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Jamie the Red #2
Beyond The Dar Al-Harb
Jami al-Kafir, a young Scottish prince turned bodyguard for a jewel merchant in Ayla, is tricked by an unscrupulous Persian sorcerer into kidnapping an exquisite and enchanted young woman called the White Flower
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
72 people want to read
About the author
Gordon R. Dickson
587 books376 followersGordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author. He was born in Canada, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teenager. He is probably most famous for his Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight series. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 9, 2019
Nothing about this book prepared me for it's contents. I assumed the three novellas were about Jamie the Red and as a whole a sword and sorcery yarn. This book contains three very different stories. Nothing on the cover mentions the other two stories. Also, there is no mention of the previous work Jamie the Red; probably because it was published by Ace books not Tor.
Beyond the Dar Al-Harb is the title story and it's about Jamie the Red in the middle east. An opportunity to take revenge on the man who killed his love makes Jamie seek a extremely valuable treasure from a nearby temple. Judgement clouded by raw emotion Jamie underestimates his foe one too many times. A fine stand alone adventure!
On Messenger Mountain finds a survey crew stranded on a mountain on an inhospitable world. With no way home, they soon discover they are not alone. Fantastic sci/fi adventure/thriller.
Things Which Aren't Caesar's takes place in the future. In fact the year is 2000. Let that sink in, lol. The entire world waits with bated breath for a Sign from the Almighty. A drama plays out between several strangers and their reactions to the Sign. I enjoyed the thoughtful nature of the story, but I fear I might have missed out on some of what it was trying to convey.
Three very different stories comprising an all but forgotten book from the 80's.
Recommended!
Beyond the Dar Al-Harb is the title story and it's about Jamie the Red in the middle east. An opportunity to take revenge on the man who killed his love makes Jamie seek a extremely valuable treasure from a nearby temple. Judgement clouded by raw emotion Jamie underestimates his foe one too many times. A fine stand alone adventure!
On Messenger Mountain finds a survey crew stranded on a mountain on an inhospitable world. With no way home, they soon discover they are not alone. Fantastic sci/fi adventure/thriller.
Things Which Aren't Caesar's takes place in the future. In fact the year is 2000. Let that sink in, lol. The entire world waits with bated breath for a Sign from the Almighty. A drama plays out between several strangers and their reactions to the Sign. I enjoyed the thoughtful nature of the story, but I fear I might have missed out on some of what it was trying to convey.
Three very different stories comprising an all but forgotten book from the 80's.
Recommended!
September 9, 2024
My parents had this one in their collection in the 1980s and I read it back then (or at least the first two-thirds of it), so this is my second reading. As others have noted, nothing on the cover or the blurb on the back suggests that this is a collection of three unrelated novellas rather than a novel--but it is.
"Beyond the Dar Al-Harb" written in 1985, apparently to headline this book. It is a sequel to the novel Jamie the Red, which is part of the Thieves' World universe. Pros: I liked the character of Jamie (or Jami) as well as his antagonists. (The Father of Knives--cool name for a villain!) I also liked the Middle Eastern setting. If Dickson had written more stories of Jamie the Red I probably would have sought them out; but apparently he did not. Cons: The plot seemed needlessly contrived. Overall 3/5 stars.
"On Messenger Mountain" written in 1964. A SF actioner with our hero and a hostile alien making a dangerous climb and saving each other's lives. (No, they don't become buddies at the end.) Pros: Fast-paced and intriguing premise. Cons: The prose is a notch below what Dickson presented in 1985, as might be expected. Also, I never really bought the central premise that the mountain could only be climbed by two working in cooperation. Nevertheless, a fun read. 3/5 stars.
"Things Which Are Caesar's" written in 1972. This is the one that I didn't finish the first time around, and I can see why. Despite being well-written and apparently sincere, this tale of a motley band of campers having their faith tested never really roused my interest. 1/5 stars.
This old paperback can be had cheaply, and at a reasonable price it is a worthwhile acquisition, for the first two stories, at least.
"Beyond the Dar Al-Harb" written in 1985, apparently to headline this book. It is a sequel to the novel Jamie the Red, which is part of the Thieves' World universe. Pros: I liked the character of Jamie (or Jami) as well as his antagonists. (The Father of Knives--cool name for a villain!) I also liked the Middle Eastern setting. If Dickson had written more stories of Jamie the Red I probably would have sought them out; but apparently he did not. Cons: The plot seemed needlessly contrived. Overall 3/5 stars.
"On Messenger Mountain" written in 1964. A SF actioner with our hero and a hostile alien making a dangerous climb and saving each other's lives. (No, they don't become buddies at the end.) Pros: Fast-paced and intriguing premise. Cons: The prose is a notch below what Dickson presented in 1985, as might be expected. Also, I never really bought the central premise that the mountain could only be climbed by two working in cooperation. Nevertheless, a fun read. 3/5 stars.
"Things Which Are Caesar's" written in 1972. This is the one that I didn't finish the first time around, and I can see why. Despite being well-written and apparently sincere, this tale of a motley band of campers having their faith tested never really roused my interest. 1/5 stars.
This old paperback can be had cheaply, and at a reasonable price it is a worthwhile acquisition, for the first two stories, at least.
December 20, 2017
More stories connected by the lead character from Dickson's "Jamie the Red". He's grown older, and more experienced. Wiser? Maybe not...
Moving eastward, there is an opportunity for some of that classic East-West vibe that worked so well for the nineteenth century. Not a modern book at all, but it is a definite hit for its' target market.
Moving eastward, there is an opportunity for some of that classic East-West vibe that worked so well for the nineteenth century. Not a modern book at all, but it is a definite hit for its' target market.
April 4, 2012
Can't read enough Jamie the Red
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews