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Heart of the World #3
The Black Dream
THE VOYAGE INTO DARKNESS HOLDS NO MERCY
As the empire of Mann threatens the world with enslavement, only a single island nation continues to stand in its way - the Free Ports of the democras. For ten years they have held their own, but now the empire draws its noose even tighter over them.
Rallying to its defence are those from the secretive network known as the Few, including the cripple and troubleshooter Coya Zeziké. Coya has hopes of enlisting the forest contrarè in the aid of the besieged city of Bar-Khos. With him is Shard, the only Dreamer of the Free Ports, a woman capable of manipulating waking reality or the strange dimensions of the Black Dream.
The Roshun order of assassins have also engaged in the war at last. But Ash, their ailing farlander, has more urgent business to overcome. Facing him is a skyship voyage into the Great Hush, then further journeying to the fabled Isles of Sky, where he hopes bring his dead apprentice Nico back to life. Yet, his voyage into the unknown may save more than just Nico . . . it may save the Free Ports themselves.
As the empire of Mann threatens the world with enslavement, only a single island nation continues to stand in its way - the Free Ports of the democras. For ten years they have held their own, but now the empire draws its noose even tighter over them.
Rallying to its defence are those from the secretive network known as the Few, including the cripple and troubleshooter Coya Zeziké. Coya has hopes of enlisting the forest contrarè in the aid of the besieged city of Bar-Khos. With him is Shard, the only Dreamer of the Free Ports, a woman capable of manipulating waking reality or the strange dimensions of the Black Dream.
The Roshun order of assassins have also engaged in the war at last. But Ash, their ailing farlander, has more urgent business to overcome. Facing him is a skyship voyage into the Great Hush, then further journeying to the fabled Isles of Sky, where he hopes bring his dead apprentice Nico back to life. Yet, his voyage into the unknown may save more than just Nico . . . it may save the Free Ports themselves.
- GenresFantasy
514 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2015
6 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Col Buchanan
9 books88 followersCol Buchanan is an Irish writer who was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1973. From an early age he turned to reading and writing fantastical works to escape his troubles. In school he was the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the classroom. Later, in his stretches of work as a copywriter, he would be the quiet dreamer who always sought out the back of the office.
Having strayed from the beaten track for most of his life, at various times Col has found himself in retreat in the mountains of Mourne, homeless in Belfast, lost in a Zen monastery, and scratching graffiti as a guest of the local constabulary … all of which he mentions, (since he's the one writing this), to sound more exciting than he really is.
In recent years he has mostly settled down, and loves nothing more than a late-night gathering around a fire with good friends.
Having strayed from the beaten track for most of his life, at various times Col has found himself in retreat in the mountains of Mourne, homeless in Belfast, lost in a Zen monastery, and scratching graffiti as a guest of the local constabulary … all of which he mentions, (since he's the one writing this), to sound more exciting than he really is.
In recent years he has mostly settled down, and loves nothing more than a late-night gathering around a fire with good friends.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 16, 2017
3.5 stars, because it was not quite as good as the first two books.
July 30, 2015
The Black Dream continues on after the events of the previous book Stands a Shadow and we get see the characters now progressing on their quest to restore their group as well as exact revenge on the Empire of Mann for what has been done to the order of Roshun! :D These quest take them to many new areas that have only been mentioned in the previous books and really get to show that the events that have previously taken place are only part of a much larger puzzle that adds a lot more action and mystery than you would expect and starts a process of setting things within a much bigger universe! :D
The plot takes a dramatic twist with the infiltration of the Isles of Sky which shows the space faring origins and high level of technology that exists on the Isles and the power and reasoning that takes place there that is effecting so much of the rest of the world! :D This gives events that are taking placing such as the siege at Bar-Khos an even more bigger sighting on a bigger stage than it seemed in the previous books and shows what the people there are having to deal with! :D Though events as they progress set things up so that the bargaining power no longer remains entirely one sided! :D This also serves to raise the stakes for some of the characters now that they are faced with such an advanced civilization! :D This also adds to some of the humour in the book when encountering these peoples own half rebellious rebel elements etc! :D
The characters all are distinctly different to each other and three dimensional! :D Even within their own loyalties they have their own particular way of going about things in their own ways which throughout leads to some very unexpected surprises for many of the characters! :D
The pace of the book through out is relentless as well as the action! :D There are moments of characters doing there catch ups and new meetings throughout but these are always set between the heavy action both to and from the Isles of Sky all down to to Bar-Khos and the constant siege and like most of the book you will not a clue how things are going to go for characters! :D
The book leaves things wide open for further books with many of the plotlines still hanging and unresolved but at the same time with many situations newly set up to be resolved in future books! :D Many of the characters have got their comeuppance but at the same time with many new characters being introduced as well as the political and tactical situations having been changed not to mention the much wider field of what is also happening at Bar-Khos and the Isle of Sky and how that will sort itself and out and the pesky Empire of Mann to be dealt with! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
The plot takes a dramatic twist with the infiltration of the Isles of Sky which shows the space faring origins and high level of technology that exists on the Isles and the power and reasoning that takes place there that is effecting so much of the rest of the world! :D This gives events that are taking placing such as the siege at Bar-Khos an even more bigger sighting on a bigger stage than it seemed in the previous books and shows what the people there are having to deal with! :D Though events as they progress set things up so that the bargaining power no longer remains entirely one sided! :D This also serves to raise the stakes for some of the characters now that they are faced with such an advanced civilization! :D This also adds to some of the humour in the book when encountering these peoples own half rebellious rebel elements etc! :D
The characters all are distinctly different to each other and three dimensional! :D Even within their own loyalties they have their own particular way of going about things in their own ways which throughout leads to some very unexpected surprises for many of the characters! :D
The pace of the book through out is relentless as well as the action! :D There are moments of characters doing there catch ups and new meetings throughout but these are always set between the heavy action both to and from the Isles of Sky all down to to Bar-Khos and the constant siege and like most of the book you will not a clue how things are going to go for characters! :D
The book leaves things wide open for further books with many of the plotlines still hanging and unresolved but at the same time with many situations newly set up to be resolved in future books! :D Many of the characters have got their comeuppance but at the same time with many new characters being introduced as well as the political and tactical situations having been changed not to mention the much wider field of what is also happening at Bar-Khos and the Isle of Sky and how that will sort itself and out and the pesky Empire of Mann to be dealt with! :D
Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2022
Veelbelovende personages overboord gegooid.
Om te beginnen was het boek wennen omdat ik de eerste 2 delen in het Nederlands gelezen heb. Dit deel las ik in het Engels omdat er geen vertaling beschikbaar was.
Wat ik goed vind aan het tweede boek, ontbreekt hier volledig. In De Schim van Roshun waren er verschillende nieuwe personages die een mooie achtergrond kregen en een veelbelovende verhaallijn kregen doorheen het boek. De personages waren aangenaam geschreven en waren een echte meerwaarde voor het boek.
Van deze personages is er in The Black Dream zo goed als niets terug te vinden. Enkele van hen komen terug maar zijn dan verbannen naar een schim van hun rol vanuit het tweede boek. Het voelt alsof Col Buchanan geen zin meer had om deze personages een waardig einde te schenken.
Bovendien worden er in dit boek dan weer nieuwe personages geïntroduceerd die er wat over gaan. We krijgen te maken met dreamers, mensen die in The black dream de echte wereld kunnen manipuleren. Een leuk concept, maar niet iets om in een derde boek pas te introduceren.
Voor de rest zit het verhaal goed. De verhaallijnen van de hoofdpersonages zijn spannend en goed geschreven, al zijn ze bij momenten voorspelbaar. Toch weet Buchanan twists in deze lijnen te schrijven waardoor je als lezer steeds wil verder lezen.
Met momenten zat de flow wat vreemd. Dat je op een cliffhanger eerst naar een totaal ander personage gaat, vond ik soms wat storend en haalde me uit het tempo om verder te willen lezen.
In het geheel een mooi vervolg maar toch aanzienlijk minder dan zijn twee voorgangers. Ik ben benieuwd wat het laatste boek zal brengen.
Om te beginnen was het boek wennen omdat ik de eerste 2 delen in het Nederlands gelezen heb. Dit deel las ik in het Engels omdat er geen vertaling beschikbaar was.
Wat ik goed vind aan het tweede boek, ontbreekt hier volledig. In De Schim van Roshun waren er verschillende nieuwe personages die een mooie achtergrond kregen en een veelbelovende verhaallijn kregen doorheen het boek. De personages waren aangenaam geschreven en waren een echte meerwaarde voor het boek.
Van deze personages is er in The Black Dream zo goed als niets terug te vinden. Enkele van hen komen terug maar zijn dan verbannen naar een schim van hun rol vanuit het tweede boek. Het voelt alsof Col Buchanan geen zin meer had om deze personages een waardig einde te schenken.
Bovendien worden er in dit boek dan weer nieuwe personages geïntroduceerd die er wat over gaan. We krijgen te maken met dreamers, mensen die in The black dream de echte wereld kunnen manipuleren. Een leuk concept, maar niet iets om in een derde boek pas te introduceren.
Voor de rest zit het verhaal goed. De verhaallijnen van de hoofdpersonages zijn spannend en goed geschreven, al zijn ze bij momenten voorspelbaar. Toch weet Buchanan twists in deze lijnen te schrijven waardoor je als lezer steeds wil verder lezen.
Met momenten zat de flow wat vreemd. Dat je op een cliffhanger eerst naar een totaal ander personage gaat, vond ik soms wat storend en haalde me uit het tempo om verder te willen lezen.
In het geheel een mooi vervolg maar toch aanzienlijk minder dan zijn twee voorgangers. Ik ben benieuwd wat het laatste boek zal brengen.
June 8, 2020
Намного хуже первых двух книг. К сожалению ни за одним из персонажей не было интересно следить. POV скачет от персонажа к персонажу с бешеной скоростью. На 500 страниц - 70 глав! Сюжетные ходы кажутся высосанными из пальца. Это особенно обидно когда знаешь что автор способен на большее.
June 27, 2016
This is the third book in the Farlander/Heart of the World series. (The previous two are Farlander and Stands a Shadow.) This is not the end of the series, FYI; I'm guessing there will be at least one more, but the author's website has no information on what's next.
The series is set in a different world than ours, but one that has many similarities, both social and geographical. The main character is Ash, a member of the Roshun (ninja-like assassins), who is dying. In the first book he takes on an apprentice, Nico, who dies at the end. Ash avenges his death, which has major political repercussions. The fallout from the vendetta makes up book two. In this third book, Ash is trying to make it to the hidden "Islands in the Sky" where it is rumored they have the ability to bring the dead back to life. He is bringing Nico's ashes in hopes of doing this.
The backdrop to the series is the "heart of the world" - a very Mediterranean-like area, dominated by the Empire of Mann (that is much like the Roman Empire at its worst.) The Empire has managed to conquer most of the countries around the sea, with only the peninsula of Khos managing to remain free - though they have been under siege for years. We follow many characters throughout the books, from all areas - the Empire, Khos, the Free Ports, etc. The author manages to keep the narrative flowing, despite the many viewpoints. It's actually quite interesting to be in the minds of so many disparate characters, and not just be following Ash all the time.
Technologically, it's a little bit steampunk, with airships and the like, but no computers. There is a kind of magic that is introduced in this book, whereby "Dreamers" can manipulate things in the real world, such as creating storms or throwing large stones. This magic is based on manipulating the "bindee" which is described as the binary code(!!) underlying everything. Some people, called rooks, can manipulate the area of the bindee that is used for long-distance communication (think hackers with the internet), which makes sense to me. But having binary code underlying objects in the real world makes me think of The Matrix movies, and hints that this world is an artificial construct inside a computer, which I don't think is the author's intent. This discrepancy is one of the books few weaknesses.
The other weakness for me is lack of a character with whom I can really identify. The other main character in this book, Shard, is a young female Dreamer/rook, who seems tailor-made for me to identify with, but even here I just don't quite connect. Ash, as the main character, is sympathetic and someone the reader can admire and root for, but I don't really connect with him, either. There are many other lesser characters, as well, who are all well fleshed-out, but there is no one to personally connect with.
However, the strength of this book (and the series) is the world-building. The author makes this world feel 100% believable. The best comparison I can make is with the Game of Thrones series, where the socio-political constructs immerse the reader in a world that seems fully real. Buchannon also does a great job with action/battle scenes. I raced through the last half of this book, pulled along by the action.
Overall, this may be the strongest book in the series, and it introduces some major new plot twists, while moving the main story toward what looks to be the inevitable showdown between the Empire and the nation of Khos.
One other caveat - this series is not for the faint of heart. It is dark, grim, and gritty. There isn't much levity at all, except maybe a little gallows humor in some characters. There are many evil, sadistic characters, and with the overall backdrop being a war of conquest, there really isn't any let up in the bad things that happen. If you're looking for a light, escapist fantasy, this ain't it! But if you enjoy complex world-building, with lots of political intrigue and action, this is your series.
The series is set in a different world than ours, but one that has many similarities, both social and geographical. The main character is Ash, a member of the Roshun (ninja-like assassins), who is dying. In the first book he takes on an apprentice, Nico, who dies at the end. Ash avenges his death, which has major political repercussions. The fallout from the vendetta makes up book two. In this third book, Ash is trying to make it to the hidden "Islands in the Sky" where it is rumored they have the ability to bring the dead back to life. He is bringing Nico's ashes in hopes of doing this.
The backdrop to the series is the "heart of the world" - a very Mediterranean-like area, dominated by the Empire of Mann (that is much like the Roman Empire at its worst.) The Empire has managed to conquer most of the countries around the sea, with only the peninsula of Khos managing to remain free - though they have been under siege for years. We follow many characters throughout the books, from all areas - the Empire, Khos, the Free Ports, etc. The author manages to keep the narrative flowing, despite the many viewpoints. It's actually quite interesting to be in the minds of so many disparate characters, and not just be following Ash all the time.
Technologically, it's a little bit steampunk, with airships and the like, but no computers. There is a kind of magic that is introduced in this book, whereby "Dreamers" can manipulate things in the real world, such as creating storms or throwing large stones. This magic is based on manipulating the "bindee" which is described as the binary code(!!) underlying everything. Some people, called rooks, can manipulate the area of the bindee that is used for long-distance communication (think hackers with the internet), which makes sense to me. But having binary code underlying objects in the real world makes me think of The Matrix movies, and hints that this world is an artificial construct inside a computer, which I don't think is the author's intent. This discrepancy is one of the books few weaknesses.
The other weakness for me is lack of a character with whom I can really identify. The other main character in this book, Shard, is a young female Dreamer/rook, who seems tailor-made for me to identify with, but even here I just don't quite connect. Ash, as the main character, is sympathetic and someone the reader can admire and root for, but I don't really connect with him, either. There are many other lesser characters, as well, who are all well fleshed-out, but there is no one to personally connect with.
However, the strength of this book (and the series) is the world-building. The author makes this world feel 100% believable. The best comparison I can make is with the Game of Thrones series, where the socio-political constructs immerse the reader in a world that seems fully real. Buchannon also does a great job with action/battle scenes. I raced through the last half of this book, pulled along by the action.
Overall, this may be the strongest book in the series, and it introduces some major new plot twists, while moving the main story toward what looks to be the inevitable showdown between the Empire and the nation of Khos.
One other caveat - this series is not for the faint of heart. It is dark, grim, and gritty. There isn't much levity at all, except maybe a little gallows humor in some characters. There are many evil, sadistic characters, and with the overall backdrop being a war of conquest, there really isn't any let up in the bad things that happen. If you're looking for a light, escapist fantasy, this ain't it! But if you enjoy complex world-building, with lots of political intrigue and action, this is your series.
April 6, 2015
Lovely. Some excellent and unexpected building on the existing world.
Some moments were a bit jarring. A certain prison escape made me go back, certain I had missed a chapter. Went into it expecting it to be the final book - but by the end it's clear that is not going to be the case. Not that I'm complaining.
Some moments were a bit jarring. A certain prison escape made me go back, certain I had missed a chapter. Went into it expecting it to be the final book - but by the end it's clear that is not going to be the case. Not that I'm complaining.
October 24, 2015
moved kinda of odd for me in the beginning but the last half made it for me
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews