Lords of Tsamra

Tekumel #3

by M.A.R. Barker

Travel across the Planes Beyond to the world of Tékumel, where things are not always as they appear and a simple mission can turn deadly. Korrúkka is part of a Tsolyáni political mission to find a peaceful solution to the war between the Livyáni and the people of the isolated Tsoléi Archipelago. After seeing the wonders and secrets of Holís Isle, the talks break down and the Tsolyáni delegation becomes mysteriously ill. Left to die from the fearsome Plague of the White Hand, the mission appears destined for an untimely end. Waking up on the shores of Livyánu, the remnants of the delegation must find a way to stop the spread of this deadly plague before it spreads and destroys all of civilization.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

287 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2003

About the author

Muhammad Abd-Al-Rahman Barker

Reviews

[Gregs3071 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grab your dictionary and strap yourself in as Professor Barker takes his characters on another journey across the great northern continent of Tekumel.
I am not a literary critic. All my reviews are entirely subjective. My focus is on readability and story telling.
This is a good yarn. However, as opposed to the previous two novels set in the exotic sci-fantasy world of Tekumel, this book feels less able to stand alone as a story in it's own right.
A familiar character, as idiosyncratic as the author, re-appears, with a host of new characters. In a by-now-familiar trope, these characters find themselves struggling to survive amidst a confluence of events beyond their control.
This story contains more magic than the previous novels, which, although they are set in a magic-laden world, are "magic-light". Some of the deeper mysteries of this exotic setting are teased out. And a little more of the ancient technologies are revealed.
For Tekumel afficionados this is a must read. For those who have survived the previous two novels it is a worthwhile investment of time, although its rarity makes it a questionable investment of money. I read a borrowed copy. A couple of pages were missing, and one page contained a significant (physical) hole. Fortunately, the missing information seems to have been non-critical.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who has read The Man of Gold, and Flamesong, and is still curious about what the world of Tekumel has to offer.

[Baron Greystone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually have a pre-publication copy of this one, spiral bound. It was expensive enough when I bought it, that I didn't feel I could justify buying a second copy when the nicer edition came out. Now I wish I had, just so I had the final three novels in the same editions. In any case, I am re-reading this series of five novels. I guess that so far, this one might be my favorite. I do not like the way the one character from a prior novel is presented here. He is not likeable, in spite of how much I liked him in his prior appearance. However, I do like the new protagonist. Also, this book is rather dramatically exciting, and it opens up the setting significantly. I also like the ending very much.

Viewed as an advancing timeline to a game world, I'm not really happy with the way the author took things. My own campaign's timeline will not follow that of the author's campaign.

[Kevin Leung · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's alright. The story meanders quite a bit, and the characters never really grew on me. To be honest, though, I think the only reason why one would be interested in this book is as a fan of the Tekumel world, and if you're a fan, it's worth reading just for more authoritative world and lore from Barker himself.

[Mads Hvelplund · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dialogue is a little clunky and the ending seems rushed, but as a fan of setting, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable read. If you haven't read Man of Gold or know a little about Tekumel, maybe skip this one ...