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The Seer King Trilogy #1
Кралят-маг
Дамастес, млад кавалерийски офицер и луда глава, и изключително надареният магьосник Тенедос е трябвало да загинат в планинска засада. Но враговете им са подценили удивителните сили на ясновидеца-чародей и храбростта на войника. Никой не е могъл да предвиди възникналото между тях приятелство - и как то ще промени историята.
Нуманция е империя в упадък, по границите й властват разбойници, в провинциите кипят бунтове, гражданите й се разкъсват от разногласия. Древни сили на тъмна магия избуяват навсякъде, а имперските водачи, хилавата Власт на Десетимата, не предприема нищо. Ала когато Тенедос и Дамастес започват да надиграват узурпатори и некроманти, се пръсва мълвата, че техният път е пътят на Провидението.
За Дамастес това е пътят към славата и към спечелената любов на една красива злощастна контеса. За Тенедос това е пътят към невъобразимите висоти на амбицията. А за Нуманция пътят им води към възраждане... в служба на Богинята на смъртта.
Нуманция е империя в упадък, по границите й властват разбойници, в провинциите кипят бунтове, гражданите й се разкъсват от разногласия. Древни сили на тъмна магия избуяват навсякъде, а имперските водачи, хилавата Власт на Десетимата, не предприема нищо. Ала когато Тенедос и Дамастес започват да надиграват узурпатори и некроманти, се пръсва мълвата, че техният път е пътят на Провидението.
За Дамастес това е пътят към славата и към спечелената любов на една красива злощастна контеса. За Тенедос това е пътят към невъобразимите висоти на амбицията. А за Нуманция пътят им води към възраждане... в служба на Богинята на смъртта.
512 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
73 people are currently reading
1027 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bunch
86 books130 followersChristopher R. "Chris" Bunch was an American science fiction, fantasy and television writer, who wrote and co-wrote about thirty novels.
Born in Fresno, California, he collaborated with Allan Cole on a series of books involving a hero named Sten in a galactic empire. (Cole married Bunch's sister, Kathryn.) He served in Vietnam as a patrol leader. He also wrote for Rolling Stone and was a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He died in his hometown of Ilwaco, Washington, after a long battle with a lung ailment.
Born in Fresno, California, he collaborated with Allan Cole on a series of books involving a hero named Sten in a galactic empire. (Cole married Bunch's sister, Kathryn.) He served in Vietnam as a patrol leader. He also wrote for Rolling Stone and was a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. He died in his hometown of Ilwaco, Washington, after a long battle with a lung ailment.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 24, 2016
studly goody two-shoes warrior meets up with cunning revolutionary wizard and have various adventures on the road to the wizard's eventual hostile takeover of his country's inept government. featuring magic, demons, lots and lots of battles, and lots and lots of fucking.
if you are a fan of military fantasy then this is a 4 to 5 star book for you. apparently Chris Bunch was a patrol commander during his service in Vietnam, and his experience is probably key to this novel's successes. he gives a been-there perspective to all of his battle scenes, from planning to execution; they are the strongest scenes in the novel. fortunately they appear frequently. unfortunately, they appear a bit too frequently for my personal tastes. but at least whenever they did appear, I wasn't annoyed.
Chris Bunch was also a writer for Rolling Stone and that mystifies me. shouldn't a journalist be able to create interesting, dynamic, three-dimensional characters? I guess not always. the characterization in The Seer King is paper-thin and other cliches. I actually had to look up what a "Gary Stu" was because I was convinced our hero fell into that type. I was not wrong. and it's not just a problem with the protagonist, it's a problem with everyone. if a character isn't two-dimensional then he barely even exists beyond his name. literally a dozen different soldiers serve under our heroes Damastes and Tenedos and they have zero personality beyond "stoic" or "loyal" or "doesn't like glory" or "doesn't disobey orders" or "would die for Damastes or Tenedos". the characterization is SO DAMN TEDIOUS. Damastes' arc in particular was almost offensively predictable.
well at least the plentiful sex scenes kept me awake. Chris Bunch clearly loves to write about sex and he sure has a lot of enthusiasm. the sexual situations are vaguely uninteresting - our hero plus one of the two charming women he falls for throughout the course of the book - and Damastes is a tender-hearted young gentleman who respects women, so these sex scenes are very sweet in their own way. they are sweet but they are also over-the-top porn-style sex, complete with shaved punani and money shots. unfortunately, even the sex scenes eventually got a bit tiring for me. not for Damastes though, that kid never tires. that's why the ladies love him!
if you are a fan of military fantasy then this is a 4 to 5 star book for you. apparently Chris Bunch was a patrol commander during his service in Vietnam, and his experience is probably key to this novel's successes. he gives a been-there perspective to all of his battle scenes, from planning to execution; they are the strongest scenes in the novel. fortunately they appear frequently. unfortunately, they appear a bit too frequently for my personal tastes. but at least whenever they did appear, I wasn't annoyed.
Chris Bunch was also a writer for Rolling Stone and that mystifies me. shouldn't a journalist be able to create interesting, dynamic, three-dimensional characters? I guess not always. the characterization in The Seer King is paper-thin and other cliches. I actually had to look up what a "Gary Stu" was because I was convinced our hero fell into that type. I was not wrong. and it's not just a problem with the protagonist, it's a problem with everyone. if a character isn't two-dimensional then he barely even exists beyond his name. literally a dozen different soldiers serve under our heroes Damastes and Tenedos and they have zero personality beyond "stoic" or "loyal" or "doesn't like glory" or "doesn't disobey orders" or "would die for Damastes or Tenedos". the characterization is SO DAMN TEDIOUS. Damastes' arc in particular was almost offensively predictable.
well at least the plentiful sex scenes kept me awake. Chris Bunch clearly loves to write about sex and he sure has a lot of enthusiasm. the sexual situations are vaguely uninteresting - our hero plus one of the two charming women he falls for throughout the course of the book - and Damastes is a tender-hearted young gentleman who respects women, so these sex scenes are very sweet in their own way. they are sweet but they are also over-the-top porn-style sex, complete with shaved punani and money shots. unfortunately, even the sex scenes eventually got a bit tiring for me. not for Damastes though, that kid never tires. that's why the ladies love him!
October 30, 2017
THE SEER KING by Chris Bunch is a recommendation to me by Steven Caldwell of The Bookwyrm Reader. I admit I wasn't sure what to make of it because I hadn't read any of Chris Bunch's other works but I'm now determined to read all of his fantasy as well as science fiction novels. This is an excellent Game of Thrones-esque novel with twists, turns, and politics behind it. It's also designed to be more Rome versus Middle Ages and that's a nice change of pace from the typical way these things are handled.
The premise is a young cavalrymen, Damastes, in the setting's equivalent of Rome gets himself assigned to an awful job because of showing up a superior officer. This introduces him to the wizard-General Tenedos. Tenedos has an ambition to take over the corrupt and decaying Rule of Ten before instituting a dictatorship over the country. With Tenedos' help, Damastes rises through the ranks beyond anything a poor country knight could have but also becomes more and more integral to Tenedos' plans.
Much of the story is following Damastes as he deals with the trials and tribulations of being a soldier for the Roman-esque legion he belongs to. This includes occupying a territory which despises him, managing a unit of unruly nobles, and eventually dealing with a civil uprising. I found his insights into everything quite fascinating and enjoyable throughout. You really get a sense of how this man fits into his larger society both good and bad.
I should warn readers that this book is full of sex from beginning to end. Damastes claims not to be a man prone to bragging but a large chunk of it segways into his relationship with local women, noblewomen he's had affairs with, and the fact many women send him pictures or miniature sculptures of them nude (among other talismens). I think it fit him as a character and one of his later relationships was actually sweet but others might be bothered by this.
The book is full of action, twists, and turns which were all entertaining. It's also thoroughly unsympathetic to the human race in general with the revolutionaries, the establishment, and everyone caught in-between all having their darker sides. I liked the homages to the British Empire, India, and other locations in addition to the Roman elements too.
Should you buy this book? I think so, definitely.
The premise is a young cavalrymen, Damastes, in the setting's equivalent of Rome gets himself assigned to an awful job because of showing up a superior officer. This introduces him to the wizard-General Tenedos. Tenedos has an ambition to take over the corrupt and decaying Rule of Ten before instituting a dictatorship over the country. With Tenedos' help, Damastes rises through the ranks beyond anything a poor country knight could have but also becomes more and more integral to Tenedos' plans.
Much of the story is following Damastes as he deals with the trials and tribulations of being a soldier for the Roman-esque legion he belongs to. This includes occupying a territory which despises him, managing a unit of unruly nobles, and eventually dealing with a civil uprising. I found his insights into everything quite fascinating and enjoyable throughout. You really get a sense of how this man fits into his larger society both good and bad.
I should warn readers that this book is full of sex from beginning to end. Damastes claims not to be a man prone to bragging but a large chunk of it segways into his relationship with local women, noblewomen he's had affairs with, and the fact many women send him pictures or miniature sculptures of them nude (among other talismens). I think it fit him as a character and one of his later relationships was actually sweet but others might be bothered by this.
The book is full of action, twists, and turns which were all entertaining. It's also thoroughly unsympathetic to the human race in general with the revolutionaries, the establishment, and everyone caught in-between all having their darker sides. I liked the homages to the British Empire, India, and other locations in addition to the Roman elements too.
Should you buy this book? I think so, definitely.
December 14, 2024
Не ми хареса! За първи път да не харесам, първа книга от фентъзи трилогия 👀. Много секс, малко екшън, малко фентъзи! Следващите се чудя дали да ги чета, ако са същите, може би много по нататък 🤔
October 21, 2021
I randomly stumbled upon this book on clearance for $1.99 at my local Half Price Books. A quick glance through the GR reviews showed several 1* ratings saying it "has too much sex". Sooo... of course, ya girl gonna dive right in. 😂
Quick summary -
🔹 The Seer King is the first book of a fantasy trilogy featuring a soft-magic system and lots of warfare/combat. The book itself centers around a Cavalryman, Damastes a Cimabue, and his leader that he chose to serve.
What was good -
🔹 Despite the fantasy setting, the combat and the general portrayal of soldiery are realistic and gritty. I think this was the strength of this book, you get very good battle scenes.
🔹 The main characters are really cool. Damastes, whose point of view the book is written from, touches pretty close to the realm of Gary Sue/perfect male. But I find him likeable. There are various other side characters that I love as well.
What makes it 3 stars?
🔹 Super one-dimensional female characters. A sprinkling of casual sexism throughout the story. The ladies are all hot and agreeable, and are there only to serve the males. For example;
🔹 I felt misled in my expectation of this book "having too much sex". Yeah maybe this is the case for when it was first published in 1997. I got to page 50 and still haven't gotten any juice! HAH.
🔹 The pacing seems extremely slow in the middle part. I was snoozing for a good 60% of the book, I think.
In conclusion; I thought this book was a rather decently enjoyable read. But I will not read it again, nor will I continue with the rest of the trilogy.
Quick summary -
🔹 The Seer King is the first book of a fantasy trilogy featuring a soft-magic system and lots of warfare/combat. The book itself centers around a Cavalryman, Damastes a Cimabue, and his leader that he chose to serve.
What was good -
🔹 Despite the fantasy setting, the combat and the general portrayal of soldiery are realistic and gritty. I think this was the strength of this book, you get very good battle scenes.
🔹 The main characters are really cool. Damastes, whose point of view the book is written from, touches pretty close to the realm of Gary Sue/perfect male. But I find him likeable. There are various other side characters that I love as well.
What makes it 3 stars?
🔹 Super one-dimensional female characters. A sprinkling of casual sexism throughout the story. The ladies are all hot and agreeable, and are there only to serve the males. For example;
🔹 I felt misled in my expectation of this book "having too much sex". Yeah maybe this is the case for when it was first published in 1997. I got to page 50 and still haven't gotten any juice! HAH.
🔹 The pacing seems extremely slow in the middle part. I was snoozing for a good 60% of the book, I think.
In conclusion; I thought this book was a rather decently enjoyable read. But I will not read it again, nor will I continue with the rest of the trilogy.
July 14, 2023
Минуси:
- Имаше нещо, което ме беше издразнило, но го забравих. Като се сетя, ще го допълня. Сетих се - "Далечно царство", другата най-известна книга от този автор у нас, съм я чел преди доста години. Самият факт, че непрекъснато правех парарели между нея и "Кралят-маг" хич не говори добре за втората - на практика ползва същата схема, със сходни като характеристика персонажи и сюжетни линии.
- Прекаленият порняк. Тук е над поносимото.
- Индийския flavour. Не си падам по екзотиката и Азия като цяло...
Плюсове:
- ... но другото вдъхновение очевидно е Наполеон, та това е добре.
- Чете се бързо и стегнато.
- Поведението на така наречения Съвет на Десетимата ме удари челно с прилики с поведението на някои настоящи политици - декларации, санкции, уж осъждане, а от долу далаверата си върви. Всъщност именно описанието на процеса как некадърно управление води след себе си тирани и диктатура е най-ценното тук.
- Имаше нещо, което ме беше издразнило, но го забравих. Като се сетя, ще го допълня. Сетих се - "Далечно царство", другата най-известна книга от този автор у нас, съм я чел преди доста години. Самият факт, че непрекъснато правех парарели между нея и "Кралят-маг" хич не говори добре за втората - на практика ползва същата схема, със сходни като характеристика персонажи и сюжетни линии.
- Прекаленият порняк. Тук е над поносимото.
- Индийския flavour. Не си падам по екзотиката и Азия като цяло...
Плюсове:
- ... но другото вдъхновение очевидно е Наполеон, та това е добре.
- Чете се бързо и стегнато.
- Поведението на така наречения Съвет на Десетимата ме удари челно с прилики с поведението на някои настоящи политици - декларации, санкции, уж осъждане, а от долу далаверата си върви. Всъщност именно описанието на процеса как некадърно управление води след себе си тирани и диктатура е най-ценното тук.
October 31, 2022
Авторът има лек и увлекателен стил на писане, но героите му са зле замислени и плоски, а самият той толкова очевидно вижда себе си в главния герой, че направо ми иде да му зашия един задвратник.
Книгата има малко екшън при това не особено добре написан и макар че има наченки на мисъл в това да направиш един преврат, па макар и от добрия герой, кървав и объркан, това не стига да ме накара да я харесам.
Книгата съдържа първата сцена на анален секс, която съм виждал във фентъзи - което не е кой знае колко чудно, като се има предвид че тя съдържа още голямо количество секс сцени, така че вероятността поне една да е в гъза си беше голяма.
Ако си петнайсегодишен който няма интернет сигурно ше лъскаш на елементарно описаното ебане поне петнайсе пъти докато я прочетеш, но ако не си - не виждам защо ще я почваш изобщо.
Книгата има малко екшън при това не особено добре написан и макар че има наченки на мисъл в това да направиш един преврат, па макар и от добрия герой, кървав и объркан, това не стига да ме накара да я харесам.
Книгата съдържа първата сцена на анален секс, която съм виждал във фентъзи - което не е кой знае колко чудно, като се има предвид че тя съдържа още голямо количество секс сцени, така че вероятността поне една да е в гъза си беше голяма.
Ако си петнайсегодишен който няма интернет сигурно ше лъскаш на елементарно описаното ебане поне петнайсе пъти докато я прочетеш, но ако не си - не виждам защо ще я почваш изобщо.
May 5, 2009
A great galloping whale of a story! Very much a man's book, with huge battles (with excellent details of battle tactics and strategies), lots and lots of sex (very graphic--ok, after the first few I just skipped lightly through the multi-page sex descriptions), a large world filled with interesting cultures and peoples, a mysterious cult of stranglers, vast and mysterious magics... what really shines out of all of these are the sharply drawn characters, whose motivations and desires are (mostly, except for Tenedos) understandable and human but still interesting. The interplay of characters is great. The dialogue is snappy and witty and informative. A very good story.
December 16, 2013
Overall, I'd say this book is a little rough. If I had to choose one word to describe the whole thing it would be "distracting"
There was a distracting amount of typos and misspellings throughout this book. At least two or three per chapter, and sometimes it was even characters names. That is my biggest complaint. I bought the e-book version of this book from Amazon.com for $1.99, so I don't know if that has anything to do or not, but geez.
There was a distracting amount of sex in this book. There was a lot of action, and the story itself was pretty good, but there was a gratuitous amount of explicit sex scenes. Don't get me wrong--I like sex. I like sex a lot. I also enjoy reading about sex, but I don't like unnecessary sex scenes cluttering up my action-fantasy books.
There was a distracting amount of foreboding statements that ended sections or chapters. "That was when the nightmare began", "My triumph was ashes", " A piece of my soul went with her". It seemed like every time a narrative line ended, it HAD to end with something like that.
All in all, I'm not upset that I read The Seer King. I don't feel like I wasted my time on it. It was moderately enjoyable. Worth the read, especially at the price. But I am not jumping to read the next two in the series. Not sure if I will at all.
There was a distracting amount of typos and misspellings throughout this book. At least two or three per chapter, and sometimes it was even characters names. That is my biggest complaint. I bought the e-book version of this book from Amazon.com for $1.99, so I don't know if that has anything to do or not, but geez.
There was a distracting amount of sex in this book. There was a lot of action, and the story itself was pretty good, but there was a gratuitous amount of explicit sex scenes. Don't get me wrong--I like sex. I like sex a lot. I also enjoy reading about sex, but I don't like unnecessary sex scenes cluttering up my action-fantasy books.
There was a distracting amount of foreboding statements that ended sections or chapters. "That was when the nightmare began", "My triumph was ashes", " A piece of my soul went with her". It seemed like every time a narrative line ended, it HAD to end with something like that.
All in all, I'm not upset that I read The Seer King. I don't feel like I wasted my time on it. It was moderately enjoyable. Worth the read, especially at the price. But I am not jumping to read the next two in the series. Not sure if I will at all.
April 11, 2022
Der junge Legat Damastes wird losgeschickt, um den Diplomaten und Magier Tenedos auf seinem Weg durch die Berge zu beschützen. Ein Auftrag, der eigentlich seinen Tod bedeuten sollte. Doch der Magier und der Legat sind cleverer, als ihre Feinde gedacht hätten. So beginnt eine Zusammenarbeit, aus der Großes entsteht.
In The Seer King berichtet Damastes als Ich-Erzähler von seinem Aufstieg durch die militärischen und gesellschaftlichen Ränge gemeinsam mit Tenedos. Der Fokus liegt dabei klar auf den militärischen Vorgängen und Erfolgen, die Damastes erlebte. Diese sind auch klar die größte Stärke des Buchs. Schlachten und Kämpfe sind detailliert und spannend beschrieben. Es wirkt, als wisse der Autor, wovon er spricht.
Seltsam kam mir vor, dass Damastes ständig dermaßen detailliert von seinen sexuellen Aktivitäten erzählt. Denn die nehmen praktisch den ganzen Platz ein, der neben den militärischen Vorgängen übrigbleibt. Ständig gibt es Schilderungen, wie Damastes auf die eine oder andere Weise an irgendeinem Ort Sex hat. Persönlich fand ich das, als jemand, der Sexszenen häufig ohnehin etwas störend empfindet, extrem nervend. Vor allem aber finde ich es unglaubhaft, dass Damastes irgendwem derart viel von seinem Sexleben erzählen würde – egal, wem er diese Geschichte nun erzählt.
Auch abgesehen von seinen sexuellen Aktivitäten ist Damastes leider nur ein mäßig interessanter Charakter. Er scheint exakt drei Charaktereigenschaften zu haben: er mag Sex, er ist clever und er ist treu. Ebenso verhält es sich auch mit den anderen Charakteren. Sie alle sind flach. Lediglich Tenedos wirkt, als hätte er Tiefe – und das kommt hauptsächlich daher, dass Damastes immer wieder andeutet, dass Tenedos seine Geheimnisse hat und nicht ganz der Mann ist, der zu sein scheint. Problematisch finde ich außerdem, dass die weiblichen Charaktere nur für die zuvor erwähnten Sexszenen zu existieren scheinen. Eine andere Existenzberechtigung, als die Frau eines männlichen Charakters zu sein, scheint keine der ohnehin schon wenigen Frauen zu haben.
Das Worldbuilding ist etwas...vage. Ja, es gibt andere Länder und Völker, aber der Leser bekommt nicht wirklich viel von diesen mit – zumindest bisher. Die Welt fühlt ebenso flach an wie die Charaktere. Das passt jedoch zur Erzählweise und dem Inhalt des Buchs. Wieso auch sollte Damastes dem Leser Informationen zur Verfügung stellen, die für ihn selbstverständlich sind und für die Geschichte ohnehin keine Rolle spielen.
Ebenso vage ist das Magiesystem. Irgendwie benutzen die Magier Materialien, die zusammenmixen, und Zaubersprüche, wodurch sie Magie wirken können. Die Grenzen sind dabei nur lose definiert. Für mich ist das jedoch weder ein Vorteil noch ein Nachteil, lässt jedoch die Frage offen, wieso Magie nicht viel mehr Platz im Alltag innerhalb der Welt einnimmt.
Wer ein Military Fantasy-Buch möchte, wird hier sicherlich auf seine Kosten kommen, sofern er/sie sich nicht an den zahlreichen Sexszenen oder den schwachen Charakteren stört. Für mich ist The Seer King ein solider Start einer Buchreihe, die mit einigen kleinen Verbesserungen in den folgenden Büchern durchaus sehr gut sein könnte. Ich hoffe, der zweite Teil wird mich positiv überraschen.
In The Seer King berichtet Damastes als Ich-Erzähler von seinem Aufstieg durch die militärischen und gesellschaftlichen Ränge gemeinsam mit Tenedos. Der Fokus liegt dabei klar auf den militärischen Vorgängen und Erfolgen, die Damastes erlebte. Diese sind auch klar die größte Stärke des Buchs. Schlachten und Kämpfe sind detailliert und spannend beschrieben. Es wirkt, als wisse der Autor, wovon er spricht.
Seltsam kam mir vor, dass Damastes ständig dermaßen detailliert von seinen sexuellen Aktivitäten erzählt. Denn die nehmen praktisch den ganzen Platz ein, der neben den militärischen Vorgängen übrigbleibt. Ständig gibt es Schilderungen, wie Damastes auf die eine oder andere Weise an irgendeinem Ort Sex hat. Persönlich fand ich das, als jemand, der Sexszenen häufig ohnehin etwas störend empfindet, extrem nervend. Vor allem aber finde ich es unglaubhaft, dass Damastes irgendwem derart viel von seinem Sexleben erzählen würde – egal, wem er diese Geschichte nun erzählt.
Auch abgesehen von seinen sexuellen Aktivitäten ist Damastes leider nur ein mäßig interessanter Charakter. Er scheint exakt drei Charaktereigenschaften zu haben: er mag Sex, er ist clever und er ist treu. Ebenso verhält es sich auch mit den anderen Charakteren. Sie alle sind flach. Lediglich Tenedos wirkt, als hätte er Tiefe – und das kommt hauptsächlich daher, dass Damastes immer wieder andeutet, dass Tenedos seine Geheimnisse hat und nicht ganz der Mann ist, der zu sein scheint. Problematisch finde ich außerdem, dass die weiblichen Charaktere nur für die zuvor erwähnten Sexszenen zu existieren scheinen. Eine andere Existenzberechtigung, als die Frau eines männlichen Charakters zu sein, scheint keine der ohnehin schon wenigen Frauen zu haben.
Das Worldbuilding ist etwas...vage. Ja, es gibt andere Länder und Völker, aber der Leser bekommt nicht wirklich viel von diesen mit – zumindest bisher. Die Welt fühlt ebenso flach an wie die Charaktere. Das passt jedoch zur Erzählweise und dem Inhalt des Buchs. Wieso auch sollte Damastes dem Leser Informationen zur Verfügung stellen, die für ihn selbstverständlich sind und für die Geschichte ohnehin keine Rolle spielen.
Ebenso vage ist das Magiesystem. Irgendwie benutzen die Magier Materialien, die zusammenmixen, und Zaubersprüche, wodurch sie Magie wirken können. Die Grenzen sind dabei nur lose definiert. Für mich ist das jedoch weder ein Vorteil noch ein Nachteil, lässt jedoch die Frage offen, wieso Magie nicht viel mehr Platz im Alltag innerhalb der Welt einnimmt.
Wer ein Military Fantasy-Buch möchte, wird hier sicherlich auf seine Kosten kommen, sofern er/sie sich nicht an den zahlreichen Sexszenen oder den schwachen Charakteren stört. Für mich ist The Seer King ein solider Start einer Buchreihe, die mit einigen kleinen Verbesserungen in den folgenden Büchern durchaus sehr gut sein könnte. Ich hoffe, der zweite Teil wird mich positiv überraschen.
August 21, 2014
Прииска ми се да ви разкажа за една чисто момчешка книга. Тук няма да ви говоря за сълзливи романчета, за дълбок подтекст, за тъжни или влюбчиви персонажи, за дълбока и проницателна философска мисъл, а за мъже до мозъка на костите си.
"Кралят маг" е идеална поредица, за всички вас, които не харесвате фентъзита от 10+ тома, които нямат свършване. Това е едва трилогия. Не, че да напишеш цели три книги за едни и същи герои е малко, но предвид наскоро обособилите се "традиции" в жанра, според които едно фентъзи трябва да включва поне 10 - 15 хил. страници печатен текст, това си е малко. Т.е. нормално количество.
Това е най-доброто самостоятелно произведение на покойния Крис Бънч, което го прави завинаги част от плеадата автори в жанра.
Книгата не е написана в т.нар. "високо" фентъзи. Няма орки и елфи, няма джуджаци и пр. същества. Расите са само две: хората и демоните. Демоните не живеят в съшия свят и могат да бъдат извикани само с магия. Като стана дума за магията, същата има малка роля. Магията е слаба и е само добавка в механичните оръдия на труда и войната. С нея се правят дребни трикове като мъгли или слънчеви затъмнения, смаляване на предмети и т.н. Не се надявайте да видите безумно могъщ маг, който мята огнени кълбета във всички посоки. Но пък иманено един чародеец решава, че това не му стига и да достигне нови върхове като стане най-великият магьосник жевял някога. Заедно с главния герой - самюбиецът Дамантес, той ще опита да промени една изтерзана страна и да я превърне в рог на изобилието. Това е Нуманция. Речната империя без император. Е, някога е имала, но след смъртта на последния, е назначен регентски съвет, който вече стотици години управлява бездарно и граби с пълни шепи от народа.
Дамантес се появява като млад войник от нуманцийската войска и в тази първа книга е показано постепенното му издигане до трибун - най-високото звание в тамошната армия. По пътя си той среща редици много култови персонажи и посещава съседните държавици, завързва интересни приятелства и покорява не едно женско сърце, бие се с демони, вещици и обикновени хора, ходи по дуели на честа и тренира здраво... абе, мъжка книга е това. Говори се много за оръжия и битки. Авторът е истински познавач на военното дело, най-малкото защото сам е ходил във Виетнам и знае как се живее на война. Всички лишенията и тънкости на занаята са му известни. Вероятно затова баталните му описания са много успешни.
Главният герой разказва историята си от първо лице и то ретроспективно. В момента на повествованието се намира в затвора на един отдалечен остров. Идеята е читателят постепенно да разбере как е попаднал там, какво е извършил или какво са му причинили. До края на първата книга мистерията не се разгадава, това се случва в следващата.
В изграждането на света си, Бънч се е вдъхновявал най-вече от древните Рим и Индия. От първият е взет целия държавен строй, облеклото на хората, маниери, сексуални навици, някои традиции и военното дело. От Индия произлизат религията, отново част от нравите на хората, кухнята, също, географските ширини и климата. Някои от идеите му са върховни. Например архитектурните: водни дворци, изпълнени с аквакултури и стотици водоскоци, градове с подземна структура от газопроводи, която осветява и задвижва всичко, тайни стаи за подслушване и всякакви други.
Еднакво добре са изградени различните дворцови интриги и военни премеждия, с което не могат да се похвалят много автори.
Сюжетът е многопластов. Има много линии, като всички са обвързани помежду си. Според мен са добре изградени. Няма празни или задънени. Читателят ще преживее всякакви премеждия докато Доманатес а' Самабю се превърне в трибун. Това някак те обвързва с героите и те приравнява към тях, кара те да се чувстваш част от самата книга.
Бънч показва и добро чувство за хумор, някъде романа е доста забавен и случките в него може да ви засмиват дори дни след като сте ги прочели.
Може би единственият недостатък са огромните количества сцени на полови сношения и удовлетворения (как само ги нарекох!!!). Книгата е наситена с тях почти колкото Кама Сутра. Едва няколко от тези описания може да се каже, че имат нещо общо със сюжета. Всички други са просто отегчителни и безсмислени епизоди, които се повтарят поне по веднъж на 10 страници и служат само за пълнеж. След известно време свикнах да ги разпознавам още от самото начало и успешно ги пропусках. За щастие в следващите две части на поредицата тези сцени намаляват значително.
Смея да кажа, че всичко друго е на шест.
Интересно ми е да прибавя, че Бънч май е бил загрижен за младото поколение, когато е писал книгата. Казвам го почти на шега, но може да е и вярно. Дамантес е абсолютен мъжкар, той тренира здраво, ходи да реже глави и преспива с едно 10 жени в книгата... поне... но не употребява никакъв алкохол... и никакви забранени субстанция... и внимателно си подбира обектите на своята страст...
Просто я прочетете, някъде ме разби от смях и уникално свежи идеи.
"Кралят маг" е идеална поредица, за всички вас, които не харесвате фентъзита от 10+ тома, които нямат свършване. Това е едва трилогия. Не, че да напишеш цели три книги за едни и същи герои е малко, но предвид наскоро обособилите се "традиции" в жанра, според които едно фентъзи трябва да включва поне 10 - 15 хил. страници печатен текст, това си е малко. Т.е. нормално количество.
Това е най-доброто самостоятелно произведение на покойния Крис Бънч, което го прави завинаги част от плеадата автори в жанра.
Книгата не е написана в т.нар. "високо" фентъзи. Няма орки и елфи, няма джуджаци и пр. същества. Расите са само две: хората и демоните. Демоните не живеят в съшия свят и могат да бъдат извикани само с магия. Като стана дума за магията, същата има малка роля. Магията е слаба и е само добавка в механичните оръдия на труда и войната. С нея се правят дребни трикове като мъгли или слънчеви затъмнения, смаляване на предмети и т.н. Не се надявайте да видите безумно могъщ маг, който мята огнени кълбета във всички посоки. Но пък иманено един чародеец решава, че това не му стига и да достигне нови върхове като стане най-великият магьосник жевял някога. Заедно с главния герой - самюбиецът Дамантес, той ще опита да промени една изтерзана страна и да я превърне в рог на изобилието. Това е Нуманция. Речната империя без император. Е, някога е имала, но след смъртта на последния, е назначен регентски съвет, който вече стотици години управлява бездарно и граби с пълни шепи от народа.
Дамантес се появява като млад войник от нуманцийската войска и в тази първа книга е показано постепенното му издигане до трибун - най-високото звание в тамошната армия. По пътя си той среща редици много култови персонажи и посещава съседните държавици, завързва интересни приятелства и покорява не едно женско сърце, бие се с демони, вещици и обикновени хора, ходи по дуели на честа и тренира здраво... абе, мъжка книга е това. Говори се много за оръжия и битки. Авторът е истински познавач на военното дело, най-малкото защото сам е ходил във Виетнам и знае как се живее на война. Всички лишенията и тънкости на занаята са му известни. Вероятно затова баталните му описания са много успешни.
Главният герой разказва историята си от първо лице и то ретроспективно. В момента на повествованието се намира в затвора на един отдалечен остров. Идеята е читателят постепенно да разбере как е попаднал там, какво е извършил или какво са му причинили. До края на първата книга мистерията не се разгадава, това се случва в следващата.
В изграждането на света си, Бънч се е вдъхновявал най-вече от древните Рим и Индия. От първият е взет целия държавен строй, облеклото на хората, маниери, сексуални навици, някои традиции и военното дело. От Индия произлизат религията, отново част от нравите на хората, кухнята, също, географските ширини и климата. Някои от идеите му са върховни. Например архитектурните: водни дворци, изпълнени с аквакултури и стотици водоскоци, градове с подземна структура от газопроводи, която осветява и задвижва всичко, тайни стаи за подслушване и всякакви други.
Еднакво добре са изградени различните дворцови интриги и военни премеждия, с което не могат да се похвалят много автори.
Сюжетът е многопластов. Има много линии, като всички са обвързани помежду си. Според мен са добре изградени. Няма празни или задънени. Читателят ще преживее всякакви премеждия докато Доманатес а' Самабю се превърне в трибун. Това някак те обвързва с героите и те приравнява към тях, кара те да се чувстваш част от самата книга.
Бънч показва и добро чувство за хумор, някъде романа е доста забавен и случките в него може да ви засмиват дори дни след като сте ги прочели.
Може би единственият недостатък са огромните количества сцени на полови сношения и удовлетворения (как само ги нарекох!!!). Книгата е наситена с тях почти колкото Кама Сутра. Едва няколко от тези описания може да се каже, че имат нещо общо със сюжета. Всички други са просто отегчителни и безсмислени епизоди, които се повтарят поне по веднъж на 10 страници и служат само за пълнеж. След известно време свикнах да ги разпознавам още от самото начало и успешно ги пропусках. За щастие в следващите две части на поредицата тези сцени намаляват значително.
Смея да кажа, че всичко друго е на шест.
Интересно ми е да прибавя, че Бънч май е бил загрижен за младото поколение, когато е писал книгата. Казвам го почти на шега, но може да е и вярно. Дамантес е абсолютен мъжкар, той тренира здраво, ходи да реже глави и преспива с едно 10 жени в книгата... поне... но не употребява никакъв алкохол... и никакви забранени субстанция... и внимателно си подбира обектите на своята страст...
Просто я прочетете, някъде ме разби от смях и уникално свежи идеи.
April 19, 2022
I had to leave a review because this book is not terrible like the other reviews are saying. The one about the shallow women and the screenshot of the discussion (and eye roll) was a woman of the night who was brought to the battlefield to help "ease" the sorcerer that was in charge of the army. Man or woman, a little sexy time can help to relieve tension. He was very stressed and recently made an order to have everyone not involved with the war to leave the battlefield. He declined the offer because he was to be wed at the conclusion of the war.
The other women in the book are actually intelligent for their positions. You also have to remember that this book is coming from a man who is about 20-22 and is full of himself yet humble. I can agree that there is quite a bit of LOVE making, not sex. It is between two people (the main character and a woman that he LOVES). Some of it is a little much but not necessarily out of context.
That being said, I enjoyed the book after I got through the rocky first couple of chapters. The writing was a bit different for me to get used to at first but overall I enjoyed the book. There is a lot of filler but it is very descriptive. What I did not like was how it took me extra long to read the book. It is worth one read through.
I bought this book because I already had the second two and needed this one to read the next one!
The other women in the book are actually intelligent for their positions. You also have to remember that this book is coming from a man who is about 20-22 and is full of himself yet humble. I can agree that there is quite a bit of LOVE making, not sex. It is between two people (the main character and a woman that he LOVES). Some of it is a little much but not necessarily out of context.
That being said, I enjoyed the book after I got through the rocky first couple of chapters. The writing was a bit different for me to get used to at first but overall I enjoyed the book. There is a lot of filler but it is very descriptive. What I did not like was how it took me extra long to read the book. It is worth one read through.
I bought this book because I already had the second two and needed this one to read the next one!
November 6, 2010
Chris Bunch is a tough one to figure out. It's been a while since I've read this series, but the one thing that sticks out is that it was a pretty good but then out of the blue he throws in some crazy threesome or orgy that has nothing to to with the story. A little sex in a story is fine, but the way Chris does it is just a little wierd.
May 23, 2021
It is always hard to rate a book. I am for example tempted to rate books with a new idea (at the time of publication) higher than those with recycled old ideas and concepts.
This book serie brought, when it came out, something quite new, that at that time - about 25 years ago - strongly intrigued me. Nowadays this would be much less the case (2,5 stars at most). My rating in this case is therefore nostalgic....
The MC is a former general waiting for his imminent execution on a remote prison island. The book serie is about the memories of condemned man and how everything came to be as it was. How he met a charasmatic man with magical power who wanted to right the wrong. How they worked towards this noble goal together and came to power. How his friend and others around changed and how the MC was sent as an emissary to prevent an imminent war.... The concept was and is for me very enticing. The story however, was even back then, in some parts too explicit pornographic for me. Nowadays most people will laugh, but this serie was the first time i encountered explicit scenes of anal sex in fantasy, which was given, my ya age, let´s say irritating..
The character of the Seer King was also a mixed bag for me. On the one hand the concept of his magic was refrehingly new for me then - secret pacts with demons. Blood magic etc. On the other hand this character reminded me, most likely intentionally, of Hitler and changed the whole perspective of the story a bit. As i think about it now, i remember a phrase from somewhere in the Star Wars books. It went like this "the throne of the emperor was made of the hopes and good intentions of his people".. That hardly ended well..
Nowadays this book serie would be reviewed most likely very negatively. Especially the despiction of the women. As far as i remember the 2 female side characters in this books were described mainly as both being wise and lustful sex partners but not much else.
This book serie brought, when it came out, something quite new, that at that time - about 25 years ago - strongly intrigued me. Nowadays this would be much less the case (2,5 stars at most). My rating in this case is therefore nostalgic....
The MC is a former general waiting for his imminent execution on a remote prison island. The book serie is about the memories of condemned man and how everything came to be as it was. How he met a charasmatic man with magical power who wanted to right the wrong. How they worked towards this noble goal together and came to power. How his friend and others around changed and how the MC was sent as an emissary to prevent an imminent war.... The concept was and is for me very enticing. The story however, was even back then, in some parts too explicit pornographic for me. Nowadays most people will laugh, but this serie was the first time i encountered explicit scenes of anal sex in fantasy, which was given, my ya age, let´s say irritating..
The character of the Seer King was also a mixed bag for me. On the one hand the concept of his magic was refrehingly new for me then - secret pacts with demons. Blood magic etc. On the other hand this character reminded me, most likely intentionally, of Hitler and changed the whole perspective of the story a bit. As i think about it now, i remember a phrase from somewhere in the Star Wars books. It went like this "the throne of the emperor was made of the hopes and good intentions of his people".. That hardly ended well..
Nowadays this book serie would be reviewed most likely very negatively. Especially the despiction of the women. As far as i remember the 2 female side characters in this books were described mainly as both being wise and lustful sex partners but not much else.
August 11, 2025
Damastes has trained to be a soldier his entire life. In his dream job as a Lancer, he annoys the wrong person and gets transferred to a meaningless post guarding some diplomat. Well, the diplomat turns out to be the Seer Tenedos, a wizard with lots of guts and ambition that’s going to get him killed. Damastes saves his life, and finds his future entwined with the wizard, first in the antagonistic city with demons and murderers, and later in their own capital city as it begins to fall apart under the mismanagement of the Rule of Ten. It’s time for a king.
I really enjoyed the world and the plot of the book. The politics, the warfare, the development of magic—it has a lot of potential. Lots of foreshadowing spattered throughout to make you curious of how this is going to end up. Well, book 1 ended up as I expected it to, but not as far along in the story as I thought it was going to get. Reading the summaries of the next two books did not motivate me to read further.
The characters are uninspiring. Damastes doesn’t have much personality, Tenedos is very interesting, and the women—well, as with much early fantasy, the guy author can’t write a passable woman character. They are pretty much there as fantasies for the lusty main character.
It really felt like Tenedos is the main character and Damastes the companion narrator. But we get a lot of time with Damastes and honestly not so much time with the wizard to learn who he is or care about him outside of curiosity for his secrets.
It’s hard to tell why this fell flat for me but I forced myself to finish it.
I really enjoyed the world and the plot of the book. The politics, the warfare, the development of magic—it has a lot of potential. Lots of foreshadowing spattered throughout to make you curious of how this is going to end up. Well, book 1 ended up as I expected it to, but not as far along in the story as I thought it was going to get. Reading the summaries of the next two books did not motivate me to read further.
The characters are uninspiring. Damastes doesn’t have much personality, Tenedos is very interesting, and the women—well, as with much early fantasy, the guy author can’t write a passable woman character. They are pretty much there as fantasies for the lusty main character.
It really felt like Tenedos is the main character and Damastes the companion narrator. But we get a lot of time with Damastes and honestly not so much time with the wizard to learn who he is or care about him outside of curiosity for his secrets.
It’s hard to tell why this fell flat for me but I forced myself to finish it.
December 31, 2020
I enjoyed this book for the most part and was really drawn into the story.
Personally, I dislike stories set up where a main character is looking back on their life story and this was another book where it didn't work for me. There are too many times where the main character, Damastes, would say things like we'd learn this later or this is where the nightmare began.
From the very beginning, we know how the story ends. In the first chapter Damastes tells us who will be the traitor, and that someone introduced as enemy will become a friend. It takes some of the suspense out of the story.
The other part of the story I didn't really like was Damastes and his romance, if you could call it that. I honestly never understood why they were in love with each other (her main reason was that he treated her politely) because most of the time they spent together was sex.
Despite knowing how this story is destined to end, I am interested in continuing with book 2.
Personally, I dislike stories set up where a main character is looking back on their life story and this was another book where it didn't work for me. There are too many times where the main character, Damastes, would say things like we'd learn this later or this is where the nightmare began.
From the very beginning, we know how the story ends. In the first chapter Damastes tells us who will be the traitor, and that someone introduced as enemy will become a friend. It takes some of the suspense out of the story.
The other part of the story I didn't really like was Damastes and his romance, if you could call it that. I honestly never understood why they were in love with each other (her main reason was that he treated her politely) because most of the time they spent together was sex.
Despite knowing how this story is destined to end, I am interested in continuing with book 2.
May 11, 2017
I liberated this book from a high school library (legally - the librarian weeded it as she thought it looked boring, too long and outdated) and my goodness, I hope none of the students ever read past the first hundred pages... I'm really enjoying the plot, despite some slightly flat characters and several typos, but the sex scenes are just cringe-worthy and make me wonder if the author had ever actually had an honest relationship. I'm embarrassed to read this on the bus in case someone sees over my shoulder, and spend the entirety of these scenes inadvertently frowning at their ridiculousness. And yet, seeing that this is the first in a trilogy, I am tempted to see how the rest of the story plays out. I just wish there had been some restraint shown. (As with other reviewers, I am no prude, but this has to be read to be believed.)
July 23, 2019
Surprisingly good
This story was a solid three and a half stars. There was nothing outstanding about this story, everything was solid. Characters were very well developed and relatable. The plot was predictable but still was interesting. Had some well planned out battle scenes that traversed a large and detailed landscape. The pace of the story moved along with a nice mix of details and backstory while moving forward quick. What I really liked about this book was how easy it was to read. The writers flow just seemed perfect for me. Definitely worth a read.
This story was a solid three and a half stars. There was nothing outstanding about this story, everything was solid. Characters were very well developed and relatable. The plot was predictable but still was interesting. Had some well planned out battle scenes that traversed a large and detailed landscape. The pace of the story moved along with a nice mix of details and backstory while moving forward quick. What I really liked about this book was how easy it was to read. The writers flow just seemed perfect for me. Definitely worth a read.
Read
July 22, 2020I was all set to enjoy this book but there seemed to me to be too much gratuitous sex which was, I felt, irrelevant to the story after the initial coupling. I was looking for the 'why?' and didn't find it. Won't continue with this author.
August 12, 2024
It is indeed. A book. Just one that lacks detail, substance, and any form of protective sex. Only thing going for it is a mildly coherent story line.
October 17, 2023
It's funny how little this book is known because it had such a massive impact on me and my relationship not only with books, but also with writing. Bunch is superbly skilled at writing military fiction which I'm sure is due to his real-life background. I love this damn book and trilogy.
I was 9 or 10 years old when I first read this. Young enough to make most people gasp given what falls in-between the pages here. In the time before I hit puberty, similar thoughts to what I have now comes out. There's too much sex going on in here. The first half of the book has maybe one or two scenes at most, there is plenty enough romance and the like in the second half. If it was a romance novel, sure, have at it. But this is certainly not that type of book and is probably a product of its age. Even so, everything else is awesome. The battles are hard fought and the magic is enigmatic and powerful. You feel disdain for the same people that Damastes and Tenedos do and wish you had reliable men like Yonge, Curti, and Svalbard in your life. Karjan's ungrateful ass included.
The writing is engaging and informative with excellent world building. A lot of folks see Damastes as a goody two-shoes, but somehow gloss over the fact he's a god damned moron. He's got a small amount of decent decision making, hefty amount of skill, and enormous luck. But he has to. The villains and similar are just too damned good for him to be otherwise. Besides, he's not even the main character, Tenedos is. That's right, it's first person POV of the sidekick in the trilogy.
It's been something like 24-25 years since I read this, and I only read it once as a kid. The names, places, and events really have stuck with me. I'm sure the nostalgia goggles are making this better than it is, but it's just as good all this time later. My love of fantasy really started here.
Disclaimer: 10-year-old me and 34-year-old me have one thing in common, we skip the sex scenes.
I was 9 or 10 years old when I first read this. Young enough to make most people gasp given what falls in-between the pages here. In the time before I hit puberty, similar thoughts to what I have now comes out. There's too much sex going on in here. The first half of the book has maybe one or two scenes at most, there is plenty enough romance and the like in the second half. If it was a romance novel, sure, have at it. But this is certainly not that type of book and is probably a product of its age. Even so, everything else is awesome. The battles are hard fought and the magic is enigmatic and powerful. You feel disdain for the same people that Damastes and Tenedos do and wish you had reliable men like Yonge, Curti, and Svalbard in your life. Karjan's ungrateful ass included.
The writing is engaging and informative with excellent world building. A lot of folks see Damastes as a goody two-shoes, but somehow gloss over the fact he's a god damned moron. He's got a small amount of decent decision making, hefty amount of skill, and enormous luck. But he has to. The villains and similar are just too damned good for him to be otherwise. Besides, he's not even the main character, Tenedos is. That's right, it's first person POV of the sidekick in the trilogy.
It's been something like 24-25 years since I read this, and I only read it once as a kid. The names, places, and events really have stuck with me. I'm sure the nostalgia goggles are making this better than it is, but it's just as good all this time later. My love of fantasy really started here.
Disclaimer: 10-year-old me and 34-year-old me have one thing in common, we skip the sex scenes.
December 2, 2015
The story sounded interesting. Not very original though. The narrator of the story is Damastes which is actually a good thing :)
I don't know if it was the translation or the actual writing style, but the book was really hard to read...It was vary boring for me although there were a lot of scenes that were supposed to be interesting.
The characters though were very well built. They were complexed enough (or at least the main two characters were). But at least the author managed to make them enough realistic for me so I was able to relate to them. I really hated some (well, actually, a lot) of them.
If you like books about war you may like this trilogy. I found some scenes really disturbing though - killing children, sex with children (well, kind of). There were a lot of sex scenes in the books actually (which I really don't mind - at least they were interesting enough to keep me reading).
I don't know if it was the translation or the actual writing style, but the book was really hard to read...It was vary boring for me although there were a lot of scenes that were supposed to be interesting.
The characters though were very well built. They were complexed enough (or at least the main two characters were). But at least the author managed to make them enough realistic for me so I was able to relate to them. I really hated some (well, actually, a lot) of them.
If you like books about war you may like this trilogy. I found some scenes really disturbing though - killing children, sex with children (well, kind of). There were a lot of sex scenes in the books actually (which I really don't mind - at least they were interesting enough to keep me reading).
July 23, 2013
Chris Bunch was a talented author of military-oriented SF and Fantasy who died in 2005. It was a great loss to his fields. His works are fast moving, but still contain a level of detail and insight which lift them above the pack. The Seer King is the first novel of a fantasy trilogy which is narrated by a young cavalry officer who is remembering how his kingdom rose to greatness. He’s telling his story from prison after its collapse so there is the shadow of imminent disaster hanging over the work.
But our hero’s story is exciting and Bunch makes the various actions—first small cavalry and infantry encounters, later street fighting in a major city and finally large army actions—feel very plausible. I read this series first about ten or twelve years ago and it was even better reading the second time around.
But our hero’s story is exciting and Bunch makes the various actions—first small cavalry and infantry encounters, later street fighting in a major city and finally large army actions—feel very plausible. I read this series first about ten or twelve years ago and it was even better reading the second time around.
October 24, 2014
c1997: FWFTB: cavalry, empire, countess, discontent, renaissance. Sadly, my personal peeve of a book starting out with the end ruined this book for me. I could not get over the fact that I knew that there was going to be betrayal and loss. Some of the dialogue also seemed really stilted at times with a lot of 'ye olde English phrasing' thrown in for good measure. So, unfortunately unable to recommend to the normal crew. "I looked back. There was a line of staggering men and women behind me, and behind them, wagons and then, to the rear, ragged men who were Cheetah Troop, Seventeeth Ureyan Lancers."
February 25, 2011
Why am I reading so much sword and sorcery books lately? This one had a very familiar feel since the author reused many of his premises from this book in his later works. I'm ok with that. I wasn't thrilled with the foreshadowing being so obvious. Telling me that things go all wrong later on keeps me from loving a character and then feeling betrayed by him later. That said, I'm off to order book 2 from the library next week!
January 31, 2016
Interesting. A refreshingly cynical fantasy novel of war and intrigue, narrated by one of the major players who frequently - but without details - mentions just how badly it's all going to go as they march from triumph to triumph. Almost makes me want to skip the trilogy's middle volume so that I can get to the house of cards' collapse that much sooner.
May 18, 2013
The premise is original enough to draw the reader in but the plot does jump around a bit and some unlikely but forgivable leaps of credulity. Periods of martial narrative are balanced with low level political intrigue and unusually explicit sexual encounter.
August 12, 2019
The book is really good and interesting. I really like Damastes and Thenedos, and enjoy in their adventures around the empire. But Damastes said that the future is bad and now I'm look forward to see what is gonna happen.
Read
August 31, 2007Alot of fun to read.
August 23, 2009
Di anyone else think that the amount of explicit sex scenes was a tad too much and the book would have been a lot better without them.
August 3, 2011
A must read for everyone who loves fantasy. If you're reading this review Jeremy or Chaz, buy this series. Good gaming inspiration.
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