Savage Messiah: The Destinies of Blood and Stone

The Destinies of Blood and Stone #1

by Robert Newcomb

Robert Newcomb’s dazzling debut trilogy, The Chronicles of Blood and Stone, introduced readers to the strange and wondrous land of Eutracia, and to the unforgettable characters of Prince Tristan and his sister, Shailiha, the Chosen Ones whose magically endowed blood gives them alone the power to unite the opposing forces of the beneficent Vigors and the evil Vagaries. Now, in Savage Messiah, the first volume in a sweeping new trilogy of magic, romance, and adventure, Newcomb returns to the world of his epic saga, unlocking fresh secrets and startling surprises.

With the demise of his evil half brother, Wulfgar, Prince Tristan restored peace to Eutracia . . . or so he thought. But the Orb of the Vigors was damaged in the climactic battle, and now the powerful artifact is bleeding magical energy and cutting a swath of death and destruction across the kingdom. Tristan can heal the wounded Orb, but not until his enchanted blood is returned to normal. Only then will the powers of the Vigors be his to command. Unfortunately, the secret of reversing the enchantment is lost.

Even worse, Wulfgar is neither dead nor defeated. Ensconced in his fortress across the Sea of Whispers, Tristan’s hideously scarred half brother plots with the Heretics, the otherworldly masters of the Vagaries. With their aid, Wulfgar has grown even stronger in the dark arts. Now, with powerful demonic servants and weapons of dire potency, Wulfgar sets forth to complete the destruction of the Orb . . . and to avenge himself on the Chosen Ones. Preceding him, he sends a brotherly greeting: a cunning assassin with orders to dispatch Eutracia’s ruling council.

Tristan and his trusted allies–the wise wizards Wigg and Faegan, the beautiful pirate Tyranny, and, dearest of all, his beloved Celeste–embark on a desperate quest to cleanse his blood. It is a journey that will lead from the Sea of Whispers to distant Parthalon to the mysterious Well of Forestallments, and it will change everything the Chosen Ones think they know about themselves and their destiny. If they should fail, the Orb will perish, and with it, the Vigors.

As for success, it may prove more costly still. . . .


From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

592 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Robert Newcomb travelled widely in his youth as a member of the American Institute for Foreign Study. He now lives in Florida. The Fifth Sorceress marked his début and is the first book in 'The Chronicles of Blood and Stone' trilogy. The second volume, The Gates of Dawn, is also published in Bantam paperback and the concluding novel, The Scrolls of the Ancients, in Bantam Press trade paperback.

Reviews

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book blurb: I have issue with you.
"Sweeping tale?" There is no sweeping in this series or book. Well, maybe some unseen servant chick is sweeping somewhere, but there definitely isn't any grand scope of some wondrous fantasy world. There's like, three places that exist, and they kind of all seem the same.
Okay, having complained about the false advertising, this book is not good. It might not be worse than the previous books which I gave two stars to, but by this point in the series I was really just tired of the poor quality of the writing and all the mistakes in general. I only got this far because I had the series and had nothing else to read. But I couldn't go any further than this book. It was the wall that I am never going to be able to surmount. If you've even gotten this far, I would advise you to stop while you have read less.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unless your a tween or younger these are a very boring. I'm speed reading this long series, just because there's nothing on TV. I wouldn't be surprised if the author used dice to create the characters and the plot. Some kid who's a gamer might find them interesting but the hype on the jacket is pure BS.

[Caro [The Book Rogue] · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the story, the world and the fantastic creatures that Newcomb creates are just awesome, but this is the fourth book and the characters have not developed as much as they should have in my opinion. The plot is still intresting, a good sequel, but the drama and range of the events seem a bit forced, unbalanced. Yet, once you start it and get into it, it's a really good sequel. Like in the books before, Newcomb makes your heart wretch for the first 4/5ths of the book because you feel with the main characters and you just can't see how this could turn out more of a bruise than a lethal wound, and then he turns it all around on the last 100-or-so pages! Even though the main part of the book is only worth 3 of 5 points, the end always makes you want to know what happens in the next novel, so I just can't wait to start A March into Darkness.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first two...having hope for the next to see if Tristan ever gets trained in the craft...

[James Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great start to the second part of this series of books. Looking forward to reading the last two books.