The Swordsman

by William C. Heine

Towering over a world of slavery and savage splendors
He began as a shipyard slave. He killed to win his freedom. And rose to become seafaring master of a trading empire that reached from ancient Tyre, across the teeming Mediterranean world, to the magnificent city of Carthage, ruled by Baal, a deity served by human sacrifice.
Now, in a monumental saga of adventure and sensual pagan pleasures - a story as vast and exotic as Shogun - the Swordsman voyages across uncharted seas to the strange unknown land of the Maya...where he is greeted as a golden god from the sea.

Genres: Historical Fiction

245 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 1980

About the author

William C. Heine left New Brunswick in 1939 to spend six years in the Canadian Army and RCAF. He graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1949, Joined the London Free Press as a reporter, spent a decade on the paper's business side, and for seventeen years was editor-in-chief. Active in international journalist organizations, he travelled widely in North America, including the Arctic, and in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He authored of two novels and several non-fiction books

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the cover on this. Is it Sanjulian? Not sure. Although this art doesn't have anything to do with the story itself. This book was also published under the title Sea Lord. Now that cover matches the story a little better.

My copy comes to me as an old library book. From the Fred Landon Branch of the London Public Library to be specific. Let that sink in. I live in Alabama. This particular book has some mileage on it. Hmm.

Our setting is the ancient Mediterranean. Bronze age. Our protagonist, Merand is a slave who uses his wits to gain freedom, wealth, and fame. Those things are a mixed bag. Friends and enemies are made along the way. Merand also discovers something that most people of this age couldn't imagine or believe.

The Swordsman seems like a poor choice for a title for this work. Sure Merand learns to make and use swords, but there aren't very many battles to earn the appellation the Swordsman. Perhaps it refers to his trade as a metalsmith? Regardless I don't have a better choice to offer.

This is the third book I've read in recent memory in which characters find themselves on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean in a time before the west was discovered. God of Death and The Silver Skull

There isn't much action. This is a pretty tame historical fiction. Reminds me of Stephen Marlowe's or Edison Marshall's work.

Recommended, mostly if you like historical fiction about the ancient world.

[Al "Tank" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slave makes good.

Sounds boring? It's not. The story takes place before Christ. Rome has yet to take over the known world, but is a going city (we don't see too much of it). Carthage and Tyre are the "big noise" in the Mediterranean along with Greece and our story starts in Tyre, with Merand, born free in Greece, is working in the shipyards as a slave. He's been taught to read, write, and keep books. He's also been taught many shipbuilding skills.

Unfortunately, he's run afoul of a crown prince and his life isn't worth a copper bit. He finds shelter with a Jewish iron worker who follows Yahweh (Baal is the local "god").

From this unlikely beginning, the story takes off and its win or die for our intrepid hero.

[Sandra Dagg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have just finished this book, and I have to say that it took quite a while to get into it, mainly because it's not something I would normally choose to read. I have no idea how we acquired the book, it has been on our bookshelf for several years. I don't know how much research Mr. Heine did regarding the time he was writing about, I am assuming it was extensive, and I found the sacrificial scenes just horrendous, even though they were not overly lengthy in description...there was definitely enough to make me grateful I did not live in ancient times BC! The story itself was interesting, even though it was slow to draw me in. I don't know if I would read it again, not because it wasn't good, but simply because, as I said, it's not really my type of book. If you like reading stories of ancient times and exploration of unknown lands, then I definitely think you would enjoy this book, some of which takes place in ancient Carthage. I refuse to go into detail further, as I don't think a book review should retell the story, otherwise what's the point of reading the book? Suffice it to say I enjoyed it, after a slow start, and would recommend it to anyone interested in this particular time period in history.