THIEVES WANT ANSWERS. RIYRIA IS BORN.
***One year earlier, two thieves were saved from certain death by the compassion of a stranger. Unable to forget the woman who saved their lives, Royce and Hadrian now return to Gwen DeLancy and are shocked when she refuses to speak to them. Baffled, the two thieves discover Gwen has been brutally beaten by a powerful noble—beaten so badly she can’t face them. But Gwen doesn’t know about Royce’s past, doesn’t understand how much he cares for her, and doesn’t realize what he is capable of—but she’s about to find out.
Altapasaeda, capital of the Castoval, is about to be besieged by its own king - and where else would luckless, somewhat reformed thief Easie Damasco be but trapped within the city's walls? Faced with a war they can't win and a populace too busy fighting amongst itself to even try, the Castovalian defenders are left with one desperate option. Far in the northern lands of Shoan, rebels have set up the young prince Malekrin as a figurehead in their own quest to throw off the king's tyrannical rule. One way or another, the prince must be persuaded to join forces.
Once again, all hope lies with Damasco and his sticky-fingered approach to problem solving, along with his long suffering partner, the gentle giant Saltlick. But this time it's a human being that needs stealing, with his own desires and opinions, and events only grow more complicated as Damasco realises that he and the rebellious young prince have more in common that either would admit.
“I am Lucan Drakenfeld, second son of Calludian, Officer of the Sun Chamber and peace keeper. Although sometimes it seems I am the only person who wishes to keep it …”
The monarchies of the Royal Vispasian Union have been bound together for two hundred years with treaties and laws maintained and enforced by the powerful Sun Chamber. As a result, a long harmony has existed, nations have flourished, and civil wars are a thing of the past. But corruption, deprivation and murder will always find a way to thrive…
Upon receiving news of his father’s death and recalled to his home city of Tryum, Drakenfeld is soon embroiled in a mystifying case. King Licintius’ sister, Lacanta, has been found brutally murdered during a night of festivities – her beaten and bloody body discovered in a locked temple. Despite hundreds of revellers, no one saw anything. With rumours of dark spirits and political assassination, Drakenfeld soon has his work cut out for him trying to separate superstition from certainty.
With his assistant, Leana, he embarks on the biggest and most complex investigation of his career, revisiting the ancient streets of his past, tracking down leads, interviewing suspects and making new enemies in his search for the truth.
His determination to find the killer soon makes him a target, as the underworld of Tryum focuses on this new threat to their power…
A collection of short stories, set in the world of the Twilight Reign series.
Eleven stories that add further colour and shape to the epic story of the Twilight Reign series - this is an essential volume for Tom Lloyd's many fans.
The history of the Land may remember the slaughter at Moorview or the horror of Scree's fall, but there were other casualties of the secret war against Azaer - more tales surrounding those bloody years that went unrecorded. In the shadow of memorials to the glorious dead, these ghosts lie quiet and forgotten by all but a few.
A companion collection to the Twilight Reign quintet, these 11 stories shine a rather different light on the Land. Look past the armies and politics of the Seven Tribes and you will find smaller moments that shaped the course of history in their own way. But even forgotten secrets can kill. Even shadows can have claws.
It’s been three months since Drothe killed a legend, burned down a portion of the imperial capital, and unexpectedly elevated himself into the ranks of the criminal elite. Now, as the newest Gray Prince in the underworld, he’s learning just how good he used to have it.With barely the beginnings of an organization to his name, Drothe is already being called out by other Gray Princes. And to make matters worse, when one dies, all signs point to Drothe as wielding the knife. As members of the Kin begin choosing sides – mostly against him – for what looks to be another impending war, Drothe is approached by a man who not only has the solution to Drothe’s most pressing problem, but an offer of redemption. The only problem is the offer isn’t for him.Now Drothe finds himself on the way to the Despotate of Djan, the empire’s long-standing enemy, with an offer to make and a price on his head. And the grains of sand in the hour glass are running out, fast . . .
The narrative is simply a paradise of introspection for the reader in search of a breakdown of human behaviour in circumstances where a psychopath in search of equilibrium finds out that the only way to survive is to charge. These bursts of action can even be pretty cool but the reasons behind it could be disturbing for some. Jorg explains his point of view about everything. Moreover, the epigraphs at the end of the chapters about Red Jorg's brothers are still present and they add to the peculiar lore of the characters surrounding the man. The only element lessening that exploration is the realization that others influence the king of thorns' mind.
I felt more comfortable the second time around with the author's world. The wonder and feeling of surprise when discovering the nature of the broken empire has faded by now but there are still enough curiosities to keep a reader's appetite more than satisfied. If there were some reproach I could address to the author, it would be with the easy way out of an impossible situation where magic is involved.
So, if you liked the first book and ask yourself if Jorg still delivers, the answer would simply be "Hell yes!". If you couldn't stand Jorg... well he's still Jorg...
To quote myself: "The Black Prism is a fast paced epic adventure concentrated around its magic system with a bunch of entertaining characters.". With this in mind, I started reading The Blinding Knife and I was glad at first when I realized that the magic system, original and slightly overwhelming as it is, is now out of the way, firmly installed. To my surprise however, I found out that it's developed even further and integrated into the story with much more skill than in The Black Prism. Weeks' world feels even more real this time around, the cohesion between the historical, magical, political and narrative elements being achieved seamlessly, all in symbiosis with the 'chromaturgic' lore.
The Lightbringer series is clearly for the fans of classic Epic Fantasy with big empires, prophecy, heroes and villains and a good deal of prowess. However, even if Weeks is playing with subjects like fatherhood, love, power, brotherhoods and war, he's also able to dig deeper into these issues through his characters. The book may look at first for all the family, without much grittiness in the prose, meaning that it's written for everyone but with adult subject matter more often than not, demonstrating some candor, deep reflection and perceptivity from the author. The storyline was meticulously planned out.
[...]
As you can see, I would recommend this book to everyone who read the first opus. Be it that you were a bit disappointed by it or simply loved it, in this case, second time's the charm.
At some point, the name of the book was The Dark Commands and eventually Morgan optimistically announced that he found a way to switch it back to Cold. When you read the novel, you'll understand the implications and I think he made the right choice. The reference is toward the Dark Court. Their motivations in the first book were shrouded in mystery and it's not totally clear after two books what their ultimate goal really is or why they are meddling with the Dwenda's return and Ringil's "development". By the way, I think he should have more inkling by now that his path is being guided.
So, are we reading a story were the world will be saved by an unlikely redeemer or the creation of a new sinister overlord or unconscious deliverer? I may repeat myself but having to ponder this even after two books is what makes this great. More so since it's through the characters themselves that this interrogation occurs. When I started reading the book, I had some difficulties remembering the story of Steel Remains. In a comment concerning that topic on Twitter, Justin of Staffer's Musing mentioned that it could be because the characters were strong and overrode the plot. I think he was spot on and that it shows again in Cold Commands.
In conclusion, I really feel that Morgan's writing transpire intelligence. He uses a peculiar way at times to render his dialogue but I felt that there was serious thinking behind all that is being said or thought of by the characters and where he wants them to be. The second time around, I think that he didn't try to disturb, shock or write a revolutionary work of Fantasy and it created a better novel.
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Among the aspects I preferred in Scourge are the battle descriptions but mostly the performances or progresses of them. Brayard, the Syldoon Captain is skilled but he's not killing everybody with a well-placed stroke coming of nowhere. His enemies are usually well armored so he has to use much cunning, perseverance and techniques to finally get 'through' them, and then, harm also finds its way to him. It's read as a savage choreography seen almost in slow motion where every move is described and interpreted.
Mr. Salyard's writing is straightforward. Some of his characters have a peculiar way of speaking and his turns of phrase are somewhat 'singular'. There are only a couple of chapters divisions and everything and I mean everything is detailed, a chronicle of every moments of the span of time covered in Scourge. From the first encounter of Captain Killcoin and Arkamondos to their nights at the inn, from the road to the city Alespell to the machinations undertaken by the Syldoon in the city, there's only a dozen days or so going by and we are witness to all of it. That's an intriguing way to tell a tale. However, it creates some really great moments, full of expectancy.
Taking all of this into consideration, you get a story recounted by an honest, untested and original narrator who makes it more than real. The atmosphere is vivid, murky but enveloping. I could easily imagine myself standing side by side with Arki. I'm not even sure the word imagine is the right one, I could feel the scenes. Great work!
As you have supposed by now, the tale recounted in Throne of the Crescent Moon is taking place in a mid-eastern setting. It's not a fanciful and unearthly world infused with elements of that particular culture but an imaginative world digging its roots deep into the lore of the Middle East. From the names to the buildings depictions; from the food description to the preternatural beings inhabiting it, the world building connects together smoothly to create a great tapestry clearly reminiscent of these so called Thousand and One Nights, a fantastically brilliant execution of it.
[...]
Throne of the Crescent Moon is a book in three parts. The first is a quick rise of action where multiple compelling (and sometimes marginally annoying) characters are presented through some deeds and conversations while they present their nature. The second act is where the events resolve for a time, an aftermath shedding some lights on the life of the protagonists in the city. That part has intriguing moments, the investigation itself, but I also sensed some laxism with the characters relationship development. Hopefully, the third act brings the pace back to its former speed and the resolution is gratifying.
[...]
There you have it. You may have the same reflex that I had when I saw this book coming out: "oh well, another Arabian Nights inspired sword and sorcery in a short time 'a la' The Emperor's Knife or The Desert of Souls". Not quite. It's a fast and satisfyingly enjoyable read and you shouldn't miss it. I tell you, go pick it up now!
What I realize while writing this review is that there are so much things I would wish to talk about. It's the kind of book that becomes so fun to speculate and share thoughts about. The last series I read that created that feeling in me is Erickson's Malazan book of the fallen, which is more varied in almost all of the elements mentioned before. There is a score of interesting and entertaining Fantasy books out there, but there's only so much that can bring this kind of analytic playground.
'Storywise' and in accordance with the Judging eye, there's still not much new stuff about the Consult and No-God. They remain as mirages on the horizon with brief reality check. However, their war peons are another idea. The Sranc ride the coattail of the army or run in front of it like a school of fish or a flock of birds. They are doing their part of the greater scheme of the almost unseen Consult/No-God but mostly act as bait. With Kellhus power being overwhelming, numbers becomes the answer for them.
Then, there's the climax or conclusion for at least one important part of the tale. I won't spoil and I'll simply summarize by saying that the point of view switches that bring to life an epic battle scene mixed up with a confrontation of timeless entities is simply brilliant. I hope that with this review you'll be able to judge if this novel is for you. I, for one, think that's it more than worthy of far greater attention.
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