Crossed Blades

Fallen Blade #3

by Kelly McCullough

For six years, former temple assassin Aral Kingslayer has been living as a jack of the shadow trades, picking up odd jobs on the wrong side of the law. But the past is never dead, and Aral’s has finally caught up to him in the beautiful, dangerous form of Jax Seldansbane—a fellow Blade and Aral’s onetime fiancée.

Jax claims that the forces that destroyed everything Aral once held dear are on the move again, and she needs his help to stop them. But Aral has a new life now, with a fresh identity and new responsibilities. And while he isn’t keen on letting the past back in, the former assassin soon finds himself involved in a war that will leave him with no way out and no idea who to trust…

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Audiobook, Adventure

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 27, 2012

About the author

Kelly McCullough was raised and educated by free-range hippies. Later he received a degree in theater and worked in improv. That combination was the perfect preparation for his current career as author and cat herder. He lives and writes in the Midwest with his physics-professor wife, Laura. He enjoys hiking and biking and his role as self-heating cat furniture. He is the author of the WebMage and Fallen Blade series.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK third instalment of the Fallen Blade series. A solid fantasy tale. Small in scale but interesting enough. A mix of intrigue and action with some fun magic and fantasy creatures thrown into the mix.

The series is a bit episodic in set-up. In this instalment Aral ran into an old friend and got sucked into a rescue mission that had ties to his old life.

It was OK. Good to learn a bit more about Aral’s past and the fall of his Goddess and Order but the story was not quite as fun as the story for the second book.

Rating: 3.5 Stars.

Audio Note: As always the Graphic Audio production was excellent. Like a regular audio but with full cast, dramatic music, and sound effects.

[Bryan Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

For two books now we've been following Aral as he struggles to figure out who he is and what he wants to become. One of the central problems of addiction is using it to hide from unpleasant truths, in Arals case as the book begins its the truth that he sort of wants to die after the agony of watching his Goddess killed, and all his friends and teachers slaughtered.

But we have also seen how Aral has slowly been gathering things to hold on to, first just his pride in doing a job well, but soon the young apprentice who survived the fall of the temple, Faran and her shade. Now more seeming ghosts from the past enter into his life and he is faced with the decision of how to respond to the threats and stresses of the past come to life, as well as the those of the betrayal of those who should have been his allies.

I enjoyed this book the most of all three I've read so far. The addiction recovery Aral is going through strikes true and real, he's not always perfect but he acknowledges his mistakes and tries to improve. His rage still sometimes fuels his despair, but he tries to be aware of it and do something about it when he does become aware. As a tragic hero Aral is one of my favorites.

I also love his shade, Triss. Triss is stuck in much the same position as Aral but has reacted to support Aral and encourage him in good decisions. Aral and Triss begins to banter a bit which is really refreshing since it's an indication of their improving relationship. Faran is also a delight, she's filled with rage herself having suffered directly at the fall of the temple and having to survive on her own for so long before finding Aral. The relationship between the two is genuine and believable. Faral is not controllable, but.. she is teachable and watching Aral figure out the difference is a hoot.

More blades and shades that survived the fall of Namaras temple show up in this book. Some I expected and some not, but the biggest surprise is that one of the survivors was also the traitor that set up the attack that lead to the death of Namara and the slaughter of her priests and blades. How Aral deals with that knowledge and the situations that resulted from this knowledge make for a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Highly recommended.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up since the second, good to see.

[Gwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I finish a Fallen Blade book, I feel a little torn. On the one hand, I clearly enjoyed it. I stayed up until one in the morning to finish Crossed Blades because I simply couldn't put it down. On the other hand, I'm not convinced they're good books. Crossed Blades is particularly full of stilted and awkward interactions between characters, for example.

However, I'd have to say that overall the good far outweighs the bad. What's lacking in polished prose is more than made up for with page-turning power. There are plenty of other strengths, too. Although Crossed Blades does start out with the usual woman-comes-to-Aral-for-help scenario that grew so tiring in the first two books, Jax is complex enough that she doesn't stray as dangerously close to damsel-in-distress territory as the others did--and Faran couldn't be a damsel if she tried.

Part of what makes the Blade series unique is its non-European setting. As a fan of diversity in books, I was pleased to see that McCullough takes the time to (gracefully) remind his readers that most of the characters aren't white and that Aral is bisexual.

Again, McCullough has delivered a fast-paced book with a vivid setting, interesting characters, and a complex plot.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crossed Blades, the third installment of the Fallen Blade series, takes us once again to our Tien, where Aral and Triss, our dynamic duo, are once again forced into a series of events far outside their abilities to control. It's been a year since the Durkoth incident, where a young Blade had stolen a powerful artifact, leading to the brink of war. Now, Aral and Triss have their hands full with teenage Faran and her equally temperamental Shade. As if that wasn't enough, Jax, Aral's old flame, is in town, and she needs his help to save a group of Blades who are being held by the Elite. It isn't long after that before they're headed halfway across the world to the heart of the Magelands. Along the way, he discovers another Blade is hot on their trail and that treachery lies around every corner. It will take all of their skills and cunning if they are to survive this adventure, and there's no guarantee anyone else will. McCullough once again dazzles with a shadowy tale filled with magic, intrigue, and a knife in the back.

[Patrick Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.5 out of 10 stars

I think my main gripe with this series is that each book basically stands on its own. I can see where some people might like that aspect, but for me it really hampers the growth/development of plot/characters from book to book.

That said i did enjoy this one a little more than the first two books. I felt like the stakes were raised in this book and we are starting to see Aral begin to rise back to his potential. But its frustrating reading this as a series because much of the start is setting the scene on the characters/world building that can drag when you got all the same info last week from the last book.

[Adam Coe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good story in the fallen blades series. After three books, I’ve really come to enjoy Aral, Triss and now Faran. These are really good characters with depth, flaws, humor, and passion. McCullough introduces new plots and characters into this world of blades and they fit right in, create feeling and interest. Very good story, well worth the read, and I’m ready for more.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4 stars! This third book in the series follows the adventures of Aral the kingslayer, although a shadow of his formal self, and Triss, his Shade. They are reunited with another Blade who Aral and Triss want to trust, but just aren’t sure they should. I’ll leave it at that so I don’t ruin the story for you. Very enjoyable! Will definitely be reading the next book in the series!

[BQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Not enough depth or world building for my taste. Too much tell and not enough show. But if you want a short, quick read you may enjoy it more than I did. Some of my issues with the book come down to personal taste.

[Hrishabh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only decent one in the series so far

[Fietspomp · Rating 3 out of 5]

7- nice reading, quick action, sufficient depth, single story line

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the introspection of the main character, although sometimes his musings are a bit much. And the fight scenes are exhausting. Too much detail? Hmmmm.....

[Raygina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Closer to 3.5, just because it was so heartbreaking.

[Campo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best book yet in the series. The plot and character's where great

[Trevor Buckner · Rating 1 out of 5]

It didn't get better.

[Heather Turiello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this series a while ago and am really glad I finally dug into it. I'd classify it as one of those fast and fun reads. This review is for the series (I'm done with the first 3 books at this time.)
I don't outline the plot or introduce any characters in my reviews as a rule since so many people do, so if you're looking for that info, keep scanning the reviews. I will tell you how I classify the book and what I thought about the story.
The story line is solid enough, though I wish there were more background offered up front. There isn't a lot of world building, and you learn the magic "rules" as the story unfolds. I will say that I really like the main character and his bonded shadow familiar and find their relationship touching. He's definitely one of those perfectly imperfect characters, with the skills of an assassin with a kind heart and a drive for honor, justice and integrity.
The magic and magic beings he encounters are interesting, but there's more focus on the characters and their personalities, rather than the type of beings they are and what they can do or where they are from.
What I do really like, is Aral and Triss. I like them as characters and the stories are interesting and engaging. I rate them between a 3-4 because I really do enjoy the stories, but they aren't phenomenal or really stand out. I do recommend them for people who like the Iron Druid and sequences like that.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 update: holds up great. super easy to blitz through these books, but they're still smart and interesting. Expanding the cast beyond Aral (who remains the focus) doesn't hurt one bit.

************
I am having a little trouble classifying these books; on the one hand, the tone is very low fantasy, trading on the dirty end of the street, with the crooks and assassins and so forth. On the other hand, the magic is pretty serious and higher end, as befits a high fantasy tale. In the end it doesn’t matter: these are really fun and enjoyable books.

One of the things McCullough is doing well is wrestling with Aral’s moral orientation and development as he adjusts to no longer having a divine mandate for anything he does. It’s being handled very nicely, especially with Aral bringing Triss into the middle of it, making his familiar consider moral questions his kind may have never dealt with before.

The plot on this one is gripping, with more fallen blades coming into the picture. Aral has acted like he was the last, even though we knew there were survivors of the fall of Namara and the temple, so it’s good to have more of his brethren in the mix, because of how their attempts to adapt to the new reality grate up against his.

One minor problem I have: Aral is jokingly referred to as “old” by Faran, in that way that teenagers do to anyone over 20. But Aral does have that world-weariness that someone with more age have...but he’s repeatedly referred to as under 30. Not sure that age really fits, even if he’s someone who has lived a lot. It’s a small quibble, but it does mess up the timelines a bit. It’s been six years since the fall of the temple, and before that Aral not only became the Kingslayer, but also had time to get engaged, break it off, and have both of them move on? It could happen, but it just doesn’t quite feel right.

Anyways, I’m really enjoying these. The magic is fascinating, the politics are really well thought out, and the interpersonal relationships make you want to know more. The dangers are serious and there are consequences to every damn thing.

And seriously: nice to have something so tightly plotted while still getting depth. Deconstruction has gotten out of control in some cases.

[jD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aral and Triss have become two of my favorite fantasy characters. I love this series!

In this installment, Aral the Kingslayer comes face-to-face with his past. His former lover and Blade wants his help to rescue a few survivors from the destruction of Namara's temple. Aral did not know there were so many and that they were together. Of course, he can't trust his ex but he has to join the fight. Aral is still very wounded by the murder of his goddess by the Hand of Heaven who just happen to once again has possession of Namara's remaining Blades. They are mostly young trainees but they belonged to Namara so that's reason enough.

It's never simple for Aral so of course everything goes to hell PDQ. What Ms. McCullough does so well is reveal more of Aral's gifts as he slowly finds his way back from his own personal hell. His relationship with his shadow familiar, Triss, is well imagined and substantiated. You feel their love and respect for one another.

Crossed Blades takes the pair out of their kingdom and into other parts of their world. This gave me more of Ms. McCulllough's world-building skills. She is very visual without taking the reader out of the story. It all flows beautifully. The characters introduced in this story were important to Aral so they become important to me. They were not good people but they belonged to his story so I wanted them to live up to Aral's expectations -- some did, some didn't, and some were so much more than I expected.

This series is a winner. I highly recommend it to fantasy readers who love action, a vulnerable hero, and fully wrapped plot. These books are best read in sequence but they are complete stories.

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

So in Bared Blade, we learn that Aral (no longer Kingslayer) isn't as alone as we'd thought, there's another survivor of his sect out there, doing what she can ot survive and use the talents he'd been honing for her goddess. This time, we learn that there's at least two more Blades (holy assassins, like Aral) out there -- and a few trainees at various stages of development. In fact, Aral's former fiancée, Jax, has come looking for him specifically.

So, you'd think that knowing he's not as alone as we thought would help Aral cope, right? Not a chance.

Aral is compelled to go along with Jax on a rescue mission -- along the way, a lot of duplicity is uncovered and Jax and Aral learn a lot more about what led up to the day their order and their goddess were killed.

Oh, and then swords and knives were brought out and the blood started flowing. We're not talking Abercrombie or Martin levels -- but there was a lot of death and destruction. Aral was pretty mad, and got even madder.

And yeah, while a lot of this book was about Aral getting some payback, a most of it was exploring Aral's character (plenty of time spent with his apprentice and former flame, too) and how he's coping with all he's learning, his struggles with the bottle, and what's going to be next for him and his new face. On the whole, it seemed a whole lot less plott-y than the first two -- and it worked.

It's been two and a half years since I read a book in this series -- which is pretty embarrassing, because I thought I was behind by a book -- going to do my best to make sure that much time doesn't go by before I get to the next.

[Joseph Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and glad the story continues. The book felt like an episode in a miniseries and that is what it is. The relationship that began at the temple and serves to be the foundation of a future in this tale is an exciting development in this series. This book was a good read with some character development. The story has got me hooked. It's simple but still full of surprises.

Mr. Joe

[Marni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossed Blades by Kelly McCullough is the third in an entertaining and well thought out series of books. Aral Kingslayer, once the most famous of assassins, enters the series five years after losing everything. He is a broken man and a drunkard with a price on his head. In a way, these books are about his redemption, his ownership of responsibility, and his deep belief in justice.

McCullough creates a solid world with a fast paced story that holds you from start to finish. Her characters are solidly created with consistent growth and changes over time. Where the weight of the back story could easily drag a story down, the Fallen Blade novels never fall into that trap. The reader is given enough back story and the occasional flashback as needed, but it never slows the story down.

In this, the third Fallen Blade novel, Aral is a year from deciding that (1) he needs to climb out of the bottle, and (2) justice did not die with his goddess. He has a new face, and a new apprentice/daughter, and must deal with the return of his first love. This novel stands better as the third of three rather than alone, so I strongly recommend reading Broken Blade and Bared Blade, first.

[Laura Kehoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

McCullough's Fallen Blade novels gets better with each book. I love the mixture of humor and darker aspects. This book is full of magic, exciting battles, and interesting characters. As with the previous books in the series, it was impossible to put Crossed Blades down for long.

That being said, there were still a few things I wasn't as thrilled with. First off, while there were some mentions of the events in the first two books, it still felt like a completely separate story. I would have liked a little more incorporation of the past, especially those characters who were present in the first book but largely ignored in the second. Also, although this is actually a positive thing, I found myself wishing for a longer book. There was so much in this story and so many characters I am interested to learn more about. I felt myself closing the book and wanting more information and details.

All in all, however, I would recommend Crossed Blades. It was a great novel and I am eager to continue the series!

[Fantasy Literature · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelly McCullough’s FALLEN BLADE saga is a fun and fast moving fantasy series. I love a series that can incorporate humor along with the requisite action, magic and evil bad guys who need to be defeated. McCullough keeps things mockingly amusing by never letting the hero’s head get too big.

Crossed Blades tells the story of Aral, one time Blade of Namara before her fall. Since the death of his goddess, Aral’s life has been sad and dark, but the arrival of certain people and events are forcing him to drag himself out of the low life he has sunk to. With his new quasi-apprentice Faran keeping him on his toes, Aral is not yet ready to run into Jax, another former Blade of Namara, and his ex-fiancé. But Jax needs help. She has been through hard times and people who she is responsible for are in danger. Despite the risks and their unpleasant history, she has come to Tien looking for ... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...

[Lundos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the series is just easy to read and fun for fans of cloak and dagger fantasy. The first one had some issues with the writing and pacing, but the second two are fairly good books with the simple premise of finding reason to live when eveything you know is destroyed or taken from you. On top of this our 'hero', Aral, also have an insane personal life because he gave up everything for his cause and his God.
Heavy spoiler alert:

Then as Aral tries to pick up the remnants of life, he finds out his former best friend hated him and now is a traitor, his ex-fiancee slept with, well, several people he once called friends, and his former master and closest thing to a father is even worse - all for a pipedream. Damn, no wonder the main character is a broken drunk.

Looking forward to Aral's internal growth later on.

[Ian Yarington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like the series is getting really good and I like the relationship building with Jax and Faran. Especially Faran. Triss is a constant that I have been happy with but if I was going to complain about anything it would be the lack of stability in plots from the first book to this one. I feel like there is a little bit of jumping around and inconsistency that could have been put together a little better. That doesn't hurt the story that much however because I still enjoy each book and if you look at them as three separate books then it makes them easier to read individually rather than part of a series. Basically I take what I need in the history of the first two and apply it where needed and forget the rest and I really enjoyed it.

[Raman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book, but maybe fun is the wrong word. It was fun to read: it was fast paced, exciting, clear, and interesting. The events in the book are not very fun, not for the characters at least. The story progresses from where the last book left off, but it still felt like a completely separate story from the previous books. There is very little tying the books of this series together, which is taking some getting used to. I'm not a fan of series that simply track the adventures of the main characters, I like series that have a larger picture that develops over the course of the books.
But, it was still fun to read and I will read the next book when it comes out for sure.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Further adventures of the alcoholic ex-holy assassin. This time he has two badass woman co-stars, and discovers that his main challenge comes from his revered former teacher (loyalty issues, to go along with the drinking issues, etc!). Plenty of action, great chemistry, and a plot that more or less hangs together. Will try another one.

Memorable lines:

Is it possible to go back to certainty?

"You're trying to get me to think again, aren't you?" she demanded. "Well, it won't work."

I'm an assassin, one of the best, and I love my work even when I don't like it.

[Judith Brivulet · Rating 5 out of 5]

»Krieg der Klingen« ist der 3. Teil der Saga um Aral und Triss. Ich kann den Roman guten Gewissens allen Fantasy Fans empfehlen. Dieses Mal erzählt Kelly McCullough mehr über Arals Vergangenheit, denn er begegnet seiner früheren Liebe Jax. Sehr gut gefallen hat mir dabei, dass Aral der ermordeten Göttin nicht mehr so sehr nachtrauert, sondern beginnt, das Leben selbst in die Hand zu nehmen. Insgesamt liegt der Schwerpunkt eindeutig auf der magischen Seite, was ich persönlich sehr schätze. Nach wie vor gehört Triss zu meinen Favoriten.

[Michael Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to avidly devour this series and like it a bit better than the writing craft probably deserves. The characters, world, and capers continue to entertain and I have been well and truly hooked. While there is more of the repetition of themes that stood out a bit too much in the second book, it's tempered by new settings and an expansion of scope that puts the familiar into a new context. Must reading for those who liked the first two.

[Susana789 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Príbeh s menšími variáciami a s pridanými postavami pokračuje, ženské hrdinky (najmä adolescentná časť) sú veľmi vydareným osviežením a čítať o ženských aktérkach, ktoré sú "strong character" z mužskej perspektívy otvorí nové obzory. Empatia bez zbytočných patetických kecov, v ťažkých situáciách víťazí profesionalita nad citovosťou, žiadna násilná love-story a príbeh nepotláčajú do úzadia ani pokusy o emocionálnu (psycho)analýzu. Teším sa na ďalší diel.