Властелин огненных земель

The King's Blades #2

by Дейв Дункан, Н.К. Кудряшов (translator)

Единственный раз в ордене Клинков прошел обучение белец, уроженец Огненных Земель. Это принесло много бед королевству, ведь именно ему суждено было стать в будущем королем Огненных Земель, а значит, злейшим врагом Шивиаля.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way this book began didn't do it any favors. It promised a different book, one in a similar vein to the first, where the King comes and claims a Blade, and then that Blade serves through danger and adventure, etc. This is not that story.

It wasn't long before events veered off, but once that familiar beginning built my expectations, it felt to me like the story was going off-course. For a long time, I couldn't figure out what the point of this long flashback was, and I was anxious to get back to the real story in the present.

It wasn't until about half way through that I accepted that this detour was the real story. Then I began to enjoy it, and now I think it's a better story than the one I expected. I'm glad I stuck it out and I'm looking forward to seeing the fallout for the series as a whole.

Update: It had been several years since I read The Gilded Chain, but several reviews compare the two endings, so I had to go back and remind myself how that one ended. Let's just say Duncan has no problems rewriting his own history! Now I'm even more curious about where he'll take it next.

[Algernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

[7/10]

Second episode of the King’s Blades series. A good sequel that isn’t exactly a sequel because Dave Duncan has imagined his sword & sorcery epic as interconnected stand-alone adventures. I understand that the first four books can be read out of order because the timelines and the characters overlap, with changing focus in each episode.

As proof of this, the second book starts in the same place as the first one: at Ironhall, the military academy where rebellious and lost boys are trained to become the best swordsmen in the realm. On graduation, they are supposed to enter the King’s service as his elite Blades, their devotion guaranteed by a magic ritual the blade of the master driven through their hearts that will bind them to their sovereign for lifetime.

To refuse the honor of serving their king is unheard of in the history of Ironhall, yet this is how the present adventure starts: two boys decline to serve when King Ambrose comes to take them away from the academy. Raider and Wasp instantly become rogue agents, to be hunted and killed by the King’s Blades.

The boys go to the Fire Lands, home of the pirate nation that the king is fighting a war with. Raider is revealed to be the proverbial ‘baker boy’ of all fantasy epics, the minor runt with a hidden past and remarkable talents who will eventually shape the future of nations.

>>><<<>>><<<

I’ve been a fan of Dave Duncan long before I started on this series, and the quality of his writing is not a surprise. I might have liked the first book in the series a little bit better, and I sort of wished that Sir Durendal had played a greater role in the sequel. He is present here, but more in a guest role to tie in the plot to events from ‘The Gilded Chain’.
I did enjoy the expansion of the world building into new territories and the swashbuckling sequences, but not so much the political infighting. The two lead characters, Raider and Wasp, are continuing the exploration of the themes of duty, friendship and free will that were central in Sir Durendal’s adventures. I wish I had taken notes to discuss this in more detail, but I was on the beach with the book and probably more distracted than usual when reading.

Still, it was a very quick read and I hope to pick up the third book very soon.

[Lianne Pheno · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://delivreenlivres.blogspot.fr/20...

Je n'ai pas aimé ce livre. Non pas parce que le style ou l'intrigue globale me déplaisaient vraiment, mais juste parce que je n'ai pas adhéré au thème et ça m'a complètement bloqué.

Nous suivons les jeunes Lames Pillard (nommé comme ça à cause de ses cheveux roux qui sont la marque des habitants du Baemark, les barbares pirates) et Guêpe. Lorsque le Roi arrive pour en faire ses lames, le premier refuse et le second le suis par solidarité. Chose totalement inédite dans l'histoire des Lames. Pillard est pressé de s'expliquer et il va donc raconter l'histoire des siens et comment il en est arrivé à se cacher parmi les apprentis Lames ...

Je préviens d'avance que je risque de spoiler parce que je ne peux pas expliquer ce qui m'a déplu sans entrer un minimum dans les détails même si je vais tout faire pour vous cacher les points les plus importants.

Nous entrons donc dans un long flashback (qui dure à peu près la moitié du livre) sur l'histoire d'un pirate, Aeled. Celui ci, contrairement aux habitudes de ses compatriotes fait du commerce raisonné. Au lieu de tuer quasiment tout le monde et d'embarquer les derniers survivants en esclavage, il laisse en vie tous les adultes de + de 25 ans qui ne résistent pas et embarque tous les enfants et jeunes adultes. Ainsi il est sur que si il revient dans la région quelques années après, il aura un nouveau stock d'enfants à embarquer, prêt à l'emploi.
Il faut savoir que les esclaves qui arrivent au Baemark ne sont pas juste des esclaves, mais ils sont enchantés par un sortilège qui les transforme en une espèce de zombie décérébrés qui est incapable de faire autre chose que de suivre les ordres qu'on lui donne, transformant le calvaire de ces pauvres gens en enfer. On les appelle les asservis.

Le problème au Baemark c'est que tous les enfants nés des asservis (parce que oui, une grande partie sert aussi d'esclave sexuel, malgré le coté zombie) sont "simple" mentalement. Du coup ça les exclu des successions quelconques. Mais Aeled lui, préfère les femmes "qui ont l'esprit de bagarre" (haha) et apparemment son père aussi vu qu'il a profité de sa mère sans l'asservir. Il a donc le droit d'être capitaine et de se battre pour arriver au pouvoir.
C'est d'ailleurs son activité principale en dehors du pillage et des esclaves.

Il va donc se lancer avec l'aide d'une de ses victimes noble, Gerard (notre point de vue principal durant cette partie du flashback) qui lui sert d'espion, dans un raid qui va lui donner une grosse réputation. En effet il débarque au mariage de la cousine du roi du Chival (notre bon gros Ambrose) auquel celui ci assiste et embarque la mariée. Cela lui permet à humilier le Roi qui ne peux pas faire grand chose en dehors de subir l’assaut, et d'avoir une compagne de sang royal.

****

Et c'est à partir de la que tout a dérapé pour moi.
Parce que pendant toute la partie raid et enlèvement, on nous fait un discourt que j'ai trouvé vraiment très sympa sur le choix des femmes de la noblesse niveau mariage et le fait que la pauvre mariée n'a le choix qu'entre un homme de deux fois son age et réputé pour ses coups et un pirate qu'elle ne connait pas et qui va faire d'elle son esclave.

La mère d'Aeled vient témoigner de sa propre histoire, comme quoi elle même n'a pas eu le choix mais en est venu à aimer/accepté son esclavagiste mais qu'elle aurait préféré que la jeune mariée ai au moins le choix (même si tout est fait dans ce passage pour nous faire remarquer que de toute façon le pirate esclavagiste est forcement un meilleur choix que le vieux auquel on la destinait à l'origine).
J'ai vraiment bien aimé ce petit passage ou la mère d'Aeled remet en place Gerard sur ce point. C'était bien dit et intelligent.
Mais dans ce cas pourquoi 20 pages après l'auteur nous fait retomber dans le même schéma??? Parce que oui la très belle captive ne peux pas s’empêcher de tomber amoureuse aussi de son pirate et lui faire un bel enfant ... J'ai trouvé ce revirement complétement pathétique.

Parce que bon, vous comprenez, à partir de ce moment la tout est fait pour nous faire totalement oublier les asservis et les esclaves, et nous aider à considérer ses braves pirates comme de bons vivants qui aiment leurs femmes et leurs enfants. Et comme quoi leur enfant a eu limite une vie de rêve après auprès de parents aimants et justes.

Mais le problème c'est qu'après ça moi je ne voulais pas savoir. Je m'en fou qu'ils aient de bons cotés, ça n'en reste pas moins des monstres qui asservissent des enfants qui arrivent à peine à marcher comme ça nous l'est si bien décrit en détail au début du livre.

Je n'ai pas du tout accroché au fait qu'on essaye de nous faire les apprécier, je n'ai pas pu accepter ça.
Encore si ils étaient resté comme avant, j'aurais compris, parce que ce n'est pas la première fois qu'on suis un peuple aux mœurs barbare en fantasy, et j'ai lu pas mal de dark fantasy, mais essayer de nous les rendre sympathiques et humains n'a pas fonctionné du tout.

Je me dis aussi que c'est totalement irrationnel parce que les meurtriers/assassins/guerriers qu'on rend humains sont légion et je n'ai jamais eu de souci avec ça, mais quand on touche à l'esclavage (surtout de façon si déshumanisante pour les victimes) c'est un non total pour moi. Du coup ça ne sera peut être pas votre cas, chacun à ses limites.

****

Tout ceci n'a lieu que dans le flashback qui nous raconte l'histoire de Pillard, notre apprenti Lame du début. Du coup à se moment la j'avais encore espoir de changer d'avis, vu que l'histoire principale n'avait pas encore vraiment commencé.

Et j'ai été à nouveau déçue.
Bon, c'était loin de l'être autant que dans la première partie, parce que les thèmes sont moins fort, qu'il se passe plein d'autre choses et que finalement Pillard prend une bonne décision à la fin du tome qui a été le seul moment que j'ai vraiment apprécié du livre.
Mais tout de même, il avait le choix, lui, et en plus son meilleur ami, Guêpe était contre tout ça, au point d'en avoir horreur. Mais non, il refait le même schéma que son père, parce que finalement le pillage et l'esclavage sont ce que font les Baelois de mieux et on ne peux pas sortir du schéma. Et Guêpe aussi fini par accepter, car il ne peux pas désapprouver son ami, c'est bien connu ...

Je n'ai pas non plus été impressionnée par toute l'enquête dans cette seconde partie sur ce qui avait assassiné les parents de Pillard. En fait il n'y avait que 2 choix possible et donc il n'y avait pas besoin d'y réfléchir longtemps pour les trouver. Ma seule réaction quand on fini par connaitre la vérité a été "bin oui, c'était logique, rien de neuf sous le soleil".

Du coup on peut dire que cette seconde partie est un peu mieux passé que la première mais elle ne m'a certainement pas fait remonter mon avis sur l'ensemble.
****

En fait ce qui me fait dire que j'ai bien fait d'aller jusqu'au bout malgré ma déception, c'est le final.
Et quel final ...
Limite le livre vaut le coup uniquement pour son final. Non pas que ça me fasse remonter la note de l'ensemble mais ça donne du sens.

En fait j'ai eu 3 phases pour finir par accepter ce final :
- J'ai du mal lire, relisons pour voir. => Ok non, j'avais bien lu
- J'ai du mal lire le tome d'avant. => Non, c'est pas ça non plus, impossible d'avoir mal compris la tome précédent.
- L'auteur a du se tromper. => Après avoir lu quelques chroniques pour me renseigner j'ai fini par avoir l'information qu'en fait non, c'était normal et qu'on aurait l'explication dans le tome suivant.

Du coup malgré mon échec j'ai vraiment envie de lire le suivant pour comprendre parce que c'est tellement énorme ce final qu'on ne peux pas rester la dessus !

****

Donc pour conclure, je n'ai pas aimé ce tome. C'est clair et net.
Je sais que les raisons sont personnelle (je n'ai pas pu accepter l'humanisation et qu'on rende héroïque des esclavagistes) et que ce n'est pas du à la qualité du livre en lui même, car pour tout vous dire je n'ai pas vraiment fait attention au style ni au rythme tellement je bloquais sur ce point.
Mais le final (et le fait que la série suis des personnages/peuples différents à chaque tome) m'a tout de même convaincu de lire le tome suivant.

12/20

[Scott Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating



Review

*** This review originally appeared on Out of this World Reviews. ***

Lord of the Fire Lands by Dave Duncan is the second in the King's Blades novels. While it largely stands on its own, it is still intertwined with events that take place in the first novel, The Gilded Chain. In fact, Duncan drops a bomb at the end of Lord of the Fire Lands which directly contradicts events that take place in The Gilded Chain. At first, I had to wonder if I was remembering things wrong (I'd just finished the first book, so I was pretty sure I hadn't), or if I'd missed some subtle hint that would explain why history was not about to follow the path set out in The Gilded Chain. In the end, I realized Duncan had just dropped one of the biggest hooks I'd ever seen for wanting to rush out and buy the next novel in the series (that being Sky of Swords).

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's stick with Lord of the Fire Lands first.

Our main characters are Raider and Wasp, both King's Blades in training who are called into service by King Ambrose. This is what King's Blades do. It is what they are recruited for, what they train for, and what they most want to do in order to bring honor to themselves and to their liege. There is no greater privilege for a Blade than to serve the King. Problem is, both Raider and Wasp refuse their liege.

What unfolds is a story narrated by Raider, whose real name is Radgar, who we come to learn is not of Chivial. Radgar hails from Bael, the Fire Lands, whose people are the sworn enemies of the Chivians. The first part of the novel is consumed by this narration, which is done very well and shows us that the Baels are not the fire-eating barbarians the Chivians believe them to be. Instead, they are colorful and sophisticated in their own way, but chillingly cold in others, as in when they "enthrall" Chivian captives, effectively turning them into soulless shells. Much of this story unfolds through Radgar' father's eyes, and so it is only when Radgar comes into his own that we jump back to the present.

From the telling of Radgar's story, Ambrose knows he can never let Radgar return home, and so he devises a hurried plot to lock the boy up for the rest of his life. Radgar, accompanied by his now sworn Blade, Sir Wasp, escapes, returns to Bael, and there tries to claim what is rightfully his.

It is then, as the novel concludes, that Duncan drops his bomb. I won't go into what it is, as giving it away could be considered a bit of a spoiler. But it's significant enough that I immediately started reading the next novel in the series, Sky of Swords.

My impression of Duncan continues to improve with this latest novel. His stories are enjoyable, engaging, and very well-written. He tends to use a lot of words from Old English; my Kindle's built-in dictionary is perhaps its best and most used feature. I started reading Sky of Swords immediately after finishing Lord of the Fire Lands and, in fact, just finished it this morning.

[Metaphorosis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Wasp and Raider are Second and Prime at Ironhall, where the King's deadly Blades are trained. But when the King arrives unannounced, the unprecedented happens when Raider refuses to serve, and Wasp blindly throws in with his best friend.

Review
I said that the predecessor to this volume was Dave Duncan at his best, and so is this one – sort of. Again, it’s a complex story of love, loyalty, magic, and politics. Again, it’s distinctly character-based. But this time, one of the book’s central elements is also its stumbling point.

In The Gilded Chain , Duncan offered a story that was in many ways about the frustrations of a very one-sided system of loyalty – loyalty to a very flawed and selfish king. Here, he does his best to present a fair picture of a nation whose core tenets are at odds with what many of us would anticipate. Clearly based on a version of Viking myth, the Baels are unapologetic about murder, rape, and slavery. And while Duncan tries to show them as having redeeming characteristics, I just had trouble enjoying a story in which bullying – on a grand scale – is largely rewarded and almost celebrated.

Chivial, subject of the first book, also has tremendous and fundamental flaws, openly acknowledged. Corruption, tyranny, subjugation of women, and a class system are among them. Yet I’d say that Duncan by and large acknowledges those as bad. Here, in his effort to show a different flawed system, the Baels do come across as bullies – because they can do something evil, they do, and feel just fine about it. It bothered me the whole way through. On an individual level, there’s a coerced marriage at the heart of the story – openly referred to as a public ‘rape’, though it’s distinguished from the woman’s alternate fate only by the type of coercion. What’s more troubling, though, is the repeated suggestion that the woman’s almost immediately happy about it, because the sex is so good. I guess it could happen, but it certainly rubbed me the wrong way.

Duncan’s resolution clearly shows that he’s not promoting any of this – that the bad things are bad things – but I suppose that, for me, it just didn’t work that the bullies won in the end. Individual tyrants are bad; a nation of tyrants is worse. Duncan’s efforts to offset that with Chivian cruelty weren’t enough.

It’s a good novel, still, and an effective part of this first trilogy and its larger story. But I didn’t enjoy reading it anywhere near as much as the first book.

When I picked this off my bookshelf to read, I found, much to my surprise, that it was a signed copy. I don't remember why or how I got it, but I do rather wish it had been The Gilded Chain that was signed instead.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

"it seems that the ending of this book paves the way for the beginning of the next", I wrote at the end of my review of the gilded chain, first of the King's Blades. How very wrong I was. In fairness to me, the end was quite open and I did not know that they weren't a series in the accepted sense of the term. "Each book in this trilogy stands alone, but together they make a larger story," according to the author.

So what of the lord of the Fire Lands? I found it very compelling, intriguing, and fascinating. I can only apologise for not perhaps dedicating as much of my attention to the political nuances present in the first of the series, for having read this one I'm sure to have missed many. The geography, piracy, codes of chivalry and loyalties are all spot on, with the theme of a Blade's binding coursing through the work as a thread through a tapestry.

The perspective also shifted radically between these 2 books - the first focusing on the blades as a group and Durendal in particular, and this work moving the focus to Radgar and the Baelish people. First impressions aren't always what they seem, of course (witness Gerard) but the Bael are not pushovers, by any stretch.

The third tale, so I hear, shifts once again, focusing on Malinda. that will be interesting.

one question, for anyone who has survived this long. Ambros IV was shot between the eyes by Radgar, yet he died in the first book in a different way entirely, acceding the thrown to Malinda. Book 2 says Ambros died in the twentieth year of his reign, betrayed by Baelish treachery, which fits with the second work but not the first ("My father died in a fire of unknown origin"). We won't dispute the fact that unknown origin is a bit of a stretch, but unless I am getting some characters very muddled up (which is quite possible) I don't understand.

That's my only big niggle, though, and this book truly made me look at the first one in a new light. perhaps rereading it will answer my question, or perhaps the third one will tie things up.

[Profundus Librum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tűzföldek ura a trilógia második része, ám a szerző a történetmesélés rögösebb útját választotta, és a sztori nem Az aranyszín lánc után folytatódik időrendben, hanem azzal párhuzamosan, jórészt új szereplőkkel a középpontban. Az aranyszín lánc úgynevezett életút-regény, a főszereplő, Sir Durendal egész életét felöleli, míg a második részben Sir Durendal – nyúlfarknyi szerepében – nagyjából negyven éves, és az események sokkal inkább Penge-társára Sir Darázsra és annak barátjára, Rablóra koncentrálnak, akik a kalóz-birodalom, Baelmark (a „vikingek”) nevében öldöklő háborúba taszítják a chiviali királyságot (a „franciákat”, már csak a Dumas-könyvekbe illő Pengék miatt is).

A két regény tehát külön-külön is egész, egyaránt élvezhető akár az első rész olvasása nélkül is – hogy erre miért vetemedne valaki, azt mondjuk nem tudom –, de a trilógia egyben egy igazán nagy, epikus történetet ad majd ki. A könyv előszavában Duncan előzékenyen felhívja a figyelmet arra, hogy a két kötet eseményeiben látszólagos ellentmondásokra bukkanhat a figyelmes olvasó, amiket majd csak a harmadik kötet fog megmagyarázni!

A könyv nagy erénye, hogy az intrikus részek egyenértékű minőséget képviselnek az akciókban, világi kalandokban gazdagabb részekkel. Szerencsére a karakterfejlődés ezúttal is töretlen, a két főszereplő folyamatosan érik, változik nem csak a telő idő miatt, hanem az események hatására is. A regény nem lineáris. A két Penge-jelölt történetével nyitunk, amit hamarosan felvált Rabló visszaemlékezése apjára, ami a teljes szöveg felét is simán kiteszi. Közben néha vissza-visszaugrunk Rabló jelenébe, majd egyszer csak valóban elkezdődik hőseink kalandja is – a könyv közepén. Ez a furcsa, ide-oda ugráló elbeszélési mód már az első kötetre is jellemző volt, gyanítom a harmadik is hasonlóan „kaotikus” lesz majd. A sorozatban központi szerepet kap az elementáris mágia, ami egyedi és jól kitalált. Nem nyomja el a történetet a csodái sorával, hanem finoman beleépül abba és erősíti azt. A cselekmény pedig a mágia ellenére is roppant reálisnak, majdhogynem „hihetőnek” hat, ami újabb pozitívum.

A szerző kiváló – sokszor humoros, néha véres és majdnem mindig komor, sötét – stílusa nélkül azonban ez a sorozat lehet, hogy valóban átlagos lenne csak, így azonban kötelező olvasmány a fantasy-t olvasók számára, ami egyetlen rajongó polcáról sem hiányozhat. Dave Duncan méltán említhető együtt Robin Hobbal, George R. R. Martinnal, Glen Cookkal, vagy David Eddingssel.

Bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...

[Kristjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narration: Passable

This story was billed as a stand-alone part of a larger series and it seems like it lives up to that promise (which is good, because I have not read any of the other books). The Norse World Building was actually pretty decent; how it was done much less so ... To start with, there was a crap ton of talking and very little action in the beginning (Elevating the art of Info Dumping to a ridiculous level). Unfortunately, the narration actually made this worse. Then after introducing the main characters in part 1, the story then dives down a rat hole with some dude named Gerard (its was not clear to me that the next 11 freaking chapters were a flashback from a POV that was not really a character in the story ... Who does that?)... regardless, Gerard seems to be there just to give some overly detailed background that served no purpose that I could detect. Sometimes more is not better.

It was not until half way through the book that the flashbacks end and we finally get to the actual story. Fortunately, although I was tempted, I had not abandoned the book. This is where the story finally gets interesting (feel free to skip Parts 2 thru 5 ... you won't miss much). The story then picks up with Raider and Wasp on the run trying to piece together exactly who the bad guys are and why (this was the story that I was expecting). It's a fair story that includes individual conflict and some simplistic political intrigue, but using 'magic' to solve most of the mystery with a ghostly soliloquy seems a bit lazy to me. Add to that a ridiculous ability to get the bad guys to admit their wrong doing at sword when they pretty much know that they won't survive the encounter (like a bloody TV show where we get a confession as soon as the bad guy is arrested). Still, it would have secured 3 stars if not for having to suffer through the first half of the book.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#feeaudiobookcodes #audiobookboom

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quite a bit. This is the second in the "Tales of the King's Blades," a series I'd seen recommended. I couldn't find the first, The Gilded Chain in stores but took a chance on this one, and fortunately as Duncan tells you upfront, this is a stand-alone. I find the premise intriguing: the king's blades of Chivial are superbly trained swordsmen who are bound to their wards. For the time bound, in some cases for life, almost their entire personality is subsumed in protecting their ward--and they gain a preternatural sense when their ward's life is threatened.

That form the backdrop to, but isn't really the central focus of the novel. That really is the "Fire Lands" of Baels. If Chivial is reminiscent of England, then the land of the Baels is reminiscent of Denmark, and most of the book is set there and deals with gaining its kingship--although yes the blades are involved--in particular two trained at their college, Raider and Wasp. The book is decently-written, gripping and flowing. The plot definitely isn't predictable, and the main characters by and large appealing. I'd definitely be interested in reading more in the series and think it's a shame its not more popular. It's a satisfying, entertaining read for anyone who enjoys high fantasy, even if perhaps a tad too generic to be a standout.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going over my list for good reads, I was a little appalled that I had given the first book such a rave review and score, but never continued the series. I rectified that by rereading the first novel, and today have finished the second...

And whoa, what a journey. I had no idea the second novel would take me to Bael, which was sometimes mentioned in the first novel but never really expounded upon. During the first books tales of Durendal I had better things to occupy my mind in any case.

In this book I was not as enthralled with the main characters as I had been with Durendal, but I was smitten completely by the land building involving Bael. The customs, the cultures, the people. It was all very interesting to read, and having read the first one again directly before this one I had a few AHA! Moments. One especially at the end involving Ambrose's daughter which I had completely forgotten until negotiatians began, and I had to slap myself on the forehead for not realizing before.

The first book had me in love with Durendal in his exploits (he himself makes an small appearance in the second novel, and its interesting to read him from anothers point of view), the second one in love with Duncan's story telling and world building in general. Now, onto the next one!

[Lee Penney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember enjoying the The Gilded Chain by this author, and this has been sat on my TBR shelf for a while since.

Although it takes place in the same universe, I don’t think there’s any overlap (aside from the odd character mention) and this can be read entirely independently.

This follows a story between the Baelish and Chivian kingdoms, and the Blades themselves play a relatively snall part.

The two nations are copies of historical ones — the Baels being Danes (AKA Vikings) and the Chivians a more ‘civilised’ European power.

This was originally released in 1999, so perhaps we can forgive what is now a fairly formulaic adventure. It’s heroes and villains, honour and blood feuds.

Another criticism would be the lack of female characters — and what few there are add very little to the story. Again, probably not something you would see in a more modern tale.

You can’t fault the action and twists though (even if some are more predictable than others) — there are plenty of both to keep you interested. There are intense sections where I was gripped and frantically turning pages.

All-in-all I enjoyed it and was able to burn through it quickly.

[Farseer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the series, but they all seem to work as standalone. Similar setting, but different characters, with characters from the first book making cameos. It can be read on its own perfectly well but, if you have also read the first book, you might notice a certain discrepancy between the two endings. Apparently that will be explained in the third book.

I wanted a story about the King's Blades, and it took me by surprise when it quickly drifted away from that and became a story about the viking-like Baels. It took me a little bit, but I warmed up to the story. It has war, politics, dynastical strife, murder, revenge... It ended up being quite a good story, actually, although it did bother me at times how people made confessions to move the story forward.

I did not quite like the Baels with their brutal ways: even if some of them are likable individually, they still make a good living by pillaging, raping and enslaving. Of course, the supposedly more civilized Chicians, at least the rulers, are not much better.

This is a good. solid fantasy series.

[Bertrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un roman bien construit, bien écrit et efficace, voilà l’impression que laisse le deuxième tome des Lames du Roi de Dave Duncan. L’auteur conte une histoire parallèle au premier tome, en changeant complètement de point de vue, puisque l’essentiel se passe dans la contrée ennemie. Moins original et surprenant que l’insigne du chancelier, il s’agit toutefois d’un très bon récit d’aventure qui laisse un bon souvenir et manie bien les intrigues politiques en évitant de les complexifier inutilement.
J’ai hâte de lire le tome 3.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, the ending of this book is completely mystifying, based on what happened in the *first* book of the series. From what I've read, you need to have the 3rd book handy so you can start on it immediately (sadly I do not). But besides that, it's a great book. If you haven't read anything by Duncan yet, you need to pick up something by him. I've enjoyed all of his works that I've read so far.

[Adrion Saenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much different from the first book. So much so, that I actually thought to abandon it 1/3 of the way through. Finally I saw what Duncan was intending with this tale and was rewarded with a tale steeped in much more intrigue and politics than its predecessor. Thoroughly enjoyable, but slightly less rewarding than I'd hoped for, but still worthy of the series so far. On to A Sky of Swords!

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost as good as the first King's Blades book. A quality fantasy story. But the ending is so bizarre and unexpected (based on what you read in the first book), you have no choice but to want to read the next installment.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn't hold my attention as well as the first one, but it was still interesting. And the final chapter - wtf!? Now I have to read the last book, just to figure out how they reconcile this itty bitty enormous "discrepancy."

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was every bit as good as the previous book in the series. It has an equally intriguing main character, and a plot that moves very quickly. There's an excellent mix of action, politics, revenge, and magic that should satisfy pretty much anyone. Really good stuff.

[ROSE · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

J'ai hâte de lire le troisième tome qui sera, je pense, le lien entre ces deux premiers.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid fantasy. Would recommendthe series to anyone who enjoys the genre.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, but it doesn't align with the first. This may fix itself in book three, but it still bugs me that I didn't know it wasn't going to align.

[Baron Rothschild · Rating 2 out of 5]

zzzzzz

[Brian Ejike · Rating 3 out of 5]

WTF was that ending? Some people are saying to read the next book, but I don't see how that could resolve such a break in history, to any degree of satisfaction.

The book was mostly alright otherwise. Though I didn't appreciate the way some of the moral conflicts were handled. For instance, the excuses Radgar tried to give for his people's relentless raiding -- talking about how Chivians can also be wicked, some people enthralling others and selling them off.

No shit? Of course, there's evil shit happening in Chivial as well. The obvious difference is those people are actual criminals in Chivial, who have yet to be caught. Or at the very least, people in an "industry" that the government haven't gotten around to policing yet. (Which eventually happened during the Great Matter, unless that's also been retconned >_>)

In contrast, all the rapine/plunder/slavery are quite literally the Bael national business, from King to petty crew. You cannot be Anyone in Bael unless you've been on a hundred of these "foerings", made a name for yourself etc. The conjurers that convert people into zombies are all legitimate, well-respected business in the open and all, supported by the ruling government.

Throw in the fact that these raids are not for survival and are entirely one-sided (since their islands are very difficult to invade), and they don't even have the excuse of retaliation. Any Baels who've been done dirty in Chivial were very likely raiders, as Wasp once pointed out. And even if they were not, it's unfortunate but very understandable reaction toward a nation that chiefly exports misery.

It's a bit wild that the writer has his otherwise-sensible MC repeating this stuff. Just as it's incredible that the friendship with Wasp lasted even after the binding got dissolved. Given his history and trauma, Wasp should've abandoned his ass as soon as he became King and resumed the war in earnest. I suspect the writer had become too enamoured of his little bromance to let it go.

There's also poor Gerard, who gets used in a cautionary tale later of the unseen "she-wolf". Which makes zero sense, since the man simply did the natural sensible thing, when some huge raider barged into his room. It is irrelevant that there were other raiders behind the one he killed -- Gerard would've still gotten killed or enthralled/enslaved anyways, as far as he knew, especially given the sudden nature of the encounter.

Not to mention the hilarity of swearing righteous vengeance against the King of the nation y'all have been plundering for decades. I mean, swear vengeance all you want for the personal loss -- just do so quietly and in full knowledge that you don't have the moral high ground.

Then at the end, when it comes time to end the messy war with a treaty-marriage, he takes some high road about wanting his arranged wife to marry him of her own free-will. After turning a blind eye to all the shit his people have done for years, he would now jeopardise the chances of lasting peace, to stand on meaningless principle.

Of course, I'm perfectly fine with all this savage shit in stories -- in fact, it's rather a staple of most well-told epic fantasy. But, baldly trying to justify it is not a good idea. Justifying it in the way this writer has done, cannot come out any way but very lame. And here I detect no hint of self-awareness that MC (or others around him) understand just how lame it is.

In short -- if you want to have a "good" MC, maybe don't have them openly be the King of a nation of slavers and rapists.

[Jared Guertin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in Dave Duncan's The King's Blades series. While the previous book, the Gilded Chain, took place over the course of about 40 years, this one primarily takes place over the course of a few months, at a time the previous book skipped over.

The action is excellent, and the banter is very witty. The characters are likeable, complex, and memorable. The side characters, many of whom were present in the previous book, are also well fleshed out and delightful to return to. The book remains more consistently a political drama than the previous one. The worldbuilding, in my opinion, is also superior in this one over the previous. The plot of this book explains elements of the sociopolitical situation that occurred later in the timeline in the previous book. There's a masterful, mind-blowing plot-twist that recontextualizes the whole story.

Much of the book also captures the essence of boyhood in a very beautiful way.

Why four stars instead of five:
- The shark was kind of jumped when the previous book gave a complete biography of Durendal, who was established as canonly the greatest hero of that time and place. The protagonists are cool, but they really don't measure up to him.
- There is a chunk of the book near the beginning that is about 150 pages of flashback. While the previous book in the series also played around with chronology, it did so in a creative manner. This one felt more forced and less graceful, in my opinion.
- Certain key elements of the climactic battle were explained after but not effectively alluded to or foreshadowed earlier, leading to what felt like was intended to be a big reveal but fell flat, at least in my opinion.

Overall a very good book, and I would highly recommend if you enjoyed the previous book. I would say it is appropriate for people 16 and older.

[Susan Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much couldn't swipe through the pages fast enough throughout this novel. It was extremely fast-paced, but still managed to include everything I've enjoyed about Dave Duncan's writing - witty dialogue, excellent character development, and a unique sword-and-sorcery plot. As the second novel in the first King's Blades trilogy, which takes place with different characters during a portion of time that the first novel covers, it definitely has a "Huh? Wait a minute!" ending that completely contradicts the end of the first novel. I am hoping - and feel confident - that the third novel will explain that in a fascinatingly clever manner.

[Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun fantasy adventure full of clever characters and a wonderfully constructed world. While not the most original fantasy novel ever written, it get's by on the strength of writing and the author's ability to create a real sense of peril for his characters, even when you are sure they must survive.

These books feel like the Jack Ryan novels of the fantasy world. Light, entertaining, page turning adventures that are relatively inconsequential, but if you like what they're selling you'll have a lot of fun with them.

Recommended if you just want to have fun in a make believe medieval universe, and if you loved the previous book then you'll love this one.

[TL Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

📖《御劍士傳奇2：火地之王》✍️ 大衛．鄧肯（加拿大）

🔥 權力與陰謀的戰場
　　相比《鍍金鎖鍊》，本集的節奏明顯沉緩許多。⚔️ 少了劍與魔法的熱血對決，取而代之的是冷冽的政治算計與陰謀權謀。故事的重心落在兩國——璽維與貝馬克——的戰爭全貌，為第三集《劍空》鋪陳歷史背景，也揭示了御劍士制度背後更龐大的政治網絡。

🏰 拒絕效忠的開端
　　故事開頭依舊發生在「鐵堂」。🗡️ 璽維國王安布羅斯四世親臨現場，欲制約新的御劍士，卻接連被首席瑞得與次席衛斯普拒絕。這場「拒絕成為國王御劍士」的戲劇性場面，不僅衝突強烈，也一步步揭開了貝馬克親王與其父親的往事。這些人物之間的牽連，使忠誠與背叛的界線更加模糊。

🩸 王子復仇記的悲劇
　　後半段則上演了一場典型的王子復仇劇。🗡️ 親手血刃殺父仇人後，命運卻並未因此改變。令人意外的是，這段歷史與第一集的敘述竟截然不同——時間錯位、事件對調，讓人一時錯愕。後來查閱評論才得知，這正是作者的巧思：以第二集填補第一集的歷史空白，為最終章《劍空》鋪路，試圖以不同視角重新拼湊整個世界的真相。

🕯️ 歷史的多面真相
　　《火地之王》不像前作那樣充滿冒險與熱血，而更像一場冷靜的政治棋局。♟️ 它描繪的，不只是戰爭的勝負，更是歷史如何被權力書寫。表面沉悶的篇章，其實藏著系列的核心——真相從來不是唯一的，唯有勝利者能留下自己的版本。

[Donna Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Dave Duncan and the King's Blades books are pretty amazing, BUT... I finished Lord of the Fire Lands and the end threw me for a loop. It contradicts what we already know the future to hold. I am told (by kind people on the internet) that "All will be explained in Book 3". I certainly hope so, because the ending of Book 2 left me as riled up as the ending of the final season of Game of Thrones!

[smjbab · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good classic eighties style fantasy romp. I find it very hard not to really like David Duncan's characters and character development. Once again I probably would have rated this 4 stars but added a nostalgia star for classic eighties fantasy style writing which is very hard to come by these days.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book even better than the first book in the series test. It is a nice mix of the typical English setting with a viking ish setting. Well this is a fantasy book, it also reads like a medieval story. Is a great mix of two of my favorite genres.