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Empire of Salt #3
The Sword Saint
THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO THE BESTSELLING EMPIRE OF SALT SERIES FROM MASTER STORYTELLER CONN IGGULDEN'A master storyteller' Sunday Express________The news from the north is grim.An army is massing under the new king of Feal. They head towards Darien - city of the Twelve families - demanding allegiance, or war.Tellius, Speaker to the Council, knows this divided city will never stand against such a terrible foe.But Tellius has a plan.He will assemble a band of heroes. Men and women who once before aided Darien in her time of need.They will come if he calls.The army approaches. The trumpets of war sound. A great city holds its breath. And a desperate plan unfolds . . .Discover the first two instalments in the thrilling Empire of Salt series Darien and Shiang, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Game of Thrones.________'Iggulden is in a class of his own' Daily Mirror'One of our finest historical novelists' Daily Express
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 7, 2019
This very eventful book is the 3rd and final part of the "Empire of Salt" trilogy.
Although this book is something quite different from what I was used to from this author, I have to admit, that this is all and all a truly amazing adventurous story.
Storytelling is as ever of a superb quality, and all the characters come wonderfully to life within this exciting fantasy adventure.
This book is a continuation of Darien and Shiang, and it will tell us the desperate defending of the city of Darien by the Twelve Families, its soldiers and inhabitants.
This final episode will bring together from part 1 the rulers and fighters of Darien, with the likes of the Boy-King Arthur, Master Speaker and Leader, Tellius, Lady Sallet of the Greens, and several other important figures, while from part 2, Shiang, a contingent of people will make their appearance again, while now another force will come featuring into this tale and that's the Kingdom of Feal, with King Jean Brieland, who we get to know somewhat from the prologue, and his son and heir, Louis.
After the murder of Lord Canis of Darien, and the King of Feal, Jean Brieland, behind this murder in Darien, everything will come into a maelstrom of actions, especially when Prince Louis of Feal is brutally attacked and mutilated, so to make a cause for war plausible for King Jean, and Darien will prepare itself from the onslaught that it will receive from the Kingdom of Feal.
What will follow is a clash of wills and beliefs in which armies will do everything to gain control over one another in an attempt, on the one side, to become total ruler, Feal, and on the other side to remain an independent City-State, Darien, with in the end the deaths of the most prominent figures, Tellius and Jean Brieland, to give this tale some extra substance.
Very much recommended, this is a great adventure tale with some very likeable features, with for me as a Dutchman the use of the Dutch word "Meneer" (Eng=Mister), and that this trilogy is reminding me of the worlds of the Romans, the Mongols, City-States, Middle Ages, Wild-West and some others combined, and put wonderfully into this fantasy story that I would like to call this ending: "A Terrific Eventful Conclusion"!
Although this book is something quite different from what I was used to from this author, I have to admit, that this is all and all a truly amazing adventurous story.
Storytelling is as ever of a superb quality, and all the characters come wonderfully to life within this exciting fantasy adventure.
This book is a continuation of Darien and Shiang, and it will tell us the desperate defending of the city of Darien by the Twelve Families, its soldiers and inhabitants.
This final episode will bring together from part 1 the rulers and fighters of Darien, with the likes of the Boy-King Arthur, Master Speaker and Leader, Tellius, Lady Sallet of the Greens, and several other important figures, while from part 2, Shiang, a contingent of people will make their appearance again, while now another force will come featuring into this tale and that's the Kingdom of Feal, with King Jean Brieland, who we get to know somewhat from the prologue, and his son and heir, Louis.
After the murder of Lord Canis of Darien, and the King of Feal, Jean Brieland, behind this murder in Darien, everything will come into a maelstrom of actions, especially when Prince Louis of Feal is brutally attacked and mutilated, so to make a cause for war plausible for King Jean, and Darien will prepare itself from the onslaught that it will receive from the Kingdom of Feal.
What will follow is a clash of wills and beliefs in which armies will do everything to gain control over one another in an attempt, on the one side, to become total ruler, Feal, and on the other side to remain an independent City-State, Darien, with in the end the deaths of the most prominent figures, Tellius and Jean Brieland, to give this tale some extra substance.
Very much recommended, this is a great adventure tale with some very likeable features, with for me as a Dutchman the use of the Dutch word "Meneer" (Eng=Mister), and that this trilogy is reminding me of the worlds of the Romans, the Mongols, City-States, Middle Ages, Wild-West and some others combined, and put wonderfully into this fantasy story that I would like to call this ending: "A Terrific Eventful Conclusion"!
August 20, 2019
This is the third and final instalment in the Empire of Salt trilogy.
The great cities of Darien and Shiang are separated by thousands of miles and the taut political differences between them. They believe themselves their only enemy. But this belief is proven false when one member from the twelve leading families is slaughtered and marks the beginning of either a strained alliance, that would see Darien beggared to their neighbour, or delivers them a new foe to deal with, and this one right upon their doorstep.
The Sword Saint takes place eight years after the tumultuous events the second series instalment, Shiang, closed on. It was intriguing seeing how the world had altered and the character come accustomed to their new lives, in this time. It pained me however, as I was longing to see characters I had grown close to and events I had spent so long reading about come to full and complete resolution. This new political threat pulled focus from what much of the series had previously spent detailing but this did return and become more of a central plot point, later in the novel.
I adored the characters we did spend time with. Their relationships to each other, whether close-knit or fraught, were all of equal intrigue. I did, however, find this heavily character-focused and this left the pacing to feel a little too slow for my personal tastes. I was anticipating a ramped-up and action-packed finale and, instead, this delivered a read that was far more like Shiang than Darien, with its plodding narrative and close-focus character study. It also left a few details unexplored, such as those concerning magic, and, whilst enjoyable, I was ultimately left wanting a little more from it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, C. F. Igguldon, the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.
The great cities of Darien and Shiang are separated by thousands of miles and the taut political differences between them. They believe themselves their only enemy. But this belief is proven false when one member from the twelve leading families is slaughtered and marks the beginning of either a strained alliance, that would see Darien beggared to their neighbour, or delivers them a new foe to deal with, and this one right upon their doorstep.
The Sword Saint takes place eight years after the tumultuous events the second series instalment, Shiang, closed on. It was intriguing seeing how the world had altered and the character come accustomed to their new lives, in this time. It pained me however, as I was longing to see characters I had grown close to and events I had spent so long reading about come to full and complete resolution. This new political threat pulled focus from what much of the series had previously spent detailing but this did return and become more of a central plot point, later in the novel.
I adored the characters we did spend time with. Their relationships to each other, whether close-knit or fraught, were all of equal intrigue. I did, however, find this heavily character-focused and this left the pacing to feel a little too slow for my personal tastes. I was anticipating a ramped-up and action-packed finale and, instead, this delivered a read that was far more like Shiang than Darien, with its plodding narrative and close-focus character study. It also left a few details unexplored, such as those concerning magic, and, whilst enjoyable, I was ultimately left wanting a little more from it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, C. F. Igguldon, the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.
March 2, 2024
This was a ridiculously thrilling conclusion to an electrifying and gritty and unique-feeling fantasy trilogy. My buddy reading friend Kyle summed it up aptly, describing the book as "All killer, no filler." This particular novel may be the most efficiently told epic fantasy story I've ever read, fitting in so much in under 400 pages or 12 hours of audio. And it wasn't a typical series finale in just wrapping up the threads established before, as it set up an entire new threat and plot while expertly leveraging the character building of the previous two books to epic effect. It also had a particular nighttime raid battle scene on an enemy army camp that might be one of my favorite fantasy/military action scenes I've ever read.
If you want a slow burn epic fantasy, look somewhere else. You want to be transported to another world with oodles of fantastical worldbuilding across a giant map of exotic places and cultures to explore -- look elsewhere. But do you want a series that's immediately gripping where something interesting and unpredictable is going to occur in every brief chapter? Then look here. You want something easy to fall into with accessible prose and very few new worldbuilding terms and ideas to have to wrap your head around? This is your happy place.
The series mainly focuses on events surrounding one city over the course of just a few years during some very tense crises, with a core cast of lovable misfit loners and outsiders and accomplished warriors to get us emotionally invested. I found myself getting a bit emotional toward the end, which is always the best sign to me that the series left its mark and is going to go down as a favorite. The character work throughout is just top notch, both in establishing extremely distinctive personalities, but also in how no one ever felt like a caricature from minor side characters to the antagonists. The adults who made up the ensemble cast often acted with surprising humanity, wisdom, nuance, and thoughtfulness in a way that is often just absent from a lot of epic fantasy series outside of their core protagonist or two.
I'll try to sum up who this series is for, so if this sounds good you should put it on the tbr or better yet take the plunge and read it. It's like if you take the voice-filled POVs of Joe Abercrombie that get you to care so much about the misfit cast, do even less geopolitical worldbuilding by putting them in an alternate version of Earth in something like the 1700s, and then ramp up the magic so that there are cool artifacts and individual abilities all over the place playing important roles in the plot and action sequences. While there might not have been tons of creative political worldbuilding, Iggulden's creativity was on full display with the magical elements that added so much spice and quirkiness to the story. It was such a fun and unpredictable ride, and each of the three books told a satisfying story on its own while working great as a set that felt perfect to binge over the course of a week and a half.
I can't wait to try more of Iggulden's writing now, and I have a feeling he might become a new favorite author.
If you want a slow burn epic fantasy, look somewhere else. You want to be transported to another world with oodles of fantastical worldbuilding across a giant map of exotic places and cultures to explore -- look elsewhere. But do you want a series that's immediately gripping where something interesting and unpredictable is going to occur in every brief chapter? Then look here. You want something easy to fall into with accessible prose and very few new worldbuilding terms and ideas to have to wrap your head around? This is your happy place.
The series mainly focuses on events surrounding one city over the course of just a few years during some very tense crises, with a core cast of lovable misfit loners and outsiders and accomplished warriors to get us emotionally invested. I found myself getting a bit emotional toward the end, which is always the best sign to me that the series left its mark and is going to go down as a favorite. The character work throughout is just top notch, both in establishing extremely distinctive personalities, but also in how no one ever felt like a caricature from minor side characters to the antagonists. The adults who made up the ensemble cast often acted with surprising humanity, wisdom, nuance, and thoughtfulness in a way that is often just absent from a lot of epic fantasy series outside of their core protagonist or two.
I'll try to sum up who this series is for, so if this sounds good you should put it on the tbr or better yet take the plunge and read it. It's like if you take the voice-filled POVs of Joe Abercrombie that get you to care so much about the misfit cast, do even less geopolitical worldbuilding by putting them in an alternate version of Earth in something like the 1700s, and then ramp up the magic so that there are cool artifacts and individual abilities all over the place playing important roles in the plot and action sequences. While there might not have been tons of creative political worldbuilding, Iggulden's creativity was on full display with the magical elements that added so much spice and quirkiness to the story. It was such a fun and unpredictable ride, and each of the three books told a satisfying story on its own while working great as a set that felt perfect to binge over the course of a week and a half.
I can't wait to try more of Iggulden's writing now, and I have a feeling he might become a new favorite author.
March 2, 2024
This is the most underrated trilogy I've ever read. Conn Iggulden using a pen name for this trilogy definitely impacted how many people have heard of it, which is a shame because the entire trilogy was great.
Clocking in at a little under 1000 pages for the entire trilogy, it's one of the leanest series I've ever read. The Sword Saint in particular - about 330 pages- was all killer no filler. This entire book was fantastic, it set up an entirely new bad guy and did it easily while paying off the narrative threads of the last two books. Iggulden does a fantastic job with characters, every single one of them feels real and all the major characters have satisfying arcs, besides maybe one. Iggulden is able to maximize investment in character with very little page time.
The magic in this series is cool. There are magical objects around that grant abilities and they have been largely hoarded by noble families who each have a family heirloom, but occasionally, a person also just have a magical ability, or a "knack", like being able to see a few seconds into the future or nulling the magical objects around.
The combination of magic, compelling characters, and surprising plot developments (plus very tense action sequences!) made this entire series extremely bingeable and compelling. If you like political fantasy, fantasy about thieves and outlaws (the series vaguely feels like Gentleman Bastards to me), or fast paced novels that don't bog themselves down with worldbuilding, I highly encourage you to check this trilogy out.
Clocking in at a little under 1000 pages for the entire trilogy, it's one of the leanest series I've ever read. The Sword Saint in particular - about 330 pages- was all killer no filler. This entire book was fantastic, it set up an entirely new bad guy and did it easily while paying off the narrative threads of the last two books. Iggulden does a fantastic job with characters, every single one of them feels real and all the major characters have satisfying arcs, besides maybe one. Iggulden is able to maximize investment in character with very little page time.
The magic in this series is cool. There are magical objects around that grant abilities and they have been largely hoarded by noble families who each have a family heirloom, but occasionally, a person also just have a magical ability, or a "knack", like being able to see a few seconds into the future or nulling the magical objects around.
The combination of magic, compelling characters, and surprising plot developments (plus very tense action sequences!) made this entire series extremely bingeable and compelling. If you like political fantasy, fantasy about thieves and outlaws (the series vaguely feels like Gentleman Bastards to me), or fast paced novels that don't bog themselves down with worldbuilding, I highly encourage you to check this trilogy out.
August 1, 2019
I've really enjoyed the Empire of Salt trilogy. Darien was a fast-paced adventure filled with interesting magics, Shiang was a slow build to a whirlwind battle. The Sword Saint felt very similar to Shiang, but this time Iggulden brings back some of the stars of the first book, having them team up with the Sword Saint and his sidekicks to stop another attack against Darien.
I really enjoyed the 'protect the city!' format as Iggulden does a great job of writing battles. As in the first two books, a substantial portion of The Sword Saint is focused on a giant battle, and it doesn't get boring while you're reading it. I am a little disappointed that all three books use the same plot, however, as it's feeling a little formulaic by now.
The big issue for me in this finale is that we don't dig any deeper into the magic in this world. Darien set up a fantastic world with unusual kinds of magic that were simple to understand but with wide application and little notion of where it came from. Why do some people have knacks and others don't? Where did all these powerful stones come from? Shiang deepened that with a creepy afterlife and a horrifying application of the stone's power.
The Sword Saint adds little to the world and doesn't answer those questions. We get some magic very similar to that we've already seen, and a creepy shadow that's brimming with questions we never get an answer to. I wasn't looking for a deep breakdown of the entire magic system, but I would've liked some hint of where the power comes from. I would also have liked to see the magic more cleverly used in this final book, because really we just witnessed the same things from the previous books used against a different enemy. For a trilogy that began with such promise and intrigue and multi-threaded plotting it was definitely a let down, even if it wasn't actually a bad book.
It's worth a read and I enjoyed my time with The Sword Saint but it won't be going on my favourite books shelf.
I really enjoyed the 'protect the city!' format as Iggulden does a great job of writing battles. As in the first two books, a substantial portion of The Sword Saint is focused on a giant battle, and it doesn't get boring while you're reading it. I am a little disappointed that all three books use the same plot, however, as it's feeling a little formulaic by now.
The big issue for me in this finale is that we don't dig any deeper into the magic in this world. Darien set up a fantastic world with unusual kinds of magic that were simple to understand but with wide application and little notion of where it came from. Why do some people have knacks and others don't? Where did all these powerful stones come from? Shiang deepened that with a creepy afterlife and a horrifying application of the stone's power.
The Sword Saint adds little to the world and doesn't answer those questions. We get some magic very similar to that we've already seen, and a creepy shadow that's brimming with questions we never get an answer to. I wasn't looking for a deep breakdown of the entire magic system, but I would've liked some hint of where the power comes from. I would also have liked to see the magic more cleverly used in this final book, because really we just witnessed the same things from the previous books used against a different enemy. For a trilogy that began with such promise and intrigue and multi-threaded plotting it was definitely a let down, even if it wasn't actually a bad book.
It's worth a read and I enjoyed my time with The Sword Saint but it won't be going on my favourite books shelf.
August 31, 2022
This series is so underrated and flies so far below the radar of influential readers that it makes me want to cry!
It's an AMAZING story with the most BRILLIANT characters crossing each other's paths in the best of ways. The magic is refreshing, the historical elements are interesting and the writing is both rich with description and so easy to read. It even has great diversity and different cultures meeting for the first time!
My favorite is still the second book in Empire of Salt, Shiang, but The Sword Saint gave us a fine ending to the trilogy and it was great to follow beloved characters into battle one final time.
(Dear HBO, pleaaaase give this series a screen adaptation!!!)
It's an AMAZING story with the most BRILLIANT characters crossing each other's paths in the best of ways. The magic is refreshing, the historical elements are interesting and the writing is both rich with description and so easy to read. It even has great diversity and different cultures meeting for the first time!
My favorite is still the second book in Empire of Salt, Shiang, but The Sword Saint gave us a fine ending to the trilogy and it was great to follow beloved characters into battle one final time.
(Dear HBO, pleaaaase give this series a screen adaptation!!!)
July 22, 2019
A young Prince has arrived in Darien seeking a trade deal for his King. Just as the Council are to vote, one of the city's masters is murdered, and he was known to be against such a deal. Speaker Tellius suspects the young Prince is involved in the murder and could be part of a bigger scheme.
Meanwhile a King waits with his army to bring war to Darien.
Fabulous book three in the Empire of Salt series. I felt the ending might have been a wee bit rushed but apart from that, I've loved them all.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
Meanwhile a King waits with his army to bring war to Darien.
Fabulous book three in the Empire of Salt series. I felt the ending might have been a wee bit rushed but apart from that, I've loved them all.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.
June 2, 2025
5/5
This is one of the best trilogies I have ever read. All the books read so fast and the three together are shorter then alot of the books I normally read. If counted as one book this would be my book of the year so far.
This book brings the first two books together perfectly. Love the magic systems. The characters are all moraly complex. Good mix of action and political maneuvering.
More people need to read this trilogy. Gives off powder mage and The Lies of Locke Lamora vibes.
This is one of the best trilogies I have ever read. All the books read so fast and the three together are shorter then alot of the books I normally read. If counted as one book this would be my book of the year so far.
This book brings the first two books together perfectly. Love the magic systems. The characters are all moraly complex. Good mix of action and political maneuvering.
More people need to read this trilogy. Gives off powder mage and The Lies of Locke Lamora vibes.
September 28, 2019
Really enjoyed this whole trilogy, Iggulden's first fantasy trilogy and one of my favourite authors. Great characters and world building, with just a hint of our world in there to make it more believable' I hope there are more books to come about this Empire of Salt, there are lots of characters that could have a whole book about them. I'd love to read more but alas I guess I'll just have to wait.
Definitely recommend this series
Definitely recommend this series
September 5, 2024
The best book in the trilogy. I think being the last book I'd have liked an ending focused on the pov heroes rather than the villains.
Fun read
Fun read
August 16, 2019
A fantastic end to a truly wonderful trilogy.... enjoyed from start to finish.
September 4, 2019
One of the best writers out there. A fun story with great characters.
August 18, 2019
The city of Darien has weathered some strange things over the past decade: the magic stones of the Twelve families, individuals with a 'knack' - for slipping into the safest future, or for absorbing magic and turning it into fire. The city has a boy king who never ages, has developed guns and expert swordsmen who trained in the imperial city of Shiang to the east.
Since the events of Shiang (Book 2) the Twelve families of Darien have begun to realise that they are no longer quite so alone, and are looking to engage with new trade and opportunities, particularly when a new king is proclaimed in the north, in the newly-named kingdom fo Féal.
But when this new king's avaricious gaze is turned on Darien, Tellius must see to the defence of the city. And who better to defend it, then the rag-tag group of people that have made it their own, whether they realised that they belonged to the city or not.
The Good:
- I already loved this series and especially enjoyed reaing about a city that has been so carefully created - it is dark and dirty, as well as exciting, innovative and hopeful. The character of Tellius perfectly embodies a city that he has come to represent.
- C. F. Iggulden writes good fight scenes - the battle around the walls and the raids on the camp were all excellent, if a little light on gore (his style of fantasy).
Hondo and Bosin (from Book 2) are great characters and I'm glad that they had a more prominent role in this book.
- It had the classic 'rag-tag bunch of rebels coming together' trope and it was great to get familiar with the group again - it a very 'completing the circle' feel to have characters from Book 1 reappear at the end.
The Not So Good:
- In many ways, it felt like very little happened, or at least nothing new. The Sword Saint was a rehash of all of the events from Darien and Shiang, which meant that nothing felt fresh - the city had been under siege before, strange invincible people had appeared before - nothing was really different.
- I had difficultly remembering the significance of each of the characters from previous novels when they reappeared - perhaps I read them too long ago? Or were they not reintroduced very thoroughly? I can't quite tell which.
- I was hoping for a little more information about the Twelve Families' stones, as well as a bit more Tellius/Winn Sallett relationship, but you can't have everything in a realtively short story.
- There were some odd debates at the beginning about trade, and being taken advantage of, and trying to retain some national freedom - maybe it's in the news too much (read: all the time), but of the arguments at the beginning felt very Brexit (and more Leave than Remain ...)
- The ending itself felt rushed (and more than a little bit unlikely that it would resolve so smoothly).
In all, it was the same formula, rewritten for the same characters. It didn't stop my enjoyment, but it meant that I was often looking for something new, but didn't necessarily receive it.
*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Since the events of Shiang (Book 2) the Twelve families of Darien have begun to realise that they are no longer quite so alone, and are looking to engage with new trade and opportunities, particularly when a new king is proclaimed in the north, in the newly-named kingdom fo Féal.
But when this new king's avaricious gaze is turned on Darien, Tellius must see to the defence of the city. And who better to defend it, then the rag-tag group of people that have made it their own, whether they realised that they belonged to the city or not.
The Good:
- I already loved this series and especially enjoyed reaing about a city that has been so carefully created - it is dark and dirty, as well as exciting, innovative and hopeful. The character of Tellius perfectly embodies a city that he has come to represent.
- C. F. Iggulden writes good fight scenes - the battle around the walls and the raids on the camp were all excellent, if a little light on gore (his style of fantasy).
Hondo and Bosin (from Book 2) are great characters and I'm glad that they had a more prominent role in this book.
- It had the classic 'rag-tag bunch of rebels coming together' trope and it was great to get familiar with the group again - it a very 'completing the circle' feel to have characters from Book 1 reappear at the end.
The Not So Good:
- In many ways, it felt like very little happened, or at least nothing new. The Sword Saint was a rehash of all of the events from Darien and Shiang, which meant that nothing felt fresh - the city had been under siege before, strange invincible people had appeared before - nothing was really different.
- I had difficultly remembering the significance of each of the characters from previous novels when they reappeared - perhaps I read them too long ago? Or were they not reintroduced very thoroughly? I can't quite tell which.
- I was hoping for a little more information about the Twelve Families' stones, as well as a bit more Tellius/Winn Sallett relationship, but you can't have everything in a realtively short story.
- There were some odd debates at the beginning about trade, and being taken advantage of, and trying to retain some national freedom - maybe it's in the news too much (read: all the time), but of the arguments at the beginning felt very Brexit (and more Leave than Remain ...)
- The ending itself felt rushed (and more than a little bit unlikely that it would resolve so smoothly).
In all, it was the same formula, rewritten for the same characters. It didn't stop my enjoyment, but it meant that I was often looking for something new, but didn't necessarily receive it.
*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
April 16, 2020
And Done!!!!!
Reading the first chapter, I knew we were back with Darien(Rome), hoping Shiang(China or any Asian Empire) will become an ally nation or anything just to hold on to Hondo, Bosin and Taeshan, just to mix up the story a bit and YES!!!! We do have some mixing up and a new nation Féal(European more like French undertones because of the names Jean and Louis).
So many good things, Elias is back and that surprise tidbit in his family life WOW!!! We see the return of Nancy again(Darien's version of Shandril), Vic Deeds as good as ever with pistols and as self centered as ever, of course a lot more(three more to be exact, characters) Arthur, I was hoping Mr. Iggulden would finally use him or something but.........(I mean you have a golem albeit the stature of a kid, but can learn anything[I wonder if he sees Vic, can he suddenly use and shoot as good as him]), such a waste of materiél, the formation of good team(sort of the Seven Samurai).........
The story was fast paced, faster than the previous books, I like his pacing method, build up, build up and then fighting starts, so many plot lines, there were some that the author finished, there were some still hanging, Arthur........the Fool(the last of the Returners), Lord Jin, the other families and one heck of a cliffhanger(honestly please resolve this story, Mr. Iggulden, I love your characters, everyone, even those that passed away.......biggest one was........(ooopppsss)
All I can say is the whole trilogy felt like it had so many unfinished stories, threads, a new trilogy would really be great to really finish those unfinished topics, also some more hints on the other cities, the formation of Darien, the family stones.........The Salt Empire, where the heck is the salt.............why was it called the Salt Empire, I know during the Greek Empire, salt was used as payment.......I just hope someone really answer this one.
All in all the whole series was good, a lot of threads unaswered, those answered were done in spectacular battles, I will definitely come back for more, for Arthur, for the stones, the ancient history, the knacks, magic........ohhhhh also a new follower of C. F. Iggulden!!
Reading the first chapter, I knew we were back with Darien(Rome), hoping Shiang(China or any Asian Empire) will become an ally nation or anything just to hold on to Hondo, Bosin and Taeshan, just to mix up the story a bit and YES!!!! We do have some mixing up and a new nation Féal(European more like French undertones because of the names Jean and Louis).
So many good things, Elias is back and that surprise tidbit in his family life WOW!!! We see the return of Nancy again(Darien's version of Shandril), Vic Deeds as good as ever with pistols and as self centered as ever, of course a lot more(three more to be exact, characters) Arthur, I was hoping Mr. Iggulden would finally use him or something but.........(I mean you have a golem albeit the stature of a kid, but can learn anything[I wonder if he sees Vic, can he suddenly use and shoot as good as him]), such a waste of materiél, the formation of good team(sort of the Seven Samurai).........
The story was fast paced, faster than the previous books, I like his pacing method, build up, build up and then fighting starts, so many plot lines, there were some that the author finished, there were some still hanging, Arthur........the Fool(the last of the Returners), Lord Jin, the other families and one heck of a cliffhanger(honestly please resolve this story, Mr. Iggulden, I love your characters, everyone, even those that passed away.......biggest one was........(ooopppsss)
All I can say is the whole trilogy felt like it had so many unfinished stories, threads, a new trilogy would really be great to really finish those unfinished topics, also some more hints on the other cities, the formation of Darien, the family stones.........The Salt Empire, where the heck is the salt.............why was it called the Salt Empire, I know during the Greek Empire, salt was used as payment.......I just hope someone really answer this one.
All in all the whole series was good, a lot of threads unaswered, those answered were done in spectacular battles, I will definitely come back for more, for Arthur, for the stones, the ancient history, the knacks, magic........ohhhhh also a new follower of C. F. Iggulden!!
September 26, 2019
A solid conclusion to the Empire of Salt series.
As with all these books, it took a little while to draw me into the story but then I was steadily propelled to the end.
Onto the plot:
A foreign nation - at first seemingly eager to trade but secretly planning war - sets its sights on war with the city of Darien. Tellius, once an outsider and now one of the rulers, gathers a team of his best warriors and magic users to save the city...
And so the scene is set. By now the reader 'knows' Tellius's team from previous books and it's a pleasure to be reunited with them and see them use their myriad skills to the max.
There are a few characters I'd like to have seen more of - the young golem king, even the city of Shiang. It might've been nice to go deeper into the more intriguing magic skills on show too.
But never mind - as I said the plot is a solid way to bring characters back together for one last adventure (or one last city defense), tying up some loose ends along the way. It's not spectacular, but it is comforting and sometimes that's what you need.
As with all these books, it took a little while to draw me into the story but then I was steadily propelled to the end.
Onto the plot:
A foreign nation - at first seemingly eager to trade but secretly planning war - sets its sights on war with the city of Darien. Tellius, once an outsider and now one of the rulers, gathers a team of his best warriors and magic users to save the city...
And so the scene is set. By now the reader 'knows' Tellius's team from previous books and it's a pleasure to be reunited with them and see them use their myriad skills to the max.
There are a few characters I'd like to have seen more of - the young golem king, even the city of Shiang. It might've been nice to go deeper into the more intriguing magic skills on show too.
But never mind - as I said the plot is a solid way to bring characters back together for one last adventure (or one last city defense), tying up some loose ends along the way. It's not spectacular, but it is comforting and sometimes that's what you need.
September 9, 2021
Took me an age to move on from book two to three. I loved Darien, found Shiang a bit odd - with a mostly new cast and a different setting for some of it - it didn't really seem to follow on from the first book.
This one though I thought was fantastic. The narrative back in Darien, the whole cast from book one back in action. It is the story of a siege, of an old power rising up to face a new one, and as always with this author, the story of the people caught up in the action.
Vick Deeds I think is the stand out character for me. Bit of a show off, confident and assured in everything he does, we see a different side to him in this story. He is vulnerable at times, out of his comfort zone, and I found his reactions to the scenarios he faced felt authentic - and whether fiction or fantasy, that's important to keep your readers attention.
There's also a slightly open ending, leaving the possibility of more books to come, I for one hope there is.
This one though I thought was fantastic. The narrative back in Darien, the whole cast from book one back in action. It is the story of a siege, of an old power rising up to face a new one, and as always with this author, the story of the people caught up in the action.
Vick Deeds I think is the stand out character for me. Bit of a show off, confident and assured in everything he does, we see a different side to him in this story. He is vulnerable at times, out of his comfort zone, and I found his reactions to the scenarios he faced felt authentic - and whether fiction or fantasy, that's important to keep your readers attention.
There's also a slightly open ending, leaving the possibility of more books to come, I for one hope there is.
November 13, 2025
Epic Fantasy Gemmell Style
With the Empire of Salt, Iggulden has created a wonderful fantasy trilogy that would make even David Gemmell proud. The three books are Darien, Shiang, and The Sword Saint. The character ensamble is rich and colorful, and you’ll grow to love some and hate others. In the end you’ll miss all of them as the story comes to a conclusion.
And what a conclusion! In this book a new enemy appears, a mighty kingdom to the north led by a maniacal ruler. King Jean Brieland marches south toward Darien with his legions, and a few surprises in tow. Will the new walls of Darien hold? What tricks does Tellius have up his sleeves?
I will only say this: The third book will leave you breathless, and it ties up all strings neatly with an ending that almost resembles the movie Seven Samurai, but just almost.
The Sword Saint receives a full score. 10/10.
With the Empire of Salt, Iggulden has created a wonderful fantasy trilogy that would make even David Gemmell proud. The three books are Darien, Shiang, and The Sword Saint. The character ensamble is rich and colorful, and you’ll grow to love some and hate others. In the end you’ll miss all of them as the story comes to a conclusion.
And what a conclusion! In this book a new enemy appears, a mighty kingdom to the north led by a maniacal ruler. King Jean Brieland marches south toward Darien with his legions, and a few surprises in tow. Will the new walls of Darien hold? What tricks does Tellius have up his sleeves?
I will only say this: The third book will leave you breathless, and it ties up all strings neatly with an ending that almost resembles the movie Seven Samurai, but just almost.
The Sword Saint receives a full score. 10/10.
February 10, 2020
An interesting conclusion to the trilogy which both brings together threads and characters from previous books and leaves me with the impression that there could be more stories to tell in this world. I'm also still pondering the connections to our world - is this one an alternate history which branched off at some point, or far into the future? It seems we readers are being left to make up our own minds on that one. Although that's no bad thing.
An enjoyable foray into a different genre by one of my favourite historical fiction writers.
An enjoyable foray into a different genre by one of my favourite historical fiction writers.
November 23, 2020
Not Conn's best work, feels a little repetitive of ideas.
But the characters are likeable and the story flows and is well written.
But the characters are likeable and the story flows and is well written.
February 10, 2024
4.5⭐️. Is this a trilogy? The end didn’t feel like a conclusion…
August 13, 2019
A solid finish..
The empire of salt is a trilogy and while I would recommend as always to get the most of it by reading in order this series more then most can be read on there own without losing too much.
Darien is a great trade city in a Low-ish Fantasy world,magic
exists mainly in the form of artifacts and relics from bygone eras and while there is mention at least in the earlier books of cities and eras we would be familiar with I don’t think this is meant to be a far future earth ala prince of thrones rather probably a earth that took a different direction at some point.
Mostly though the series has been the Story of Tellius a noble man from shiang a Chinese/ Japanese analogue who fled to Darien and became a thief and head of a gang of children, think the thief taker from lies of Locke lamora if he A) had a heart and b) was the chosen one, and his rise to prominence and reponsablity within Darien.
This book takes the best characters and moments from the others books in the series for a last stand , Darien a city that seems to always to Hoover on the cusp of one disaster or another now faces a invasion from a hostile kingdom in the past protectected by its own magic and relics it faces a king who has his own in abundance. Like the first two books this plays almost as much as a misfits buddy/ heist- military style book as a fantasy book the dirty half dozen if you well, with three swordsmen in the mix from Shiang including the Sword Saint of the title, a gifted gun man, a magicial catalyst and a unstoppable hunter and that’s the main group now counting all the side characters.
So always the strongest part of the book and the series as a whole is the characters Tellius being a highlight humane and compassionate while being pragmatic and cynical at the same time and in one of the few fantasy epic love stories featuring a older couple, the book is well paced and well written especially the action scenes I was never confused by what was going on, and as a way to close out the trilogy it was solid through and through.
The weakest part is the author takes the adage show don’t tell a bit too far the king is portrayed as a evil force with some unusual resources..and that’s it? We end the story not knowing a whole more then we began and that’s just one example that can get a bit annoying as we go the authors world building is quite good just once it’s established and introduced he doesn’t seem to feel the need to expound any more on it which on the plus side means there isn’t a whole lot of bloat weighing the story down but can get frustrating for a reader, the authors background is historical fiction where a lot of readers would already have more then likely at least a basic understanding of the world and setting of a given story so maybe that’s it.
So if you want to read a gritty fantasy series but definitely not violence for its own sake Grim Dark , that well written and grounded in its characters this is definitely worth checking out.
The empire of salt is a trilogy and while I would recommend as always to get the most of it by reading in order this series more then most can be read on there own without losing too much.
Darien is a great trade city in a Low-ish Fantasy world,magic
exists mainly in the form of artifacts and relics from bygone eras and while there is mention at least in the earlier books of cities and eras we would be familiar with I don’t think this is meant to be a far future earth ala prince of thrones rather probably a earth that took a different direction at some point.
Mostly though the series has been the Story of Tellius a noble man from shiang a Chinese/ Japanese analogue who fled to Darien and became a thief and head of a gang of children, think the thief taker from lies of Locke lamora if he A) had a heart and b) was the chosen one, and his rise to prominence and reponsablity within Darien.
This book takes the best characters and moments from the others books in the series for a last stand , Darien a city that seems to always to Hoover on the cusp of one disaster or another now faces a invasion from a hostile kingdom in the past protectected by its own magic and relics it faces a king who has his own in abundance. Like the first two books this plays almost as much as a misfits buddy/ heist- military style book as a fantasy book the dirty half dozen if you well, with three swordsmen in the mix from Shiang including the Sword Saint of the title, a gifted gun man, a magicial catalyst and a unstoppable hunter and that’s the main group now counting all the side characters.
So always the strongest part of the book and the series as a whole is the characters Tellius being a highlight humane and compassionate while being pragmatic and cynical at the same time and in one of the few fantasy epic love stories featuring a older couple, the book is well paced and well written especially the action scenes I was never confused by what was going on, and as a way to close out the trilogy it was solid through and through.
The weakest part is the author takes the adage show don’t tell a bit too far the king is portrayed as a evil force with some unusual resources..and that’s it? We end the story not knowing a whole more then we began and that’s just one example that can get a bit annoying as we go the authors world building is quite good just once it’s established and introduced he doesn’t seem to feel the need to expound any more on it which on the plus side means there isn’t a whole lot of bloat weighing the story down but can get frustrating for a reader, the authors background is historical fiction where a lot of readers would already have more then likely at least a basic understanding of the world and setting of a given story so maybe that’s it.
So if you want to read a gritty fantasy series but definitely not violence for its own sake Grim Dark , that well written and grounded in its characters this is definitely worth checking out.
September 15, 2019
I have very mixed feelings about this trilogy (I’m reviewing all three books again). This is Conn Iggulden’s first attempt at a fantasy series as his usual genre is historical fiction. I’ve always liked his other books so had high hopes for this trilogy. Conn’s writing is fast flowing and easy to read, so that you can literally jump into the book at any point with no issues.
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The story itself revolves around a city named Darien, ruled by twelve families, and a plot to kill the king. We’re quickly introduced to the entire cast who all play a vital role, but have no affiliation with each other. Despite this, all characters somehow converge in one place, despite very different motives. I will say one thing though, and that is the characters are extremely varied and have some really exciting aspects to them which do make them very unique. This is probably one of the first times I’ve liked EVERY character. I won’t say much about the magic system in the books, however, it was unique and quite enjoyable to discover more about it.
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The plot at times was interesting yet mostly felt messily thrown together. I actually think the first book could easily have been a stand-alone or if anything just worked as a stage setting book, because the plot really only started....and ended in book two.
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I actually found the second book a lot better than the first. We’re introduced to some new and interesting characters and a brand new city. Conn somehow links up the plot between the two cities and suddenly we’re back at Darien and stuff happens. But overall it was actually a better book. Book three on the other hand...hmmph. This should’ve been a duo series. It wasn’t a bad book, but not really needed and didn’t expand on the world or reveal any revelations, except for just extending the story and revealing a new bad guy, (whose motives were so “tropey”). So once again the band of characters gets together and does some shit (very similar to book one). I think the third book may have been a rehash of book one?!
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Overall verdict is 3.5 🌟 Characters were varied and had some cool abilities, writing was great, but the plot was stale, lacking and features nothing new or outstanding.
-
The story itself revolves around a city named Darien, ruled by twelve families, and a plot to kill the king. We’re quickly introduced to the entire cast who all play a vital role, but have no affiliation with each other. Despite this, all characters somehow converge in one place, despite very different motives. I will say one thing though, and that is the characters are extremely varied and have some really exciting aspects to them which do make them very unique. This is probably one of the first times I’ve liked EVERY character. I won’t say much about the magic system in the books, however, it was unique and quite enjoyable to discover more about it.
-
The plot at times was interesting yet mostly felt messily thrown together. I actually think the first book could easily have been a stand-alone or if anything just worked as a stage setting book, because the plot really only started....and ended in book two.
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I actually found the second book a lot better than the first. We’re introduced to some new and interesting characters and a brand new city. Conn somehow links up the plot between the two cities and suddenly we’re back at Darien and stuff happens. But overall it was actually a better book. Book three on the other hand...hmmph. This should’ve been a duo series. It wasn’t a bad book, but not really needed and didn’t expand on the world or reveal any revelations, except for just extending the story and revealing a new bad guy, (whose motives were so “tropey”). So once again the band of characters gets together and does some shit (very similar to book one). I think the third book may have been a rehash of book one?!
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Overall verdict is 3.5 🌟 Characters were varied and had some cool abilities, writing was great, but the plot was stale, lacking and features nothing new or outstanding.
July 31, 2019
The Sword Saint is the final book in the trilogy about the city of Darien. In some ways I feel this book doesn't quite do justice to such great potential. Darien was engaging magical and swept me off my feet. Shiang came at the story from a different angle, more measured, more sinister but it drew you in. The Sword Saint for me, didn't quite hit the mark. There were parts that were slow and plodding, parts that were rushed.
There were plenty of great things about this book, that mean that everyone should still read it and read the whole trilogy. I loved that so many of the original characters were brought back, it was one of my biggest criticisms of Shiang, that these characters had been created and not expanded further. The characters steal your heart, and they're worth getting to know. But, even in this book they had so much more potential. I think I was left wanting more.
I have questions! And not the good kind of questions such as "what happens next", I have genuine questions that were never answered that just come a little frustrating. It needed to flow better, be more complete. I think I just wanted this to live up to the potential from Darien, I just think I wanted a little bit more magic.
**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for my own personal and honest review**
There were plenty of great things about this book, that mean that everyone should still read it and read the whole trilogy. I loved that so many of the original characters were brought back, it was one of my biggest criticisms of Shiang, that these characters had been created and not expanded further. The characters steal your heart, and they're worth getting to know. But, even in this book they had so much more potential. I think I was left wanting more.
I have questions! And not the good kind of questions such as "what happens next", I have genuine questions that were never answered that just come a little frustrating. It needed to flow better, be more complete. I think I just wanted this to live up to the potential from Darien, I just think I wanted a little bit more magic.
**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for my own personal and honest review**
September 15, 2019
I enjoyed reading The Sword Saint, and the rest of the Empire of Salt series. In particular, the character development throughout the series is engaging and exciting, and all the sub plots are fun and full of suspense, and I enjoyed how they all come together. However, the overall story arc felt a bit shallow, and left me wanting more. Each book in the series builds up a "foreign" threat ready to invade the city of Darien, which eventually leads to the climactic battle at the walls of Darien with the fate of the city left in suspense. Though this arc wasn't stale, it did feel a bit repetitive and predictable by the third book. I felt like the world outside of Darien could have been explored a lot more, and I hope that this series leads to Iggulden writing more fantasy fiction, especially within the same universe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2020
incredibly disappointed with the series and the ending in particular. There are many faults with the series, but the biggest one is the crazy plot armor. Essentially this is a story about 5-6 superheroes who kill thousands of nameless "npc"-s. You have a crazy woman who makes magic useless around her and can kill thousands shooting fire out of her arms, you have 2 swordsmen who have probably killed 2-300 people each, then you have an immortal warrior who can see the future and dodge bullets with a body count greater than the previous two put together.
There's only so much I can take. It's a shitty and juvenile power fantasy and , even more depressing because of a few good ideas here and there.I do not recommend it to anyone
There's only so much I can take. It's a shitty and juvenile power fantasy and , even more depressing because of a few good ideas here and there.I do not recommend it to anyone
September 21, 2019
I loved 'Darien', the first book of the Empire of Salt trilogy; it was the first book I'd read from C.F Iggulden and the mixture of fantasy and battles engrossed me. I reached eagerly for 'Shiang,' which was not up to the standard of 'Darien,' but was...okay. I was very disappointed by 'The Sword Saint,' the final book of the trilogy which I feel ended the series with a whimper rather than a bang.
My personal feeling was that the author was trying to recreate the visual effects of an epic film with words, and the result was complicated and messy. I found the plot difficult to follow and as a result became quickly disengaged.
I give 'The Sword Saint' just the two stars.
My personal feeling was that the author was trying to recreate the visual effects of an epic film with words, and the result was complicated and messy. I found the plot difficult to follow and as a result became quickly disengaged.
I give 'The Sword Saint' just the two stars.
April 6, 2020
Après Darien et Shiang, Le saint des lames est la conclusion de la trilogie Les prodiges de l’empire qui marque l’arrivée de Conn Iggulden dans la fantasy, après avoir donné quelques claques au monde du roman historique avec plusieurs grandes sagas. L’écrivain anglais finira-t-il en apothéose ou se prendra-t-il les pieds dans le tapis ? Vous le saurez en lisant cette chronique. Ou le livre, ça marche aussi.
Deux ans après les évènements de Shiang, nous retrouvons la cité de Darien encore une fois dans la panade. Un prince du royaume de Féal, au nord, arrive dans la cité en tant qu’émissaire pour signer un traité commercial. Négociation, corruption, intimidation, meurtre, ça se passe pas trop mal, mais derrière cet accord se cache un roi qui est surtout intéressé par le pouvoir et il va essayer de forcer un peu les choses. Tellius va rassembler un petit commando de prodiges pour passer discrètement chez l’ennemi. Un chasseur, un joueur, une magicienne, un revenant, un gros bourrin et le saint des lames, nous les connaissons, ils sont la pointe de la lance, et ils devrons bosser ensemble pour contrer les plans du roi de Féal et protéger leur foyer.
C.F. Iggulden nous fait un casting all-star des deux premiers romans, il table sur des héros déjà connus pour nous accrocher et envoyer le lecteur directement au cœur de l’action. Et ça fonctionne plutôt très bien. Le maître mot est « efficacité », l’auteur joue encore la carte du « tourne-page » sans temps mort, action, tension, oh-mon-dieu-il-faut-sauver-la-cité. J’ai trouvé ce tome mieux équilibré en terme de rythme, là où Shiang prenait un peu trop son temps avant de décoller. On a des passages épiques et héroïques vraiment impressionnant, quand le lecteur accompagne les héros au cœur de la mêlée, que les épéistes avancent en donnant la mort sans pitié, couverts par les balles et les flammes, ce sont de vrais moments qui marquent par l’ambiance et un côté « visuellement » percutant. Le dernier segment du livre, dont je ne dirai rien, est également très impressionnant.
Tout cet aspect « badaboum » efficace est supporté par un background déjà installé, les 12 familles de Darien mènent toujours la danse et Tellius est le président du conseil. Chaque clan possède des objets magiques dont il est le gardien, les Verts Sallet sont toujours extrêmement cools, le mystère des pierres est toujours là. Mais pourtant, on regrette qu’Iggulden ne creuse pas un peu plus la chose, parce qu’on reste quand même beaucoup sur nos acquis sans avoir de grande révélation ou d’approfondissement majeur de cet univers, tout ça reste très en surface. Même des points que l’auteur a un peu teasé salement restent sans réponse (Je pense évidemment à l’identité de l’Idiot). C’est finalement pas très grave, car le roman reste absolument réussi pour son aspect « divertissement d’action », mais du coup il manque un petit quelque-chose de profondeur pour passer au rang de chef-d’œuvre.
Le casting est bien sûr un des éléments centraux de l’histoire, on connait déjà tous les protagonistes, et on est très content de les retrouver. J’aurai peut-être aimé avoir un ou deux petits nouveaux pour avoir un peu de fraicheur mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir. Les fines lames de Shiang sont toujours très impressionnantes dans l’action, et les autres ne sont pas en reste. Les relations et les motivations de chacun se tiennent, j’ai bien aimé ce petit cocktail. J’aurai un petit bémol à formuler sur Nancy, qui est quasiment la seule femme de la saga (à part Win Sallet), déjà en soi c’est pas top, mais son traitement aurait pu être plus subtil. Là où tous les autres brillent par leur compétence et leur discipline (enfin, sauf Vic Deeds pour la discipline), Nancy a juste un pouvoir de destruction et elle fout le bordel, tout en étant très belle. Celle-là on nous la répète sans arrêt, elle est tellement belle, tout le monde il est ébloui. Faudra creuser un peu plus ses personnages féminins la prochaine fois hein.
Voici donc une trilogie fantasy qui se termine dans la continuité des deux premiers tomes, C.F. Iggulden joue la carte de l’action, de l’efficacité et de la coolitude et ça fonctionne extrêmement bien. Le saint des lames est une lecture très agréable qui emporte le lecteur dans un tourbillon d’action et de magie avec des héros attachants. Il lui manque un peu de profondeur quand même (et de meilleurs personnages féminins) pour être plus que ça mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir, j’ai passé de bons moments de lecture avec cette saga.
https://ours-inculte.fr/le-saint-des-...
Deux ans après les évènements de Shiang, nous retrouvons la cité de Darien encore une fois dans la panade. Un prince du royaume de Féal, au nord, arrive dans la cité en tant qu’émissaire pour signer un traité commercial. Négociation, corruption, intimidation, meurtre, ça se passe pas trop mal, mais derrière cet accord se cache un roi qui est surtout intéressé par le pouvoir et il va essayer de forcer un peu les choses. Tellius va rassembler un petit commando de prodiges pour passer discrètement chez l’ennemi. Un chasseur, un joueur, une magicienne, un revenant, un gros bourrin et le saint des lames, nous les connaissons, ils sont la pointe de la lance, et ils devrons bosser ensemble pour contrer les plans du roi de Féal et protéger leur foyer.
C.F. Iggulden nous fait un casting all-star des deux premiers romans, il table sur des héros déjà connus pour nous accrocher et envoyer le lecteur directement au cœur de l’action. Et ça fonctionne plutôt très bien. Le maître mot est « efficacité », l’auteur joue encore la carte du « tourne-page » sans temps mort, action, tension, oh-mon-dieu-il-faut-sauver-la-cité. J’ai trouvé ce tome mieux équilibré en terme de rythme, là où Shiang prenait un peu trop son temps avant de décoller. On a des passages épiques et héroïques vraiment impressionnant, quand le lecteur accompagne les héros au cœur de la mêlée, que les épéistes avancent en donnant la mort sans pitié, couverts par les balles et les flammes, ce sont de vrais moments qui marquent par l’ambiance et un côté « visuellement » percutant. Le dernier segment du livre, dont je ne dirai rien, est également très impressionnant.
Tout cet aspect « badaboum » efficace est supporté par un background déjà installé, les 12 familles de Darien mènent toujours la danse et Tellius est le président du conseil. Chaque clan possède des objets magiques dont il est le gardien, les Verts Sallet sont toujours extrêmement cools, le mystère des pierres est toujours là. Mais pourtant, on regrette qu’Iggulden ne creuse pas un peu plus la chose, parce qu’on reste quand même beaucoup sur nos acquis sans avoir de grande révélation ou d’approfondissement majeur de cet univers, tout ça reste très en surface. Même des points que l’auteur a un peu teasé salement restent sans réponse (Je pense évidemment à l’identité de l’Idiot). C’est finalement pas très grave, car le roman reste absolument réussi pour son aspect « divertissement d’action », mais du coup il manque un petit quelque-chose de profondeur pour passer au rang de chef-d’œuvre.
Le casting est bien sûr un des éléments centraux de l’histoire, on connait déjà tous les protagonistes, et on est très content de les retrouver. J’aurai peut-être aimé avoir un ou deux petits nouveaux pour avoir un peu de fraicheur mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir. Les fines lames de Shiang sont toujours très impressionnantes dans l’action, et les autres ne sont pas en reste. Les relations et les motivations de chacun se tiennent, j’ai bien aimé ce petit cocktail. J’aurai un petit bémol à formuler sur Nancy, qui est quasiment la seule femme de la saga (à part Win Sallet), déjà en soi c’est pas top, mais son traitement aurait pu être plus subtil. Là où tous les autres brillent par leur compétence et leur discipline (enfin, sauf Vic Deeds pour la discipline), Nancy a juste un pouvoir de destruction et elle fout le bordel, tout en étant très belle. Celle-là on nous la répète sans arrêt, elle est tellement belle, tout le monde il est ébloui. Faudra creuser un peu plus ses personnages féminins la prochaine fois hein.
Voici donc une trilogie fantasy qui se termine dans la continuité des deux premiers tomes, C.F. Iggulden joue la carte de l’action, de l’efficacité et de la coolitude et ça fonctionne extrêmement bien. Le saint des lames est une lecture très agréable qui emporte le lecteur dans un tourbillon d’action et de magie avec des héros attachants. Il lui manque un peu de profondeur quand même (et de meilleurs personnages féminins) pour être plus que ça mais ne boudons pas notre plaisir, j’ai passé de bons moments de lecture avec cette saga.
https://ours-inculte.fr/le-saint-des-...
January 7, 2026
The Sword Saint is another fast paced and tightly plotted entry in the Empire of Salt series. Much of what I wrote about the second book applies here as well and I don't want to excessively repeat myself. Suffice to say, the good times roll on. Read on if you want to know more, but it's not really needed. If you've read the first two, you already know what you're in for and this won't change anything.
The book, and the series as a whole, is somewhat like a speedrun, though more as a display of the skill required to get through everything so quickly and yet still be enjoyable. The major downside to this is that there's simply less to read. I've been left wanting more and for now and maybe forever, there simply isn't any. There's also the issue in that there's simply not enough time for sufficient build-up for me. I'm overlooking that because of how great the action is, but it does feel a bit anticlimactic. Introducing a new country, warlord, diplomacy with multiple countries, war, and a siege while developing several characters separately and trying to provide some backstory is lot to get through in a relatively limited number of pages.
I'm glad that the characters from the first and second books were brought back even though I felt it was more to create awesome set pieces than for organic story reasons, especially the choices a few of the characters make. It leans very hard into Rule of Cool and indeed I found it very cool. I'd probably have a lot of criticism if I didn't think it was so much fun from start to end. I did though, so I don't feel the need to criticize all that otherwise would.
This time the viewpoint characters are more like a special forces squad than anything else. The action has them be more like an overpowering force of destruction than combatants of similar power for the most part. In that, it leans more into the power fantasy aspect again. I was almost expecting it to go along the style of Dynasty Warriors or Ninety-Nine Nights. It doesn't go quite that far, but it's definitely a story of the few against the many. The antagonists aren't able to put up nearly as much of a fight this time. I found it to be a bit funny really how they even came to power.
My one minor disappointment in terms of content is that there was one character who I expected to do more, but maybe he's only what he appears to be and there's no deeper secret. Maybe it'd be in a future book if there ever was one. I hope there is one day. Each book has created several more threads that could each be their own book. As for the series overall, I had a wonderful time, but it's far too soon a parting. There's too much left unsaid. After having read all that's been been published of the Penric and Desdemona and Murderbot novella series, it's made me want to have more like that and I think it could be applicable to Empire of Salt.
Rating: 4.5/5
The book, and the series as a whole, is somewhat like a speedrun, though more as a display of the skill required to get through everything so quickly and yet still be enjoyable. The major downside to this is that there's simply less to read. I've been left wanting more and for now and maybe forever, there simply isn't any. There's also the issue in that there's simply not enough time for sufficient build-up for me. I'm overlooking that because of how great the action is, but it does feel a bit anticlimactic. Introducing a new country, warlord, diplomacy with multiple countries, war, and a siege while developing several characters separately and trying to provide some backstory is lot to get through in a relatively limited number of pages.
I'm glad that the characters from the first and second books were brought back even though I felt it was more to create awesome set pieces than for organic story reasons, especially the choices a few of the characters make. It leans very hard into Rule of Cool and indeed I found it very cool. I'd probably have a lot of criticism if I didn't think it was so much fun from start to end. I did though, so I don't feel the need to criticize all that otherwise would.
This time the viewpoint characters are more like a special forces squad than anything else. The action has them be more like an overpowering force of destruction than combatants of similar power for the most part. In that, it leans more into the power fantasy aspect again. I was almost expecting it to go along the style of Dynasty Warriors or Ninety-Nine Nights. It doesn't go quite that far, but it's definitely a story of the few against the many. The antagonists aren't able to put up nearly as much of a fight this time. I found it to be a bit funny really how they even came to power.
My one minor disappointment in terms of content is that there was one character who I expected to do more, but maybe he's only what he appears to be and there's no deeper secret. Maybe it'd be in a future book if there ever was one. I hope there is one day. Each book has created several more threads that could each be their own book. As for the series overall, I had a wonderful time, but it's far too soon a parting. There's too much left unsaid. After having read all that's been been published of the Penric and Desdemona and Murderbot novella series, it's made me want to have more like that and I think it could be applicable to Empire of Salt.
Rating: 4.5/5
November 4, 2019
Review – The Sword Saint – Book Three in The Empire of Salt series by C. F. Iggulden
SPOILERS!
As with the previous two books in the series, The Sword Saint, was given to me as a gift. I am a fan of Conn Iggulden’s historical fiction and have found many of his books in that genre unputdownable. If that is not a word, it should be.
It is partly because I admire his writing so much that I have stuck with the whole series. I really wanted to be completely bowled over by Empire of Salt. I wanted to devour these books as I have devoured his others. The truth is that they never really ‘grabbed’ me as I so wanted them to do. I enjoyed them, yes; but I wasn’t in a rush to get back to them and in fact read one or two other books in between reading these. They just didn’t pull me in as I first thought they would.
However, I was interested to know the fate of certain characters and to learn the future of the beleaguered city of Darien. In The Sword Saint we meet several characters who featured in previous books, as well as being introduced to one or two new ones, in particular a young prince who is sent to Darien on a devious mission by his ruthless and heartless father. This mission not only leaves the young prince gravely wounded, but brings war to Darien’s doorstep.
I was pleased to see Elias Post was back. I always thought him a truly interesting character and would have liked to have seen more of him. (I thought Jack Daw was also a great character. Sadly, he is killed off in Book One if I remember right.) Vic Deeds and Nancy are also back, as is, of course, Tellius; one of the central characters absolutely vital to the plot. This character definitely develops and becomes more rounded throughout the series.
I have to say though, that I found the storyline in each book essentially the same. A great enemy is threatening the walls of Darien. The people within have to defend it, and ‘hold the wall.’ Although there are subtle differences and sidelines in each story, this in essence the plot for each book. Even so, by Book Three I had grown to quite like Tellius and Lady Sallet. I thought the sad ending was surprising I must say. I did not see it coming, yet when it happened it also seemed fitting.
I can picture Darien quite clearly in my mind. The one thing that did occur to me when reading was that this would probably translate quite successfully to film. On the whole this is a good series which is well written by an excellent author. For me personally, I hope he continues writing his outstanding historical fiction. I have seen others describe this series as ‘solid’ and I have to agree that I would probably describe it in much the same way. A good, solid read.
SPOILERS!
As with the previous two books in the series, The Sword Saint, was given to me as a gift. I am a fan of Conn Iggulden’s historical fiction and have found many of his books in that genre unputdownable. If that is not a word, it should be.
It is partly because I admire his writing so much that I have stuck with the whole series. I really wanted to be completely bowled over by Empire of Salt. I wanted to devour these books as I have devoured his others. The truth is that they never really ‘grabbed’ me as I so wanted them to do. I enjoyed them, yes; but I wasn’t in a rush to get back to them and in fact read one or two other books in between reading these. They just didn’t pull me in as I first thought they would.
However, I was interested to know the fate of certain characters and to learn the future of the beleaguered city of Darien. In The Sword Saint we meet several characters who featured in previous books, as well as being introduced to one or two new ones, in particular a young prince who is sent to Darien on a devious mission by his ruthless and heartless father. This mission not only leaves the young prince gravely wounded, but brings war to Darien’s doorstep.
I was pleased to see Elias Post was back. I always thought him a truly interesting character and would have liked to have seen more of him. (I thought Jack Daw was also a great character. Sadly, he is killed off in Book One if I remember right.) Vic Deeds and Nancy are also back, as is, of course, Tellius; one of the central characters absolutely vital to the plot. This character definitely develops and becomes more rounded throughout the series.
I have to say though, that I found the storyline in each book essentially the same. A great enemy is threatening the walls of Darien. The people within have to defend it, and ‘hold the wall.’ Although there are subtle differences and sidelines in each story, this in essence the plot for each book. Even so, by Book Three I had grown to quite like Tellius and Lady Sallet. I thought the sad ending was surprising I must say. I did not see it coming, yet when it happened it also seemed fitting.
I can picture Darien quite clearly in my mind. The one thing that did occur to me when reading was that this would probably translate quite successfully to film. On the whole this is a good series which is well written by an excellent author. For me personally, I hope he continues writing his outstanding historical fiction. I have seen others describe this series as ‘solid’ and I have to agree that I would probably describe it in much the same way. A good, solid read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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