What do you think?
Rate this book
Dark Sun: Chronicles of Athas #3
The Broken Blade
Sorak, elfin hero of the author's Tribe of One trilogy, along with his friend and lover, Ryana, embarks on a mission of mercy for his new master, the Sage.
308 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 1995
4 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Simon Hawke
89 books239 followersAlso published as J.D. Masters.
He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also written near future adventure novels under the penname "J. D. Masters" and mystery novels.
He was born Nicholas Valentin Yermakov, but began writing as Simon Hawke in 1984 and later changed his legal name to Hawke. He has also written near future adventure novels under the penname "J. D. Masters" and mystery novels.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 26, 2023
The prologue was decent, introducing violence and intrigue that belongs in the world of the Dark Sun novels.
However, halfway through the book, there's still no plot direction. The protagonist needs to travel, and travel, and travel some more with no purpose to the traveling other than "we probably need to."
The first chunk of the book is completely unnecessary and falls into the problem of "tell rather than show" by regurgitating a summary of the Tribe of One series as a massive infodump on the reader. For example, instead of a 2-page backstory on Galdra only to have Sorak toss its remnants into a pond, we could have gone straight to the dialogue explaining why it was necessary to discard the relic.
Be ready for a Mary-Sue protagonist. Sorak is a vile half-breed between elves and halflings. Unlike human half-elves, Sorak is loved rather than shunned by all. Even his adversaries admire him and see him as a worthy challenge rather than an enemy. Except, halfway through this book, Sorak doesn't even have an adversary because the author spens too much time infodumping (and traveling). Sorak has all of the benefits of his racial mix and none of the weaknesses. At least his psionic super powers, legendary magical weapon, and lack of sleep requirements have been fixed.
In the context of D&D, I feel like the GM didn't know how to say "no" to the amateur players and copied the game dialogue, however awkward, verbatim into the book. Conversations are stiff; random vocabulary words are added to paragraphs that were written before a game session. The GM thought, "if my players are invincible, they'll have more fun."
I am not invested in Sorak, because he's never truly in danger. His companion, Ryana, is more of an exposition tool for the author to explain his personal views on romance.
However, halfway through the book, there's still no plot direction. The protagonist needs to travel, and travel, and travel some more with no purpose to the traveling other than "we probably need to."
The first chunk of the book is completely unnecessary and falls into the problem of "tell rather than show" by regurgitating a summary of the Tribe of One series as a massive infodump on the reader. For example, instead of a 2-page backstory on Galdra only to have Sorak toss its remnants into a pond, we could have gone straight to the dialogue explaining why it was necessary to discard the relic.
Be ready for a Mary-Sue protagonist. Sorak is a vile half-breed between elves and halflings. Unlike human half-elves, Sorak is loved rather than shunned by all. Even his adversaries admire him and see him as a worthy challenge rather than an enemy. Except, halfway through this book, Sorak doesn't even have an adversary because the author spens too much time infodumping (and traveling). Sorak has all of the benefits of his racial mix and none of the weaknesses. At least his psionic super powers, legendary magical weapon, and lack of sleep requirements have been fixed.
In the context of D&D, I feel like the GM didn't know how to say "no" to the amateur players and copied the game dialogue, however awkward, verbatim into the book. Conversations are stiff; random vocabulary words are added to paragraphs that were written before a game session. The GM thought, "if my players are invincible, they'll have more fun."
I am not invested in Sorak, because he's never truly in danger. His companion, Ryana, is more of an exposition tool for the author to explain his personal views on romance.
December 21, 2024
This third book of the 'Chronicles of Athas' series is in actuality the fourth book of the 'Tribe of One' trilogy. Sorak returns following his fate in those books, now changed in ways that should dial down his uncertain power level to a comprehendible state.
Unfortunately, stealing from Sorak his unique quirk leaves him as a rather bland protagonist, and he's caught up in a story where his comrades seem more interesting, but are unexplored.
He wanders his way through a plot that displays too much of the antagonists, spoiling itself by examining schemes from both sides, meaning the book is a lot shorter than it seems.
The ending left a bad taste in my mouth, and I would in fact recommend that any fan of the series sticks with the original trilogy, which wraps up satisfyingly enough.
Unfortunately, stealing from Sorak his unique quirk leaves him as a rather bland protagonist, and he's caught up in a story where his comrades seem more interesting, but are unexplored.
He wanders his way through a plot that displays too much of the antagonists, spoiling itself by examining schemes from both sides, meaning the book is a lot shorter than it seems.
The ending left a bad taste in my mouth, and I would in fact recommend that any fan of the series sticks with the original trilogy, which wraps up satisfyingly enough.
September 6, 2025
The original Tribe of One series was a reasonable if slightly forced examination of an arguably mental health condition in a fantasy series. This follow up has lost the edges that the previous series had. Instead of a plot, we have an interaction of the previous character with their world. There's (at best) plentiful world building and lore to be had, but it comes at the expense of plot. And the plot is very much in the "tell rather than show" category. Moreover, the main character (and his companions) seem to have very thick plot armour indeed. And they wander around, because they feel like that's the thing they should do. The plot and action, such that it is, is safely contained and buried in the last few dozen pages of the volume. The pay off for me was low and it didn't gel well for me.
July 11, 2020
Sooooo....
I really liked the stories about Sorak in the "tribe of one" series, so I was super excited when this one off was continuing he's tale!
However, Hawke emulated the issue that I had with the first series in this novel. We spent 7/8 doing nothing. Introducing characters and outlining more of the Darksun universe, which I appreciate, but not at the expense of a plot. And this really could've been a great plot!! All the aspects are there, Hawke just put all the action in the last 30 pages, and it made some devastating situations seem unimportant....Except this is what the whole book was about. Just a bummer, since this will probably be the last book about Sorak, I'd have liked a more deserving tale.
I really liked the stories about Sorak in the "tribe of one" series, so I was super excited when this one off was continuing he's tale!
However, Hawke emulated the issue that I had with the first series in this novel. We spent 7/8 doing nothing. Introducing characters and outlining more of the Darksun universe, which I appreciate, but not at the expense of a plot. And this really could've been a great plot!! All the aspects are there, Hawke just put all the action in the last 30 pages, and it made some devastating situations seem unimportant....Except this is what the whole book was about. Just a bummer, since this will probably be the last book about Sorak, I'd have liked a more deserving tale.
February 2, 2020
This was a great story! I loved Sorak from the start, although his multiple personalities backstory was a little weird to me, as was all the backstory just sort of dumped in the beginning like maybe it occurred in a previous book. I'm not sure whether or not it did, but if so, it's awful strange to include The Broken Blade as the 3rd book of the Chronicles of Athas series, and not following the book containing that backstory in its own series.
Anyway, despite that small bit of frustration in the beginning, I quickly fell in love with both Sorak and Ryana. The story managed to take a turn that I was completely not expecting toward the end, but I enjoyed it all the more because of it.
Anyway, despite that small bit of frustration in the beginning, I quickly fell in love with both Sorak and Ryana. The story managed to take a turn that I was completely not expecting toward the end, but I enjoyed it all the more because of it.
May 18, 2023
Apart from it being a sequel from a completely different series (Tribe of One) which mysteriously got lost and included in this one, I disliked the too tame nature of the world (Dark Sun should be more primitive and brutal, this one looks like Forgotten Realms in desert), the Mary Sue-ish protagonist, and the too convenient and abrupt ending.
But I actually liked everything else. The characters are striking and memorable and the scenes are well depicted (the caravan attack especially, which was more complex than just "We are attacked by bandits! Fight!"), and it all-in-all a pretty light fun read.
2.5/5, rounded up to 3/5
But I actually liked everything else. The characters are striking and memorable and the scenes are well depicted (the caravan attack especially, which was more complex than just "We are attacked by bandits! Fight!"), and it all-in-all a pretty light fun read.
2.5/5, rounded up to 3/5
June 19, 2020
Not a lot happens in this compared to other world-spanning fantasy novels. It's fairly granular and serves mainly to explore Sorak and his relationship with the world around him.
The Dark Sun setting is a favorite of mine and this is a fair journey into it. There is a little too much metal for my taste but beyond that it works well. I find I particularly liked the dialogues between Sorak and Kieran.
It hit some tropes and avoided a couple others and contained some decent political intrigue.
The Dark Sun setting is a favorite of mine and this is a fair journey into it. There is a little too much metal for my taste but beyond that it works well. I find I particularly liked the dialogues between Sorak and Kieran.
It hit some tropes and avoided a couple others and contained some decent political intrigue.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
February 12, 2021
A decent epilogue to the Tribe of One series. I would have loved a bit more closure.
March 11, 2017
I loved the character of Sorak in the Tribe of One trilogy, but everything that made him great, his multiple psionic personalities, are gone. Plus the plot makes no sense at all. A let down.
November 4, 2012
The Broken Blade succeeds in delivering the dystopian, ruthless atmosphere and setting of Dark Sun as a world, and the horrors of combat. There is a decent resolution and plot development, but I wished the book delved more into personalities and political conflicts on a deeper level.
April 16, 2016
Good story but felt rushed at the end.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews