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The Two of Swords #9-15
The Two of Swords, Volume Two
The second volume in The Two of Swords trilogy by World Fantasy Award-winning author K.J. Parker.
"Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit."
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No-one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no-one knows how it will end.
The Two of Swords is the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of its soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
"Why are we fighting this war? Because evil must be resisted, and sooner or later there comes a time when men of principle have to make a stand. Because war is good for business and it's better to die on our feet than live on our knees. Because they started it. But at this stage in the proceedings," he added, with a slightly lop-sided grin, "mostly from force of habit."
A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No-one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no-one knows how it will end.
The Two of Swords is the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of its soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes.
390 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2017
101 people are currently reading
364 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Parker
134 books1,670 followersK.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 13, 2020
“Pick a card,” he said. “Any card.”
“Are you drunk?”
“Pick a f_cking card.”
The Powers That Be play a crooked game of cards with our lives. It may be the gods themselves, or the government, or the multinationals, or any of those secret organizations that like to pull the strings from the shadows. But for us simple mortals, the game is translated into neverending wars, plagues, misfortune and most probably, if you live in a K J Parker universe, into an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere.
Telamon, the Four of Swords, assassin emeritus for the secretive Lodge, is back to her old tricks at the start of this second collection of interlinked novellas that make up the ‘Two of Swords’ epic. But is she the player or the played? Who is pulling her strings and to what purpose? The first volume was like a giant puzzle with most of the pieces missing or like a Heroes of Might and Magic game map, with most of the areas left blank in the fog of war. The only clear thing was that there were two empires, Eastern and Western, fighting each other to the death for a multitude of absurd reasons.
Let’s try to make sense of this story once more:
“I have a proposition for you. I represent a vast secret organization dedicated to undermining civilisation, disseminating lies and false doctrine and spreading the plague to all major population centres. I’m looking for an operative to undertake interesting, demanding work, I’m a good employer, offering health care and a pension, and I have no silly prejudice against women. And whatever you’re getting at the moment, I’ll double it. What do you say?”
It sounds just like that old slogan: “Come join the armed forces. You get to travel the world, meet interesting people, and kill them!” Telamon is the recruited, Oida the musician/spy is the recruiter. He is also higher up in the Lodge’s secret hierarchy than the assassin, but that doesn’t mean much, as Oida himself is following orders from his unknown bosses.
From this point forward, the story follows a similar pattern to the first collection, jumping from one narrator to the next like a game of pass the baton. The return of familiar players, like Telamon, Oida, Senza Belot, Musen or Teucer, makes the story easier to follow while the introduction of new faces like Axio the highway robber, Chanso the barbarian archer, Lysao the love interest for the Belot brothers and philosophy teacher, Myrtus the guerilla officer and others, expand the game map considerably, dispel some of the fog and bring to the forefront of the ongoing war the question of the Lodge and of its motivations. What was hinted at in the first book is clearly stated now, towards the end of book two: The Lodge is playing a long game and is in fact sabotaging both the Eastern and the Western empires for its own goals.
>>><<<>>><<<
The rest of the review might be considered slightly spoilerish to those who didn’t pay attention to the small script from the previous events: there was always a
Lodge presence in every major battle and for every lead player!
>>><<<>>><<<
There’s now a third party in this war. They aren’t bothered if East and West stick to killing each other, but if we carry on burning out farms and forcibly enlisting the country people, we shouldn’t expect them to be so kind-hearted in the future.
The revelation may be surprising or not to the people recruited by the Lodge to be part of the magical game of cards being played here. More interesting is the rationale for the existence of the Lodge in the first place. Early hints appear in casual conversations between random strangers:
“Say, do you suppose, if it goes on much longer, there’ll be anybody left at all?”
or,
“This war is our chance. We’ve kept it going for so long that both sides are completely worn out and the world is sick of them.”
The war has been going on for so long, and the Belot brothers are so proficient at slaughter that the whole continent is depopulated, the economy is in ruins and the rule of law has collapsed. What the Lodge was secretly doing was to scout out talented craftsmen and to bring the most outstanding specimens under its fold:
“You collect people?”
These people may be warriors, poets, thieves, assassins, teachers, sculptors, diplomats, and so on. Somebody, either the mythical blacksmith founder of the Lodge or its secretive ruling Council, is putting together a special pool of talent that would usher in a new world order. In the economy of the novel, these people are the silver playing cards that can bend Fate or Fortune to the Lodge will.
A lot of unanswered questions remain (who runs the Lodge, why are so many mentions of the battlefield salvage company, on which side are the deadly Belot brothers, what role will Blemya play in the powerplay between East and West?) , more than enough to fill up the last collection in the epic and to guarantee the Lodge still has a few trick cards up its metaphorical sleeve.
>>><<<>>><<<
The story is too complex to be reduced to a paragraph long synopsis.
While the intellectual puzzle may be enough for a majority of readers, for me the real appeal is the familiarity of themes and the dark humour that makes a K J Parker novel both unique and an integral part of a bleak yet enduring worldview:
Life is full of intense frustrations and painful ironies, and yet here the human race still is, clinging grimly on and managing somehow.
Intense frustrations and painful ironies are the bread and butter of the Parker universe ever since my first foray into these worlds with “The Engineer” trilogy. Likewise is the author’s passion for craftsmen and for intelligent puzzles. The musician Oida articulates a sideways commentary on artistic expression that can be substituted for the whole attempt Parker makes to change the speculative fiction landscape: It may well be escapist, popular entertainment, but that doesn’t mean you don’t put your best efforts into it.
“And that’s why I earn good money. Because I can give people what they want. Not just the smart ones. Everybody.”
Another easily identified feature of a K J Parker fantasy setting is the quasi-absence of magic. This is deliberate, and one of the reasons is presented in a Lodge conversation:
I think where priests go wrong is asking people to believe in magic. Which is silly. They invent gods who can do stuff which is impossible; and when you stop and think about it, you know it can’t be true. You can’t split mountains down the middle with a frown, or fly without wings, or turn water into milk or wake the dead, and any system of values predicated on magic is obviously garbage. No, we believe in real stuff, like summer and sunrise and the germination of the seed, just as miraculous but we know it’s real, because we can see it. We can see people who need to eat bread to live, and we know that if you put a wheat seed in the ground and come back later, you’ve got bread to eat. Coincidence? I really don’t think so, do you?”
The engineer, the fencer, the military strategist, the farmer or the poet are held in higher esteem here than the priest or the wizard. As it should be, in a better world. These novels encourage critical thinking, both in terms of real world situations and regarding your preferences in fantasy epics. By concentrating on ethics, morality (who is the barbarian and who is civilized is another recurrent theme), choice instead of swords in stone brandished by dubious maidens, Parker is the kind of writer that could help bringing fantasy closer to the literary mainstream.
“That’s the thing,” he said. “Your soldierly virtues, like courage and self-sacrifice. It’s bloody disconcerting when you see the enemy has them, too. Life would be much easier if they were all treacherous cowards, but they aren’t.”
The war between Eastern and Western empires goes on, and I’m heading to the third and last volume for its conclusion.
“Are you drunk?”
“Pick a f_cking card.”
The Powers That Be play a crooked game of cards with our lives. It may be the gods themselves, or the government, or the multinationals, or any of those secret organizations that like to pull the strings from the shadows. But for us simple mortals, the game is translated into neverending wars, plagues, misfortune and most probably, if you live in a K J Parker universe, into an unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere.
Telamon, the Four of Swords, assassin emeritus for the secretive Lodge, is back to her old tricks at the start of this second collection of interlinked novellas that make up the ‘Two of Swords’ epic. But is she the player or the played? Who is pulling her strings and to what purpose? The first volume was like a giant puzzle with most of the pieces missing or like a Heroes of Might and Magic game map, with most of the areas left blank in the fog of war. The only clear thing was that there were two empires, Eastern and Western, fighting each other to the death for a multitude of absurd reasons.
Let’s try to make sense of this story once more:
“I have a proposition for you. I represent a vast secret organization dedicated to undermining civilisation, disseminating lies and false doctrine and spreading the plague to all major population centres. I’m looking for an operative to undertake interesting, demanding work, I’m a good employer, offering health care and a pension, and I have no silly prejudice against women. And whatever you’re getting at the moment, I’ll double it. What do you say?”
It sounds just like that old slogan: “Come join the armed forces. You get to travel the world, meet interesting people, and kill them!” Telamon is the recruited, Oida the musician/spy is the recruiter. He is also higher up in the Lodge’s secret hierarchy than the assassin, but that doesn’t mean much, as Oida himself is following orders from his unknown bosses.
From this point forward, the story follows a similar pattern to the first collection, jumping from one narrator to the next like a game of pass the baton. The return of familiar players, like Telamon, Oida, Senza Belot, Musen or Teucer, makes the story easier to follow while the introduction of new faces like Axio the highway robber, Chanso the barbarian archer, Lysao the love interest for the Belot brothers and philosophy teacher, Myrtus the guerilla officer and others, expand the game map considerably, dispel some of the fog and bring to the forefront of the ongoing war the question of the Lodge and of its motivations. What was hinted at in the first book is clearly stated now, towards the end of book two: The Lodge is playing a long game and is in fact sabotaging both the Eastern and the Western empires for its own goals.
>>><<<>>><<<
The rest of the review might be considered slightly spoilerish to those who didn’t pay attention to the small script from the previous events: there was always a
Lodge presence in every major battle and for every lead player!
>>><<<>>><<<
There’s now a third party in this war. They aren’t bothered if East and West stick to killing each other, but if we carry on burning out farms and forcibly enlisting the country people, we shouldn’t expect them to be so kind-hearted in the future.
The revelation may be surprising or not to the people recruited by the Lodge to be part of the magical game of cards being played here. More interesting is the rationale for the existence of the Lodge in the first place. Early hints appear in casual conversations between random strangers:
“Say, do you suppose, if it goes on much longer, there’ll be anybody left at all?”
or,
“This war is our chance. We’ve kept it going for so long that both sides are completely worn out and the world is sick of them.”
The war has been going on for so long, and the Belot brothers are so proficient at slaughter that the whole continent is depopulated, the economy is in ruins and the rule of law has collapsed. What the Lodge was secretly doing was to scout out talented craftsmen and to bring the most outstanding specimens under its fold:
“You collect people?”
These people may be warriors, poets, thieves, assassins, teachers, sculptors, diplomats, and so on. Somebody, either the mythical blacksmith founder of the Lodge or its secretive ruling Council, is putting together a special pool of talent that would usher in a new world order. In the economy of the novel, these people are the silver playing cards that can bend Fate or Fortune to the Lodge will.
A lot of unanswered questions remain (who runs the Lodge, why are so many mentions of the battlefield salvage company, on which side are the deadly Belot brothers, what role will Blemya play in the powerplay between East and West?) , more than enough to fill up the last collection in the epic and to guarantee the Lodge still has a few trick cards up its metaphorical sleeve.
>>><<<>>><<<
The story is too complex to be reduced to a paragraph long synopsis.
While the intellectual puzzle may be enough for a majority of readers, for me the real appeal is the familiarity of themes and the dark humour that makes a K J Parker novel both unique and an integral part of a bleak yet enduring worldview:
Life is full of intense frustrations and painful ironies, and yet here the human race still is, clinging grimly on and managing somehow.
Intense frustrations and painful ironies are the bread and butter of the Parker universe ever since my first foray into these worlds with “The Engineer” trilogy. Likewise is the author’s passion for craftsmen and for intelligent puzzles. The musician Oida articulates a sideways commentary on artistic expression that can be substituted for the whole attempt Parker makes to change the speculative fiction landscape: It may well be escapist, popular entertainment, but that doesn’t mean you don’t put your best efforts into it.
“And that’s why I earn good money. Because I can give people what they want. Not just the smart ones. Everybody.”
Another easily identified feature of a K J Parker fantasy setting is the quasi-absence of magic. This is deliberate, and one of the reasons is presented in a Lodge conversation:
I think where priests go wrong is asking people to believe in magic. Which is silly. They invent gods who can do stuff which is impossible; and when you stop and think about it, you know it can’t be true. You can’t split mountains down the middle with a frown, or fly without wings, or turn water into milk or wake the dead, and any system of values predicated on magic is obviously garbage. No, we believe in real stuff, like summer and sunrise and the germination of the seed, just as miraculous but we know it’s real, because we can see it. We can see people who need to eat bread to live, and we know that if you put a wheat seed in the ground and come back later, you’ve got bread to eat. Coincidence? I really don’t think so, do you?”
The engineer, the fencer, the military strategist, the farmer or the poet are held in higher esteem here than the priest or the wizard. As it should be, in a better world. These novels encourage critical thinking, both in terms of real world situations and regarding your preferences in fantasy epics. By concentrating on ethics, morality (who is the barbarian and who is civilized is another recurrent theme), choice instead of swords in stone brandished by dubious maidens, Parker is the kind of writer that could help bringing fantasy closer to the literary mainstream.
“That’s the thing,” he said. “Your soldierly virtues, like courage and self-sacrifice. It’s bloody disconcerting when you see the enemy has them, too. Life would be much easier if they were all treacherous cowards, but they aren’t.”
The war between Eastern and Western empires goes on, and I’m heading to the third and last volume for its conclusion.
October 23, 2023
An easy five stars. So that’s all right, then.
May 13, 2022
The saga of the Two of Swords continues with this volume of another 7 or 8 novellas. We know that the massive Empire has divided into two-- East and West-- and they have been at war for years, each side lead by a general who is 'unbeatable', and who also happen to be brothers. What started the war? What will end it? Parker leaves us guessing still at these questions even while this installment gives us more insight to the 'Lodge'; a quasi religious organization that operates in both the East and West. Once again, Parker nimbly switches POVs with a 'hand-off' at the end of each chapter/novella, with someone introduced in one chapter becoming the lead in the next. By now, however, we have some repeated protagonists which is great as I really like Oida and Telamon. Oida is a 'neutral' famous singer/musician who travels everywhere, and is also a member of the Lodge, often doing dastardly deeds along the way. Telamon is a former slave rescued by the Lodge and now working as an agent, often with Oida, also doing the bidding of the lodge. Teleman is probably the most developed of the characters in the saga thusfar and she rocks! Parker also fleshes out a bit more detail about the other states in the world; largely small, but one, located between East and West, has a young female queen who keeps popping up in the tales.
I am not sure what it is about Parker that makes his writing so engaging and this is the 10th book of his I have read. He uses the same basic template for his fantasy, a decaying but ancient quasi-feudal world and gives us many historical references to 'better times' in the past. These little anecdotes are always fun, with many lightly veiled references to real history. He also uses snarky dialogue to move the stories along with some dark humor tossed in as well.
We do get some big reveals in this second installment regarding the Lodge, but I will leave those out due to spoilers. Once again, good stuff! 3.5 snarky stars, rounding up!
I am not sure what it is about Parker that makes his writing so engaging and this is the 10th book of his I have read. He uses the same basic template for his fantasy, a decaying but ancient quasi-feudal world and gives us many historical references to 'better times' in the past. These little anecdotes are always fun, with many lightly veiled references to real history. He also uses snarky dialogue to move the stories along with some dark humor tossed in as well.
We do get some big reveals in this second installment regarding the Lodge, but I will leave those out due to spoilers. Once again, good stuff! 3.5 snarky stars, rounding up!
August 29, 2019
The second volume in this trilogy compiled from 23 earlier novellas. I continue to enjoy KJ Parker’s style and I’ve found this epic story to be quite absorbing.
As in volume 1 a rather interesting POV approach for the main characters continues to be used. We get to know someone well over a dozen to a few dozen pages, but then the storyline moves in a direction where that character is effectively no longer required, so someone else introduced a little earlier in the story, and often linked to the previous main POV, takes over the third person narration and continues the story. So, a continuity of a storyline, though often in sharply changing directions, as seen from a smoothly changing sequence of third person POVs. Some of the POVs are of ‘national standing’ (emperor, generals, etc); others are ordinary soldiers or peasants. Clearly this allows the conflict outlined in this book to be seen at a number of levels in society. As of the end of volume 2 I can see that some of the characters introduced and then discarded earlier in the story do reappear - but many haven’t (so far!).
I’m reminded of the expression ‘it’s not the destination but the journey....’ when I’m reading Parker’s stories and especially for this trilogy. For example, there are plenty of descriptions of long journeys by various characters. This ‘padding’ has annoyed me in some other fantasy author’s works but Parker writes excellent prose, and uses these stages in the book so well, to develop the character and the relations between characters in the story, often with sharp witty dialogue. Action has its place in this story but characterisations seem more important. For example, the tale of Major Genseric and his mission over just 30 or so pages was especially poignant.
Only now, at the end of volume 2, is a possible indication starting to emerge of where the overall story may be heading. So far we’ve seen almost unending, ruinous conflict between two halves of a once unified empire, sucking in the occasional neutral country, and the involvement of an increasingly active and important Lodge (a secret society modelled on the Masons, and Guilds, of medieval and Renaissance society). There’s also the deck of playing cards so beloved of the Lodge. Although there’s now a suggestion of how the conflict may evolve, given the cleverness of Parker’s storylines there’s every chance that things will not go smoothly in that direction. So, bring on volume 3.......
As in volume 1 a rather interesting POV approach for the main characters continues to be used. We get to know someone well over a dozen to a few dozen pages, but then the storyline moves in a direction where that character is effectively no longer required, so someone else introduced a little earlier in the story, and often linked to the previous main POV, takes over the third person narration and continues the story. So, a continuity of a storyline, though often in sharply changing directions, as seen from a smoothly changing sequence of third person POVs. Some of the POVs are of ‘national standing’ (emperor, generals, etc); others are ordinary soldiers or peasants. Clearly this allows the conflict outlined in this book to be seen at a number of levels in society. As of the end of volume 2 I can see that some of the characters introduced and then discarded earlier in the story do reappear - but many haven’t (so far!).
I’m reminded of the expression ‘it’s not the destination but the journey....’ when I’m reading Parker’s stories and especially for this trilogy. For example, there are plenty of descriptions of long journeys by various characters. This ‘padding’ has annoyed me in some other fantasy author’s works but Parker writes excellent prose, and uses these stages in the book so well, to develop the character and the relations between characters in the story, often with sharp witty dialogue. Action has its place in this story but characterisations seem more important. For example, the tale of Major Genseric and his mission over just 30 or so pages was especially poignant.
Only now, at the end of volume 2, is a possible indication starting to emerge of where the overall story may be heading. So far we’ve seen almost unending, ruinous conflict between two halves of a once unified empire, sucking in the occasional neutral country, and the involvement of an increasingly active and important Lodge (a secret society modelled on the Masons, and Guilds, of medieval and Renaissance society). There’s also the deck of playing cards so beloved of the Lodge. Although there’s now a suggestion of how the conflict may evolve, given the cleverness of Parker’s storylines there’s every chance that things will not go smoothly in that direction. So, bring on volume 3.......
March 6, 2018
4.5 stars. Will do a full review once I finish this series
March 4, 2018
4/5 Rating Review first posted at MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape
If you liked Volume 1, then you’re going to like Volume 2 even more!
*Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for nothing... yeah, told me I didn't have to read, review, or even make a post I got it!
**The Two of Sword series was originally a serial novella series from 2015 through the end 2017, with a single novella coming out each month. There were 19 parts in total, and upon collection, they were broken up into a 3 volume set. The Two of Swords, Volume 2 contains the novellas 9 to 15.
This is actually going to be a very easy review of write. That's because, for the most part, it was like I read Volume 1 all over again. By that I mean you could go back and read my review of Volume 1 and everything I said, praises and critics, hold up for Volume 2! Well, except for a couple added praises ;)
If Forza dead? Did Senzo finally kill his brother? No one knows. Not East. Not the West. Not even the Lodge knows truth. And until this is officially cleared up everyone is afraid to make a move...
Except for the move that was made by Emperor Glauca before: the deal for the Silver Pack.
Again, I can't go more into the plot, because each novella is a different character, and with each character comes a different plot. However, I will say that we do start off with Telamon and then Oida as our first two POVs, and while there isn't an exact timeline given, I would guess that it takes place roughly several months after the end events of Volume 1.
Including Oida, I believe we had 6 new POV characters! Yeah, so that brings the total up to 13 now? And as last time, the story continues in a linear, not a second missed, being handed off from character to character, fashion. In my opinion, it just as if not more impressive than last time because of the fact that he has still be able to do it effectively for all this time. The only exception to this skipping or more than a few seconds between novellas, was to start this Volume (but I believe that was done to both give to the reader a sense of complete with the first book, and to help progress the plot).
My only criticism come down to the same two elements again: lack of recurring POV characters and pacing. Of those 6 new POV characters, 3 off them right off the bat, I was very stubborn to give in to. One them, a young man named "Chantant mi Chanso, actually became my favorite character this time, while another man (whose novella I gave the 3.5 Rating too), I never grew to enjoy and the "slow moments" of his plot felt far slower and persistent than any other.
That brings to my only other criticism: the pacing. This is just the way Parker writes. At times it feels like I am reading a history. Sometimes I am 100% into that, and other times I just skim those bits of world-building to get back to the plot. Outside of that one novella though, I personally felt that those times of lull were much sparse than previously.
The last thing I was want to mention is how amazing this plot it. First, with this book we finally get to see what going on in the The Lodge! (kind of..) And the one thing I kept wonder, while I was loving where this story was going and was constantly being hit surprises... I had no idea where it was going! I was starting worried about how Parker was going to wrap thing up, because I didn't even know what direction to look in for the end game. It wasn't until the last part of the last novella that Parker flipped his card and showed us where this story is going ;) I can't wait to see how he's going to do it, with only 8 novella left.
If you liked Volume 1, then you're going to like Volume 2 even more! The good parts get better, and the minor annoyance subside greatly! If you weren't feeling Volume 1 - wether it be because of Parker's writing style or the plot - look at what I had to say again, and depending on your reasoning, you may want to continue on.
Breakdown of novellas:
Part Nine: 4/5
Part Ten: 4/5
Part Eleven: 4/5
Part Twelve: 4/5
Part Thirteen: 3.5/5
Part Fourteen: 4/5
Part Fifteen: 4/5
4/5 Rating
-DJ
If you liked Volume 1, then you’re going to like Volume 2 even more!
*Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for nothing... yeah, told me I didn't have to read, review, or even make a post I got it!
**The Two of Sword series was originally a serial novella series from 2015 through the end 2017, with a single novella coming out each month. There were 19 parts in total, and upon collection, they were broken up into a 3 volume set. The Two of Swords, Volume 2 contains the novellas 9 to 15.
This is actually going to be a very easy review of write. That's because, for the most part, it was like I read Volume 1 all over again. By that I mean you could go back and read my review of Volume 1 and everything I said, praises and critics, hold up for Volume 2! Well, except for a couple added praises ;)
If Forza dead? Did Senzo finally kill his brother? No one knows. Not East. Not the West. Not even the Lodge knows truth. And until this is officially cleared up everyone is afraid to make a move...
Except for the move that was made by Emperor Glauca before: the deal for the Silver Pack.
Again, I can't go more into the plot, because each novella is a different character, and with each character comes a different plot. However, I will say that we do start off with Telamon and then Oida as our first two POVs, and while there isn't an exact timeline given, I would guess that it takes place roughly several months after the end events of Volume 1.
Including Oida, I believe we had 6 new POV characters! Yeah, so that brings the total up to 13 now? And as last time, the story continues in a linear, not a second missed, being handed off from character to character, fashion. In my opinion, it just as if not more impressive than last time because of the fact that he has still be able to do it effectively for all this time. The only exception to this skipping or more than a few seconds between novellas, was to start this Volume (but I believe that was done to both give to the reader a sense of complete with the first book, and to help progress the plot).
My only criticism come down to the same two elements again: lack of recurring POV characters and pacing. Of those 6 new POV characters, 3 off them right off the bat, I was very stubborn to give in to. One them, a young man named "Chantant mi Chanso, actually became my favorite character this time, while another man (whose novella I gave the 3.5 Rating too), I never grew to enjoy and the "slow moments" of his plot felt far slower and persistent than any other.
That brings to my only other criticism: the pacing. This is just the way Parker writes. At times it feels like I am reading a history. Sometimes I am 100% into that, and other times I just skim those bits of world-building to get back to the plot. Outside of that one novella though, I personally felt that those times of lull were much sparse than previously.
The last thing I was want to mention is how amazing this plot it. First, with this book we finally get to see what going on in the The Lodge! (kind of..) And the one thing I kept wonder, while I was loving where this story was going and was constantly being hit surprises... I had no idea where it was going! I was starting worried about how Parker was going to wrap thing up, because I didn't even know what direction to look in for the end game. It wasn't until the last part of the last novella that Parker flipped his card and showed us where this story is going ;) I can't wait to see how he's going to do it, with only 8 novella left.
If you liked Volume 1, then you're going to like Volume 2 even more! The good parts get better, and the minor annoyance subside greatly! If you weren't feeling Volume 1 - wether it be because of Parker's writing style or the plot - look at what I had to say again, and depending on your reasoning, you may want to continue on.
Breakdown of novellas:
Part Nine: 4/5
Part Ten: 4/5
Part Eleven: 4/5
Part Twelve: 4/5
Part Thirteen: 3.5/5
Part Fourteen: 4/5
Part Fifteen: 4/5
4/5 Rating
-DJ
May 3, 2021
Where the first volume was an examination of war, this second is all about the Lodge.
--What do they believe in? ()
--Who is in charge? ()
--How do they grow? ()
--What are their goals? ()
--What are they willing to do to accomplish this? ()
The indoctrination chapter is casually chilling. New recruit Chanso is brought up on bogus charges in Lodge school. The charges are resolved with permanent probation status once he stipulates to the string of falsehoods presented to him about his nonexistent guilt. It's Orwellian. Truth is whatever the Principal says it is. Chanso is even instructed to avoid thoughtcrime going forward.
The v2 chain of POV characters
We get some answers to the long list of v1 cliffhangers:
--What did the Western empire so desperately want with Teucer the farmboy archer?
--Will Telamon recover from her torture session at the hands of Senza? S
--Will Daxin get out from under the false treason charges in Blemya?
--Is Forza alive or dead?
--Will Oida be able to orchestrate the deaths of the entire royal line so he can attain the throne?
--What is this second war that the Masons are planning?
And an abundance of new cliffhangers:
--What will become of Telamon now that she is scarred into uselessness?
--Where did Axio disappear to?
--Why did Lysao ride to the East Empire after working so hard to avoid Senza?
--Did Corason survive Chanso's arrow and Eufro's kick to the head? Did his loyalty to the Lodge survive her betrayal?
--What state are Senza and Forza in?
--Is Oida a fortunate fool or a master puppeteer?
--What do they believe in? ()
--Who is in charge? ()
--How do they grow? ()
--What are their goals? ()
--What are they willing to do to accomplish this? ()
The indoctrination chapter is casually chilling. New recruit Chanso is brought up on bogus charges in Lodge school. The charges are resolved with permanent probation status once he stipulates to the string of falsehoods presented to him about his nonexistent guilt. It's Orwellian. Truth is whatever the Principal says it is. Chanso is even instructed to avoid thoughtcrime going forward.
The v2 chain of POV characters
We get some answers to the long list of v1 cliffhangers:
--What did the Western empire so desperately want with Teucer the farmboy archer?
--Will Telamon recover from her torture session at the hands of Senza? S
--Will Daxin get out from under the false treason charges in Blemya?
--Is Forza alive or dead?
--Will Oida be able to orchestrate the deaths of the entire royal line so he can attain the throne?
--What is this second war that the Masons are planning?
And an abundance of new cliffhangers:
--What will become of Telamon now that she is scarred into uselessness?
--Where did Axio disappear to?
--Why did Lysao ride to the East Empire after working so hard to avoid Senza?
--Did Corason survive Chanso's arrow and Eufro's kick to the head? Did his loyalty to the Lodge survive her betrayal?
--What state are Senza and Forza in?
--Is Oida a fortunate fool or a master puppeteer?
May 10, 2018
I don't know if I'm more engaged now or if it's some other reason, but I found the second volume even more intriguing than the first. Little by little, the underlying plot behind all the war and machinations are being revealed. Who is the mysterious leader? Who is the woman at the end?
Again, I admire the way we see each of the characters, or "players" in this vast game from multiple perspectives. Sometimes we follow them, sometimes a player we followed earlier crosses paths with the one we are following now and we get to pick up the piece and examine it from a different angle. Brilliantly done and I've never gotten tired of a character, nor particularly sad that we haven't gone back to revisit past ones (though I would like to see more of Emperor Glauca).
Once again, I receive a no-strings-attached copy from the publisher, which I gratefully appreciate.
Again, I admire the way we see each of the characters, or "players" in this vast game from multiple perspectives. Sometimes we follow them, sometimes a player we followed earlier crosses paths with the one we are following now and we get to pick up the piece and examine it from a different angle. Brilliantly done and I've never gotten tired of a character, nor particularly sad that we haven't gone back to revisit past ones (though I would like to see more of Emperor Glauca).
Once again, I receive a no-strings-attached copy from the publisher, which I gratefully appreciate.
July 17, 2018
Even better than volume one! An easy five stars.
We return to a few previous POV characters from the first book, and new POVs chance upon even more old friends. If anything, that makes this style of seamless POV flow even more impressive: the interconnectivity is great, few characters are left without some sort of development, and suddenly realizing what a forgotten character has accomplished (or fallen to) after all this time adds another dimension to an already many-layered story. A lot more is explained (especially as regards the Lodge), and you're left asking more questions than you ever thought to ask at the end of volume one.
I've officially crowned K.J. Parker my new favorite author, and his rule is currently indisputable.
We return to a few previous POV characters from the first book, and new POVs chance upon even more old friends. If anything, that makes this style of seamless POV flow even more impressive: the interconnectivity is great, few characters are left without some sort of development, and suddenly realizing what a forgotten character has accomplished (or fallen to) after all this time adds another dimension to an already many-layered story. A lot more is explained (especially as regards the Lodge), and you're left asking more questions than you ever thought to ask at the end of volume one.
I've officially crowned K.J. Parker my new favorite author, and his rule is currently indisputable.
February 13, 2021
My favorite series at the moment ✨✨✨
TL;DR:
Read this series if you are a hobby detective and want to go on a fact finding mission about a secret society across three books with cool characters and settings
The Two of Swords trilogy features many different POVs and plots (many never to be seen again), so that it easy to lose sight of the trees in the middle of the forest.
Even though at first glance, having so many angles seems complicated, the fundamental plot is very simple. It's about the LODGE.
The Lodge is a secret, semi-religious organization that could easily be called a combination of Illuminati, Freemasons and the historic Order of Assassins. Like the Illuminati, they teach and believe a strict religious doctrine that features a codex of loyalty that members adhere to. Like Freemasons, they teach, among other things, the reading of future and past in a deck of (Tarot) cards, while claiming to be modern and against such hocus pocus. Also like Freemasons, the Lodge owns high ranking members of royalty, nobility, merchants, basically directing all decisions that are being made, everywhere. Like the Order of Assassins, members are sent on long-term infiltration missions while remaining loyal to the mother organization and sometimes executing orders of killing people that they spent years watching and pretending to be friends with. It's the good stuff.
In Book 1, readers had to first puzzle out that there IS a lodge. That the lodge is secretive and nearly anarchic in its intransparent leadership hierarchy. That the lodge is recruiting. That the lodge is, quite obviously, planning something. That way more people are in the lodge than anyone could guess.
In Book 2, the question the entire trilogy is posing is much more prominent: what is the lodge up to? What's the endgame? There are, again, many many characters. Every chapter begins with a new POV. But I am on an undeterred fact-finding mission. I have a whole document on my smartphone's note-filing app for both the long list of POVs and characters and what they told me about the lodge, as well as a detailed list of the Tarot-esque cards that appear, their number and their meaning. I have the complete "face cards", aka the Major Arcana, compiled, by the way, only I am missing a few of their corresponding numbers.
Reading these books isn't so much like going on an adventure. It's clearly a lengthy detective novel, and readers are the detectives.
In terms of style, I would compare this to Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo: while that famous huge sprawling serial novel starts straightforward enough following the main character (poor Dantès) who gets fucked over and spends ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit, it later shifts to a myriad of characters, some of whom we do not recognize directly, and we try the rest of the book to find Dantès and figure out what on earth he's up to and how he will mete out his terrible revenge. Of course, all of the mystery amplifies the extreme amazingness of Dantès as the Count.
The Lodge is like that, only there is never more than a glimpse offered at the Lodge, and we get no POV that directly offers us motives or emotions. It's fascinating.
I read a boat-ton of trashy books every year, and rarely is it that I am actually invested in figuring a mystery in a book out. Mostly I either figure it out too quickly because the author underestimated readers and gave away too many clues, or the mystery is not interesting enough for me to care about. In this case, I feel like I'm on a mission to figure out a challenging mystery that feels like it's worth my time and effort. The clues are so hidden at first in the interwoven narrative that I am 110% sure a re-read will be in order and much improve the first read through. I love it when knowledge isn't slapped in my face, I like to work for it.
It helps that I love Tarot and I see the clear connection between the card deck in the book and the deck of Tarot cards that exists in out world. The parallels are striking and while strong, not too obvious, so that I still have some things to gnaw over while contemplating which card is which.
While the mystery is a great added bonus, I am in general a huge fan of KJ Parker's style and prose. While writing, he explains very little. His dialogue is never explained afterwards by the POV character, a pitfall many YA and romance books fall into. And still, while reading, we collect a wealth of information from subtle clues. I like that.
5 full stars for this everything sandwich among books
TL;DR:
Read this series if you are a hobby detective and want to go on a fact finding mission about a secret society across three books with cool characters and settings
The Two of Swords trilogy features many different POVs and plots (many never to be seen again), so that it easy to lose sight of the trees in the middle of the forest.
Even though at first glance, having so many angles seems complicated, the fundamental plot is very simple. It's about the LODGE.
The Lodge is a secret, semi-religious organization that could easily be called a combination of Illuminati, Freemasons and the historic Order of Assassins. Like the Illuminati, they teach and believe a strict religious doctrine that features a codex of loyalty that members adhere to. Like Freemasons, they teach, among other things, the reading of future and past in a deck of (Tarot) cards, while claiming to be modern and against such hocus pocus. Also like Freemasons, the Lodge owns high ranking members of royalty, nobility, merchants, basically directing all decisions that are being made, everywhere. Like the Order of Assassins, members are sent on long-term infiltration missions while remaining loyal to the mother organization and sometimes executing orders of killing people that they spent years watching and pretending to be friends with. It's the good stuff.
In Book 1, readers had to first puzzle out that there IS a lodge. That the lodge is secretive and nearly anarchic in its intransparent leadership hierarchy. That the lodge is recruiting. That the lodge is, quite obviously, planning something. That way more people are in the lodge than anyone could guess.
In Book 2, the question the entire trilogy is posing is much more prominent: what is the lodge up to? What's the endgame? There are, again, many many characters. Every chapter begins with a new POV. But I am on an undeterred fact-finding mission. I have a whole document on my smartphone's note-filing app for both the long list of POVs and characters and what they told me about the lodge, as well as a detailed list of the Tarot-esque cards that appear, their number and their meaning. I have the complete "face cards", aka the Major Arcana, compiled, by the way, only I am missing a few of their corresponding numbers.
Reading these books isn't so much like going on an adventure. It's clearly a lengthy detective novel, and readers are the detectives.
In terms of style, I would compare this to Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo: while that famous huge sprawling serial novel starts straightforward enough following the main character (poor Dantès) who gets fucked over and spends ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit, it later shifts to a myriad of characters, some of whom we do not recognize directly, and we try the rest of the book to find Dantès and figure out what on earth he's up to and how he will mete out his terrible revenge. Of course, all of the mystery amplifies the extreme amazingness of Dantès as the Count.
The Lodge is like that, only there is never more than a glimpse offered at the Lodge, and we get no POV that directly offers us motives or emotions. It's fascinating.
I read a boat-ton of trashy books every year, and rarely is it that I am actually invested in figuring a mystery in a book out. Mostly I either figure it out too quickly because the author underestimated readers and gave away too many clues, or the mystery is not interesting enough for me to care about. In this case, I feel like I'm on a mission to figure out a challenging mystery that feels like it's worth my time and effort. The clues are so hidden at first in the interwoven narrative that I am 110% sure a re-read will be in order and much improve the first read through. I love it when knowledge isn't slapped in my face, I like to work for it.
It helps that I love Tarot and I see the clear connection between the card deck in the book and the deck of Tarot cards that exists in out world. The parallels are striking and while strong, not too obvious, so that I still have some things to gnaw over while contemplating which card is which.
While the mystery is a great added bonus, I am in general a huge fan of KJ Parker's style and prose. While writing, he explains very little. His dialogue is never explained afterwards by the POV character, a pitfall many YA and romance books fall into. And still, while reading, we collect a wealth of information from subtle clues. I like that.
5 full stars for this everything sandwich among books
January 11, 2020
Sólida segunda parte
September 5, 2018
If I got to paraphrase Al Pacino, when I thought I was done with this book, it pulled me back in. I really admire how KJ Parker uses a different character in each chapter. Some survive while others just suddenly get killed off. It kept me on my toes and I had no idea where the story was going until the climax. And by then the ending still stunned me. If there is one serious flaw this series has its from Parker's dialogue. No one would ever talk in real life like the characters do in this book. Every chapter has one moment where the POV character goes into a three-paragraph length on some interesting/mundane thing like fishing or being a carving, especially if its a thief going into detail on fortune telling. Yet Parker makes the description fascinating. I could go on for hours about how interesting this book is, but I think i'll stop. Its a complex, chaotic, jigsaw puzzle of a story that I can't wait to read more of. Definitely a book that you need to pay attention, word for word, but it is so worth it.
July 30, 2019
Like Volume One, what am I reading?
The story unfolds, the characters get more interesting, war still rages, do both brothers still live? More characters enter and go. But you keep on reading because the story is well written, has humor, can be tense and surprising at times. It's fun.
Why do we have named chapters this time? Why the cards? What's the Lodge and what's it up to?
It looks like we get a glimpse of the future at the end of this volume. Or is it...
On to Volume Three! Loving it!
The story unfolds, the characters get more interesting, war still rages, do both brothers still live? More characters enter and go. But you keep on reading because the story is well written, has humor, can be tense and surprising at times. It's fun.
Why do we have named chapters this time? Why the cards? What's the Lodge and what's it up to?
It looks like we get a glimpse of the future at the end of this volume. Or is it...
On to Volume Three! Loving it!
May 10, 2018
Honestly, I'm not sure I'm ready for book three. I enjoy the plot, and I almost enjoy the constant change of characters. You do get the feeling that you know what is going on everywhere all at once. Or at the very least you're getting enough glimpses of individuals lives that you know the world really well. But there are a lot of downsides to this style of writing. For instance, I have now finished two books, and I can only name about three characters, and I'm not sure I know anyone's full story. Not that there is much of a reason to become attached to any one character, because many characters seem to make a one-time appearance and vanish into the vastness of the book. My husband keeps asking me I'm enjoying the book and I keep telling him the same thing... I'm not sure. There are some moments where I love it, but there are many more moments where it just drags. I think this would have been a much better book in a condensed version. Will certainly be heading into book three, both because I'm not a quitter, and because the last chapter of this book piqued my interest. Really hoping that book three ties together all the loose ends that have been unraveled so far.
January 17, 2025
6/10 stars
My full review for all three books on my blog.
My relationship with K.J. Parker’s books is somewhat complex. I love the worldbuilding of these novels, creating the alternative history of the late years of the Roman Empire with precision and care worthy of an engineer, and the engineer’s dispassionate and anatomical focus on the process of slow, unstoppable crumbling of what had been probably the most powerful and technologically advanced community in human history. The love of technology is one of Parker’s most memorable traits – his peans about aqueducts, cathedral domes, indoor plumbing are not only endearing but also highly educational. There is both awe and regret lurking in his descriptions of the imperial might – what humans can achieve, and what they can destroy.
Parker’s trademark droll style dripping with cynicism is also usually right up my alley, and the grand vista of human folly and destruction that he paints on the alt history canvas looks horrifically alluring when viewed through his detached, irony-hued lens. Armies are raised and mowed down like so much wheat, individual humans turned into uncountable pawns on the chessboards of generals and emperors and treated with the same ruthlessness and indifference as the game pieces. The war grinds everything to dust and broken bone, and Parker’s detached, almost off-hand descriptions paint this gory reality in exquisite detail.
[...]
I bet you can sense the “but” coming… The one aspect that Parker fails miserably in developing, and is bracingly consistent across all of his books I have read, is the characters’ arcs. Parker treats his characters like pieces on a chessboard, or cards in hand – complete, finite, not reactive, and expendable. They don’t grow, they don’t change, they don’t feel much beyond the requisite mechanical interaction with the world. Psychologically speaking, they are inert. Sure, in Parker’s world everybody wears a mask or doesn’t breathe too long, but his characters are an unknown even to themselves. So when the plot calls for something more personal than a massacre on the battlefield or a devastating, city-wide fire, Parker is at a loss on how to achieve even half of the effect that comes so seemingly effortlessly to him when describing humanity’s plight as a whole. His protagonists are puppets with the strings for everyone to see. But because there is nothing animating them beyond the plot’s requirement for action, once they have been used they can be removed from the scene and nobody will care. Even the main characters suffer from this indifference – though I feel that it’s perhaps not intentional neglect but rather the author’s inability to imbue them with a semblance of emotional life.
[...]
Score: 6/10 (first novel 8/10, second novel 7/10, third novel 5/10)
My full review for all three books on my blog.
My relationship with K.J. Parker’s books is somewhat complex. I love the worldbuilding of these novels, creating the alternative history of the late years of the Roman Empire with precision and care worthy of an engineer, and the engineer’s dispassionate and anatomical focus on the process of slow, unstoppable crumbling of what had been probably the most powerful and technologically advanced community in human history. The love of technology is one of Parker’s most memorable traits – his peans about aqueducts, cathedral domes, indoor plumbing are not only endearing but also highly educational. There is both awe and regret lurking in his descriptions of the imperial might – what humans can achieve, and what they can destroy.
Parker’s trademark droll style dripping with cynicism is also usually right up my alley, and the grand vista of human folly and destruction that he paints on the alt history canvas looks horrifically alluring when viewed through his detached, irony-hued lens. Armies are raised and mowed down like so much wheat, individual humans turned into uncountable pawns on the chessboards of generals and emperors and treated with the same ruthlessness and indifference as the game pieces. The war grinds everything to dust and broken bone, and Parker’s detached, almost off-hand descriptions paint this gory reality in exquisite detail.
[...]
I bet you can sense the “but” coming… The one aspect that Parker fails miserably in developing, and is bracingly consistent across all of his books I have read, is the characters’ arcs. Parker treats his characters like pieces on a chessboard, or cards in hand – complete, finite, not reactive, and expendable. They don’t grow, they don’t change, they don’t feel much beyond the requisite mechanical interaction with the world. Psychologically speaking, they are inert. Sure, in Parker’s world everybody wears a mask or doesn’t breathe too long, but his characters are an unknown even to themselves. So when the plot calls for something more personal than a massacre on the battlefield or a devastating, city-wide fire, Parker is at a loss on how to achieve even half of the effect that comes so seemingly effortlessly to him when describing humanity’s plight as a whole. His protagonists are puppets with the strings for everyone to see. But because there is nothing animating them beyond the plot’s requirement for action, once they have been used they can be removed from the scene and nobody will care. Even the main characters suffer from this indifference – though I feel that it’s perhaps not intentional neglect but rather the author’s inability to imbue them with a semblance of emotional life.
[...]
Score: 6/10 (first novel 8/10, second novel 7/10, third novel 5/10)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2019
The Two of Swords volume Two brings together parts 9-15 of the e-novella releases. This volume continues from where the previous one left off. It starts with two of my favourite characters Oida and Telamon. Parker writes gritty fantasy with characters you can believe in. Characters who make choices and face the consequences of their actions. At times it can require a lot of reading patience that ultimately rewards the reader when you begin to see where the plot is going. The world building is superb as ever, I believe all of Parker’s novels are set in the same universe.
On the downside this volume had a few new character perspectives to get a handle on. If you want to know about a particular character, at times it can feel like ages before they make an appearance.
Which is all down the to skill and craft of the author, for making you have these feelings, characters you want to know about, care about and find out what happens.
This second volume is a real treat and the final volume should tie everything together. Brilliant fantasy and highly recommend series.
On the downside this volume had a few new character perspectives to get a handle on. If you want to know about a particular character, at times it can feel like ages before they make an appearance.
Which is all down the to skill and craft of the author, for making you have these feelings, characters you want to know about, care about and find out what happens.
This second volume is a real treat and the final volume should tie everything together. Brilliant fantasy and highly recommend series.
October 31, 2022
This a fantastically giant fantasy series.
All three volumes combining into an a tale of epic scope rivalling the greats of fantasy.
Two is the theme of this story.
It begins with two brothers who are both brilliant generals and really, REALLY hate each other.
Each fighting for the other side as the Empire splits apart (two again)
Grinding entire armies to hamburger in a series of increasingly bloody battles in attempts to kill each other.
Battles so terrible that the countries are bankrupted, everyone of fighting age is dead, and all the farm land is razed.
Urging the brothers on are two factions of the Lodge. A secret Mason-esque society that has been controlling the world from the shadows.
The last act of the saga features two(see? see what Parker did?) brothers who again hate each other but it turns out they are the last heirs to the Empire once the Lodge manages to kill the Emperors on the thrones.
Epically long. Involved and filled with a depth of plot that is only second to Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time.
Brilliant, as K. J. Parker always is.
All three volumes combining into an a tale of epic scope rivalling the greats of fantasy.
Two is the theme of this story.
It begins with two brothers who are both brilliant generals and really, REALLY hate each other.
Each fighting for the other side as the Empire splits apart (two again)
Grinding entire armies to hamburger in a series of increasingly bloody battles in attempts to kill each other.
Battles so terrible that the countries are bankrupted, everyone of fighting age is dead, and all the farm land is razed.
Urging the brothers on are two factions of the Lodge. A secret Mason-esque society that has been controlling the world from the shadows.
The last act of the saga features two(see? see what Parker did?) brothers who again hate each other but it turns out they are the last heirs to the Empire once the Lodge manages to kill the Emperors on the thrones.
Epically long. Involved and filled with a depth of plot that is only second to Robert Jordan's Wheel Of Time.
Brilliant, as K. J. Parker always is.
February 3, 2022
It's strange but I generally hate these long drawn out epic trilogies, however I'm practically addicted to the Two of Swords books. I literally couldn't wait to by this second installment and now I'm salivating like a malnourished hyena eying up a Linda McCartney Mozzarella burger at the thought of volume 3.
It's all very low key, slow burning and told from an interesting range of points of view. In fact it reads like a series of short stories devoted to individual characters, (which I believe is how it was written) but the combination of these myopic character driven tales generates a synergy that produces the 'big picture' of a war on an epic scale.
All the individual characters have their merits, but as in the first book , Telamon steals the show, closely followed by the newly charismatic Oida.
Like the first book and perhaps more so, it's original, captivating and seasoned with a dash of genius.
It's all very low key, slow burning and told from an interesting range of points of view. In fact it reads like a series of short stories devoted to individual characters, (which I believe is how it was written) but the combination of these myopic character driven tales generates a synergy that produces the 'big picture' of a war on an epic scale.
All the individual characters have their merits, but as in the first book , Telamon steals the show, closely followed by the newly charismatic Oida.
Like the first book and perhaps more so, it's original, captivating and seasoned with a dash of genius.
March 28, 2024
Middle books can sometimes suffer because they are simply a connector between the eye-catching intro and the explosive finale (though interestingly, when I look at my favorite fantasy trilogy rankings, it is often the last book which is the biggest letdown). Regardless, this novel doesn't suffer from that. Using the same snakelike progression through different viewpoint characters keeps the story moving, though it often ends up moving in some odd directions (the sojourn with the nomad horsemen was completely unexpected but totally works). It means you some times have to be patient since it isn't clear where anything is going, but this is helped by this not really adhering to a traditional plot. In many ways, it is a meditation on war and waste in human society and also on the great evils people can do while telling them it is all for the greater good.
September 19, 2021
Second part to this fantasy series: engaging and different.
This fantasy series is only fantasy in that it's about building a fantasy world but without any other fantasy elements. This volume continues to relate about the war between East and West with the Lodge taking on a more important part with ambitions of its own. Each "chapter" deals with a different character, most of whom are new to the story, and their impact on the war and the Lodge's work. There are plenty of interesting characters - difficult to keep track of who is who at times. As previously mentioned, it reminds me a bit of Joe Abercombie's stuff but not as good in my opinion. It's engaging stuff and I shall buy the third volume to see where this is going
This fantasy series is only fantasy in that it's about building a fantasy world but without any other fantasy elements. This volume continues to relate about the war between East and West with the Lodge taking on a more important part with ambitions of its own. Each "chapter" deals with a different character, most of whom are new to the story, and their impact on the war and the Lodge's work. There are plenty of interesting characters - difficult to keep track of who is who at times. As previously mentioned, it reminds me a bit of Joe Abercombie's stuff but not as good in my opinion. It's engaging stuff and I shall buy the third volume to see where this is going
December 29, 2017
Disclosure: I received this series free from Orbit. They didn't ask for a review, or anything, actually, but there you are.
Again a great read. This trilogy seems to be following the classic Parker formula - first novel to set up, second to develop, and third to tear down. The Empire, both Western and Eastern, is creaking under the strain of the war, and everything is starting to come apart. And the real aims of the Lodge are coming to be visible, but the end of the novel.
Really though, Parker's books are about people, not countries, and that's where the talent really shines through. A highly recommended read.
Again a great read. This trilogy seems to be following the classic Parker formula - first novel to set up, second to develop, and third to tear down. The Empire, both Western and Eastern, is creaking under the strain of the war, and everything is starting to come apart. And the real aims of the Lodge are coming to be visible, but the end of the novel.
Really though, Parker's books are about people, not countries, and that's where the talent really shines through. A highly recommended read.
June 25, 2018
Finally things start to happen.
The first book seemed pointless, thankfully things start to move now.
The characters are still likeable but some have developed a bit of personality now, Oida being the most memorable.
The plot has started to develop too, it is a bit scattered but at least we begin to see a bigger picture and a point to the Lodge and the war.
There is more humour and it lands better in this book too.
The pace is still slow but closer to Parker's normal.
It is promising book and makes it worth reading the first one, hopefully the last continues improving and doesn't fall back to the quality of the first volume.
The first book seemed pointless, thankfully things start to move now.
The characters are still likeable but some have developed a bit of personality now, Oida being the most memorable.
The plot has started to develop too, it is a bit scattered but at least we begin to see a bigger picture and a point to the Lodge and the war.
There is more humour and it lands better in this book too.
The pace is still slow but closer to Parker's normal.
It is promising book and makes it worth reading the first one, hopefully the last continues improving and doesn't fall back to the quality of the first volume.
July 31, 2023
3 & 1/2 stars rounded down. This "book" was formerly parts 9 through 15 of an internet serial. As such, not surprisingly, it is very episodic in nature. Some were better than others. Also because of its original format, it really didn't come to any sort of traditional climax, although the last installment left me thirsty for more. As usual, it evidences Parker's competent prose and snarky humor. My tendency was to speed read through some of the more unnecessary passages and get on to the meat of the story. Still, a treat for Parker's fans and this sort of quasi-military fantasy.
I recently read an article on "competence porn" in the Tor newsletter. this book could be Exhibit A.
I recently read an article on "competence porn" in the Tor newsletter. this book could be Exhibit A.
January 27, 2018
good use of serialization. each chapter switches characters, leading from the end of the previous chapter. reminds me of that last episode of Aeon Flux where the POV kept shifting as people died.
Parker is definitely tying his books together. the Mezentines are the main characters in the Engineer series and are mentioned in most of the rest of the books. same with this series.
This is a good series. recommended.
Parker is definitely tying his books together. the Mezentines are the main characters in the Engineer series and are mentioned in most of the rest of the books. same with this series.
This is a good series. recommended.
December 4, 2022
More is revealed about the Craftsmen, and the Lodge, the group that is pulling strings behind the two opposing Emperors. No-one knows if Forza Benot is alive or dead. Meanwhile Emperor Glauca makes a deal for a rare Silver Pack of cards. Telamon starts wondering who or what is the Two of Swords.
Meantime the armies contiuue to clash with loss of life. The empires take more and more men away from farms and villages
Meantime the armies contiuue to clash with loss of life. The empires take more and more men away from farms and villages
November 4, 2024
Continuing the war; and the 'Lodge', a quasi religious order of 'craftsmen' (Masons?), who operate behind the scenes, using assassination and other techniques to alter the political landscape.
East versus West, has an unbeatable general at the helm, who also happen to be brothers. The war has been dragging on for a long time with the population and economies almost in ruins.
Various people are sent to do various things. Watch the female assassin, the two music composers.
East versus West, has an unbeatable general at the helm, who also happen to be brothers. The war has been dragging on for a long time with the population and economies almost in ruins.
Various people are sent to do various things. Watch the female assassin, the two music composers.
March 4, 2020
Connected chapters following, then ditching, various players connected to the Lodge in a clever lead up to a late revelation about the East vs West war in this bound version of Parker's serialized trilogy. Beautifully crafted fiction set in a deeply detailed universe. An adventure series for fans of military histories, fantasy, and very fine writing showing up in unpredictable places.
July 8, 2020
Through the first volume I kept waiting to figure out just what was going on (with characters and writing I appreciated enough I was happy to be along for the ride). In this some of the puzzle pieces start coming together, leaving more questions and some wild speculations on my part. All I have to say is after this one sign me up for the third!
September 18, 2021
I'm warming to this author, it's one of my favourite authors writing under a pen name. The threads of the story are being pulled together, but as it's the second in a trilogy, so much has been set up, and left dangling. I don't have the third volume....yet.
It would benefit greatly from a map of the fictitious land/world the story is set in.
It would benefit greatly from a map of the fictitious land/world the story is set in.
May 13, 2018
Wow, although I did prefer the first book, this is no disappointment! I can't read the third intallment yet, no matter how I want to, but as soon as I can, it's on my list! Great Characterisation, fabulous storyline, and interesting writing that keeps the reader engaged and wanting more.
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