The Tainted Sword

The Penhaligon Trilogy #1

by D.J. Heinrich

An aging knight takes in a waif who has proclaimed herself his squire and a young man who dreams of becoming a mage, and together the two apprentices confront a dragon who is determined to destroy the knight's good name.

Genres: Fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, Fiction, Dragons, Dragonlance, Science Fiction Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Fantasía bajo franquicia de las de antes, pero con un ligero toque propio.-

Género. Narrativa Fantástica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Flinn el Caído o Flinn el Bobo son algunos de los epítetos que ahora recibe Flinn, un hombre ya maduro que una vez fue Flinn el Poderoso, caballero legendario de Pehaligon de cuyas gestas empuñando su espada Vencedrag, incluyendo su enfrentamiento con el dragón Verdilith, salieron leyendas y canciones, pero que cayó en desgracia debido a su orgullo y, en cierto modo, a su honor. Cuando la joven Johauna entra en su vida y cuando hay rumores de que Verdilith ha vuelto, las cosas pueden estar a punto de cambiar. Primer libro de la Trilogía Penhaligon.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dearly love this book. It was better than I expected it to be when I found it ever so long again. The 5 stars is because I just reread it and it still managed to hold my attention. =)

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Fantasía bajo franquicia de las de antes, pero con un ligero toque propio.-

Género. Narrativa Fantástica.

Lo que nos cuenta. Flinn el Caído o Flinn el Bobo son algunos de los epítetos que ahora recibe Flinn, un hombre ya maduro que una vez fue Flinn el Poderoso, caballero legendario de Pehaligon de cuyas gestas empuñando su espada Vencedrag, incluyendo su enfrentamiento con el dragón Verdilith, salieron leyendas y canciones, pero que cayó en desgracia debido a su orgullo y, en cierto modo, a su honor. Cuando la joven Johauna entra en su vida y cuando hay rumores de que Verdilith ha vuelto, las cosas pueden estar a punto de cambiar. Primer libro de la Trilogía Penhaligon.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Brendan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the greatest fantasty, but it was serviceable. I spent most of the book hoping the young female squire wouldn't hook up with the much-older Knight teaching here. Welp...yeah...

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very first Sci Fi book I ever read. Forged a lot of the person I wanted to become.

[Nathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author Heinrich obviously owned a copy of the D&D Companion Rules set, since the book is a novelisation of the picture on the cover. Fallen knight gathers mixed bag of comrades and sets off after the green dragon that was indirectly responsible for his fall. This was a strange little book, and really read like a expanded set of roleplay session notes - disjointed, illdirected and rather poorly paced. Not a great example of the books-by-TSR genre. Rated M for violence. 2/5

[NightAuditMan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is possibly the very first book which introduced me to the world of D&D...I'm not sure if I read this first then played or played and picked this up. Either way a very solid read and nice fantasy.

[Gretchen · Rating 1 out of 5]

So terribly written I stopped halfway through.

[Storm Bookwyrm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read a 'Dungeons and Dragons' book since the first Dragonlance Trilogy many years ago. I remembered 'Dragons of ......' being a fun series, but being turned off of Dragonlance when it all started being about Raistlin (I know everyone else loves him, but god can I not stand mummy's-favorite-OC). My other experience with tie-in series to things has been... ...mixed. I've read a good chunk of 'Arkham Horror' novels, which bat about 50% "pretty fun" and 50% "Boy howdy this was not good". Going even further back into distant years I used to read lots of magic the gathering books, yet even as a teenager I think they tended to let me down, my imaginings of the world of MTG teased into being by the cards always more vivid, intricate, and serious than the novels ever were.
I also read a few books based on Blizzard properties, but the less said about those the better.

The point is that I've developed a deep-seated distrust of books that written as tie-ins to a property. You can make movies and games out of books with some success, but reversing those batteries and making books out of movies and games seems like a recipe for disaster.

And yet, when I saw this delightfully simple cover in the bookstore, emblazoned with "Dungeons and Dragons" at the top, I was intrigued. I'd been yearning for some good, honest high fantasy adventure, and this seemed the ticket. So I picked it up and bought it.

And you know what, it didn't disappoint. There's knights. There's dragons. There's wizards and witches. There's daring-do, peasants, and magic. It was fun, and i want to read the next one.

I'm not entirely without criticism, however. D.J. Heinrich has that problem that always stands out to me like a sore thumb, which is a lack of confidence in himself and a distrust of his audience, in that so many things that COULD go unsaid instead go said. Characters will ponder things to themselves, and then a moment later another person will say the same thing out loud. "I wonder if this character notices this..." someone will think, and then the person they're thinking about will say "Hey, I noticed..." and so on.
It's astounding how swift of a pace the book is, because Heinrich seems unable to transition from one moment to a later moment at times. Every action is described, everything is acted out, and no moment is left to the wind to be assumed. In fights every sword-stroke is described. Were Heinrich even SLIGHTLY less skilled of an author I think I might have tossed the book down, weary of having to read EVERYTHING that happens. Yet, where other books have frustrated me on this account, Heinrich succeeds in compelling me. The characters all stray close to being D&D stereotypes, with characters 'joining the party' just because that's what happens in a D&D story, but everyone was just likeable enough (or held their tongues at the right time, and didn't need to be present in EVERY scene), that they remained personable. Heck, I wanted to finish so I'd get the answered to things like "Golly gee, WILL Flinn gain his Knighthood bacK?" I actually ended up caring and getting invested.

So there it is, my big ol' thumbs up for a book that felt like it shouldn't have been so good, but was. Time to track down the sequels!

[Kyla Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little-known gem!

My chance meeting with this book in a dusty school library couldn't have been anything but fate. It led me to my interest in D&D...

Yes, some say that on its own, The Tainted Sword can feel too trope-y: familiar characters, a world sketched in broad strokes, and a sword with a mysterious past. But! it's a setup for a great trilogy with an important feminist plot-twist (and it's from 1992, so bear this in mind!)

This first book is really easing you in to the lore and setting up the story. By the finale you reap the rewards of the slow-burn, getting to the heart of the story’s moral conflict about legacy, courage, sacrifice and corruption.

Even the light world-building makes more sense in hindsight. What seems like vague hints in this volume are actually deliberate breadcrumbs pointing toward the crises in Books 2 and 3. (look how carefully I side-stepped spoilers for you!)

If you only read this book, you might call it an extended prologue. But you'll get into it and if you're anything like me you'll be itching to get to the next book right after you finish this one!

[Ward G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good starting off point.
It stays decently paced.
As characters and things introduced to the reader.

As you learn the truth behind the legend, disgrace, and redemption of a main character.
A nice job, of having you meet him through the eyes of another.
How far he has sunk, then to how he regains his way and honor.

Some very ice subplots, that bode well.
For the following books in the trilogy arc.
Also nice descriptions of the places, and settings.
While not slowing the pace down that much.

All in all, has me looking forward to book two.
If you like this style genre.
May be worth giving a look.

[Clay Tietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, but I was really surprised! It started out pretty predictable in terms of DnD tropes, but was very well put together. For such a quick book, I really got attached!
And the icing on the cake is that, man, when I got to the end of the book, I actually had a swell of emotion hit me. I just felt it all. Felt Flinn's suffering and pain, redemption and love. And felt Johauna's faith and love for him. All in all it left me feeling MORE than I thought I would, and thinking back on that quick and enthralling tale!

[Joe Baca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible fantasy story.

I didn't make it past the first hundred pages before I couldn't stomach the main character's horrible treatment of the side character. The main character becomes angry for nothing but being asked a question, going as far as slapping her to the ground. She falls flat as a character by continuing to fawn over him even after all this abuse.

It then started turning to him showing a romantic interest, which just seemed toxic and gross. Not a good way to progress a story. Just seemed like sloppy writing with a weird older man/younger woman self insert.

[Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 *

Ztracený meč si mě získal již na svých prvních stránkách. Nádherný příběh, trošičku pohádkový, v něčem možná klišé, ale to mi vůbec nevadilo. Postavy mi rychle přirostly k srdci a asi na ně už jen tak nezapomenu.
Konec mě zanechal v slzách. ✨💖

Malou výtku bych měla jen k milostně vyhlížejícímu vztahu, který se zde začal rodit.

[Mikaël · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty generic kiddy story seemingly also written by a kid, judging on all the beginner writing mistakes, typos, and syntax and grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Still, it's got some charm, and it's short enough that it can be read in less'n a week

[Daniel Subauste oliden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me trajo mucha nostalgia de Mystara, donde vi nacer mi pasión por los Juegos de Rol hace ya décadas. Una historia simple y bien contada pero no puedo negar que está lejos de sagas como la de Drizz. Aún así es un libro divertido.

[Xander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, it's beautifully written.

[D M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't get over thinking Flinn the Mighty was Flint Fireforge the Dwarf even though Flinn was a human knight.

[J Strobz · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the book generally. There where a few things that didn't quite make sense to me or contradict the story. Overall I fairly enjoyed it.

[Spartacus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I read this book when I was a kid/young adult and for the life of me I cannot remember the story except for the fact that I could not stop reading it.

I'll have to revisit it.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wondering if anyone knows what the authors complete name is and how I can get in touch with him. I have a copy that looks like it was inscribed to the author from someone with the name J** Preoky (I think, the signature is hard to read). The inscription reads:
Congrats Dori
You've made them live!
J** P***ky

I would appreciate any help.

Thanks

[Felix · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the first D&D-novel I ever read that took Mystara as its setting. Suddenly the setting became so much more alive, it was amazing for the 16yr-old boy I was then. For everyone not partial to that setting its probably just a slightly above average 3 points trilogy.

[Wayne Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites and deserved more recognition than it got. It's part fantasy part romance and hits on all points. I strongly recommend.

[Matt Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this, didn't expect the ending!

[Megami · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first D&D book I ever read. I was in 5th grade when I came across this gem. Been hooked on D&D ever since lol. Very good book and I highly recommend it.