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Ancient Blades #3
Honour Among Thieves
Enter a world of darkness and danger, honour, daring and destiny in David Chandler’s magnificent epic trilogy: The Ancient Blades.
One thief against the world…
When allies become enemies, to whom can a clever thief turn?
Armed with one of seven swords forged at the dawn of time, Malden was chosen by Fate to act as saviour…and failed dismally. Deceived by the trickery of his one-time ally, Mörget, the young thief employed his newfound might to help destroy the naturally barrier protecting the kingdom of Skrae – and now there will be no stopping Mörget’s barbarian hordes from pillaging the land. Suddenly friends and former supporters alike covet the young hero’s magic while seeking his destruction – from the treacherous King and leaders of the City of Ness to the rogue knight Cloy, who owes Malden his life.
It will take more than Malden’s makeshift army of harlots and cutpurses to preserve a realm. Luckily the sorceress Cythera fights at his side, along with the ingenious, irascible dwarf Slag. And the wily thief still has a desperate and daring plan or two up his larcenous sleeve…
One thief against the world…
When allies become enemies, to whom can a clever thief turn?
Armed with one of seven swords forged at the dawn of time, Malden was chosen by Fate to act as saviour…and failed dismally. Deceived by the trickery of his one-time ally, Mörget, the young thief employed his newfound might to help destroy the naturally barrier protecting the kingdom of Skrae – and now there will be no stopping Mörget’s barbarian hordes from pillaging the land. Suddenly friends and former supporters alike covet the young hero’s magic while seeking his destruction – from the treacherous King and leaders of the City of Ness to the rogue knight Cloy, who owes Malden his life.
It will take more than Malden’s makeshift army of harlots and cutpurses to preserve a realm. Luckily the sorceress Cythera fights at his side, along with the ingenious, irascible dwarf Slag. And the wily thief still has a desperate and daring plan or two up his larcenous sleeve…
518 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2011
19 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
David Chandler
5 books61 followersDavid Chandler was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1971. He attended Penn State and received an MFA in Creative Writing.
In his alter ego as David Wellington, he writes critically acclaimed and popular horror novels and was one of the co-authors of the New York Times bestseller Marvel Zombies Return. The Ancient Blades trilogy is his first foray into fantasy. He says he wrote the books “to appease my inner thirteen year old, the kid who grew up in the 80s reading the best of fantasy and science fiction. The kid who never stopped loving those books. The kid who longed to escape into a world of adventure and excitement, to get away, if just for a while, from his boring suburb and wander through worlds that could never be.”
For more information on his horror novels, see David Wellington.
In his alter ego as David Wellington, he writes critically acclaimed and popular horror novels and was one of the co-authors of the New York Times bestseller Marvel Zombies Return. The Ancient Blades trilogy is his first foray into fantasy. He says he wrote the books “to appease my inner thirteen year old, the kid who grew up in the 80s reading the best of fantasy and science fiction. The kid who never stopped loving those books. The kid who longed to escape into a world of adventure and excitement, to get away, if just for a while, from his boring suburb and wander through worlds that could never be.”
For more information on his horror novels, see David Wellington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 21, 2011
Honor Among Thieves by David Chandler did not have a happy ending. It shouldn't have. It had the absolutely correct ending. I sat stunned for several minutes after I finished, just gathering myself. Ness was a little more real to me than my own kitchen. Or wherever-the-hell-I-was when I finished. I was emotionally scraped raw by that point. I didn't want to leave, but it was time for the book to end, for me to leave Ness, and well, anything else would be spoilers.
There is no honor among thieves. That's what people say. That's why that phrase has become such a truism, because such honor does not exist. Except that occasionally it does. There is another cliché that may apply here, the one about the exception proving the rule.
Honor Among Thieves is the final book in the Ancient Blades trilogy. In the first book, Den of Thieves, our thief and hero, Malden, snuck into the Free City of Ness like, well, like a thief in the night. In the second book, appropriately titled A Thief in the Night, Malden and his companions, the Knight-Errant Sir Croy, the witch Cythera, the dwarf Slag and the Barbarian Mörget, investigated the demon-lair under the mountains that protected the country of Skrae from the barbarians of the East. Unfortunately, in order to defeat the demon, they blew up the mountain. The whole mountain. Leaving civilized Skrae, including Malden's home city, ripe for a good old barbarian scourging.
The companions believe that Mörget was trapped and killed in the explosion. He's actually leading the barbarian horde. Sir Croy is serving the crown, because that's what Knights always do, whether they think the crown is stupid or crazy or ill-advised or whatever. That leaves Malden and Cythera.
The thief and the witch return to Ness to discover that the rats have deserted the sinking ship. The rich have all left the city. The reasonably well-off or reasonably healthy and idealistic form an "Army of Free Men" under the Burgess, the leading noble. And that leaves the dregs of society. The only healthy people left are the thieves and the prostitutes. Malden's people. And Cutbill, the head of the underground but extremely influential Thieves' Guild has left town and left it all to Malden. As presents go, Malden would rather find the Nessian equivalent of coal in his stocking. He doesn't want to be in charge. But he knows he has to be.
And when it comes to the choice between saving their city or letting the barbarians run them over and kill them, the supposed dregs of society will band together, and there is honor to be found among thieves.
Escape Rating A: If you love sword and sorcery fantasy, run, don't walk, to get yourself a copy of Den of Thieves and start reading the Ancient Blades. This is a series where you need to read the whole thing, and you won't be sorry you did. This is new-school type sword and sorcery, so the gods don't intervene the way they used to in Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser's day. These gods are made in the images of men. I think that just makes their worship more powerful, but also much darker. There are no good choices here, just shades of grey. Anyone who likes Steven Brust's Jhereg series but wishes it had an actual ending will love Ancient Blades. I know I did.
There is no honor among thieves. That's what people say. That's why that phrase has become such a truism, because such honor does not exist. Except that occasionally it does. There is another cliché that may apply here, the one about the exception proving the rule.
Honor Among Thieves is the final book in the Ancient Blades trilogy. In the first book, Den of Thieves, our thief and hero, Malden, snuck into the Free City of Ness like, well, like a thief in the night. In the second book, appropriately titled A Thief in the Night, Malden and his companions, the Knight-Errant Sir Croy, the witch Cythera, the dwarf Slag and the Barbarian Mörget, investigated the demon-lair under the mountains that protected the country of Skrae from the barbarians of the East. Unfortunately, in order to defeat the demon, they blew up the mountain. The whole mountain. Leaving civilized Skrae, including Malden's home city, ripe for a good old barbarian scourging.
The companions believe that Mörget was trapped and killed in the explosion. He's actually leading the barbarian horde. Sir Croy is serving the crown, because that's what Knights always do, whether they think the crown is stupid or crazy or ill-advised or whatever. That leaves Malden and Cythera.
The thief and the witch return to Ness to discover that the rats have deserted the sinking ship. The rich have all left the city. The reasonably well-off or reasonably healthy and idealistic form an "Army of Free Men" under the Burgess, the leading noble. And that leaves the dregs of society. The only healthy people left are the thieves and the prostitutes. Malden's people. And Cutbill, the head of the underground but extremely influential Thieves' Guild has left town and left it all to Malden. As presents go, Malden would rather find the Nessian equivalent of coal in his stocking. He doesn't want to be in charge. But he knows he has to be.
And when it comes to the choice between saving their city or letting the barbarians run them over and kill them, the supposed dregs of society will band together, and there is honor to be found among thieves.
Escape Rating A: If you love sword and sorcery fantasy, run, don't walk, to get yourself a copy of Den of Thieves and start reading the Ancient Blades. This is a series where you need to read the whole thing, and you won't be sorry you did. This is new-school type sword and sorcery, so the gods don't intervene the way they used to in Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser's day. These gods are made in the images of men. I think that just makes their worship more powerful, but also much darker. There are no good choices here, just shades of grey. Anyone who likes Steven Brust's Jhereg series but wishes it had an actual ending will love Ancient Blades. I know I did.
August 24, 2013
This book, while engaging for the most part with interesting plot points, does not live up to the first two books. The ending was a horrid mess, leaving almost nothing solved, no closure on the events which happened... it was just a sloppy hastily put together ending.
If there was a forthcoming book making this trilogy into a quartet, then it would be okay to have so many plot holes in this one as it can all be solved in the 4th.
But as it stands, this trilogy is one book too little with too many things left open.
If there was a forthcoming book making this trilogy into a quartet, then it would be okay to have so many plot holes in this one as it can all be solved in the 4th.
But as it stands, this trilogy is one book too little with too many things left open.
November 30, 2013
This is a fun series and a quick read, but not without flaws.
Malden is a great character - a lot of fun to read, well developed, and easy to root for. All three of the books are page turners, and that's a good thing in this genre. I love Malazan (in my opinion, the most complex fantasy ever written), but it's also nice to read some straightforward stories once in a while that don't have two dozen over-arcing plot lines. The supporting cast is also well developed, and overall it's a solid story... Other than the ending.
Some spoilers below..
The ending is.. Well, it's somewhat non-existant. As others have said, it feels like this series is a book short. What happened to Morget? What happened to his sister? What about the other barbarian horde that split off?
Not only that, but after 3 books of the (imo, unnecessary) "love triangle" between Croy, Malden and Cythera, nothing really comes of it. Croy finds out and is mad at Malden in the end scene. That's it? Why devote so many pages to this plot tidbit without giving it any sort of closure whatsoever?
I really wanted to 4-star this book, but I'm giving it three because I did enjoy it - though it really, really feels like the author mailed it in for the ending. I'm not sure if there was a publishing deadline or if Chandler just stopped caring about his series a chapter before it was finished, but this "ending" didn't work. I'm all for letting the reader use his/her imagination when leaving some threads hanging, but in the case of this story it's almost every single thread.
We don't know what happened to the main antagonist, other than he was stabbed in the eye. Nothing happens between Croy and Malden other than the fact that Croy is angry. We don't know what happened to Ness, because Malden jumped out a window. We don't know what happened to Cutbill, or Cythera, or Slag, or.. Well, anyone.
Still a fun series to read, but a serious fumble at the end.
Malden is a great character - a lot of fun to read, well developed, and easy to root for. All three of the books are page turners, and that's a good thing in this genre. I love Malazan (in my opinion, the most complex fantasy ever written), but it's also nice to read some straightforward stories once in a while that don't have two dozen over-arcing plot lines. The supporting cast is also well developed, and overall it's a solid story... Other than the ending.
Some spoilers below..
The ending is.. Well, it's somewhat non-existant. As others have said, it feels like this series is a book short. What happened to Morget? What happened to his sister? What about the other barbarian horde that split off?
Not only that, but after 3 books of the (imo, unnecessary) "love triangle" between Croy, Malden and Cythera, nothing really comes of it. Croy finds out and is mad at Malden in the end scene. That's it? Why devote so many pages to this plot tidbit without giving it any sort of closure whatsoever?
I really wanted to 4-star this book, but I'm giving it three because I did enjoy it - though it really, really feels like the author mailed it in for the ending. I'm not sure if there was a publishing deadline or if Chandler just stopped caring about his series a chapter before it was finished, but this "ending" didn't work. I'm all for letting the reader use his/her imagination when leaving some threads hanging, but in the case of this story it's almost every single thread.
We don't know what happened to the main antagonist, other than he was stabbed in the eye. Nothing happens between Croy and Malden other than the fact that Croy is angry. We don't know what happened to Ness, because Malden jumped out a window. We don't know what happened to Cutbill, or Cythera, or Slag, or.. Well, anyone.
Still a fun series to read, but a serious fumble at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2017
I was so disappointed by this 3rd installment in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first one as it was a super neat story in the world of rogues that called to my D&D heart. The 2nd book was a bit too dispersed with the party separating and then having a few stories from different perspectives. Now the 3rd one was actually sort of hard to read through. It was too meta for me. I understand the need to push the character development and there were some clever spots but it veered from what had gotten me hooked at the beginning. I thought that I'd be sad when the series would be over but I'm actually glad... which is sad in and of itself.
April 23, 2018
I skimmed this book pretty hard Bc I was losing interest fast. The only part I enjoyed was Maldens exit at the end and Cutbill
March 22, 2021
Loved it
A very fun read. The writer has a way of topping how wrong things can go which makes it more excited when there over come.
A very fun read. The writer has a way of topping how wrong things can go which makes it more excited when there over come.
May 7, 2023
Great conclusion to the series.
January 4, 2017
At the end of book two, we were left with two major unfinished business: on the one hand, a whole mountain has collapsed, and in doing so, it has opened up a pass nearly a mile wide for a bloodthirsty army to cross into the kingdom of Scrae. On the other hand, a race that everyone thought had been killed to extinction resulted to be alive and returning to the world of the living, and along with them the knowledge that the basis of Scrae culture, even religion, could be shaky at best.
The potential offered by the exploration of the second option was vast, I’m sure you’ll agree: how do the elves fit into a world that has hated their forgotten race for generations? How would the humans react if they learned that their righteousness was unjustified? If they learned that their precious, precious Lady was an elf they deified in a perfect example of idolatry? How would the dwarves face their treacherous past? Would the races find a way to make amends and move forward, or will it be war and genocide?
The first option offered a suitably epic campaign, tons of action, and a chance for the people of Scrae to be the good guys without confronting their past, so... Yeah. The novel pretty much goes with the first option and forgets all about the elves, except for a paragraph at the beginning where it’s explained that they have moved to a forest and are living there quite happily.
That’s what makes Honor Among Thieves a great read, a thrilling epic fantasy, but just not the groundbreaking piece of work it could have been.
All that said, though, I enjoyed the book and found it quite up to par with genre expectations. There’s plenty of action, a lot of feats, and the plot, whose details wont spoil than I already have, builds up nicely towards certain doom. I have to wonder, though, if this is the last book in the series because while doom is dealt with in a suitable way, there’s still room for more, and the ending was perfect to lead into a sequel.
Character-wise, Malden is still a charming rogue who tends to bite more than he can chew. He still gets turned into a hero in spite of his best efforts, but in the end he manages do to what sits right with himself. The most enjoyable character by far, you’d be amazed at the way he escapes trouble by the seat of his pants and still saves the day.
Sir Croy is still a knight in shining armor, through and through. We see his most military side, and I’m thinking that it should have been grimmer, or more determined, or something... The truth is that the author did everything right, but I just couldn’t like the character. He didn’t have that bite to him that makes them memorable. The fact that I didn’t like how or where he ended up, socially speaking, by the end of the novel didn’t help. Granted, though, I got my wish and saw his face when he learned that his betrothed had been cuckolding him with Malden. From what I had seen of him, I expected the betrayal to devastate him, but instead it gave him a nice extra rush that allowed him to improve his fighting. Okay, believable.
The way said treacherous betrothed finds a middle ground, and all hearts end up broken instead of just one, wasn’t that believable. Or rather, it was, but I’d have preferred to have more of a build-up. Let me explain: through the books, we see an appearance of magical abilities in her. First book, she can absorb curses. Second one, can absorb, hold, and redirect them. Third one, she can do magic. I’d have loved a bit of transition between those three states. And because the magic was the middle road, well, I wasn’t too happy, I guess.
But that’s just me and my need for complex relationships. As I stated, Honor Among Thieves is great as an old school epic fantasy, and if you like the genre, you’ll like this one.
The potential offered by the exploration of the second option was vast, I’m sure you’ll agree: how do the elves fit into a world that has hated their forgotten race for generations? How would the humans react if they learned that their righteousness was unjustified? If they learned that their precious, precious Lady was an elf they deified in a perfect example of idolatry? How would the dwarves face their treacherous past? Would the races find a way to make amends and move forward, or will it be war and genocide?
The first option offered a suitably epic campaign, tons of action, and a chance for the people of Scrae to be the good guys without confronting their past, so... Yeah. The novel pretty much goes with the first option and forgets all about the elves, except for a paragraph at the beginning where it’s explained that they have moved to a forest and are living there quite happily.
That’s what makes Honor Among Thieves a great read, a thrilling epic fantasy, but just not the groundbreaking piece of work it could have been.
All that said, though, I enjoyed the book and found it quite up to par with genre expectations. There’s plenty of action, a lot of feats, and the plot, whose details wont spoil than I already have, builds up nicely towards certain doom. I have to wonder, though, if this is the last book in the series because while doom is dealt with in a suitable way, there’s still room for more, and the ending was perfect to lead into a sequel.
Character-wise, Malden is still a charming rogue who tends to bite more than he can chew. He still gets turned into a hero in spite of his best efforts, but in the end he manages do to what sits right with himself. The most enjoyable character by far, you’d be amazed at the way he escapes trouble by the seat of his pants and still saves the day.
Sir Croy is still a knight in shining armor, through and through. We see his most military side, and I’m thinking that it should have been grimmer, or more determined, or something... The truth is that the author did everything right, but I just couldn’t like the character. He didn’t have that bite to him that makes them memorable. The fact that I didn’t like how or where he ended up, socially speaking, by the end of the novel didn’t help. Granted, though, I got my wish and saw his face when he learned that his betrothed had been cuckolding him with Malden. From what I had seen of him, I expected the betrayal to devastate him, but instead it gave him a nice extra rush that allowed him to improve his fighting. Okay, believable.
The way said treacherous betrothed finds a middle ground, and all hearts end up broken instead of just one, wasn’t that believable. Or rather, it was, but I’d have preferred to have more of a build-up. Let me explain: through the books, we see an appearance of magical abilities in her. First book, she can absorb curses. Second one, can absorb, hold, and redirect them. Third one, she can do magic. I’d have loved a bit of transition between those three states. And because the magic was the middle road, well, I wasn’t too happy, I guess.
But that’s just me and my need for complex relationships. As I stated, Honor Among Thieves is great as an old school epic fantasy, and if you like the genre, you’ll like this one.
July 11, 2014
I'll say this for Mr. Chandler, he moves in between genre elements with an enjoyability that I find rathe refreshing.
Like it's two predecessors, this book follows the adventures of Malden the thief as he deals with things way over his head and above his pay-grade. The consequences of the last book have led to war, and in a way it's Malden's fault. Regardless he now has to deal with that fallout, as does Sir Croy, the stalwart Knight and Champion, and Cythera, the proto-witch who is engaged to Croy, but in love with Malden.
As war blossoms and the countryside is torn apart Malden finds himself in a position he never imagined; that of authority, and the once thief suddenly finds shoes on the other foot.
It's this bit that I liked most about the book. Chandler has Malden have to deal with the consequences of leadership and an understanding that few characters in fiction ever really go through. The thief is suddenly forced to be the lawman, and now gets to deal with the all the problems and difficulties that entails, while seeing others view him as he used to view guardsmen and the Burgave.
This story has alot of interesting elements; pay-offs to a degree for a few elements that were developed in the last novel or have been in play throughout the entire series. Another great set of traps which reinforces that 'Dungeons and Dragons' vibe the series has always sort of had for me. If I were to say it has weaknesses it's that it's ending, while almost exactly what I expected, also was unfufilling, like the start of something rather than it's ending. I suppose in a way that's the mark of a good series, but still there wasn't enough resolution for me.
Indeed I would say what hampers this book is it's devotion to the post-Tolkeen trilogy. This thing isn't really a 'trilogy' in the sense Lord of the Rings is. IT's far more like Fafryd and Grey Mouser, or the Conan stories or something simlar. Linear in it's progression, but each story a different tale, with a different focus.
All in all a fun book and if you liked the last two you should like this one.
Like it's two predecessors, this book follows the adventures of Malden the thief as he deals with things way over his head and above his pay-grade. The consequences of the last book have led to war, and in a way it's Malden's fault. Regardless he now has to deal with that fallout, as does Sir Croy, the stalwart Knight and Champion, and Cythera, the proto-witch who is engaged to Croy, but in love with Malden.
As war blossoms and the countryside is torn apart Malden finds himself in a position he never imagined; that of authority, and the once thief suddenly finds shoes on the other foot.
It's this bit that I liked most about the book. Chandler has Malden have to deal with the consequences of leadership and an understanding that few characters in fiction ever really go through. The thief is suddenly forced to be the lawman, and now gets to deal with the all the problems and difficulties that entails, while seeing others view him as he used to view guardsmen and the Burgave.
This story has alot of interesting elements; pay-offs to a degree for a few elements that were developed in the last novel or have been in play throughout the entire series. Another great set of traps which reinforces that 'Dungeons and Dragons' vibe the series has always sort of had for me. If I were to say it has weaknesses it's that it's ending, while almost exactly what I expected, also was unfufilling, like the start of something rather than it's ending. I suppose in a way that's the mark of a good series, but still there wasn't enough resolution for me.
Indeed I would say what hampers this book is it's devotion to the post-Tolkeen trilogy. This thing isn't really a 'trilogy' in the sense Lord of the Rings is. IT's far more like Fafryd and Grey Mouser, or the Conan stories or something simlar. Linear in it's progression, but each story a different tale, with a different focus.
All in all a fun book and if you liked the last two you should like this one.
February 22, 2013
My first clue to what this book would be like should have come from the wildly inaccurate blurb at the back of the book. Not only was the name of one of the main characters of the trilogy spelled wrong (it's Croy not Cloy), whoever wrote the blurb had obviously never read the book.
Malden does have a magic sword, but he barely uses it for anything since he's never been trained. The sword is old yes, about 800 years old, but I'm not sure you'd call that the dawn of time. Also, Malden wasn't the one who destroyed the mountain protecting Skrae from the barbarians, that honour belongs to Morget. Plus Cythera is a witch not a sorceress. The distinction is quite important as part of the story deals with her struggle between these two opposing types of magic...
Put simply this final book of the Ancient Blades trilogy was a great disappointment. I wasn't expecting the book to be the crowning achievement of the fantasy genre but I was expecting something more than this. Finishing this book was a struggle, and I wouldn't recommend anyone put themselves through it. It simply wasn't worth it.
I liked book one, and book two was a fun dungeon crawl, but this one just failed to engage me in any meaningful way.
Malden does have a magic sword, but he barely uses it for anything since he's never been trained. The sword is old yes, about 800 years old, but I'm not sure you'd call that the dawn of time. Also, Malden wasn't the one who destroyed the mountain protecting Skrae from the barbarians, that honour belongs to Morget. Plus Cythera is a witch not a sorceress. The distinction is quite important as part of the story deals with her struggle between these two opposing types of magic...
Put simply this final book of the Ancient Blades trilogy was a great disappointment. I wasn't expecting the book to be the crowning achievement of the fantasy genre but I was expecting something more than this. Finishing this book was a struggle, and I wouldn't recommend anyone put themselves through it. It simply wasn't worth it.
I liked book one, and book two was a fun dungeon crawl, but this one just failed to engage me in any meaningful way.
April 25, 2012
This is the 3rd book in David Chandler's (aka David Wellington's) Ancient Blades trilogy, and the last in this setting. (Maybe??)
The 1st book was a fun quest to steal a crown, and then steal it back again. The 2nd book was a dungeon crawl. The consequences at the end of that book left no doubt that this one was going to be all-out war, and so it is.
The barbarians are on the march, they're murdering *everyone*. Malden, a thief, becomes mayor of the free city of Ness through a comic series of his enemies' miscalculations, and now he has to prevent the barbarians from sacking his city. Also, the cult of the Bloodgod thinks Malden is The Chosen One. Also also, he's banging his best friend's fiance. Also also also, Slag the Dwarf is mixing up a secret brew. It truly is good times for everyone.
If you liked the first 2 books, you'll enjoy this one, if only to see if the characters that survived those books can make it out of this one alive.
The 1st book was a fun quest to steal a crown, and then steal it back again. The 2nd book was a dungeon crawl. The consequences at the end of that book left no doubt that this one was going to be all-out war, and so it is.
The barbarians are on the march, they're murdering *everyone*. Malden, a thief, becomes mayor of the free city of Ness through a comic series of his enemies' miscalculations, and now he has to prevent the barbarians from sacking his city. Also, the cult of the Bloodgod thinks Malden is The Chosen One. Also also, he's banging his best friend's fiance. Also also also, Slag the Dwarf is mixing up a secret brew. It truly is good times for everyone.
If you liked the first 2 books, you'll enjoy this one, if only to see if the characters that survived those books can make it out of this one alive.
July 8, 2012
Alright... What to say...
So many fantasy books take the option of "war". Story telling devolves into war. I'm so sick of endlessly reading about war. WHY!? That's a personal thing of course but there's only so much war I can absorb before it all becomes the same in the end. I enjoyed Malden dealing with the city more than any of the barbarian parts just because it was different.
I would've liked to know more about the elves honestly... and how the people would react to learning about the Lady, especially Sir Croy... But that never happened. It would've been such a better story than more war.
I liked the ending though.
Overall it was a good series, it's easy to read and simple to get into. So I liked it, but it wasn't anything new.
So many fantasy books take the option of "war". Story telling devolves into war. I'm so sick of endlessly reading about war. WHY!? That's a personal thing of course but there's only so much war I can absorb before it all becomes the same in the end. I enjoyed Malden dealing with the city more than any of the barbarian parts just because it was different.
I would've liked to know more about the elves honestly... and how the people would react to learning about the Lady, especially Sir Croy... But that never happened. It would've been such a better story than more war.
I liked the ending though.
Overall it was a good series, it's easy to read and simple to get into. So I liked it, but it wasn't anything new.
May 29, 2016
It was a fine enough story. I mean, I enjoyed it at first. Liked the characters and the things that were happening. But as time went on it got bogged down, and really everybody loses everything. More importantly, by the end I was sort of left wondering, what's the point? After all, the entire thing is called 'The Ancient Blades Trilogy'. But the whole story could have been told without the Ancient Blades- they were always there but never to really any purpose or end. The story could have existed fine without the swords ever making an appearance. As such, I leave the trilogy wondering if I take away anything but disappointment.
September 14, 2014
In this third volume, the entire Kingdom of Skrae has fallen under attack by the barbarians of the east, led by the traitorous Morget (last seen in A Thief in the Night). Sir Croy must take charge of the scattered Ancient Blade order, while Malden returns to the Free City of Ness to try to salvage (i.e., steal) whatever stability and calm (i.e., whatever’s not bolted down) he can. Meanwhile, Cythera is reunited with her mother, the witch Coruth… only to find that her destiny has caught up with her… Don’t miss this culminating chapter of the exciting trilogy! The ending was really well done. It ties back into what Malden wanted from the start of the series. Hope to see more of Malden.
August 7, 2014
Ce tome est le meilleur de la trilogie. On est encore plus plongés dans l'action, les pages se tournent facilement. Les personnages ont bien évolué et ont gagné en réalisme, ce qui est un véritable plus ! La fin est cohérente, presque poétique, même si je l'ai trouvé trop rapide et qu'elle m'a laissée un goût d'inachevé. Bref, une bonne conclusion pour une trilogie de fantasy adulte pleine d'action et fort sympathique, à laquelle il manque un je-ne-sais-quoi pour être au top.
Chronique complète sur : http://imanbooks.blogspot.fr/2014/08/...
Chronique complète sur : http://imanbooks.blogspot.fr/2014/08/...
January 16, 2022
Nun, irgendwie habe ich was anderes erwartet, ich weiß allerdings nicht was. Band 1 war extrem spannend, Band 2 eher irritierend und Band 3 ... ich weiß nicht. Er war zwar wesentlich besser als Band 2, aber hat die Geschichte auf eine Weise zum Abschluss gebracht, bei dem ich am Anfang nicht dachte, dass sie überhaupt dorthin führt. Es fühlt sich nicht einmal wie ein richtiger Abschluss an. Aber egal, einen Abschluss habe ich ja nun, indem ich die Trilogie zumindest endlich fertig gelesen habe ...
January 15, 2016
The book begins with a strong charge, and this pace continues throughout most of it. I will ignore the hastily cobbled-together ending for now, as the books strategies were displayed very well, well enough to allow the reader to enjoy the ride.
It does not end happily, nor does it end with sufficient closure that many readers would expect. But it does not make it a poorly written book.
Read it, and hope Chandler writes more to live up to the name he'd made.
It does not end happily, nor does it end with sufficient closure that many readers would expect. But it does not make it a poorly written book.
Read it, and hope Chandler writes more to live up to the name he'd made.
January 8, 2017
I was originally going to give this book 3 stars, because I liked it much less than the previous two for most of it. Watching the characters make tough decisions and seeing their consequences, watching them change into people I couldn't have imagined was a wonderful thrill. But the true masterpiece of this book was its ending. I couldnt stop myself from laughing on delight when I got to it and I am incredibly satisfied with this series and hopeful for more from such a brilliant writer.
January 18, 2014
I liked the first book in the series better than the last, which doesn't seem like the end of the story. Maybe this wasn't supposed to be just a trilogy? Found myself skimming this one a lot. I liked the story line that followed Malden, the thief & leading man, but everyone else just seemed to be wondering around warring aimlessly.
December 12, 2016
When a mountain that has contained them in the East collapses the barbarians make plans to invade the kingdom of Skrae. The thief Malden has been gifted one of the seven ancient blades and is expected to help defend the kingdom. But he is involved in a love triangle that threatens everything. Several factions oppose each other for control.
March 3, 2017
I enjoyed the series overall, but I feel that it gets weaker as it progresses. My favorite is definitely the first installment of the series. However, this was a solid and realistic ending given the way Chandler set things up. I was very satisfied, but not blown away. I definitely recommend the series to fans of the genre.
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July 20, 2012Last book in the trilogy and again would not have bought the book if I did not get them all at the same time. Neither the story nor the characters have any life to them. Reading these books was kind of like eating a burger rather than a double bacon cheeseburger.
January 31, 2013
This in some ways ties up the first two books, and contains characters from both. The ending is slightly disappointing and very open ended. I guess David Chandler is planning on writing more about Malden.
December 19, 2013
I would class it more as 2.5 stars. I enjoyed this more than the previous book, but I found that the story was different to what the blurb described - so I would advise to read this book with an open mind. I enjoyed being back in Ness again. However, I felt a little unsatisfied by the ending.
February 10, 2014
I love the series to death! It's one of my favorite of all time. But this last book just kind seemed extremely lack luster in my opinion. The same way Inheritance made me feel. I liked it, but I was disappointed. Definitely read though.
October 31, 2024
Ch4
Hypocrites will stand on the lowest level of the fire; you will never find any supporter for them except for those who repent and reform, cling to believers, and God will give believers a splendid wage.
Hypocrites will stand on the lowest level of the fire; you will never find any supporter for them except for those who repent and reform, cling to believers, and God will give believers a splendid wage.
July 9, 2012
A good conclusion to the story that provides enough opening to utilize many of the key characters again.
September 3, 2012
Nothing major but good fun none the less.
October 1, 2012
I had fun with this series.
April 30, 2013
Chandler delivers in spades with the final book in the trilogy. I'll tell you this much: the end leaves a lot on the table for more adventures. It aint over yet.
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