What do you think?
Rate this book
The Traitor Son Cycle #4
A Plague of Swords
ONE ENEMY HAS FALLENA GREATER ONE REMAINSNOW IT'S WAR . . .The Red Knight withstood the full might of his enemy, and won the day. In a victory which will be remembered through the ages, he brought disparate factions together and turned them into allies against a more powerful foe than they had ever seen.Now, he will need his allies more than ever.Because behind one adversary hid another - one with allies of their own - whose goal was never to destroy Alba, but to distract the Kingdom while achieving his true aim. And whatever it is, it's probably not in the Red Knight's interest.With one army defeated, now the Red Knight must fight again . . . and for every one of his allies there is a corresponding enemy. Spread out in different lands, and on sea, it will all come down to one last gamble. And to whether or not the Red Knight has guessed their foe's true intentions.With each throw of the dice, everything could be lost . . .
506 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2016
404 people are currently reading
3742 people want to read
About the author
Miles Cameron
28 books2,758 followersMiles Cameron is an author, a re-enactor, an outdoors expert and a weapons specialist. He lives, works and writes in Toronto, where he lives with his family. This is his debut fantasy novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
February 9, 2018
Full review now posted!
After 4 books I have come to really appreciate this series and what it brings to the fantasy genre. Not anything knew or groundbreaking, but a story with it's own unique design and strength that when it's over, it will always stick with you. It will be a series that all future books in the same genre you will compare to. Most will be found wanting, but a few...a few my dear friends may live up to it's standards. I had been anticipating this series for so long, that when I finally started it I wasn't sure it would live up to my expectations. Well, it has definitely done that and more. These characters and the world Mr. Cameron has built will most assuredly live long in my feeble mind and overshadow other books and series to come.
The Plaque of Swords is the fourth book in Miles Cameron's The Traitor Son Cycle. After the epic fast pace of book 3, the different sides of this great conflict are licking their wounds and strategizing their next step to the success of their mission. Whether it be survival or domination, the end result will be on a global scale....or bigger.
So much has changed since book 1. Those that used to be enemies are now becoming unlikely allies, and the real enemies are proving to be far more powerful than could be imagined. Mr. Cameron seems to have an endless supply of them awaiting our heroes as each book produces more and more of the nasty buggers. Each book keeps raising the stakes and it is not yet clear what kind of sacrifice it will take to win this war, or if it will all fall to ruin.
Each book builds on the foundation of the one before it, but Mr. Cameron likes to add some tweaks into his stories as well. What was the norm in book 3 may change in book 4. I love this in a series. It is constantly evolving and the readers outlook on the story has to grow along with each book. Some series you get the same rinse, wash, repeat feel to each book. That is not this case here and it is very refreshing.
It can be unusual to have a character driven story, my favorite BTW, and a story with an interesting plot. At least in my experience it's not that common. This my friends is one of those rare cases. While the overall purpose of the series is a little clouded for the first couple of books, it is now crystal clear. It has a bit of a twist to it I haven't seen in any other military or medieval fantasy type books. Some may call it Sandersonesque trait, if that can be used as a word. I am eager to see it all play out and how these new pieces of the puzzle fit into the outcome of the story.
To sum up, this has been an imaginative and enjoyable series to read, and The Plague of Swords has undeniably been another great addition to my overall enjoyment. The build up from one book to the next has been a strength and I am looking forward for what the final book has in store. So, for anyone who likes military or medieval fantasy with a twist, strong characters, and an ever expanding plot, you should give this series a go. I am reluctantly excited to move on to the finale. I can't wait for more, but hate that is almost over.
4.5 stars ****
After 4 books I have come to really appreciate this series and what it brings to the fantasy genre. Not anything knew or groundbreaking, but a story with it's own unique design and strength that when it's over, it will always stick with you. It will be a series that all future books in the same genre you will compare to. Most will be found wanting, but a few...a few my dear friends may live up to it's standards. I had been anticipating this series for so long, that when I finally started it I wasn't sure it would live up to my expectations. Well, it has definitely done that and more. These characters and the world Mr. Cameron has built will most assuredly live long in my feeble mind and overshadow other books and series to come.
The Plaque of Swords is the fourth book in Miles Cameron's The Traitor Son Cycle. After the epic fast pace of book 3, the different sides of this great conflict are licking their wounds and strategizing their next step to the success of their mission. Whether it be survival or domination, the end result will be on a global scale....or bigger.
"Since when does war only have two sides?"
So much has changed since book 1. Those that used to be enemies are now becoming unlikely allies, and the real enemies are proving to be far more powerful than could be imagined. Mr. Cameron seems to have an endless supply of them awaiting our heroes as each book produces more and more of the nasty buggers. Each book keeps raising the stakes and it is not yet clear what kind of sacrifice it will take to win this war, or if it will all fall to ruin.
"You said you'd lead us to hell," Tom said. He laughed. "Oh, we will make such a song!"
Each book builds on the foundation of the one before it, but Mr. Cameron likes to add some tweaks into his stories as well. What was the norm in book 3 may change in book 4. I love this in a series. It is constantly evolving and the readers outlook on the story has to grow along with each book. Some series you get the same rinse, wash, repeat feel to each book. That is not this case here and it is very refreshing.
It can be unusual to have a character driven story, my favorite BTW, and a story with an interesting plot. At least in my experience it's not that common. This my friends is one of those rare cases. While the overall purpose of the series is a little clouded for the first couple of books, it is now crystal clear. It has a bit of a twist to it I haven't seen in any other military or medieval fantasy type books. Some may call it Sandersonesque trait, if that can be used as a word. I am eager to see it all play out and how these new pieces of the puzzle fit into the outcome of the story.
To sum up, this has been an imaginative and enjoyable series to read, and The Plague of Swords has undeniably been another great addition to my overall enjoyment. The build up from one book to the next has been a strength and I am looking forward for what the final book has in store. So, for anyone who likes military or medieval fantasy with a twist, strong characters, and an ever expanding plot, you should give this series a go. I am reluctantly excited to move on to the finale. I can't wait for more, but hate that is almost over.
"This time, I don't want to ride to the rescue. I want to kill the monster in its sleep."
4.5 stars ****
June 23, 2020
A Plague of Swords solidified The Traitor Son Cycle as one of the best epic fantasy series written. It has everything I have come to love in fantasy, and continues on a wonderfully fun trajectory that has built up to the final instalment excellently. A Plague of Swords was the excellent penultimate entry of the Traitor Son Cycle.
“Never ascribe to some conspiracy of evil what can be explained as easily by ignorance and fear.”
Now being the fourth book of the series, I’ll not go into the plot and intricacies of A Plague Swords - but I WILL go into everything that is especially brilliant about The Traitor Son Cycle.
With the grand ending of the previous book, A Plague of Swords begins with the ‘sides’ of the various wars in a state of limbo, recovering from the conflicts and preparing for those that lie ahead.
“Ser Tomaso,” she said. “It is very likely we will all die.”
“Or worse,” said Brown, the first words he’d said in days. Ser Tomaso made a brave face.
“Perhaps,” he said. “But we will eat well.”
A Plague of Swords has the addition of some intriguing and enjoyable features, such as SEA MONSTERS - and yes, they are terrifying and glorious. We also have the addition of a certain Gryphon that is now rideable by a certain knight - Ariosto is one of my favourite characters, I really want my own Gryphon. Even if they are hungry all the time. He’s so polite too! Yeah, I like Ariosto.
We also see a thread that resembled the final chase in The Last of the Mohicans. Miles Cameron has taken influence from various cultures, and I loved reading about the tribes that were obviously inspired by Native Americans.
"You said you'd lead us to hell," Tom said. He laughed. "Oh, we will make such a song!"
Being four books into a series some readers would expect A Plague of Swords to be similar to the previous three reads, with small changes. But no, Miles Cameron has clearly developed as a writer and has enjoyed taking risks. We know there are gritty and bloody battles with knights in full plate, heavy cavalry charges, vile boglins and pageantry. But there are twists here, like spy threads, new creatures, celebrations, new alliances. There is something extremely new to this fantasy world that keeps you on your toes.
"Since when does war only have two sides?"
5/5 - I am loving my foray into The Traitor Son Cycle and cannot believe I am so close to the end. A Plague fo Swords is a fantastic addition and has proven what an excellent writer Miles Cameron is (yet again, I know!)
“Never ascribe to some conspiracy of evil what can be explained as easily by ignorance and fear.”
Now being the fourth book of the series, I’ll not go into the plot and intricacies of A Plague Swords - but I WILL go into everything that is especially brilliant about The Traitor Son Cycle.
With the grand ending of the previous book, A Plague of Swords begins with the ‘sides’ of the various wars in a state of limbo, recovering from the conflicts and preparing for those that lie ahead.
“Ser Tomaso,” she said. “It is very likely we will all die.”
“Or worse,” said Brown, the first words he’d said in days. Ser Tomaso made a brave face.
“Perhaps,” he said. “But we will eat well.”
A Plague of Swords has the addition of some intriguing and enjoyable features, such as SEA MONSTERS - and yes, they are terrifying and glorious. We also have the addition of a certain Gryphon that is now rideable by a certain knight - Ariosto is one of my favourite characters, I really want my own Gryphon. Even if they are hungry all the time. He’s so polite too! Yeah, I like Ariosto.
We also see a thread that resembled the final chase in The Last of the Mohicans. Miles Cameron has taken influence from various cultures, and I loved reading about the tribes that were obviously inspired by Native Americans.
"You said you'd lead us to hell," Tom said. He laughed. "Oh, we will make such a song!"
Being four books into a series some readers would expect A Plague of Swords to be similar to the previous three reads, with small changes. But no, Miles Cameron has clearly developed as a writer and has enjoyed taking risks. We know there are gritty and bloody battles with knights in full plate, heavy cavalry charges, vile boglins and pageantry. But there are twists here, like spy threads, new creatures, celebrations, new alliances. There is something extremely new to this fantasy world that keeps you on your toes.
"Since when does war only have two sides?"
5/5 - I am loving my foray into The Traitor Son Cycle and cannot believe I am so close to the end. A Plague fo Swords is a fantastic addition and has proven what an excellent writer Miles Cameron is (yet again, I know!)
September 12, 2024
The fourth book in the series this is probably my second favourite so far. This book kicks off with a pretty epic prologue, the reader is thrown right back into the world and the action there are some pretty horrific descriptions too which I enjoy as a horror reader. I think I loved this one so much because although this is a fantasy is boarders on horror so many times.
I really love the relationship between man and beast in this one especially with the Red Knight and his Griffin. I still wish we would have so many name/title changes though as sometimes I didn't know who I was reading about, as we still don't have a character list. The dynamic of the characters is even better in this book with enemies worker together for a higher cause. The line between man, beast, wild and good or evil is blurring more and our characters are seeing that not everything is a straight forward as they may have thought.
I thought the backstory/history about our villain was done so well, much better than in the last books it was more explanatory and made the reader experience a nicer one. The sections that take part a ship were incredible, the descriptions were insane and the battle scene were just so perfectly executed.
The mini tournament had some really sweet moments too, about how we can be different but still be fighting the same cause and be nice to one another. We had introductions to new characters and they were all meaningful. I do see why people might call this a filler book, but I thought it was a brilliant build up to the end.
I have to mention the in air fighting as it is just beautifully done, along with the magic system. It did get a little emotion too, but I have a feeling the final book is going to be a tearjerker, I can't wait!
I really love the relationship between man and beast in this one especially with the Red Knight and his Griffin. I still wish we would have so many name/title changes though as sometimes I didn't know who I was reading about, as we still don't have a character list. The dynamic of the characters is even better in this book with enemies worker together for a higher cause. The line between man, beast, wild and good or evil is blurring more and our characters are seeing that not everything is a straight forward as they may have thought.
I thought the backstory/history about our villain was done so well, much better than in the last books it was more explanatory and made the reader experience a nicer one. The sections that take part a ship were incredible, the descriptions were insane and the battle scene were just so perfectly executed.
The mini tournament had some really sweet moments too, about how we can be different but still be fighting the same cause and be nice to one another. We had introductions to new characters and they were all meaningful. I do see why people might call this a filler book, but I thought it was a brilliant build up to the end.
I have to mention the in air fighting as it is just beautifully done, along with the magic system. It did get a little emotion too, but I have a feeling the final book is going to be a tearjerker, I can't wait!
October 29, 2016
Five vibrant Red and White stars! Love my Canadian authors!
March 24, 2017
Another enjoyable installment in the Traitor Son Cycle - not quite as good as previous books, but setting up what looks to be an epic finale.
*rtc
*rtc
September 4, 2017
Fantastic! Plague of Swords cements this series into my top five!
More grimness, more darkness, more horrifying evil... and yet more good to combat it! The characters are as real as ever, as is the interaction between them. Wonderful friendships, loves and hates; character progression and world progression with it.
The action is visual and the scale immense. Sea battles and aerial battles compliment the ever-fabulous land battles, skirmishes and tourneys.
Magic beyond belief and monsters to match, this series continues to wow, surprise and leave you in awe of Cameron's storytelling and prose.
I cannot wait for more!
More grimness, more darkness, more horrifying evil... and yet more good to combat it! The characters are as real as ever, as is the interaction between them. Wonderful friendships, loves and hates; character progression and world progression with it.
The action is visual and the scale immense. Sea battles and aerial battles compliment the ever-fabulous land battles, skirmishes and tourneys.
Magic beyond belief and monsters to match, this series continues to wow, surprise and leave you in awe of Cameron's storytelling and prose.
I cannot wait for more!
August 1, 2021
Ratings:- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
May 18, 2017
A Plague of Swords continues the story of The Red Knight. The Traitor Son Cycle has been a very good series, so far. In this fourth book, following the events of the War against Thorn, we see Gabriel Muriens become Emperor due to being acclaimed thus after winning the war against Thorn and the Wild.
But before that can happen, it seems that there is one last great enemy to destroy- the dragon Ash and his strange alien allies the Odine. I will not spoil any more of the plot, since if you've followed the series so far you'll want to know what happens in your own due course.
Now while I really enjoyed the previous stories in this series, this latest one wasn't as interesting or fun. The primary reason is that there is far too much emphasis on the relationship aspect. While I never had a problem with the interplay of the characters, I do not read series like this for love stories or pages upon pages of discussions about upcoming wedding plans and what not. Sadly this kind of thing takes up a great deal of the story. From Gabriel's dealings with Blanche all the way to Princess Irene. It's not really what I was looking for..and, for my taste, it dominates the majority of the book.
Now there are some interesting fights- not to mention we see more of the Murien brothers in action and there is some resolution to the whole Red Duke becoming Emperor. I was disappointed in Gabriel's decision regarding the murderous Princess Irene. It makes little sense in the big picture of politics that are the hallmark of this tale.
So all told, it is still a good read. I did enjoy it. Perhaps it just seems far worse, since I truly enjoyed the other books in the series far more. Perhaps you will enjoy this more than I did. But still it is a good book and if you're a fan of the series I can certainly say it's worth your time. To people who have no idea what this is-start with book one and work your way down. This isn't the book to start with.
But before that can happen, it seems that there is one last great enemy to destroy- the dragon Ash and his strange alien allies the Odine. I will not spoil any more of the plot, since if you've followed the series so far you'll want to know what happens in your own due course.
Now while I really enjoyed the previous stories in this series, this latest one wasn't as interesting or fun. The primary reason is that there is far too much emphasis on the relationship aspect. While I never had a problem with the interplay of the characters, I do not read series like this for love stories or pages upon pages of discussions about upcoming wedding plans and what not. Sadly this kind of thing takes up a great deal of the story. From Gabriel's dealings with Blanche all the way to Princess Irene. It's not really what I was looking for..and, for my taste, it dominates the majority of the book.
Now there are some interesting fights- not to mention we see more of the Murien brothers in action and there is some resolution to the whole Red Duke becoming Emperor. I was disappointed in Gabriel's decision regarding the murderous Princess Irene. It makes little sense in the big picture of politics that are the hallmark of this tale.
So all told, it is still a good read. I did enjoy it. Perhaps it just seems far worse, since I truly enjoyed the other books in the series far more. Perhaps you will enjoy this more than I did. But still it is a good book and if you're a fan of the series I can certainly say it's worth your time. To people who have no idea what this is-start with book one and work your way down. This isn't the book to start with.
October 31, 2016
Plague of Swords.
This is the fourth instalment in the Red Knight- Traitors son- fantasy series by Miles Cameron, and again a very good read that does credit to the incredibly high standards of writing and talespinning of the series. Book three, the Dread Wyrm, ended with the alliance of the humans and non/ humans against the evil cemented in an epic battle with the fate of the whole world at stake and a hard won victory. No time for slacking down however. It´s plots within plots, and suddenly there is another powerful entity on the board on the dark side, so instead of one, the alliance has to battle the evil forces of two entities. The Red Knight has to keep it all together, and is furiously playing multiple chessboards simultaneously to keep the forces of good in the game, on the ground, in different countries, and in the aetheral. But that is where the Red Knight really comes into his element, brilliant and mercurial stategist as he is, and also quite mad at times, and at the end of book four, he has managed to knock yet another one of the enemies out of the game. To me the Red Knight bears some similarities to one of the TV heroes of my youth. Hannibal from the A/team. I love it when a plan comes together. As the series is progressing more is revealed about what all of this scheming, invading and massive bloodshed of the evil side is really all about. It´s about control of certain places. And these places have portals. Need I say more.. Portals can be opened..The forces of good of the alliance are still game, and with Miles Cameron at the wheel, I am sure there will most likely be more plots within plots.
I think that Miles Cameron enjoys himself massively writing this series in the fantasy world playground he has created for himself. We have a ground war here, and he can play out his military and tactical knowledge and experience from his years as a US Navy Intelligence officer. He has been playing wargames and dungeons and dragons from young age. He is a military historian with encyclopedical knowledge and a vast hands on experience as a reenactor and swordsman. He knows how to lay a fire, he knows how to track/ journeying the wild in medieval kit, he knows how to fight in medieval kit, he knows how to shoot a bow, and with immersing yourself into the past come truckloads and truckloads of other skills that need to be learned and developped..embroidery, sewing, woodcutting, crafting, cooking, doing laundry, housekeeping, arming and arms maintenance.. you name it.
That is one of the things that massively appeals to me in the series. For a good part it is all medieval, and related to historical places, places you and I might have visited, like f.i. Venice and Verona, and it is not only English medieval, but also Saracen medieval, Gallish and Occitan medieval, Italian medieval and Byzantine medieval. My own knowledge of the whole medieval world is not as broad and expansive as that of Miles, but my ventures into the medieval east and the medieval south lead me to believe that he has got most of those medieval parts of the world dead right and very convincingly depicted. So as a treat in a fantasy novel, there´s lots and lots to be learned about our own history. So if you want to know more about the byzantine army, its organisation and the way it deployed in battle.. it´s here in the series.
There´s lots to be enjoyed in this book. In general fantasy series that are about saving the world from evil and the all encompassing darkness start to appeal less to me as the series progresses, because the real people and the small things that I can relate to as a reader tend to disappear in favor of the higher goal and the big fight between good and the dark evil. Fortunately that doesn’t happen here to an annoying extent. For instance, there´s still the tale of the spy, Jules Kromnir, the gathering of intelligence, maintaining the communications network, and everything that goes with the trade. There is tracking in the wild unspoiled country , there are convincing battles, there is a tournament with jousting and archery, and there is a wedding. And as a bonus we also have a Gryphon on the Red knight team, called Ariosto. I love him. He is quite peculiar. The conversations between Ariosto and the Red Knight have turned into one of my favourite little gems in this novel. But there are plenty of little gems to be found in this novel. Mark my words! (spoiler).
This is the fourth instalment in the Red Knight- Traitors son- fantasy series by Miles Cameron, and again a very good read that does credit to the incredibly high standards of writing and talespinning of the series. Book three, the Dread Wyrm, ended with the alliance of the humans and non/ humans against the evil cemented in an epic battle with the fate of the whole world at stake and a hard won victory. No time for slacking down however. It´s plots within plots, and suddenly there is another powerful entity on the board on the dark side, so instead of one, the alliance has to battle the evil forces of two entities. The Red Knight has to keep it all together, and is furiously playing multiple chessboards simultaneously to keep the forces of good in the game, on the ground, in different countries, and in the aetheral. But that is where the Red Knight really comes into his element, brilliant and mercurial stategist as he is, and also quite mad at times, and at the end of book four, he has managed to knock yet another one of the enemies out of the game. To me the Red Knight bears some similarities to one of the TV heroes of my youth. Hannibal from the A/team. I love it when a plan comes together. As the series is progressing more is revealed about what all of this scheming, invading and massive bloodshed of the evil side is really all about. It´s about control of certain places. And these places have portals. Need I say more.. Portals can be opened..The forces of good of the alliance are still game, and with Miles Cameron at the wheel, I am sure there will most likely be more plots within plots.
I think that Miles Cameron enjoys himself massively writing this series in the fantasy world playground he has created for himself. We have a ground war here, and he can play out his military and tactical knowledge and experience from his years as a US Navy Intelligence officer. He has been playing wargames and dungeons and dragons from young age. He is a military historian with encyclopedical knowledge and a vast hands on experience as a reenactor and swordsman. He knows how to lay a fire, he knows how to track/ journeying the wild in medieval kit, he knows how to fight in medieval kit, he knows how to shoot a bow, and with immersing yourself into the past come truckloads and truckloads of other skills that need to be learned and developped..embroidery, sewing, woodcutting, crafting, cooking, doing laundry, housekeeping, arming and arms maintenance.. you name it.
That is one of the things that massively appeals to me in the series. For a good part it is all medieval, and related to historical places, places you and I might have visited, like f.i. Venice and Verona, and it is not only English medieval, but also Saracen medieval, Gallish and Occitan medieval, Italian medieval and Byzantine medieval. My own knowledge of the whole medieval world is not as broad and expansive as that of Miles, but my ventures into the medieval east and the medieval south lead me to believe that he has got most of those medieval parts of the world dead right and very convincingly depicted. So as a treat in a fantasy novel, there´s lots and lots to be learned about our own history. So if you want to know more about the byzantine army, its organisation and the way it deployed in battle.. it´s here in the series.
There´s lots to be enjoyed in this book. In general fantasy series that are about saving the world from evil and the all encompassing darkness start to appeal less to me as the series progresses, because the real people and the small things that I can relate to as a reader tend to disappear in favor of the higher goal and the big fight between good and the dark evil. Fortunately that doesn’t happen here to an annoying extent. For instance, there´s still the tale of the spy, Jules Kromnir, the gathering of intelligence, maintaining the communications network, and everything that goes with the trade. There is tracking in the wild unspoiled country , there are convincing battles, there is a tournament with jousting and archery, and there is a wedding. And as a bonus we also have a Gryphon on the Red knight team, called Ariosto. I love him. He is quite peculiar. The conversations between Ariosto and the Red Knight have turned into one of my favourite little gems in this novel. But there are plenty of little gems to be found in this novel. Mark my words! (spoiler).
April 15, 2018
The Traitor Son series is perhaps my favourite fantasy series at the moment and this book is a worthy addition to the series. It seamlessly continues from the last book and pushes the plot(s) forward at a extremely high speed, ignoring a small respite at the beginning. As the rest of the series this book does a beautiful job of breathing life in to the setting and its people and I have rarely seen a more believable portrayal of medieval life.
However the book is not without faults. The sheer scope (and endless escalation) of the plot means that we (and Gabriel) need to keep track of a large number of events and characters that sadly mean that a lot of people don't get the screen time they need and deserve while some subplots seem largely unneeded and actually distract from the main event. Actual (military) fighting also gets pushed more and more into the background by the ever growing presence of magic which I find a bit sad considering it's portrayal was one of the main attractions of the first books. The fast speed of the book also mean that we skip over so many interesting (and in my eyes necessary) events like for example the whole "Gabriel as emperor" plot that gets only minimal mention/explanation aside from the very weak scenes regarding Irene.
I also continue to dislike Blanche and while her plotline is not as grating as it was in the last book it still didn't make me a fan of her (especially since there are already more than enough characters who fill her "position" as a "capable" and intelligent peasant). There would have been so many existing and interesting female characters that could have served as a love interest for Gabriel but instead we end end up with the most boring and typical love interest imaginable whose scenes are simply not that interesting to read about and who in my opinion doesn't really fit Gabriel or the story really well.
However the book is not without faults. The sheer scope (and endless escalation) of the plot means that we (and Gabriel) need to keep track of a large number of events and characters that sadly mean that a lot of people don't get the screen time they need and deserve while some subplots seem largely unneeded and actually distract from the main event. Actual (military) fighting also gets pushed more and more into the background by the ever growing presence of magic which I find a bit sad considering it's portrayal was one of the main attractions of the first books. The fast speed of the book also mean that we skip over so many interesting (and in my eyes necessary) events like for example the whole "Gabriel as emperor" plot that gets only minimal mention/explanation aside from the very weak scenes regarding Irene.
I also continue to dislike Blanche and while her plotline is not as grating as it was in the last book it still didn't make me a fan of her (especially since there are already more than enough characters who fill her "position" as a "capable" and intelligent peasant). There would have been so many existing and interesting female characters that could have served as a love interest for Gabriel but instead we end end up with the most boring and typical love interest imaginable whose scenes are simply not that interesting to read about and who in my opinion doesn't really fit Gabriel or the story really well.
July 27, 2019
4 Stars
The Traitor Son Cycle rolls on with another excellent installment.
Following the climactic defeat of Thorn and the formation of an unexpected alliance between men and the Wild, the Red Knight, or Gabriel Muriens, must now marshal his disparate forces and prepare his new alliance to meet the still potent threat of the dragon Ash. With forces spread across multiple nations and new threats continuing to rise, Gabriel must not only figure out his enemy’s end game, but find some way to stop it.
Long story short, another good book in a very good series. Coming after the epicness that was the third book, there was always going to be a bit of a slowdown in book four, but Cameron kept things moving. New enemies appeared, new revelations occurred, and new plans were made. The world continues to expand as we moved to new locales as Gabriel attempts to manage his empire and all his allies spread literally across the world.
The worldbuilding continues to excel. The authentic medieval feel is something a little different than most fantasy, and the alternate Europe, something that put me off when first looking at these books, has become another unique feature that sets this series apart. The battles are evolving, both in scale and in manner as the scope of the conflict grows and as the level of hermetical powers possess by the allies continues to expand. Characters continue to grow and expand, showing admirable depth and complexity.
On to the finale.
The Traitor Son Cycle rolls on with another excellent installment.
Following the climactic defeat of Thorn and the formation of an unexpected alliance between men and the Wild, the Red Knight, or Gabriel Muriens, must now marshal his disparate forces and prepare his new alliance to meet the still potent threat of the dragon Ash. With forces spread across multiple nations and new threats continuing to rise, Gabriel must not only figure out his enemy’s end game, but find some way to stop it.
Long story short, another good book in a very good series. Coming after the epicness that was the third book, there was always going to be a bit of a slowdown in book four, but Cameron kept things moving. New enemies appeared, new revelations occurred, and new plans were made. The world continues to expand as we moved to new locales as Gabriel attempts to manage his empire and all his allies spread literally across the world.
The worldbuilding continues to excel. The authentic medieval feel is something a little different than most fantasy, and the alternate Europe, something that put me off when first looking at these books, has become another unique feature that sets this series apart. The battles are evolving, both in scale and in manner as the scope of the conflict grows and as the level of hermetical powers possess by the allies continues to expand. Characters continue to grow and expand, showing admirable depth and complexity.
On to the finale.
November 18, 2016
4.5 stars.
As always this review can also be found on my own blog: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A Plague of Swords is the penultimate book in Mile Cameron's complex and utterly engrossing 5 book fantasy series The Traitor Son Cycle to be followed by The Fall Of Dragons hopefully in the not to distant future!
After the conclusion at the end of the previous book (The Dread Wyrm) we are once again thrust straight back into the action and drama of the series. The Dread Wyrm ended with the alliance between the humans and non-humans gaining a vital victory in an epic battle that helped ensure the fate of the world for another day.
That battle left ramifications, which are now being felt and while one enemy is retreating in an attempt to regroup. Yet another malignant entity appears and The Red Knight and the alliance, now looking at enemies on three separate fronts in two distant locations are required midway into the book to split and fight. With each being lead by a Muriens Brother, Gabriel, Gavin and the younger Aneas leading a much smaller force.
Being the second to last book in the series, there's no lull in the story telling or plot like you often see in other fantasy series, where the author draws both the main storyline and individual character arcs out, plodding along at a sedate pace simply to set up the epic conclusion in the final installment. But not with Cameron, no! Cameron once again gives us a fast paced, slightly streamlined (the book is around 100 pages shorter than the previous books) that pulls you in from the first page and doesn't let go until the last.
Adding little extra layers to the story being told and plots within plots, Cameron keeps enlarging both his cast of characters and the world he has created. This time around we are treated to a look at some new areas, new characters and Cameron also introduces us to sea travel and with it, the resulting sea monsters that plague the seas. And the ensuing sea battles truly are epic and a highlight of the book.
It's hard to review a book when it's part of a series, especially when it's a later book and you don't want to give anything away that has happened in the previous books as one of the main reasons I love fantasy so much is the journey that you get to take with the characters from that very first page all the way through to the very last - if the characters survive that long of course. Alas, being fantasy, we do see a few deaths in this book, mark my words!
The characters and their development in the Traitor Son Cycle have always been top quality with Cameron creating a core group of three-dimensional characters that you can really get behind and in Gabriel Muriens, The Red Knight he has created one of the best characters in fantasy to centre his epic tale around. Many pages ago, way back when at the start of the series Gabriel had some very unlikeable traits but he was still a captivating character that managed to draw you in. Now four books in we know him, those traits are what we like about him and while they have been somewhat tempered, they are still there just not so prominent, only on occasion and he seems more comfortable with his fate and in himself giving a much more human aspect to the character. The Red Knight with his crazy plans, schemes and never knowing what he's likely to do next is an exceptional character, dynamic, captivating and enigmatic and a leader that you want to follow.
I'm loathe to compare characters especially when they are from different media and different eras. But, the one comparison that I have kept coming back to with Gabriel whilst reading this series (no offence is meant to the author) is that Gabriel reminds me of Hannibal from The A-Team.
For those of you who don't know it, The A-Team was an 1980's action and adventure TV show where an US Army Special Forces unit escaped from military jail where they were being held for a crime they didn't commit (it's a classic and one of my all time favourite TV shows). The group was led by Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith a master tactician who each episode would come up with crazy and daring plans to aid and help innocent people, now whether or not those plans always worked out the way they should have is another question! But, after his plan in some form had come to fruition and the villain had been thwarted, Hannibal would always say his famous catchphrase "I love it when a plan comes together" and that's what reminds me of Gabriel in this series, he shares some traits with Hannibal and as such I can easily picture him grinning away and reciting Hannibal's old catchphrase.
With such a large cast of characters there's sometimes pages between them appearing and then we only get fleeting glimpses of them but it's all part of the story being told in A Plague of Swords and the new characters and certain other older ones take precedence. It's only my personal stand point but some of the best parts in the series have been the camaraderie, banter and interplay between certain characters, Bad Tom and Sauce, Bad Tom and Gabriel and Sauce and Gabriel and the interactions between them this time are somewhat limited.
For me, that's a double-edged sword as you miss the characters when they're not on the page or interacting with each other but it also adds to the enjoyment that you get when they do appear together. You often can't help but smile at some of the things they say to each other and even though The Red Knight's company has exponentially grown at its core his casa still feels like a family and it's a pleasure to take this journey with them. The new characters introduced fit in well with the book, story and overall tone of the series and are decent additions to the already expansive array of personalities on display.
It has to be wrote that one of my favourite characters in the book isn't even human, anyone who reads this blog will know that I have a soft spot for animal companions in fantasy books (Nighteyes in The Farseer Trilogy and Storm in The Faithful and The Fallen series are the two that immediately spring to mind) and you can now add Gabriel's pet Gryphon Ariosto to that list, the conversations between the two were one of the books highlights for me and are one of the many little gems strewn throughout A Plague of Swords with Ariosto being a slightly weird but absolutely wonderful creation.
One of the main reasons why The Traitor Son Cycle should be placed in the upper echelons of fantasy is the inclusion of both military and historical fiction elements to the series. These additions are a welcome highlight giving you a merging together of fantasy and history that makes for the perfect blend, creating a unique fantastical setting that has its foundation steeped in historical influence.
The author himself is a keen reenactor and you can see that he has used his knowledge of the subject in the detailed descriptions of armour, military and battles found within the book and the series on a whole. That has always been one of the many highlights of the series and something that helps to set it apart from the various other fantasy series out there, the attention to detail that Cameron includes when describing the various armour, weaponry and battle formations and tactics.
I had a few slight niggles about the book, firstly as mentioned above the lack of interaction between certain characters. Secondly, that a few of the plot points are only glossed over with and could have perhaps been further developed. And, thirdly, the lack of emphasis on the military aspect this time around with the focus in battle shifting more towards the magical. However, none of these very minor flaws were enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book in the least with the book still being a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The magic system has always been well thought out and it's used really well during A Plague of Swords, both in battles and for other parts of the story to. The battles are all of a high standard, be they the sea battles, smaller skirmishes in the wilderness or the larger scale battles that take place.
Cameron's world building continues to be top quality and he further develops and increases the scale of his constructed world by introducing new areas and delving deeper into locations that we have already visited. His writing style draws you in with vivid descriptions, emotion, humour and visceral action.
Would I recommend A Plague of Swords? Yes, I would! It's a good book in its own right. But, I'm a firm believer in that to truly get the most out of a series you need to start at the very beginning with the first book, that way you get to join the characters on their journey from the start and build a relationship with them growing to care about the trials and tribulations they find themselves in and their fates.
And, while A Plague of Swords fails to live up to the high standard Cameron set with the previous three books in the series (The Red Knight, The Fell Sword and The Dread Wyrm) it's still a thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing and welcome addition to The Traitor Son Cycle that deserves to be at the forefront of fantasy. Leaving you waiting in eager anticipation for the final installment and what is sure to be an epic conclusion.
And, for The Traitor Son Cycle itself, well, yes, I most definitely would recommend this series. It's a truly stunning epic fantasy series that in this humble bloggers opinion deserves to be listed as one of the top fantasy series and for me is a guaranteed must read.
If you're not already part of The Red Knight's Company then sign up now and let Gabriel and his bunch of colourful characters lead you on an epic journey, highly recommended.
As always this review can also be found on my own blog: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A Plague of Swords is the penultimate book in Mile Cameron's complex and utterly engrossing 5 book fantasy series The Traitor Son Cycle to be followed by The Fall Of Dragons hopefully in the not to distant future!
After the conclusion at the end of the previous book (The Dread Wyrm) we are once again thrust straight back into the action and drama of the series. The Dread Wyrm ended with the alliance between the humans and non-humans gaining a vital victory in an epic battle that helped ensure the fate of the world for another day.
That battle left ramifications, which are now being felt and while one enemy is retreating in an attempt to regroup. Yet another malignant entity appears and The Red Knight and the alliance, now looking at enemies on three separate fronts in two distant locations are required midway into the book to split and fight. With each being lead by a Muriens Brother, Gabriel, Gavin and the younger Aneas leading a much smaller force.
Being the second to last book in the series, there's no lull in the story telling or plot like you often see in other fantasy series, where the author draws both the main storyline and individual character arcs out, plodding along at a sedate pace simply to set up the epic conclusion in the final installment. But not with Cameron, no! Cameron once again gives us a fast paced, slightly streamlined (the book is around 100 pages shorter than the previous books) that pulls you in from the first page and doesn't let go until the last.
Adding little extra layers to the story being told and plots within plots, Cameron keeps enlarging both his cast of characters and the world he has created. This time around we are treated to a look at some new areas, new characters and Cameron also introduces us to sea travel and with it, the resulting sea monsters that plague the seas. And the ensuing sea battles truly are epic and a highlight of the book.
It's hard to review a book when it's part of a series, especially when it's a later book and you don't want to give anything away that has happened in the previous books as one of the main reasons I love fantasy so much is the journey that you get to take with the characters from that very first page all the way through to the very last - if the characters survive that long of course. Alas, being fantasy, we do see a few deaths in this book, mark my words!
The characters and their development in the Traitor Son Cycle have always been top quality with Cameron creating a core group of three-dimensional characters that you can really get behind and in Gabriel Muriens, The Red Knight he has created one of the best characters in fantasy to centre his epic tale around. Many pages ago, way back when at the start of the series Gabriel had some very unlikeable traits but he was still a captivating character that managed to draw you in. Now four books in we know him, those traits are what we like about him and while they have been somewhat tempered, they are still there just not so prominent, only on occasion and he seems more comfortable with his fate and in himself giving a much more human aspect to the character. The Red Knight with his crazy plans, schemes and never knowing what he's likely to do next is an exceptional character, dynamic, captivating and enigmatic and a leader that you want to follow.
I'm loathe to compare characters especially when they are from different media and different eras. But, the one comparison that I have kept coming back to with Gabriel whilst reading this series (no offence is meant to the author) is that Gabriel reminds me of Hannibal from The A-Team.
For those of you who don't know it, The A-Team was an 1980's action and adventure TV show where an US Army Special Forces unit escaped from military jail where they were being held for a crime they didn't commit (it's a classic and one of my all time favourite TV shows). The group was led by Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith a master tactician who each episode would come up with crazy and daring plans to aid and help innocent people, now whether or not those plans always worked out the way they should have is another question! But, after his plan in some form had come to fruition and the villain had been thwarted, Hannibal would always say his famous catchphrase "I love it when a plan comes together" and that's what reminds me of Gabriel in this series, he shares some traits with Hannibal and as such I can easily picture him grinning away and reciting Hannibal's old catchphrase.
With such a large cast of characters there's sometimes pages between them appearing and then we only get fleeting glimpses of them but it's all part of the story being told in A Plague of Swords and the new characters and certain other older ones take precedence. It's only my personal stand point but some of the best parts in the series have been the camaraderie, banter and interplay between certain characters, Bad Tom and Sauce, Bad Tom and Gabriel and Sauce and Gabriel and the interactions between them this time are somewhat limited.
For me, that's a double-edged sword as you miss the characters when they're not on the page or interacting with each other but it also adds to the enjoyment that you get when they do appear together. You often can't help but smile at some of the things they say to each other and even though The Red Knight's company has exponentially grown at its core his casa still feels like a family and it's a pleasure to take this journey with them. The new characters introduced fit in well with the book, story and overall tone of the series and are decent additions to the already expansive array of personalities on display.
It has to be wrote that one of my favourite characters in the book isn't even human, anyone who reads this blog will know that I have a soft spot for animal companions in fantasy books (Nighteyes in The Farseer Trilogy and Storm in The Faithful and The Fallen series are the two that immediately spring to mind) and you can now add Gabriel's pet Gryphon Ariosto to that list, the conversations between the two were one of the books highlights for me and are one of the many little gems strewn throughout A Plague of Swords with Ariosto being a slightly weird but absolutely wonderful creation.
One of the main reasons why The Traitor Son Cycle should be placed in the upper echelons of fantasy is the inclusion of both military and historical fiction elements to the series. These additions are a welcome highlight giving you a merging together of fantasy and history that makes for the perfect blend, creating a unique fantastical setting that has its foundation steeped in historical influence.
The author himself is a keen reenactor and you can see that he has used his knowledge of the subject in the detailed descriptions of armour, military and battles found within the book and the series on a whole. That has always been one of the many highlights of the series and something that helps to set it apart from the various other fantasy series out there, the attention to detail that Cameron includes when describing the various armour, weaponry and battle formations and tactics.
I had a few slight niggles about the book, firstly as mentioned above the lack of interaction between certain characters. Secondly, that a few of the plot points are only glossed over with and could have perhaps been further developed. And, thirdly, the lack of emphasis on the military aspect this time around with the focus in battle shifting more towards the magical. However, none of these very minor flaws were enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book in the least with the book still being a thoroughly enjoyable read.
The magic system has always been well thought out and it's used really well during A Plague of Swords, both in battles and for other parts of the story to. The battles are all of a high standard, be they the sea battles, smaller skirmishes in the wilderness or the larger scale battles that take place.
Cameron's world building continues to be top quality and he further develops and increases the scale of his constructed world by introducing new areas and delving deeper into locations that we have already visited. His writing style draws you in with vivid descriptions, emotion, humour and visceral action.
Would I recommend A Plague of Swords? Yes, I would! It's a good book in its own right. But, I'm a firm believer in that to truly get the most out of a series you need to start at the very beginning with the first book, that way you get to join the characters on their journey from the start and build a relationship with them growing to care about the trials and tribulations they find themselves in and their fates.
And, while A Plague of Swords fails to live up to the high standard Cameron set with the previous three books in the series (The Red Knight, The Fell Sword and The Dread Wyrm) it's still a thoroughly enjoyable, engrossing and welcome addition to The Traitor Son Cycle that deserves to be at the forefront of fantasy. Leaving you waiting in eager anticipation for the final installment and what is sure to be an epic conclusion.
And, for The Traitor Son Cycle itself, well, yes, I most definitely would recommend this series. It's a truly stunning epic fantasy series that in this humble bloggers opinion deserves to be listed as one of the top fantasy series and for me is a guaranteed must read.
If you're not already part of The Red Knight's Company then sign up now and let Gabriel and his bunch of colourful characters lead you on an epic journey, highly recommended.
June 6, 2019
Probably a 4.5.
Plague of Swords made me appreciate the prior books even more, but I still have zero clue how the magic works.
The highest of stakes, great characters and plotting, but I'm still not a fan of the crazy long chapters with multiple perspectives within each.
Plague of Swords made me appreciate the prior books even more, but I still have zero clue how the magic works.
The highest of stakes, great characters and plotting, but I'm still not a fan of the crazy long chapters with multiple perspectives within each.
March 30, 2020
Can't wait to get started on the last one
December 17, 2016
Another excellent entry in the Traitor Son Cycle.
The good: lots of intrigue, an unpredictable plot, and some really interesting foreshadowing of what's to come.
The less good: there wasn't as much of the writing at arms and armor at which Cameron uniquely excels. I'm also confused as all hell as to what the deal was with
I'm super excited for the next one. The sequel hook right at the end was glorious.
The good: lots of intrigue, an unpredictable plot, and some really interesting foreshadowing of what's to come.
The less good: there wasn't as much of the writing at arms and armor at which Cameron uniquely excels. I'm also confused as all hell as to what the deal was with
I'm super excited for the next one. The sequel hook right at the end was glorious.
January 7, 2018
Sad to say, I think this is where I'm going to leave this series. This isn't a bad book, but it has problems. The first and most noticeable problem is that it just doesn't have much... initiative. The last book didn't REALLY solve the big looming danger threatening the world, but it dealt with basically every major manifestation of that evil. Particularly, Cameron killed off Thorn and Jean de Vrailly, the personal antagonists of the Red Knight who Cameron put considerable effort into developing as characters. In this book, the enemy is faceless, literally and figuratively, and while its machinations are great and dangerous, this switch-up from a fight between personalities and a fight between personalities and a force didn't really work for me. It's like the switch-up from the Hobbit to Lord of the Rings, but frankly the impersonal villain (the Ondine) doesn't seem all that much more powerful than the personal villains were and thus the threat just doesn't seem as interesting, which is why it fails where LotR succeeded so impressively. At the same time the book increases massively in scope so that it no longer can put as much effort into developing the local feel that the previous books put so much time into and everybody on the "good" side basically does what the Red Knight tells them to do, limiting any sort of friction that would necessitate subplots (apart from Irene, whose story is frankly pointless). My other big problem was the character development. At the end of the previous book, Cameron killed off pretty much 2/3rds of the major named characters, heroes and villains. The problem is that Cameron is forced to throw in a bunch of new characters that we know little to nothing about to fill in the gaping holes in the ranks, while also moving much of the action to another continent, further decreasing page-time for old characters. Given the stage we're at in the series, there's no time to give them the sort of backgrounds we'd gotten for the now-dead characters so for the most part Cameron seems to just assign diversity stereotypes to most of the new main characters rather than developing them as people, which pushed the bounds of believability for me given the supposed medieval-esque setting as it felt like Cameron was saying, "Ignore all of my work to create a realistic medieval setting; now it's as post-modern as San Francisco!" Worse is that we spend more time with these thinly drawn new characters than we do with many of the remaining old hands, Amidicia, for one, practically fades out of the story (I know, I know). Moreover, the alliance of necessity between humanity and the Wild is surprisingly drama-free with neither side's troops holding on to grudges somehow. This bothered me considerably as it seemed rather silly that the two forces are able to join hands and work together so easily due to the larger threat; people (and things) are petty, that's something the series hasn't been afraid to push before, but here only the Patriarch of Rhum and his allies are at all contrary to the Alliance's cause. Finally, in a series that has long been... insane in its editing, this book takes the cake. Cameron threw out chapter divisions entirely. This is a 460ish page book, and it's divided into 5 parts. Beyond that there are no subdivisions, just paragraph breaks. I hate it when authors can't be bothered to put in chapter breaks, and given that I've long had a hard time getting through Cameron's books in a timely manner (don't know why, something about his books, I just can't devour them the way I do other large fantasies), the fact that he took out chapter breaks just made this one a nightmare for me. All in all, A Plague of Swords annoyed me, a lot, and it kept annoying me. It annoyed me so much, I put it down and basically gave up on it for several months, ultimately I finished it more so that I could just get it off my shelf. That said, I will say that the story itself remains interesting (though the pacing and plotting is all over the place with a couple anticlimactic plot events that led nowhere), the action scenes are exciting, and the world remains imaginative, and a part of me is curious how it will all end, but it just never seemed to catch the same spark of genius that the previous three books enjoyed, and ultimately it really felt to me more like the first two books from a sequel trilogy mashed together rather than the fully fleshed-out fourth book in a five-book series. I enjoyed so much of what Miles Cameron did with this series, mashing together medieval history, Arthurian legend, and a healthy dose of High Fantasy but there's just too little left of what made it fun for me, so I'm done.
June 23, 2017
God damn it... I thought the series was already finished! You got me fucker! You got me good Miles.
Now I wait for book 5.
Now I wait for book 5.
October 13, 2017
What a ride, what a ride! I can't wait for the Grand Finalle!
November 18, 2016
I am not sure how I feel about The Plague of Swords. One of my favorite things about Cameron is his detail so I shouldn’t complain, but I did get a bit tired of who was sitting next to who at the war meetings. I think the main problem I had with the whole book was everything about it felt slow. Even with my AB player on 1.2 speed I thought it was spoken slow. Neil Dickson narrated this book, The Plague of Swords, as well as book 3 The Dread Wyrm. While I think Matthew Wolf Did a better job on books 1 and 2, I had no problems with The Dread Wyrm. so I may have been just wanting to get to the action.
Now about that action. Cameron uses his knowledge of armor and weapons combined with his actual experience in wielding them to completely surpass most other authors with battle descriptions. So it should come as no surprise that the fight scenes were done brilliantly. What was surprising to me, was how little of it there was. Of the little over 21 hours the Audiobook consisted of It felt like less than one was in Battle. I know the siege is over, but still I wanted more death and destruction on a grand scale. Is that too much to ask for?
I think the author may have felt the same way because we all of the sudden get a new army fighting the Red Night. The entire plot line of the “legion of parasitic worms that can take over anything, man or animal, alive or dead and use them as solders” just felt unnecessary and out of place. Plus it was not a big deal. The resolution happens in like 2 minutes.
My other big problem though is the “Not Death” of one of the main characters. I say not death because they didn’t die. No they just did some unexplained thing for an unexplained reason and then basically disappear. I still can’t wrap my head around it.
Still the prose is great even if the plot was not up to my expectations. It just seemed to be build up and then no finale. All I can say is with 21 hours of setup book 5 should be one hell of a ride.
Final Thoughts
There always has to be one book that is the least favorite in a series. And The Plague of Swords is my least favorite of the four books. However (The Traitor Son Cycle) so far is one of my top 20 series ever. It very well could be in my top 10 depending on how it ends. So I definitely recommend you pick it up if you haven’t already. I give Plague of Swords 3.75 out of 5 stars.
Now about that action. Cameron uses his knowledge of armor and weapons combined with his actual experience in wielding them to completely surpass most other authors with battle descriptions. So it should come as no surprise that the fight scenes were done brilliantly. What was surprising to me, was how little of it there was. Of the little over 21 hours the Audiobook consisted of It felt like less than one was in Battle. I know the siege is over, but still I wanted more death and destruction on a grand scale. Is that too much to ask for?
I think the author may have felt the same way because we all of the sudden get a new army fighting the Red Night. The entire plot line of the “legion of parasitic worms that can take over anything, man or animal, alive or dead and use them as solders” just felt unnecessary and out of place. Plus it was not a big deal. The resolution happens in like 2 minutes.
My other big problem though is the “Not Death” of one of the main characters. I say not death because they didn’t die. No they just did some unexplained thing for an unexplained reason and then basically disappear. I still can’t wrap my head around it.
Still the prose is great even if the plot was not up to my expectations. It just seemed to be build up and then no finale. All I can say is with 21 hours of setup book 5 should be one hell of a ride.
Final Thoughts
There always has to be one book that is the least favorite in a series. And The Plague of Swords is my least favorite of the four books. However (The Traitor Son Cycle) so far is one of my top 20 series ever. It very well could be in my top 10 depending on how it ends. So I definitely recommend you pick it up if you haven’t already. I give Plague of Swords 3.75 out of 5 stars.
November 21, 2017
Strong writing like it was in the previous books. The story grows and grows without any limits whatsoever!
This time we haven`t a lot of POVS like the other volumes, maybe there are around of five main characters, and only one from the bad guys.
So for this aspect the book has another structure, like the firsts, where we had multiple povs from the whole camps of interest.
Now from the so called bad alliance we have only in the end some glimpses and I guess we`ll se more in the last book of the series.
We`re also introduce to at least two main new povs with their own story and background information.
Overall it`s clear that this guy knows how to write, the books are really changing their stories, and sometimes some of the key characters, and still after that the whole plot remains strong and interesting.
This is one of my favourite fantasy series ever and I must confess that I`m very curious to see how the writer will wrapp all the threads and what surprises has prepared for the readers in it`s big finale of this masterpiece.
I `m thinking that if he wants he could easily expand the story in some new books with some povs from the wild. A lot of potential there. I know that I really want to read more of the wild!
This time we haven`t a lot of POVS like the other volumes, maybe there are around of five main characters, and only one from the bad guys.
So for this aspect the book has another structure, like the firsts, where we had multiple povs from the whole camps of interest.
Now from the so called bad alliance we have only in the end some glimpses and I guess we`ll se more in the last book of the series.
We`re also introduce to at least two main new povs with their own story and background information.
Overall it`s clear that this guy knows how to write, the books are really changing their stories, and sometimes some of the key characters, and still after that the whole plot remains strong and interesting.
This is one of my favourite fantasy series ever and I must confess that I`m very curious to see how the writer will wrapp all the threads and what surprises has prepared for the readers in it`s big finale of this masterpiece.
I `m thinking that if he wants he could easily expand the story in some new books with some povs from the wild. A lot of potential there. I know that I really want to read more of the wild!
November 12, 2016
One of the best penultimate books
Continuing the fight against Ash, who has now gotten a new ally, or so they think, Gabriel Muriens and the company, which has now become the most powerful human force on Earth, takes up the war against on three prongs.
The writing is as good as ever, especially the set pieces. The use of magic, the characters and the action all being joy to read this penultimate book of Traitor Son cycle.
I cannot wait for the next book.
Continuing the fight against Ash, who has now gotten a new ally, or so they think, Gabriel Muriens and the company, which has now become the most powerful human force on Earth, takes up the war against on three prongs.
The writing is as good as ever, especially the set pieces. The use of magic, the characters and the action all being joy to read this penultimate book of Traitor Son cycle.
I cannot wait for the next book.
February 21, 2018
"The Plague of Swords" sort of hits the reset button on the Traitor Son Cycle. That's one reason why this Book 4 is certainly the weakest of the series up to this point.
The climactic battle in the previous volume, basically sorcerer Thorn vs. Red Knight and his cohorts Part II, wasn't the end of the saga, obviously; there are powers behind Thorn and a far more widespread — worlds-spanning, really — plot than had even been hinted at in the early books. But in this regrouping for the final push, the series occasionally isn't on firm footing.
The book opens on a land distant from the early settings, with an army battling the worm-infested "not-dead." These (former) people operate as one, a many-bodied puppet of a behind-the-scenes baddie. And yes, there's a nasty plague (but not "of swords"; the title is a bit odd).
Pretty good stuff, and there are exciting scenes at sea — serpent attacks! — and a spectacular air battle in a mountain setting featuring two of our heroes aboard a griffon (eagle/lion hybrid) against a particularly nasty flying monster, at the finish.
Gabriel Muriens' relationship with this griffon shows how subtly good author Miles Cameron can be. They communicate telepathically, and it's sort of adorable. "Love you!" the fierce griffon says/thinks. Aw!
Gabriel also gets married, and the non-romantic plot thickens in some satisfying ways. There's also a really good segment with the princess Irene — whom Gabriel basically removed from a place of power — as she's captured by minions of the stag-headed grotesquery that the former Kevin Orley has become. A bit like Merry and Pippin being captured by Orcs. Cameron makes us care about Irene, a previously rather unsavory character — she tried to have the Red Knight killed, after all — given an unexpected spotlight as she tries to escape.
But after a previous volume that actually seems to have been edited, "The Plague of Swords," like the first two volumes, is rife with unforgivable errors. Also, even though we travel to several new lands in this volume, there are no new maps to reflect this, and we're at a loss about the geography, though this is nothing new.
Cameron's approach all the way through the tale has been to be rather cryptic, letting us figure out what exactly characters are saying and what's going on. But in this book, the approach wears thin. There's so much to take in now that I, for one, wished for a clearer understanding of the powers that be and what the various sides are trying to accomplish. The powerful, ancient and mysterious Odine are, well, just a little too mysterious for me. And on a couple of occasions I never did figure out exactly what the characters were getting at.
"The Plague of Swords" is a worthy addition to the saga with some wonderful scenes, but, despite being the shortest book in the series, there's more down time than usual and it's not quite up to the quality of the other volumes.
The climactic battle in the previous volume, basically sorcerer Thorn vs. Red Knight and his cohorts Part II, wasn't the end of the saga, obviously; there are powers behind Thorn and a far more widespread — worlds-spanning, really — plot than had even been hinted at in the early books. But in this regrouping for the final push, the series occasionally isn't on firm footing.
The book opens on a land distant from the early settings, with an army battling the worm-infested "not-dead." These (former) people operate as one, a many-bodied puppet of a behind-the-scenes baddie. And yes, there's a nasty plague (but not "of swords"; the title is a bit odd).
Pretty good stuff, and there are exciting scenes at sea — serpent attacks! — and a spectacular air battle in a mountain setting featuring two of our heroes aboard a griffon (eagle/lion hybrid) against a particularly nasty flying monster, at the finish.
Gabriel Muriens' relationship with this griffon shows how subtly good author Miles Cameron can be. They communicate telepathically, and it's sort of adorable. "Love you!" the fierce griffon says/thinks. Aw!
Gabriel also gets married, and the non-romantic plot thickens in some satisfying ways. There's also a really good segment with the princess Irene — whom Gabriel basically removed from a place of power — as she's captured by minions of the stag-headed grotesquery that the former Kevin Orley has become. A bit like Merry and Pippin being captured by Orcs. Cameron makes us care about Irene, a previously rather unsavory character — she tried to have the Red Knight killed, after all — given an unexpected spotlight as she tries to escape.
But after a previous volume that actually seems to have been edited, "The Plague of Swords," like the first two volumes, is rife with unforgivable errors. Also, even though we travel to several new lands in this volume, there are no new maps to reflect this, and we're at a loss about the geography, though this is nothing new.
Cameron's approach all the way through the tale has been to be rather cryptic, letting us figure out what exactly characters are saying and what's going on. But in this book, the approach wears thin. There's so much to take in now that I, for one, wished for a clearer understanding of the powers that be and what the various sides are trying to accomplish. The powerful, ancient and mysterious Odine are, well, just a little too mysterious for me. And on a couple of occasions I never did figure out exactly what the characters were getting at.
"The Plague of Swords" is a worthy addition to the saga with some wonderful scenes, but, despite being the shortest book in the series, there's more down time than usual and it's not quite up to the quality of the other volumes.
November 28, 2016
The book shone when the focus was on the Red Knight.He's as dynamic and devious as in the previous books.He finally gave in to his destiny (and admitted to have been plotting for it for years ) and became the Emperor. But the coronation in Morea was glossed over.More time was devoted to Blanche the Boring and the imperial wedding.However I'll forgive the author since he gave us some spectacular battles in the ocean and the Tournament.Master Smythe was delightful and enigmatic as usual.I wonder how he'll deal with the new power dynamics.
It was hard to stay focused once the attention shifted to the minor characters who were acting on the Red Knight's behalf on the different war fronts.And a few new characters were introduced in this book.Al-Rashidi did a blink-and-miss appearance while the Duke and Duchess of Venike stuck around for some more time.Kronomir the assassin and the Red Knight's brother Aeneas and party were given a lot of attention while the interesting characters like Sauce, Tom,Amicia,The Queen and Gavin were given much less.Amicia's fate is a cliffhanger (or is it?) Even the villain of the day, the Odine were pretty much mediocre and did not cause much worry to the Red Knight.Things went pretty much as planned.That's it.I can't wait for the action to shift to Alba in the next book.I hope we'll see more of Gavin, the Green Knight and the Queen of Alba.
The Red Knight seems to have come to terms with the circumstances of his birth.Maybe his mother's death in the previous book helped him to get over his hangups.And he seems to have accepted that his love for Amicia is just not meant to be and is devoting time and attention to the aforesaid Blanche the Boring.Speaking about the Red Knight's mother, the paternity of each of her sons is coming to light.That woman essentially conducted her breeding experiment on herself. Gabriel is probably the only one with a human father.The identity of Gavin's father will probably be revealed in the next book.A certain someone is being a little shifty and dodgy.Aeneas is said to resemble an irk.And we can venture a guess as to which one.Where are the rest of the Murien brothers? Did they all perish in the siege in the third book?Questions,questions.
It was hard to stay focused once the attention shifted to the minor characters who were acting on the Red Knight's behalf on the different war fronts.And a few new characters were introduced in this book.Al-Rashidi did a blink-and-miss appearance while the Duke and Duchess of Venike stuck around for some more time.Kronomir the assassin and the Red Knight's brother Aeneas and party were given a lot of attention while the interesting characters like Sauce, Tom,Amicia,The Queen and Gavin were given much less.Amicia's fate is a cliffhanger (or is it?) Even the villain of the day, the Odine were pretty much mediocre and did not cause much worry to the Red Knight.Things went pretty much as planned.That's it.I can't wait for the action to shift to Alba in the next book.I hope we'll see more of Gavin, the Green Knight and the Queen of Alba.
The Red Knight seems to have come to terms with the circumstances of his birth.Maybe his mother's death in the previous book helped him to get over his hangups.And he seems to have accepted that his love for Amicia is just not meant to be and is devoting time and attention to the aforesaid Blanche the Boring.Speaking about the Red Knight's mother, the paternity of each of her sons is coming to light.That woman essentially conducted her breeding experiment on herself. Gabriel is probably the only one with a human father.The identity of Gavin's father will probably be revealed in the next book.A certain someone is being a little shifty and dodgy.Aeneas is said to resemble an irk.And we can venture a guess as to which one.Where are the rest of the Murien brothers? Did they all perish in the siege in the third book?Questions,questions.
March 12, 2021
A Plague of Swords ist für mich der bisher schwächste Band der Reihe. Leider ist es schon lange her, dass ich den vorherigen Band gelesen habe. Dementsprechend war es auch schwer wieder zurückzukommen, da die Reihe eine großen Charakter-Cast hat. Aber selbst nachdem ich mich wieder etwas eingefunden habe, war ich doch immer wieder verwirrt und habe Charaktere vergessen oder verwechselt – das ging mir allerdings auch schon bei den Vorgängerbänden so, liegt also entweder an mir oder den Büchern. Dadurch war das Buch auch nicht immer unbedingt angenehm zu lesen.
Eine der größten Stärken der Reihe, die Kämpfe und Schlachten, fallen in diesem Teil etwas unter den Tisch. Schade, denn die sind immer herausragend beschrieben. Durch das Wegfallen dieser Stärke ist dieser Teil etwas enttäuschend für mich.
Auch die Handlung des Buchs ist in diesem Band leider vergleichsweise schwach. Gabriels Plan und Weg zur Krönung Die Storyline fühlt sich an wie eine Nebenstory und wird nur grob behandelt und auf einmal ist Gabriel Kaiser.
Wenigstens bleibt das innovative und interessante Magiesystem, in dem ein Gedächtnispalast verwendet wird. Auch die vielen verschiedenen magischen Kreaturen sind für mich ein großer Reizfaktor der Reihe und waren beim Lesen einer der spannendsten Punkte dieses Teils, vor allem weil es hier viel um die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Kreaturen der Wildnis ist.
Insgesamt ist A Plague of Swords für mich zwar ein solides Buch, aber ein schwacher vorletzter Band einer sonst so spannenden Reihe. Hoffentlich trumpft das Finale dafür wieder richtig auf.
Eine der größten Stärken der Reihe, die Kämpfe und Schlachten, fallen in diesem Teil etwas unter den Tisch. Schade, denn die sind immer herausragend beschrieben. Durch das Wegfallen dieser Stärke ist dieser Teil etwas enttäuschend für mich.
Auch die Handlung des Buchs ist in diesem Band leider vergleichsweise schwach. Gabriels Plan und Weg zur Krönung Die Storyline fühlt sich an wie eine Nebenstory und wird nur grob behandelt und auf einmal ist Gabriel Kaiser.
Wenigstens bleibt das innovative und interessante Magiesystem, in dem ein Gedächtnispalast verwendet wird. Auch die vielen verschiedenen magischen Kreaturen sind für mich ein großer Reizfaktor der Reihe und waren beim Lesen einer der spannendsten Punkte dieses Teils, vor allem weil es hier viel um die Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Kreaturen der Wildnis ist.
Insgesamt ist A Plague of Swords für mich zwar ein solides Buch, aber ein schwacher vorletzter Band einer sonst so spannenden Reihe. Hoffentlich trumpft das Finale dafür wieder richtig auf.
November 17, 2016
Wow. This was a monster of a book, filled with monsters, with monster plots within plots, and I'm not surprised it too me this long to finish (probably twice my usual reading speed). A lot happened, and you know a whole lot more is going to take place.
Like another reviewer on this page, I agree that the book shines when it is focused on The Red Knight. You feel as if you are one of his knights/captains/people, just a bit short of his brilliance and you wonder what plot is he up to, how does he plan to make everything work - you know there's something, but you just can't quite figure out how. And when his hand is tipped, the payoff is gold. The author - Mister Cameron - is an absolute Grandmaster when it comes to writing scenes of action, battle - you feel the grit, you despair at the hopelessness, you swell at the triumph.
One thing, though. Although a lot happens in this book, it's but a waystop - the journey, you might say - to the final culmination of all the chess pieces being maneuvered on the board. The next book, I'm sure, will be an even bigger monster with everything that has been set up in this book coming to the climax and fulfilment of all the plans. I look forward to it.
Like another reviewer on this page, I agree that the book shines when it is focused on The Red Knight. You feel as if you are one of his knights/captains/people, just a bit short of his brilliance and you wonder what plot is he up to, how does he plan to make everything work - you know there's something, but you just can't quite figure out how. And when his hand is tipped, the payoff is gold. The author - Mister Cameron - is an absolute Grandmaster when it comes to writing scenes of action, battle - you feel the grit, you despair at the hopelessness, you swell at the triumph.
One thing, though. Although a lot happens in this book, it's but a waystop - the journey, you might say - to the final culmination of all the chess pieces being maneuvered on the board. The next book, I'm sure, will be an even bigger monster with everything that has been set up in this book coming to the climax and fulfilment of all the plans. I look forward to it.
December 17, 2019
And another grand part of the story unfold!
He is amazing, and despite everything he already worked into this series, there is still more surprises and fantastic riches to be had. His characters are most vivid and I began to worship his sense for details. Small things I would never have thought of, like a laundress asking a military officer to pick a peg from a line of laundry - minute, but told so much about a woman and her character in that single paragraph.
But not only the people, but life itself and experiencing the wilderness becomes a heartfelt journey to the reader. I have no idea how much experience he has with this stuff, but you read the adventure and feel the moist earthy ground beneath your feet, smell the pines and ferns with a hint of mold from the living soil, glimpse the adventurers true hunger and fatigue... this is what makes his stories alive!
He is amazing, and despite everything he already worked into this series, there is still more surprises and fantastic riches to be had. His characters are most vivid and I began to worship his sense for details. Small things I would never have thought of, like a laundress asking a military officer to pick a peg from a line of laundry - minute, but told so much about a woman and her character in that single paragraph.
But not only the people, but life itself and experiencing the wilderness becomes a heartfelt journey to the reader. I have no idea how much experience he has with this stuff, but you read the adventure and feel the moist earthy ground beneath your feet, smell the pines and ferns with a hint of mold from the living soil, glimpse the adventurers true hunger and fatigue... this is what makes his stories alive!
October 28, 2016
One of the best books I've ever read.
January 2, 2020
Abandoned this book 100 pages in and those took me a week to get through.
It was ok but I didn't feel that mental energy required to keep track of all the different races of beings was something I wanted to keep expending.
Starts off in a sort of para-Europe with country names that are a corruption of modern European country names. People get infected with worms. Swords and stuff.
Life is too short.
It was ok but I didn't feel that mental energy required to keep track of all the different races of beings was something I wanted to keep expending.
Starts off in a sort of para-Europe with country names that are a corruption of modern European country names. People get infected with worms. Swords and stuff.
Life is too short.
September 11, 2022
3.5
This book really expanded the Traitor Son Cycle and I’m appreciative of the work Cameron has done here, but it wasn’t the most enjoyable book. Looking forward to finishing the series.
This book really expanded the Traitor Son Cycle and I’m appreciative of the work Cameron has done here, but it wasn’t the most enjoyable book. Looking forward to finishing the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews