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The Delgroth Trilogy #2
A Matter of Honor
Awakening from a strange coma during which he dreamed of a battle against evil in a magical world, college student Steve Wilkinson quickly realizes that his nightmare has not ended when his dream enemy appears on Earth. Original.
- GenresFantasy
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Thomas K. Martin
8 books10 followersThomas K. Martin was born in a small mining town in the Cumberland Gap region of Kentucky near the West Virginia and Tennessee borders. His father served in the U.S. Air Force, and the family moved frequently when Martin was a child. Martin came to Texas with his parents in 1974 and has lived in and around Dallas / Ft. Worth ever since.
Martin published his first novel, A Two-Edged Sword (the first book of The Delgroth Trilogy), through Ace/Berkley in December 1993. He completed a second series, The Magelord Trilogy, in 1999.
Apart from writing, Martin also works as a computer programmer, creates his own chain mail and serves as a member of The Artemis Society of Dallas. He lives near Dallas with his wife, Mary, and four of their five children.
Martin published his first novel, A Two-Edged Sword (the first book of The Delgroth Trilogy), through Ace/Berkley in December 1993. He completed a second series, The Magelord Trilogy, in 1999.
Apart from writing, Martin also works as a computer programmer, creates his own chain mail and serves as a member of The Artemis Society of Dallas. He lives near Dallas with his wife, Mary, and four of their five children.
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August 23, 2024
What did I just read, this book made the first book in the trilogy look like a masterpiece. I cannot stress how much I dislike both the plot and execution of this book.
This book starts pretty much where the last one ended with Steve recovering from his coma and coping with the fact that nobody but himself knows what he's been through. All of that is well and good. Things get weird when you learn and Belevairn's conscious was placed in Steve's head as Steve's conscious was placed in Belevairn's due to the ritual done by Belevairn to Steve that inevitably killed his spiritual body in Delgroth. I think it's a really neat concept in theory.
HOWEVER
Instead of embracing that Steve now has inside knowledge on Morva and Belevairn has knowledge of Earth and they both have to attempt to use that knowledge to help Steve stop Daryna from obtaining Belevairn's newly found knowledge of earth and to help belevairn relay as much information as he possibly can to Daryna to advance the Morvan armies ahead of the other armies technologically by hundreds of thousands of years. Instead they go with Belevairn trying to conquer the earth and gain intel for Daryna and getting the funds to do so by carrying out drug missions for the surrounding Mafia of Nicaragua. What. The. Hell...
This book swiftly turns from recovery of a traumatic coma to military guns and fighting and drugs and ransom and WORST OF ALL rape... there is and I am not joking, 4 scenes that mention rape in this book, like by name. No implications of horrendous acts just straight up described as soldiers raping innocent Nicaraguan slave women. Really distasteful and most of all weird. I can't think of a worse way to write a fantasy novel.
The thing that I loved about the first book in the Delgroth trilogy was that dialogue was written very well. It felt like I was a fly on the wall experiencing the detailed, intricate, and emotional conversations that were being had. The scene of Erelvar initially talking with Steve about becoming a Rega for him, it was clear that Erelvar was uncomfortable doing so and he felt that it was not for the better. Later down the line he would come to feel that it was the best decision he had ever made and saw Steve as a true friend and asset to Quarin. The contemplative sword routine out on the gray plains by Erelvar was so well written and very helpful in understanding his motives and how he functioned. All of this is to say that this book had none of that. Dialogue was very few and far between, there was likely chapters where the only words that were spoken were Korva's commands to his troops.
The best part of this book was Steve's exorcism, the chapter actually had dialogue, it was well written and suspenseful, all of it was perfect. Unfortunately that was it... Steve's initial travel to the Mesa Verde national park where he first got stalked by Alexander was pretty good, but even Steve's story eventually got boring just as Belevairn's did...
I hate this book, I really hope the 3rd book in this trilogy is better than this one.
This book starts pretty much where the last one ended with Steve recovering from his coma and coping with the fact that nobody but himself knows what he's been through. All of that is well and good. Things get weird when you learn and Belevairn's conscious was placed in Steve's head as Steve's conscious was placed in Belevairn's due to the ritual done by Belevairn to Steve that inevitably killed his spiritual body in Delgroth. I think it's a really neat concept in theory.
HOWEVER
Instead of embracing that Steve now has inside knowledge on Morva and Belevairn has knowledge of Earth and they both have to attempt to use that knowledge to help Steve stop Daryna from obtaining Belevairn's newly found knowledge of earth and to help belevairn relay as much information as he possibly can to Daryna to advance the Morvan armies ahead of the other armies technologically by hundreds of thousands of years. Instead they go with Belevairn trying to conquer the earth and gain intel for Daryna and getting the funds to do so by carrying out drug missions for the surrounding Mafia of Nicaragua. What. The. Hell...
This book swiftly turns from recovery of a traumatic coma to military guns and fighting and drugs and ransom and WORST OF ALL rape... there is and I am not joking, 4 scenes that mention rape in this book, like by name. No implications of horrendous acts just straight up described as soldiers raping innocent Nicaraguan slave women. Really distasteful and most of all weird. I can't think of a worse way to write a fantasy novel.
The thing that I loved about the first book in the Delgroth trilogy was that dialogue was written very well. It felt like I was a fly on the wall experiencing the detailed, intricate, and emotional conversations that were being had. The scene of Erelvar initially talking with Steve about becoming a Rega for him, it was clear that Erelvar was uncomfortable doing so and he felt that it was not for the better. Later down the line he would come to feel that it was the best decision he had ever made and saw Steve as a true friend and asset to Quarin. The contemplative sword routine out on the gray plains by Erelvar was so well written and very helpful in understanding his motives and how he functioned. All of this is to say that this book had none of that. Dialogue was very few and far between, there was likely chapters where the only words that were spoken were Korva's commands to his troops.
The best part of this book was Steve's exorcism, the chapter actually had dialogue, it was well written and suspenseful, all of it was perfect. Unfortunately that was it... Steve's initial travel to the Mesa Verde national park where he first got stalked by Alexander was pretty good, but even Steve's story eventually got boring just as Belevairn's did...
I hate this book, I really hope the 3rd book in this trilogy is better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review