آن‌سوی سرزمین‌های شعله‌ور

The Sword of the Spirits #2

by John Christopher, حسین ابراهیمی (ترجمه)

Prince-in-Waiting Luke returns from exile to Winchester, a city of a future England ruled by patterns from the past, and sets out on a journey through the Burning Lands, a volcanic wasteland.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Post Apocalyptic, Childrens, Novels

214 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

Samuel Youd was born in Huyton, Lancashire in April 1922, during an unseasonable snowstorm.

As a boy, he was devoted to the newly emergent genre of science-fiction: ‘In the early thirties,’ he later wrote, ‘we knew just enough about the solar system for its possibilities to be a magnet to the imagination.’

Over the following decades, his imagination flowed from science-fiction into general novels, cricket novels, medical novels, gothic romances, detective thrillers, light comedies … In all he published fifty-six novels and a myriad of short stories, under his own name as well as eight different pen-names.

He is perhaps best known as John Christopher, author of the seminal work of speculative fiction, The Death of Grass (today available as a Penguin Classic), and a stream of novels in the genre he pioneered, young adult dystopian fiction, beginning with The Tripods Trilogy.

‘I read somewhere,’ Sam once said, ‘that I have been cited as the greatest serial killer in fictional history, having destroyed civilisation in so many different ways – through famine, freezing, earthquakes, feral youth combined with religious fanaticism, and progeria.’

In an interview towards the end of his life, conversation turned to a recent spate of novels set on Mars and a possible setting for a John Christopher story: strand a group of people in a remote Martian enclave and see what happens.

The Mars aspect, he felt, was irrelevant. ‘What happens between the people,’ he said, ‘that’s the thing I’m interested in.’

Reviews

[Danesda · Rating 3 out of 5]

En general es bastante entretenido.

Video reseña completa en:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrdJaWwgSy_/

[Sam Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in Luke's path to princedom, where his barbaric hometown is nothing compared to what he discovers beyond the burning lands. Tensions continue to grow in this book as Luke's character develops further, providing the perfect set-up for the final installment.

[Major Havoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Reread) The mostly tragic adventures of the Prince in Waiting, Luke Perry of Winchester, continue in this second book of the trilogy. Here we see Luke grow in knowledge, skill, and experience as he traverses across the Burning Lands to expand his fame and fortune, even getting to test his mettle against a D&D-style gelatinous cube type creature called a Bayemot. However, back home at Winchester, the uncovering of dark secrets leads to trouble for our young “hero” upon his eventual return…

Book 2 is just as depressing and cutthroat as book 1, with every moment of hope consumed by two moments of despair. This story is extremely grim, but never overly violent, gross, or sexual. Just really dark - and extremely compelling. I am glad I decided on this nostalgia read, because it has been a fast paced, enjoyable adventure. And while I do not remember a lot of the specifics (my first reading was over 40 years ago), I do recall where things are ultimately headed and I now see the author carefully moving the pieces around setting up the conclusion. This series may not be on par with some modern works I’ve enjoyed, but it is certainly a well crafted adventure that justifies the investment of my time. And for younger readers, it would be a fine introduction to grimdark fantasy.

[Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in John Christopher’s “Sword of the Spirits” trilogy, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first. Luke Perry (yeah, yeah, it was written in the ‘70s) has been permitted to return to Winchester, the city of his birth, by the new Prince and his half-brother, Peter. While the Seers are continuing their man-behind-the-curtain machinations to restore science and knowledge to the world, Luke is content to be back at home, but soon goes off on another adventure. A peddler from foreign lands has arrived in Winchester, claiming to have crossed the volcanic wasteland to the north, and offers to return with an embassy to the “land of the Wilsh.” Luke, as Peter’s brother, is sent along with the group as an emissary.

While The Prince in Waiting was fairly pedestrian fantasy/post-apocalyptic story offering castles, battles and political struggles, Beyond the Burning Lands features the mystery of new lands, cultural intrigue and even some monsters, and was a much more entertaining ride. I also found Christopher’s tell-don’t-show writing style more tolerable in this one, as it actually makes a lot more sense for Luke to be evaluating his feelings behind a poker face as he acts as an emissary in a strange and foreign country. On the whole, this was a quick, easy young adult novel that I enjoyed quite a bit more than its predecessor. I’m glad I stuck with this trilogy and I look forward to its eponymous conclusion, The Sword of the Spirits.

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues and is so easy to read and enthralling. Luke travels north through the Burning Lands and meets King Cymru and his daughter, who affects the direction of the story. The image of lands beyond the volcanic England/Wales border is interesting and the contrast with Luke's Winchester society and King Cymru's very well done. we also meet the Tree people. A surprise awaits Luke as he returns after these revelations. Brilliant stuff.

[James Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the trilogy! This one continued to delight. Luke again got into all kinds of trouble, but the plot moves inexorably on and it becomes kind of a quest/travel novel, which I was most ok with. The characters deepen a bit (even Luke, who I continued to struggle to understand...but in a good way - it felt that the author was letting him develop naturally instead of forcing him into a heroic mold unrealistically) and the story continues to be most interesting.

[William Leight · Rating 3 out of 5]

[add a star if you are 16 or under]

I loved the Tripods books when I was a kid, but somehow I never read John Christopher’s other post-apocalyptic trilogy, the “Sword of the Spirits” series (or if I did they left no impression on me), an oversight that I am slowly correcting. “Beyond the Burning Lands” is a decent sequel, though there’s some second book energy here. It’s split into three parts: in the first, Luke is reconciled with his half-brother; in the second, he does what the title says, traveling through the Burning Lands — a range of constantly-active volcanoes, basically — to the mythical land of Wales, where everything is great, aside from the giant amoeba monsters. These chapters are enjoyable enough, but they have something of a marking time feeling: Winchester is where the action is, and things heat up rapidly when Luke returns. No spoilers, but it was pretty easy to see the big twist coming, though perhaps less so for the fourteen- or fifteen-year-olds who are the intended audience. And I’m sure that I would have enjoyed these books more had I read them at that age, but they hold up just well enough, and are short enough, to be readable as an adult.

[Justin K. Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a brilliant novel. I love how some people are throwing shade at it for the protagonist's views on women or his unlikable qualities. As if John Christopher hadn't very deliberately made those choices. Each page of each chapter moves the story forward, with two swift but careful currents--the story of Luke on the surface as he navigates his journey, and the story of a broken world and its own journey towards redemption. Or towards something else.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books in this series are hard for me to get into until people start dying! I liked how we were able to see how different the other groups of people were that Luke met. The differences in gender equality was well-defined. It's only expected that the cultures would be so different because of the physical distance between the different civilizations.

[Larry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disliked this book, even more than I did the first one. It tells me without a shadow of a doubt, I need to avoid Dystopian stories. However, the lesson it shows us is one still not learned by our arrogant species. "Pride always cometh before the Fall"! In that respect, the author is brilliant, because he shows the worst of us in his protagonist.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2; Beyond the burning lands. Not as strong as book 1 but still a good read. Luke grows into his skills and there are many ups and downs for him. He takes an interesting journey and meets a woman he can love, although at the end he must return to Winchester where he’ll face accusations of murder.

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. Tourism sci-fi: a catalogue of ideas and weirdness ahead of story. For example the entirety of chapter 9 could be removed with no effect on the story.

Didn't grab me the way the first book did. Probably won't bother with number 3.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adequate second instalment.

[Zahra Poursheikhali · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect!
I like it.

[sbs transit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best fantasy I've read, but passable

[Nazsnin]

Everything that you expect from John Christopher will be answered in this book

[Marjorie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this worked better than the first book in the trilogy, with a little more character development.

[LeAnna Rae]

Terrible 🤦‍♀️

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book that takes place in a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting. This is the second in the series.

[Doodles McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve year old me enjoyed this Post Apocalyptic sci-fi children's story, when England has dissolved into several warring kingdoms without much learning and education. Typical 1970's fare and quite enjoyable.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book continues the story of book 1. Compared to book 1, this book has more of an adventure type of story than a pure politicking one. This changes the pace of the overall plot and also helps with character development.

You will see the main character, Luke, engaging and participating more in the story than just waiting for things to happen. You will see more of his thoughts and how he learns more about the country beyond the burning lands. This does wonders for character development. New characters are also introduced and old characters go through changes as well. With some changes being pretty drastic.

The plot loses the 'game of thrones' feel while the adventure part of the plot is proceeding. Although the politicking seems to be a permanent feature every time Luke is in his homeland. However, the adventuring plot isn't particularly exciting. They just seem to be more of a series of events Luke has to go through to grow. It more like a plot device than a well thought out "hero's journey" type of plot. It seems like politicking aspect of the plot is the 'main' storyline, and we are just being taken on a sideshow here.

I do have to give praise for the writing style this time. Whatever weird and draggy writing style that was in book 1 is suddenly gone in this book. Though it's not the best I've seen, it still is certainly better.

Overall this book being book 2 of a trilogy suffers from the usual fate that all middle books of trilogies face. I.e. they werent as great or memorial as the first or last book. Book 1 was setting up the scene for the trilogy and getting you invested in it. Having already read book 3 myself, I can say that book 2 was really just setting up the climax in book 3.

This book might not stand on its own. But, if you want to see the final politicking, grey morality, game-of-thrones-for-kids style action in the next book, you will have to go through the passable adventure beyond the burning lands.

Score Breakdown:
Story/Plot (50%): 3/5
Character Development (25%): 4/5
Writing style (25%): 3/5

Total : 3.25/5

[David Merrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent sequel to the original. In the first books we're introduced to the mores of a post-apocalyptic society. In this book, Luke travels to another land where things are quite different. While there he has to adapt and change. We get to experience it with him.

This book took me a while to finish. I lost it about a week and a half ago. I found it a couple days ago and finished it. Now, on to the third book.

This series has been good, but I liked the Tripod series better. That's a high bar, though. If you haven't read it, you should.

[Geoff Bottone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to the Prince in Waiting, set in a post-apocalyptic England that has reverted to medieval tribalism. Our hero is Luke Perry (seriously), half-brother of the current Prince of Winchester. The Seers who speak for the mysterious Spirits have proclaimed that Luke will become Prince of Princes and unite the warring cities. This proclamation has caused a schism between his half-brother and has forced Luke into temporary exile.

In this book, Luke is called home, forgiven by his brother thanks to the actions of his brother's wife, a follower of the unpopular Christian sect. In a show of good faith, as well as to keep Luke safe from his enemies, his brother sends him on an expedition through the Burning Lands, an uninhabitable zone of volcanic upheaval. Luke gains an appreciation for the world beyond his borders, learning yet more untoward things about the machinations of the Seers and his own destiny.

It's a John Christopher book, and a sequel, so I knew what I was getting into. There's virtually no female characters to speak of, and those that are present are flat and pushed quickly into corners once they're contributed to the plot. The story as a whole is typically downbeat, interwoven with threads of deep pessimism. That said, I think this is the most action-y/adventure-y series that Christopher has written, even more so than the Tripods series, and the fantasy adventure helps keep the story from bogging down in post-apocalyptic cynicism.

There are several very nice set pieces in the book, including Luke's battle with an amoeba-like creature. The culture shock Luke gets from meeting the clans beyond the Burning Lands works well. It's logical that two groups of people, separated by volcanoes, would develop two radically different cultures, and those differences are well-realized.

[Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

VOLCANIC EMOTIONS AND EVENTS

Luke's adventures continue as he learns about the Seers and their scientific discoveries in their underground sanctuary near Stonehenge. Although he realizes that the national religion is pure bunk, Luke wants to use it to further his own ambitions. But he is too young and restless to wait for years until the Seers--who study and recreate ancient Technology on the sly-- are ready.

The hot-headed hero sets off on his own to explore the lands beyond the volcanic barrier to the England of the medieval Future. Seeking the mythical city of Klan Gothlam in the country of the Wilsh, Luke meets a fair princess and a huge sea monster. Again he must evaluate an entirely new lifestyle, but despite the dangers of this journey, Luke must confront the greatest challenge to his Crown Prince status when he returns home. Not on a par with PRINCE IN WAITING this book
offers a good (but unevenly paced) story.

(April 18, 2013. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second installment of "The Sword of the Sprits" trilogy. Unlike some series, the quality of writing of each is the same, and the story continues uninterrupted from the earlier to the third and last novel. There is an introduction, which recapitulates, but it would be far better for any new reader to begin with the first novel.

At the opening of the novel, we find Luke, our protagonist, in exile, living with the High Seers, underground, in their secret HQ. This is disappointing to both him and them. He is a man of action, and they have a plan for him—the restoration of science and technology.

[David Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second volume of John Christopher's Sword of the Spirits trilogy, protagonist Luke returns to Winchester, but soon leaves home again to join an embassy to Klan Gothlen, the distant, exotic city of the Wilsh. As is often the case with the middle parts of trilogies, this is the weakest book of the series, but Christopher's description of Klan Gothlen and its sophisticated, tolerant inhabitants - and Luke's narrow-minded disgust with them - makes this worth the read.

[JoAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely the best out of "The Sword of the Spirits" series. "Beyond the Burning Lands" has the most action, the most plot to further the story, and possibly the most intrigue without feeling like "there's only so much more to read, how are they going to resolve this?", which is what I felt in the last book, "The Sword of the Spirits". The first book, "The Prince in Waiting", was a good introduction to the world, but this book was the heart of the three-book story.

[Gareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Splendid sequel to "The Prince in Waiting", keeping the tough minded, fast paced style and the intelligent world building. Protagonist Luke grows as a character, losing some of his prejudices whilst still keep his unsentimental edge. Some great twists and the finale is unexpectedly serious for a children's novel.

[Theresa Ramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Sword of the Spirits trilogy. It was a great second book as far as they usually tend to lose momentum in a lot of series. This was not the case in this one, and I'm looking forward to the ending with book three. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves reading realistic fantasy.

[Anie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the few decent second books of a trilogy I've ever read. I read it very quickly, so some of it's a blur, but Christopher leads into the third book well and is good at building up the plot. It becomes less predictable as time goes on, which is quite nice.