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Emberverse #7
The High King of Montival
“S. M. Stirling provides another fabulous postapocalyptic thriller to his Change saga.” – Alternative WorldsRudi Mackenzie traveled to Nantucket, where he found and took up the Sword of the Lady and, with it, his destiny. His return journey to the area known as Montival, in the Pacific Northwest, is a treacherous one since he and his companions must cross three thousand miles, making both allies and adversaries along the way. When he reaches his destination, he will face the legions of the Prophet. To achieve victory, Rudi must assemble a coalition of those who were his enemies just months before, then forge them into an army that will rescue his homeland and tear the heart out of the Church Universal and Triumphant once and for all. Only then will Rudi be able to come to terms with how the Sword has changed him—as well as the world—and assume his place as Artos, High King of Montival…
528 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 29, 2010
136 people are currently reading
1558 people want to read
About the author
S.M. Stirling
170 books1,654 followersStephen Michael Stirling is a French-born Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author. Stirling is probably best known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and the more recent time travel/alternate history Nantucket series and Emberverse series.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
MINI AUTO-BIOGRAPHY:
(personal website: source)
I’m a writer by trade, born in France but Canadian by origin and American by naturalization, living in New Mexico at present. My hobbies are mostly related to the craft. I love history, anthropology and archaeology, and am interested in the sciences. The martial arts are my main physical hobby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
September 10, 2014
The cover shows a close-cropped, grizzled man, wearing tattered camouflage, and holding a gleaming sword in a two hand fighting position. Behind him, there is the broken fuselage of a jet, with the Rockies looming in the distance. The landscape is otherwise desolate. This picture captures a bit of the soul of the Change world, and it's this world that I liked so much in the first three books.
The man in the picture is Artos, High King of Montival, nee Rudi Mackenzie. Or at least it's supposed to be. But let's get to some problems with the picture. First off, there is no wrecked airplane in the book. Secondly, the picture of the wreckage doesn't ring true. The Change happened in a flash, instantaneously cutting off all electricity. If this plane had been flying at the time, it would be a much more severe wreck than what is shown. And if it was not flying at the time, what is it doing out in the foothills of the Rockies, all on its own? Of course, these are just quibbles.
Let's move on to Rudi. The books are quite clear about his description. He's tall, has shoulder-length hair that is curly and fire red. Oh, and he wears a kilt when he's not wearing armor. Moreover, he would not just be carrying a sword. He would also have a quiver of arrows and a bow with him in all likelihood. And even if he didn't have that, then he would have a scabbard for his sword. And the scabbard would definitely appear in the picture.
I don't necessarily mind the use of artistic license. (I will note that I find it puzzling that Stirling, who tries very hard to be accurate, or at least plausible, in his descriptions, would approve of a cover that veers so far from his own descriptions.) But I do find it emblematic of my major problem with the book: I like the world in the picture, which was the world of the first three books; I'm increasingly less fond of Artos, his kilt, and the fantasy world that has somehow grown out of the Change.
In this book, Rudi and his gang travel back from their quest, from Nantucket to his home in Montival (formerly Oregon and surrounding territory). In keeping with the pace that he has set for the series, Stirling has determined to fill us in on every step of the journey. It's a long walk. Along the way, there are some reunions, some skirmishes, two battles. And it all feels a bit old. The Cutters again are faceless, mindless villains who attack and attack, chanting "Cut! Cut! CUT!", and, by comparison, they make the orcs in the Lord of the Rings feel like full-blown characters. There's also a fair amount of alliance making, and that was a bit more interesting, but only a bit.
Ironically, the feeling I had for this book was best expressed by Rudy himself:
"I'm tired of this... It's been years now; fighting and running, now them running and still more fighting. I'm tired of seeing brave men die; tired of killing them. ... I want it to stop." Unfortunately, that about sums it up for me as well.
The man in the picture is Artos, High King of Montival, nee Rudi Mackenzie. Or at least it's supposed to be. But let's get to some problems with the picture. First off, there is no wrecked airplane in the book. Secondly, the picture of the wreckage doesn't ring true. The Change happened in a flash, instantaneously cutting off all electricity. If this plane had been flying at the time, it would be a much more severe wreck than what is shown. And if it was not flying at the time, what is it doing out in the foothills of the Rockies, all on its own? Of course, these are just quibbles.
Let's move on to Rudi. The books are quite clear about his description. He's tall, has shoulder-length hair that is curly and fire red. Oh, and he wears a kilt when he's not wearing armor. Moreover, he would not just be carrying a sword. He would also have a quiver of arrows and a bow with him in all likelihood. And even if he didn't have that, then he would have a scabbard for his sword. And the scabbard would definitely appear in the picture.
I don't necessarily mind the use of artistic license. (I will note that I find it puzzling that Stirling, who tries very hard to be accurate, or at least plausible, in his descriptions, would approve of a cover that veers so far from his own descriptions.) But I do find it emblematic of my major problem with the book: I like the world in the picture, which was the world of the first three books; I'm increasingly less fond of Artos, his kilt, and the fantasy world that has somehow grown out of the Change.
In this book, Rudi and his gang travel back from their quest, from Nantucket to his home in Montival (formerly Oregon and surrounding territory). In keeping with the pace that he has set for the series, Stirling has determined to fill us in on every step of the journey. It's a long walk. Along the way, there are some reunions, some skirmishes, two battles. And it all feels a bit old. The Cutters again are faceless, mindless villains who attack and attack, chanting "Cut! Cut! CUT!", and, by comparison, they make the orcs in the Lord of the Rings feel like full-blown characters. There's also a fair amount of alliance making, and that was a bit more interesting, but only a bit.
Ironically, the feeling I had for this book was best expressed by Rudy himself:
"I'm tired of this... It's been years now; fighting and running, now them running and still more fighting. I'm tired of seeing brave men die; tired of killing them. ... I want it to stop." Unfortunately, that about sums it up for me as well.
November 16, 2010
I have enjoyed this series so far and was excited to dive into this latest foray into the post-apocalyptic “Change” world. Very, very disappointed.
For the first 350 pages Stirling leaves out the things the series does well and focuses on the things that are just average or worse.
Out: battles, action, plot twists, mad-dashes for safety, feats of daring, political intrigue.
In: lots of dialogue (where characters explain the same things over and over again, giving the reader zero credit for being able to remember something from one book to the next) and descriptions of people travelling across landscape.
To be fair, there are two bits of action in the first 350 pages; one battle and one skirmish. Neither lasts very long though. Essentially what we have is a lot of space used to tell us how Rudi and company make their way across half of the continent, even though nothing significant happens to them in that time.
The last hundred or so pages get back into the things that make this series enjoyable for me, but I can tell you if I had not previously invested in the “story so far”, I never would have made it to the good stuff.
Stirling has jumped ahead in the timeline before in this series, skipping over large periods of time to get to the point. Either jump straight from Nantucket to Iowa. Or give us the battle and a bit more, knocking out at least half of the pages devoted to this journey. The story would not have lost anything.
One star for the first three quarters of the book, four stars for the end. Two stars overall.
For the first 350 pages Stirling leaves out the things the series does well and focuses on the things that are just average or worse.
Out: battles, action, plot twists, mad-dashes for safety, feats of daring, political intrigue.
In: lots of dialogue (where characters explain the same things over and over again, giving the reader zero credit for being able to remember something from one book to the next) and descriptions of people travelling across landscape.
To be fair, there are two bits of action in the first 350 pages; one battle and one skirmish. Neither lasts very long though. Essentially what we have is a lot of space used to tell us how Rudi and company make their way across half of the continent, even though nothing significant happens to them in that time.
The last hundred or so pages get back into the things that make this series enjoyable for me, but I can tell you if I had not previously invested in the “story so far”, I never would have made it to the good stuff.
Stirling has jumped ahead in the timeline before in this series, skipping over large periods of time to get to the point. Either jump straight from Nantucket to Iowa. Or give us the battle and a bit more, knocking out at least half of the pages devoted to this journey. The story would not have lost anything.
One star for the first three quarters of the book, four stars for the end. Two stars overall.
October 15, 2011
Rudi and his friends travel home while revisiting some of the people he met on his journey to the east coast.
I enjoyed the first Emberverse trilogy despite (or maybe partly because of) its excesses, but this follow up series has become disappointing. The idea of Rudi crossing the continent with a small group of young people who grew up in the changed world is pretty great, but reading about him meeting and usually winning over members of various wacky post-change cultures has gotten repetitive.
I assumed that we were going to finally see some aftermath of his journey, because it would be great for the story to finally move on a little further. Instead, this one is heavy on recaps and the characters talk every idea and feeling to death. The battle scenes seem thrown in to liven things up a little, most were low-stakes to the point of boring.
At this point I'm still invested enough to want to find out about the resolution of the war, but I hope the author gets on with it already.
I enjoyed the first Emberverse trilogy despite (or maybe partly because of) its excesses, but this follow up series has become disappointing. The idea of Rudi crossing the continent with a small group of young people who grew up in the changed world is pretty great, but reading about him meeting and usually winning over members of various wacky post-change cultures has gotten repetitive.
I assumed that we were going to finally see some aftermath of his journey, because it would be great for the story to finally move on a little further. Instead, this one is heavy on recaps and the characters talk every idea and feeling to death. The battle scenes seem thrown in to liven things up a little, most were low-stakes to the point of boring.
At this point I'm still invested enough to want to find out about the resolution of the war, but I hope the author gets on with it already.
December 22, 2010
I want more! The threads all started coming together again, and the tapestry is really coming together quite clearly. Yes, the ending of the series is obvious, and the culmination of this book was clear before I even cracked the cover. However, the obviousness of the overarching plot is not why I read this series. Rather, for me, the point of the series is to watch the story unfold to the inevitable ending. The journey is the point, and the story that enfolds that oh so obvious conclusion. We are now seven books into what is sure to be at least nine books, and I do NOT want to wait for the next book in the series. Unfortunately my desire to close the covers on this book and open the next in the series has been thwarted by the necessity of the author actually transitioning the story from his mind to the published work that I so desperately want.
Yes, this is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, reworked to fit the setting. Yes, the conclusion is inevitable and obvious. What is not so obvious is the little stories that create the tapestry of this story. The characters that enter our lives through the journeys of the protagonists. The characters that we grow to love, and the characters that grow and evolve over the course of the series. These are the reasons I keep coming back to these books, and what made this book so difficult for me to put down. Now that I have finished the book I am forced to patiently wait for the next one to be published. I do NOT want to be patient.
Yes, this is a retelling of the Arthurian legends, reworked to fit the setting. Yes, the conclusion is inevitable and obvious. What is not so obvious is the little stories that create the tapestry of this story. The characters that enter our lives through the journeys of the protagonists. The characters that we grow to love, and the characters that grow and evolve over the course of the series. These are the reasons I keep coming back to these books, and what made this book so difficult for me to put down. Now that I have finished the book I am forced to patiently wait for the next one to be published. I do NOT want to be patient.
January 2, 2011
GAHHHH, why does he keep having freaking cliff-hangers?!
I do like this series; there's nothing mind-blowing or You Must Read This Before You Die about it, but it's fun, it's informative, and it's usually pretty engaging. With this new installment (which, I'm told, kicks off ANOTHER trilogy--fie upon you, S. M. Stirling), the troop of adventurers from the previous two trilogies begins the long hike back from Maine to Oregon, meeting several adventures and new people along the way. It's a fun hero journey romp with a lot of neat tidbits about various things, and there are some great one-liners; yes, it gets a little out there with the fantastical sometimes and I almost laughed at the blatantness of it, and yes, there were definitely chapters where I had to go back and verify that they DID, in fact, just cover four states in about 10 pages compared to the one state in 5 chapters that just happened. But, like I said, this is no Nobel laureate piece; it's fun, it's fast, and I'm definitely eager to see what comes next.
I do like this series; there's nothing mind-blowing or You Must Read This Before You Die about it, but it's fun, it's informative, and it's usually pretty engaging. With this new installment (which, I'm told, kicks off ANOTHER trilogy--fie upon you, S. M. Stirling), the troop of adventurers from the previous two trilogies begins the long hike back from Maine to Oregon, meeting several adventures and new people along the way. It's a fun hero journey romp with a lot of neat tidbits about various things, and there are some great one-liners; yes, it gets a little out there with the fantastical sometimes and I almost laughed at the blatantness of it, and yes, there were definitely chapters where I had to go back and verify that they DID, in fact, just cover four states in about 10 pages compared to the one state in 5 chapters that just happened. But, like I said, this is no Nobel laureate piece; it's fun, it's fast, and I'm definitely eager to see what comes next.
April 29, 2011
Doesn't add much to the series...
OK, ok... I get that they have to get back to Montival, but did it have to take 476 pages?? Do we have to read a recap of everything that has gone on before? Do we have to continue to tell the same, tired jokes and "clever" tales as in the previous six novels? I struggle to see where this add anything to the overall saga at all which is starting to really drag on... (becoming nearly as tedious as Robert Jordan) and apparently there are two more installments before it's over!
Oh... and the cover sucks. Doesn't tie into the story at all.
OK, ok... I get that they have to get back to Montival, but did it have to take 476 pages?? Do we have to read a recap of everything that has gone on before? Do we have to continue to tell the same, tired jokes and "clever" tales as in the previous six novels? I struggle to see where this add anything to the overall saga at all which is starting to really drag on... (becoming nearly as tedious as Robert Jordan) and apparently there are two more installments before it's over!
Oh... and the cover sucks. Doesn't tie into the story at all.
January 25, 2011
Well, I managed to forget (**again**) that Stirling names his books in this series after what pretty much is the final climax of the book.... but it was still a fun read. Guess this isn't the end, as I'd thought it would be. But now I'm caught up with the series, so I'll have to be patient like everyone else!
The one thing that struck me in this book was the endless descriptions of meals. Made me hungry all the time. Wonder if Stirling is on a diet?
The one thing that struck me in this book was the endless descriptions of meals. Made me hungry all the time. Wonder if Stirling is on a diet?
June 17, 2015
Seventh in the Emberverse overall series and fourth in The Change subseries of this apocalyptic science fiction series revolving around Rudi Artos Mackenzie. It's Change Year 24 and our year 2023.
My Take
The main characters in The High King of Montival are Changelings, the children born after that EMP took out the world's technologies. They have never experienced that tech and look upon the stories their "elders" tell as fairy tales. They can't tell the difference between those tales and those of dragons and Rings of Power.
Stirling does take some grandiose liberties with that sword. I'm not objecting as I enjoyed the challenges it presented Rudi, as well as the benefits it wrought. Still, it was "amazingly" miraculous, especially when Rudi held it to the High Seeker's forehead. That poor boy. It helps Rudi remember absolutely everyone, to see over the land, to know all languages, to free the possessed, and to view the past or future.
This is a brilliant trip in so many ways and a great experience for Rudi, for he learns much of how others govern, the good and the bad. He'll take these lessons home along with valuable allies. It also gives him time to learn about the sword. Some of it terrible, terrible and great, and some of it a blessing.
The Catholic priests in this are very able to twist events to suit their doctrine. It's all in the hands of God, and it will be a Catholic God. I do prefer Rudi's Old Religion with its incredible tolerance for the beliefs of others.
It's a hard slog, convincing potential allies why they want to join with the Mackenzies and the PPA, and it provides Stirling with the opportunity to explain how the concept of Montival will work, how it will benefit everyone.
Lol, Bjarni adds an incentive to the Bjorning council meeting to hurry up the decisionmaking. Very clever. Mathilda lets us know the Bjornings have kept that Maine accent, lol. Later in the story, seeing the numbers that central America can field, Bjarni wonders why they bothered to come, but it'll be an eye-opening trip for him.
This is a difficult time for Graber, a time for thought, of how to atone, how to rescue his family.
There's a fascinating side trip up inside a highrise in Toronto where the Changelings get a glimpse of what their elders miss. I like that it makes them think of the future. Their own future in which they too will do grand things, their own grand things. It's a trip that sets Bjarni to thinking about the future of his people.
Oh, thank god. I was so worried about the widowed Cecile Thurston. Seems she has an idea of the truth, and Astrid plans to do something about it with Eilir.
It's an interesting combination: the men-conserving yet ambitious Martin Thurston and the Prophet who cares nothing for the lives of his people. Not like Rudi who will make Mark his uncle's aide in an attempt to keep him safe.
Oh, you smokers will love the Richlanders. They grow tobacco and no one cares about the old days when they said smoking was bad for you.
I am in favor of the death penalty, and Rudi sums it up for me: "very odd, to make honest folk pay to support the wicked [in prison]."
The Story
The quest has lost a month and the town on Nantucket Island, but Rudi has gained what they sought: the sword of the Lady. A sword that is the only hope the Mackenzies and their allies have of defeating a force that is more than twice their size. A sword that leaves Major Graber with a life-changing decision.
At least Rudi's possession of the sword means that the enemy's hoodoo no longer works.
But all is not well in Norrheim, for the Bekwa are crossing into Maine, ready for war.
The Characters
Rudi Artos Mackenzie is of the Old Religion and the High King, the Ard Rí, acclaimed by all in his party. Epona is the horse he's had since he was a boy. Mathilda Arminger, a devout Catholic, is the crown princess to the PPA, and betrothed to Rudi, her best friend since childhood. Father Ignatius of the Order of the Shield of St. Benedict is a Catholic warrior-priest whom Rudi will ask to be his Chancellor of the Realm. Edain Aylward Mackenzie, a.k.a., Aylward the Archer, is Rudi's best friend and right-hand man. Garbh is Edain's mastiff bitch. Mary and Ritva are his half-sisters; they have a shared father, the deceased Mike Havel. Ingolf Voegler is Mary's husband. Frederick Thurston is the younger son of the murdered General Lawrence Thurston and married to the bloodthirsty Virginia Kane. The Southside Freedom Fighters are part of a tribe Rudi picked up outside Iowa in The Sword of the Lady , 6, and includes Tuk, Samul, and Rattlebones.
The Mackenzies and Their Allies
The Mackenzies are…
…followers of the Old Religion, and Juniper Mackenzie, Rudi's mother, is the Chief of the Clan, their Witch-Queen, and Goddess-on-Earth. Sir Nigel Loring is her husband. Fiorbhinn is one of their daughters and a dab hand at songwriting. Maude is another daughter and both will be furious over missing the ceremonies. Sam Aylward is Edain's father and the original Aylward the Archer. Dickie is his son, Edain's younger brother.
Eithne is handfasted, to Edain's relief, to Artan Jackson, a leatherworker.
The Bearkillers are…
…a.k.a., the Outfit, a military group assembled by Mike Havel right after the Change. It's now led by Mike's widow, Signe Havel. Mike Jr. is seventeen now, and an initiated Bearkiller. He likes Rudi a lot more than his still-jealous mother. The one-handed Eric Larsson is Signe's twin and the Bearkillers' war-commander.
The Dúnedain Rangers are…
…a group of young women and men who act as scouts and guards. They have a fascination with the Lord of the Rings — they refer to them as the Histories — and they all speak Sindarin. Aunt Astrid is married to Alleyne Loring, and she leads the Dúnedain. She's also Signe and Eric's sister. They have three children: Diorn, Hinluin, and Fimalen. Eilir is Juniper's deaf daughter and a co-leader with Astrid. She's married to Little John Hordle, Alleyne's childhood friend. Hírvegil and Imlos are some of the Rangers.
CORA, the Central Oregon Ranchers Association is…
…a loose coalition of ranchers allied to the Mackenzies and Bearkillers. Rancher John Brown is one of its leaders.
Mount Angel is…
…a Benedictine monastery of warrior monks led by Abbot-Bishop Dmwoski. Their brothers are trained in a wide variety of skills with missions sent out all over the land.
The Seven Free Cities of the Yakima are…
…new come to the alliance. Zillah is one of the cities.
The Portland Protective Association (PPA) is…
…Matti's inheritance, but her mother, Sandra Arminger, is the current regent, a cold killer who loves her daughter. Castle Todenangst is the government center and the primary home of the Armingers.
The Sioux, Lakota, and Olgalla
John Red Leaf is the representative the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota send to negotiate with the Mackenzies and the PPA. Rick Three Bears is his son. Fox Woman is John's wife. (We met them in The Scourge of God , 5.) Their land covers half the Dakotas; chunks of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado; and a bit of Nebraska.
Idahoans are…
…fed up with the CUT and Boise. Sheriff Robert Woburn leads them and still feels a debt to Mike Havel and his Bearkillers over events in Dies the Fire , 1. His son Tom died battling the Corwinites. Eddie Running Horse is hoping to catch up on events in their lives.
Nantucket Island
There are three groups on the island: Rudi and his friends, the corsairs, and The CUT. The tribe Ingolf had met on his trip east three years ago includes Dove — and Ingolf's young son. Kills Orca is Dove's father and the chief of the Sea-Landers.
Hrolf "Blood Ax" Homersson, Ulfhild Swift-Sword, and Asgerd Karlsdottir are some of the Norrheimers who'd volunteered to come on this trip. Karl was Asgerd's father, and he'd been a policeman in New Hampshire before the Change. Grettir, Hauk, Erik, Brynhildr, and Tóra are her siblings. Sigurd was her betrothed before he was murdered by the CUT. Now she and Edain have hooked up.
The Bjornings in Norrheim, Maine
Eriksgarth is…
…the steading of Godhi Bjarni Eriksson in what was Aroostook County; he's also chief of the Bjornings and will become Bjarni Ironrede, Bjarni of the Iron Counsel. Lady Harberga Janetsdottir is Bjarni's wife, and she's had her baby, Erik Bjarnisson. Gudrun Eriksdottir is his sister. Erland Johnsson is birdmann, a guard in Bjarni's service. Halfdan Finnurrson, Uncle Ranulf will end up staying behind, and Ingmar are some of the Bjornings who go to battle.
Kalksthorpe is…
…the steading that had been attacked by the Cutters and corsairs in what had been Robbinston, Washington County. Kalk the Shipwright is its leader. Karl is the fourteen-year-old door guard. Heidhveig is the Norrheimers' seeress. Thorleif is her son. Gundridh Thorvinsdottir is her great-granddaughter.
Hrossings are led by…
…Syfrid Jerrysson and Bjarni's rival. He had been Erik's friend and right-hand man who thought he should have become chief of the Bjornings and not Bjarni. Halldor is his fifteen-year-old son. Other steadings include the Wulflings, Verdfolings, and the Hundings who are led by Inglief.
Readstown in the Richland territory is…
…where Ingolf's people are. Doc Pham is their doctor. Ingolf's brother, Ed, is the sheriff there and is married to Wanda. Their son Mark is anxious to go off to war — he's Ensign Mark Vogeler, First Richland Volunteer Cavalry now, and there is nothing Ed or Wanda can do about it but consign him to Ingolf's care. The rest of their children include baby Jenny, young Ingolf, Dave, and Melly. Wilma. Samantha is a Wiccan and the Voegler's housekeeper. Major Will Kohler, the local drill instructor and teacher of martial arts, is the temporary commander of the Readstown contingent. Colonel Ingolf will have to take command due to Will's status.
Otter was Jake sunna Jake's wife, and she grieves his loss. She'll follow Rudi back to Montival. Rudi and company have to impart the news of Pierre Walks Quiet's death which devastates his wife.
Sheriff Bill Clements is the high sheriff over all of them. Events in Iowa have them all up in arms, and the towns all around are gathering up contingents to send with Rudi. They include Dan Rassmusen in Fargo, Greg Johanson in Marshall, Carl Mayer in Nebraska, Andy Hickock in Kirksville, and McIvery in Concordia. There's no more tolerance for Cutters here anymore.
The Provisional Republic of Iowa is…
…now led by the Regent, Lady Catherine Heasleroad, on behalf of her son, Thomas Heasleroad, heir to the Bossmanship (their story is primarily in The Scourge of God , 5 and The Sword of the Lady , 6). Abel Heuisink is a landed gentleman, a Farmer, and he's the Chancellor helping Kate rule. Captain Dietrick is the commander of the State Patrol.
Canada
Dickie is a young man they meet outside Toronto and provides a thoughtful lesson for Bjarni.
Inspector James Rollins is the Canadian commander, soon to be made general. Premier Szakacs and Premier Wuthrich lead the territories of Moose Jaw and Minnedosa, but I'm not sure which.
The Dominion of Drumheller covers…
…the province of Alberta. Constable Ian Kovalevsky is with the Force (modeled on the Mounties) and perform the same sort of tasks as the Rangers. Led by Corporal Dudley, he and his fellow constables are charged with getting Ritva through to Montival. Premier Mah is the leader of the Dominion.
The Anchor Bar Seven Ranch is…
…within the Drumheller Dominion and run by Avery McGillvery, a captain in the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, a Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Legislative Assembly. His father, Keith, was the ranch manager when the Change hit. It's also an outpost protecting the Drumheller border. Naomi is Avery's wife; Dirk and Amy are their children. Doctor Padmi Nirasha was part of a gang who raided the ranch years ago. Annie is one of the young girls on the ranch, and she fires a mean crossbow.
The Cutters are…
…followers of the Church Universal and Triumphant, which is led by the psychopathic Prophet Sethaz. The High Seeker in charge of the troop chasing Rudi is demon-possessed and turns out to be Bobby Dalan from Scrabbledown Ranch, now a five-year-old boy in the body of an adult. The man who had torn Mary's eye out. Major Graber commanded the troop that has been hunting Rudi since The Scourge of God , 5.
The United States of Boise…
…joined with the Cutters once the current president, Martin Thurston, killed his father.
The Bekwa are…
…an Indian tribe stirred up by the Cutters, and they hate the Norrheimers.
The corsairs had…
…been on parole for their actions in The Scourge of God , 5, but their aid leads Rudi to change his decision. Abdou al-Naari is their leader. Ahmed ibn Abdou is is son. Jawara, captain of the Gisandu, had been Abdou's friend.
Montival consists of "what the old world had called Oregon and Washington and parts of British Columbia. William the Great is the king of England and a friend of Sir Nigel's. He's also looking at the east coast of America.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a faded out landscape with a pale, pale blue sky, a mountain range in the background, and a withered grassy plain with a wrecked plane behind Rudi. Artos is in his combination leather and armor and what appears to be black combat boots, side-on to us, and holding the sword up in a ready position.
The title is what Rudi is acclaimed, The High King of Montival.
My Take
The main characters in The High King of Montival are Changelings, the children born after that EMP took out the world's technologies. They have never experienced that tech and look upon the stories their "elders" tell as fairy tales. They can't tell the difference between those tales and those of dragons and Rings of Power.
Stirling does take some grandiose liberties with that sword. I'm not objecting as I enjoyed the challenges it presented Rudi, as well as the benefits it wrought. Still, it was "amazingly" miraculous, especially when Rudi held it to the High Seeker's forehead. That poor boy. It helps Rudi remember absolutely everyone, to see over the land, to know all languages, to free the possessed, and to view the past or future.
This is a brilliant trip in so many ways and a great experience for Rudi, for he learns much of how others govern, the good and the bad. He'll take these lessons home along with valuable allies. It also gives him time to learn about the sword. Some of it terrible, terrible and great, and some of it a blessing.
The Catholic priests in this are very able to twist events to suit their doctrine. It's all in the hands of God, and it will be a Catholic God. I do prefer Rudi's Old Religion with its incredible tolerance for the beliefs of others.
It's a hard slog, convincing potential allies why they want to join with the Mackenzies and the PPA, and it provides Stirling with the opportunity to explain how the concept of Montival will work, how it will benefit everyone.
Lol, Bjarni adds an incentive to the Bjorning council meeting to hurry up the decisionmaking. Very clever. Mathilda lets us know the Bjornings have kept that Maine accent, lol. Later in the story, seeing the numbers that central America can field, Bjarni wonders why they bothered to come, but it'll be an eye-opening trip for him.
This is a difficult time for Graber, a time for thought, of how to atone, how to rescue his family.
There's a fascinating side trip up inside a highrise in Toronto where the Changelings get a glimpse of what their elders miss. I like that it makes them think of the future. Their own future in which they too will do grand things, their own grand things. It's a trip that sets Bjarni to thinking about the future of his people.
Oh, thank god. I was so worried about the widowed Cecile Thurston. Seems she has an idea of the truth, and Astrid plans to do something about it with Eilir.
It's an interesting combination: the men-conserving yet ambitious Martin Thurston and the Prophet who cares nothing for the lives of his people. Not like Rudi who will make Mark his uncle's aide in an attempt to keep him safe.
Oh, you smokers will love the Richlanders. They grow tobacco and no one cares about the old days when they said smoking was bad for you.
I am in favor of the death penalty, and Rudi sums it up for me: "very odd, to make honest folk pay to support the wicked [in prison]."
The Story
The quest has lost a month and the town on Nantucket Island, but Rudi has gained what they sought: the sword of the Lady. A sword that is the only hope the Mackenzies and their allies have of defeating a force that is more than twice their size. A sword that leaves Major Graber with a life-changing decision.
At least Rudi's possession of the sword means that the enemy's hoodoo no longer works.
But all is not well in Norrheim, for the Bekwa are crossing into Maine, ready for war.
The Characters
Rudi Artos Mackenzie is of the Old Religion and the High King, the Ard Rí, acclaimed by all in his party. Epona is the horse he's had since he was a boy. Mathilda Arminger, a devout Catholic, is the crown princess to the PPA, and betrothed to Rudi, her best friend since childhood. Father Ignatius of the Order of the Shield of St. Benedict is a Catholic warrior-priest whom Rudi will ask to be his Chancellor of the Realm. Edain Aylward Mackenzie, a.k.a., Aylward the Archer, is Rudi's best friend and right-hand man. Garbh is Edain's mastiff bitch. Mary and Ritva are his half-sisters; they have a shared father, the deceased Mike Havel. Ingolf Voegler is Mary's husband. Frederick Thurston is the younger son of the murdered General Lawrence Thurston and married to the bloodthirsty Virginia Kane. The Southside Freedom Fighters are part of a tribe Rudi picked up outside Iowa in The Sword of the Lady , 6, and includes Tuk, Samul, and Rattlebones.
The Mackenzies and Their Allies
The Mackenzies are…
…followers of the Old Religion, and Juniper Mackenzie, Rudi's mother, is the Chief of the Clan, their Witch-Queen, and Goddess-on-Earth. Sir Nigel Loring is her husband. Fiorbhinn is one of their daughters and a dab hand at songwriting. Maude is another daughter and both will be furious over missing the ceremonies. Sam Aylward is Edain's father and the original Aylward the Archer. Dickie is his son, Edain's younger brother.
Eithne is handfasted, to Edain's relief, to Artan Jackson, a leatherworker.
The Bearkillers are…
…a.k.a., the Outfit, a military group assembled by Mike Havel right after the Change. It's now led by Mike's widow, Signe Havel. Mike Jr. is seventeen now, and an initiated Bearkiller. He likes Rudi a lot more than his still-jealous mother. The one-handed Eric Larsson is Signe's twin and the Bearkillers' war-commander.
The Dúnedain Rangers are…
…a group of young women and men who act as scouts and guards. They have a fascination with the Lord of the Rings — they refer to them as the Histories — and they all speak Sindarin. Aunt Astrid is married to Alleyne Loring, and she leads the Dúnedain. She's also Signe and Eric's sister. They have three children: Diorn, Hinluin, and Fimalen. Eilir is Juniper's deaf daughter and a co-leader with Astrid. She's married to Little John Hordle, Alleyne's childhood friend. Hírvegil and Imlos are some of the Rangers.
CORA, the Central Oregon Ranchers Association is…
…a loose coalition of ranchers allied to the Mackenzies and Bearkillers. Rancher John Brown is one of its leaders.
Mount Angel is…
…a Benedictine monastery of warrior monks led by Abbot-Bishop Dmwoski. Their brothers are trained in a wide variety of skills with missions sent out all over the land.
The Seven Free Cities of the Yakima are…
…new come to the alliance. Zillah is one of the cities.
The Portland Protective Association (PPA) is…
…Matti's inheritance, but her mother, Sandra Arminger, is the current regent, a cold killer who loves her daughter. Castle Todenangst is the government center and the primary home of the Armingers.
"…some says she's a sociopath. Some say psychopath. Sandra says her chosen phrase would be 'very focused'."Sir Joscelin is a Wereton of Laurelwood. Lady Jenhane Jones is Lord Jabar, the Count of Molalla's, youngest. She is confidential secretary to Lady Sandra. Baroness Tiphaine d'Ath is the Grand Constable and supreme commander for the PPA armies. Lady Delia is still with Tiphaine and chatelaine of the castle.
The Sioux, Lakota, and Olgalla
John Red Leaf is the representative the Seven Council Fires of the Lakota send to negotiate with the Mackenzies and the PPA. Rick Three Bears is his son. Fox Woman is John's wife. (We met them in The Scourge of God , 5.) Their land covers half the Dakotas; chunks of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado; and a bit of Nebraska.
Idahoans are…
…fed up with the CUT and Boise. Sheriff Robert Woburn leads them and still feels a debt to Mike Havel and his Bearkillers over events in Dies the Fire , 1. His son Tom died battling the Corwinites. Eddie Running Horse is hoping to catch up on events in their lives.
Nantucket Island
There are three groups on the island: Rudi and his friends, the corsairs, and The CUT. The tribe Ingolf had met on his trip east three years ago includes Dove — and Ingolf's young son. Kills Orca is Dove's father and the chief of the Sea-Landers.
Hrolf "Blood Ax" Homersson, Ulfhild Swift-Sword, and Asgerd Karlsdottir are some of the Norrheimers who'd volunteered to come on this trip. Karl was Asgerd's father, and he'd been a policeman in New Hampshire before the Change. Grettir, Hauk, Erik, Brynhildr, and Tóra are her siblings. Sigurd was her betrothed before he was murdered by the CUT. Now she and Edain have hooked up.
The Bjornings in Norrheim, Maine
Eriksgarth is…
…the steading of Godhi Bjarni Eriksson in what was Aroostook County; he's also chief of the Bjornings and will become Bjarni Ironrede, Bjarni of the Iron Counsel. Lady Harberga Janetsdottir is Bjarni's wife, and she's had her baby, Erik Bjarnisson. Gudrun Eriksdottir is his sister. Erland Johnsson is birdmann, a guard in Bjarni's service. Halfdan Finnurrson, Uncle Ranulf will end up staying behind, and Ingmar are some of the Bjornings who go to battle.
Kalksthorpe is…
…the steading that had been attacked by the Cutters and corsairs in what had been Robbinston, Washington County. Kalk the Shipwright is its leader. Karl is the fourteen-year-old door guard. Heidhveig is the Norrheimers' seeress. Thorleif is her son. Gundridh Thorvinsdottir is her great-granddaughter.
Hrossings are led by…
…Syfrid Jerrysson and Bjarni's rival. He had been Erik's friend and right-hand man who thought he should have become chief of the Bjornings and not Bjarni. Halldor is his fifteen-year-old son. Other steadings include the Wulflings, Verdfolings, and the Hundings who are led by Inglief.
Readstown in the Richland territory is…
…where Ingolf's people are. Doc Pham is their doctor. Ingolf's brother, Ed, is the sheriff there and is married to Wanda. Their son Mark is anxious to go off to war — he's Ensign Mark Vogeler, First Richland Volunteer Cavalry now, and there is nothing Ed or Wanda can do about it but consign him to Ingolf's care. The rest of their children include baby Jenny, young Ingolf, Dave, and Melly. Wilma. Samantha is a Wiccan and the Voegler's housekeeper. Major Will Kohler, the local drill instructor and teacher of martial arts, is the temporary commander of the Readstown contingent. Colonel Ingolf will have to take command due to Will's status.
Otter was Jake sunna Jake's wife, and she grieves his loss. She'll follow Rudi back to Montival. Rudi and company have to impart the news of Pierre Walks Quiet's death which devastates his wife.
Sheriff Bill Clements is the high sheriff over all of them. Events in Iowa have them all up in arms, and the towns all around are gathering up contingents to send with Rudi. They include Dan Rassmusen in Fargo, Greg Johanson in Marshall, Carl Mayer in Nebraska, Andy Hickock in Kirksville, and McIvery in Concordia. There's no more tolerance for Cutters here anymore.
The Provisional Republic of Iowa is…
…now led by the Regent, Lady Catherine Heasleroad, on behalf of her son, Thomas Heasleroad, heir to the Bossmanship (their story is primarily in The Scourge of God , 5 and The Sword of the Lady , 6). Abel Heuisink is a landed gentleman, a Farmer, and he's the Chancellor helping Kate rule. Captain Dietrick is the commander of the State Patrol.
Canada
Dickie is a young man they meet outside Toronto and provides a thoughtful lesson for Bjarni.
Inspector James Rollins is the Canadian commander, soon to be made general. Premier Szakacs and Premier Wuthrich lead the territories of Moose Jaw and Minnedosa, but I'm not sure which.
The Dominion of Drumheller covers…
…the province of Alberta. Constable Ian Kovalevsky is with the Force (modeled on the Mounties) and perform the same sort of tasks as the Rangers. Led by Corporal Dudley, he and his fellow constables are charged with getting Ritva through to Montival. Premier Mah is the leader of the Dominion.
The Anchor Bar Seven Ranch is…
…within the Drumheller Dominion and run by Avery McGillvery, a captain in the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment, a Justice of the Peace, and a member of the Legislative Assembly. His father, Keith, was the ranch manager when the Change hit. It's also an outpost protecting the Drumheller border. Naomi is Avery's wife; Dirk and Amy are their children. Doctor Padmi Nirasha was part of a gang who raided the ranch years ago. Annie is one of the young girls on the ranch, and she fires a mean crossbow.
The Cutters are…
…followers of the Church Universal and Triumphant, which is led by the psychopathic Prophet Sethaz. The High Seeker in charge of the troop chasing Rudi is demon-possessed and turns out to be Bobby Dalan from Scrabbledown Ranch, now a five-year-old boy in the body of an adult. The man who had torn Mary's eye out. Major Graber commanded the troop that has been hunting Rudi since The Scourge of God , 5.
The United States of Boise…
…joined with the Cutters once the current president, Martin Thurston, killed his father.
The Bekwa are…
…an Indian tribe stirred up by the Cutters, and they hate the Norrheimers.
The corsairs had…
…been on parole for their actions in The Scourge of God , 5, but their aid leads Rudi to change his decision. Abdou al-Naari is their leader. Ahmed ibn Abdou is is son. Jawara, captain of the Gisandu, had been Abdou's friend.
Montival consists of "what the old world had called Oregon and Washington and parts of British Columbia. William the Great is the king of England and a friend of Sir Nigel's. He's also looking at the east coast of America.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a faded out landscape with a pale, pale blue sky, a mountain range in the background, and a withered grassy plain with a wrecked plane behind Rudi. Artos is in his combination leather and armor and what appears to be black combat boots, side-on to us, and holding the sword up in a ready position.
The title is what Rudi is acclaimed, The High King of Montival.
November 28, 2017
Another stellar entry in this dystopian/post-apocalyptic/speculative fiction/sci-fi/fantasy series. This entry is set 24 years after The Change, when an EMP disabled every electrical and modern device worldwide and changed the world forever. Rudi Mackenzie (also known as Artos I, High King of Montival) continues to make his way with his ever-changing troupe back from Nantucket (where he obtained The Sword of the Lady) to home in Montival--what was once Oregon and Washington State. Of course he continues to meet foes along the way as well as new friends, forging alliances.
This is a pretty long-lived series, and these first seven books have spanned almost a quarter century since the Change. I'm interested to see where the author takes the series. Love the writing style, the weaving of all the main characters' stories together, and also enjoy the reading of the audio version, which is very well done.
This is a pretty long-lived series, and these first seven books have spanned almost a quarter century since the Change. I'm interested to see where the author takes the series. Love the writing style, the weaving of all the main characters' stories together, and also enjoy the reading of the audio version, which is very well done.
October 2, 2010
Book 4 in the second series of the Dies the Fire universe - and yeah, I confess, I loved it.
The fantasy element is growing stronger and stronger, but that's OK - Stirling has me firmly hooked and long for the ride. We're seeing a LOT of character change in Rudi (now Ard Righ Artos), but I think, given all that's happened to him over the past few books, it would be highly implausible if we didn't.
I still absolutely love the dialogue and banter (this appears to be a running theme in my reviews - I won't try to argue that)
The plotting? Probably not one the strongest books in this series, but at the same time, I'm having so much fun coming along for the ride on the journey that I don't actually care which direction it's going in.
Without wanting to give any spoilers, there's some wonderful happy-making stuff right at the end, and I kept on not-quite-trusting it and expecting Stirling to do some thoroughly Jossian ripping my heart out and leaving me on a cliff-hanger - so I kept my guard up the whole way through it and probably didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I could have.
My one major complaint is that I should know by now not to read these books on an empty stomach. Seriously... Mr Stirling's description of various feasts always make my stomach rumble!
So yeah - all up, I've given this one an 8/10. It was good reading, and I'm looking forward to Book 5 - but at the same time, I'm not on the edge of my seat waiting for it - I'm happy to just read it when it gets here :-)
The fantasy element is growing stronger and stronger, but that's OK - Stirling has me firmly hooked and long for the ride. We're seeing a LOT of character change in Rudi (now Ard Righ Artos), but I think, given all that's happened to him over the past few books, it would be highly implausible if we didn't.
I still absolutely love the dialogue and banter (this appears to be a running theme in my reviews - I won't try to argue that)
The plotting? Probably not one the strongest books in this series, but at the same time, I'm having so much fun coming along for the ride on the journey that I don't actually care which direction it's going in.
Without wanting to give any spoilers, there's some wonderful happy-making stuff right at the end, and I kept on not-quite-trusting it and expecting Stirling to do some thoroughly Jossian ripping my heart out and leaving me on a cliff-hanger - so I kept my guard up the whole way through it and probably didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I could have.
My one major complaint is that I should know by now not to read these books on an empty stomach. Seriously... Mr Stirling's description of various feasts always make my stomach rumble!
So yeah - all up, I've given this one an 8/10. It was good reading, and I'm looking forward to Book 5 - but at the same time, I'm not on the edge of my seat waiting for it - I'm happy to just read it when it gets here :-)
September 29, 2023
There is a threat of backsliding in terms of the story and writing quality now. Everything is all conveniently coming together.
Now that the big glorious quest to Nantucket has been completed, it is time to get our heroic group home as intact as possible.
The problem usually in these sorts of tales, especially ones that offer cryptic mystery macguffins and scifi imagery is that unless the setting of the story is about to radically change, then these mysterious promises can serve only to tease then disappoint, or just disappoint.
Without going into spoilers, the mystique of Nantucket in this series had been built up for several books now is gone. The mystique not just as the place where the Change started, but with the promises of frightening supernatural things, like the obvious crossover with the original series begun in 1998 with "Island in the Sea of Time", and the implications of a physical location where something is wrong with reality itself and people there lose track of long periods of time and even seem to be viewing alternate universes or alternate timelines.
"The Sword of the Lady", described as being world changing and war-winning against the Church Universal and Triumphant, is just a sword. Its not a metaphor for anything but just a sword apparently not made of normal metal and with poorly defined "magic powers" that sometimes border between "Dune"-like visions of futures and possible futures and just whatever is most convenient for the narrative.
And there is the great flaw in this book, which was also the great flaw in the first book, "Dies the Fire": Convenience.
The author is having fun with this story and is taking us along for what has so far been a fun story. But the author is not interested in all the legwork that goes into earning this sort of story; a hero who unifies a land of disparate factions in a post apocalyptic America without functioning guns or engines.
The first book spent very little time on dealing with the challenges of survivalism in this scenario; convenience was key. Characters just conveniently had skills or hobbies outside of mundane office work or piloting or venture capitaling that inexplicably made them experts in swordplay, medicine, bow-making, armor smithing, and so on.
Virtually every character we came across had an inexplicable skill that made the process of transitioning from survival to a thriving nation-state that much easier. Even the drunken wifebeater character just so happened to work at a factory that manufactured hunting bows and was somehow capable of single-handedly crafting high quality bows out of wood and sinew rather than aluminum and fiberglass.
Now with "The High King of Montival", we are seeing some serious backsliding into this breezy writing style focused more on convenience than good storytelling.
As example, at no point is anyone opposed to this sudden and radical suggestion that everyone in the west, from the Bearkillers to the MacKenzies to democratic Corvallis to the PPA, submit to the absolute authority of Rudi MacKenzie as "High King of Montival" with a magic sword.
Some really flimsy attempts are made in narrative to justify this, largely just in the form of "Juniper MacKenzie and Sandra Arminger have poets and troubadour roaming around singing about Rudi and this high kingdom to be."
This stinks of Game of Thrones season 8 "who has a better story than Bran the Broken?" justification to make the author's favorite character be instantly respected and accepted by everyone in his future domain.
Without going into spoilers but including a scene actually from the next book, there's actually an incredibly weak and awkward scene in which many nobles are gathered up to openly and willingly accept Rudi as High King, and to openly and willingly accept him transferring his inheritance of Clan MacKenzie leadership to one of his sisters. Everyone accepts it and no one has a problem with it, not even needing to be bullied or threatened into obeisance. How convenient.
On top of that, the 3000 mile journey which had taken them more than a year and several books and grueling fights to get through is now conveniently a breeze as they encounter almost no problems or inconveniences, including taking a man and horse-drawn train rail across much of southwest Canada in a sequence that makes you wonder why didn't they take this route to begin with instead of literally diving straight across enemy territory with only 9 people and no attempt at subterfuge.
After the struggles leading up to and arriving at Nantucket, convenience takes precedent, as not only do our heroes succeed virtually everywhere they go but are beloved by everyone they come across.
The CUT is still the obvious villain here that will take a long time to defeat, and some attention is paid to the fact that defeating or even killing Sethaz, much like defeating Caesar's Legion in Fallout New Vegas, will not put an end to the CUT or even guarantee them any immediate peace and safety.
But the key word there is SOME ATTENTION. The vast majority of the attention is focused on just how easily the High Kingdom of Montival will come together and how great, if more politically complicated, life will be once they defeat the CUT because not only should you the reader have no doubt the CUT will be defeated but literally every major character is acting as if they were the Allied Powers in late 1944 and the CUT was a barely hanging on nazi Germany. Even Fred Thurston is openly making plans on how he, once president of the United States of Boise, will join Montival and make more democratic reforms, despite the fact that the USB is still allied with the CUT and he has almost no supporters in any positions of power anywhere in Idaho.
But, CONVENIENTLY, none of this matters. Barely into the first few chapters of the book the characters are all acting as if they've won already and just have to get home to make it official.
Now that the big glorious quest to Nantucket has been completed, it is time to get our heroic group home as intact as possible.
The problem usually in these sorts of tales, especially ones that offer cryptic mystery macguffins and scifi imagery is that unless the setting of the story is about to radically change, then these mysterious promises can serve only to tease then disappoint, or just disappoint.
Without going into spoilers, the mystique of Nantucket in this series had been built up for several books now is gone. The mystique not just as the place where the Change started, but with the promises of frightening supernatural things, like the obvious crossover with the original series begun in 1998 with "Island in the Sea of Time", and the implications of a physical location where something is wrong with reality itself and people there lose track of long periods of time and even seem to be viewing alternate universes or alternate timelines.
"The Sword of the Lady", described as being world changing and war-winning against the Church Universal and Triumphant, is just a sword. Its not a metaphor for anything but just a sword apparently not made of normal metal and with poorly defined "magic powers" that sometimes border between "Dune"-like visions of futures and possible futures and just whatever is most convenient for the narrative.
And there is the great flaw in this book, which was also the great flaw in the first book, "Dies the Fire": Convenience.
The author is having fun with this story and is taking us along for what has so far been a fun story. But the author is not interested in all the legwork that goes into earning this sort of story; a hero who unifies a land of disparate factions in a post apocalyptic America without functioning guns or engines.
The first book spent very little time on dealing with the challenges of survivalism in this scenario; convenience was key. Characters just conveniently had skills or hobbies outside of mundane office work or piloting or venture capitaling that inexplicably made them experts in swordplay, medicine, bow-making, armor smithing, and so on.
Virtually every character we came across had an inexplicable skill that made the process of transitioning from survival to a thriving nation-state that much easier. Even the drunken wifebeater character just so happened to work at a factory that manufactured hunting bows and was somehow capable of single-handedly crafting high quality bows out of wood and sinew rather than aluminum and fiberglass.
Now with "The High King of Montival", we are seeing some serious backsliding into this breezy writing style focused more on convenience than good storytelling.
As example, at no point is anyone opposed to this sudden and radical suggestion that everyone in the west, from the Bearkillers to the MacKenzies to democratic Corvallis to the PPA, submit to the absolute authority of Rudi MacKenzie as "High King of Montival" with a magic sword.
Some really flimsy attempts are made in narrative to justify this, largely just in the form of "Juniper MacKenzie and Sandra Arminger have poets and troubadour roaming around singing about Rudi and this high kingdom to be."
This stinks of Game of Thrones season 8 "who has a better story than Bran the Broken?" justification to make the author's favorite character be instantly respected and accepted by everyone in his future domain.
Without going into spoilers but including a scene actually from the next book, there's actually an incredibly weak and awkward scene in which many nobles are gathered up to openly and willingly accept Rudi as High King, and to openly and willingly accept him transferring his inheritance of Clan MacKenzie leadership to one of his sisters. Everyone accepts it and no one has a problem with it, not even needing to be bullied or threatened into obeisance. How convenient.
On top of that, the 3000 mile journey which had taken them more than a year and several books and grueling fights to get through is now conveniently a breeze as they encounter almost no problems or inconveniences, including taking a man and horse-drawn train rail across much of southwest Canada in a sequence that makes you wonder why didn't they take this route to begin with instead of literally diving straight across enemy territory with only 9 people and no attempt at subterfuge.
After the struggles leading up to and arriving at Nantucket, convenience takes precedent, as not only do our heroes succeed virtually everywhere they go but are beloved by everyone they come across.
The CUT is still the obvious villain here that will take a long time to defeat, and some attention is paid to the fact that defeating or even killing Sethaz, much like defeating Caesar's Legion in Fallout New Vegas, will not put an end to the CUT or even guarantee them any immediate peace and safety.
But the key word there is SOME ATTENTION. The vast majority of the attention is focused on just how easily the High Kingdom of Montival will come together and how great, if more politically complicated, life will be once they defeat the CUT because not only should you the reader have no doubt the CUT will be defeated but literally every major character is acting as if they were the Allied Powers in late 1944 and the CUT was a barely hanging on nazi Germany. Even Fred Thurston is openly making plans on how he, once president of the United States of Boise, will join Montival and make more democratic reforms, despite the fact that the USB is still allied with the CUT and he has almost no supporters in any positions of power anywhere in Idaho.
But, CONVENIENTLY, none of this matters. Barely into the first few chapters of the book the characters are all acting as if they've won already and just have to get home to make it official.
January 26, 2015
I still can't get enough of this series!
This book covers the trek back from the island of Nantucket to what is now called the kingdom of Montival for Rudi and his friends. Along the way they gain even more allies in the upcoming war against the CUT. He also learns more about the sword and what it can do.
This series, that started out very much urban fantasy, has definitely moved into the epic fantasy world. I wasn't sure I would like the move but I am really enjoying the story and the characters. There is a stronger fantasy element involving the "gods" as they caused the Change. This is still a character driven story and I really love the cast of characters! Is this accurate and would things happen exactly this way? Of course not! This is a fictional "what if" that is so enjoyable to read and think about. Big thanks to Mr. Stirling for writing these stories and letting me enjoy the world he has created. Can't wait to read the next one.
This book covers the trek back from the island of Nantucket to what is now called the kingdom of Montival for Rudi and his friends. Along the way they gain even more allies in the upcoming war against the CUT. He also learns more about the sword and what it can do.
This series, that started out very much urban fantasy, has definitely moved into the epic fantasy world. I wasn't sure I would like the move but I am really enjoying the story and the characters. There is a stronger fantasy element involving the "gods" as they caused the Change. This is still a character driven story and I really love the cast of characters! Is this accurate and would things happen exactly this way? Of course not! This is a fictional "what if" that is so enjoyable to read and think about. Big thanks to Mr. Stirling for writing these stories and letting me enjoy the world he has created. Can't wait to read the next one.
October 26, 2010
This has been a long series. I'm glad I've finally read the last book. All the detailed descriptions of war, fighting techniques and weapons got a little tiring for me. The original concept of the novels (what would happen if all technology suddenly ceased to function) was compelling for me, but the execution of this concept was "over the top." There were so many characters that it was difficult to remember them all and how they were related. However, I do have a greater appreciation for how medieval life was lived.
May 14, 2012
I really enjoyed the first several books in this series, but it seems as if the storyline has bogged down quite a bit by this point. I'm sure I'll finish out the series, just because I'm emotionally invested in the characters by now, but it's disappointing how the author seems to be needlessly prolonging the story in order to pad the series with more installments.
September 5, 2023
Leaning even more heavily into the high magic elements that have been gradually introduced into the series actually seems to be improving it at this point, rather than how I felt it detracted previously. I think in the previous book or two it was still straddling an uncomfortable place between fantasy and alternate history that just didn't read well, especially without possibly unreliable narrators to support the dichotomy. Really embracing the fantasy elements has helped take it out of that genre uncanny valley space into something a little more coherent. Still, I think as a whole it would have been more interesting as a strictly non-magical post-apocalyptic alternate history.
I'm not sure how intentional it is, given that Tolkien and his influence are part of the created world, but there is also what feels like an increasing amount Tolkien-esque 'walking' narrative. Extremely long descriptions of the natural environments the various characters are traveling through. While I don't object to that in theory, as much of the territory covered in 'High King' is a retread of territory traversed by the characters in previous books without significant change. The space might better have been used switching viewpoints back to events in the west coast more frequently and covering more of those. And while Stirling does a great job at describing mass pseudo-medieval combat, its also starting to feel like overtrod and repetitive territory at this point. There starts to be some payoffs to events in previous books, but maybe not enough given the length here.
In short, I think if you were a fan of the initial Change novels for their alternate history post-apocalypse, you'll find increasingly less to like here as it moves more into fantasy and Tolkien territory. If you're a fan of fantasy, this might really be where the series starts to get interesting for you, and thanks to an abundance of refreshers on previous settings and relationships, you probably won't be too lost jumping in at this point.
I have two or three books left in what I got from my aunt's basement, and I'm not liking it enough to actively purchase anything past that point, but still interested enough to polish off what I have.
I'm not sure how intentional it is, given that Tolkien and his influence are part of the created world, but there is also what feels like an increasing amount Tolkien-esque 'walking' narrative. Extremely long descriptions of the natural environments the various characters are traveling through. While I don't object to that in theory, as much of the territory covered in 'High King' is a retread of territory traversed by the characters in previous books without significant change. The space might better have been used switching viewpoints back to events in the west coast more frequently and covering more of those. And while Stirling does a great job at describing mass pseudo-medieval combat, its also starting to feel like overtrod and repetitive territory at this point. There starts to be some payoffs to events in previous books, but maybe not enough given the length here.
In short, I think if you were a fan of the initial Change novels for their alternate history post-apocalypse, you'll find increasingly less to like here as it moves more into fantasy and Tolkien territory. If you're a fan of fantasy, this might really be where the series starts to get interesting for you, and thanks to an abundance of refreshers on previous settings and relationships, you probably won't be too lost jumping in at this point.
I have two or three books left in what I got from my aunt's basement, and I'm not liking it enough to actively purchase anything past that point, but still interested enough to polish off what I have.
August 31, 2025
I originally read this when it came out, reading the series in order. Re-reading it out of order (because it was the only one immediately available through the library) doesn't work. There are a lot of characters who had been introduced in previous books. If I hadn't previously read the series I think I would have been lost in this book.
On the other hand, I did enjoy getting reacquainted with Rudi and the others. I probably need to purchase the earlier ones to have available.
On the other hand, I did enjoy getting reacquainted with Rudi and the others. I probably need to purchase the earlier ones to have available.
July 29, 2018
The end of the Emberverse series. By far the weakest of the books. The first couple of books were good, and memorable. The rest seem more written the fill out the series.
Read it if you've read the rest and need to complete the set. Otherwise there are better books out there to spend your time with.
Read it if you've read the rest and need to complete the set. Otherwise there are better books out there to spend your time with.
May 7, 2019
Really a world where Tolkein's trilogy is accepted as fact. The Indians and the Vikings rise to power in their respective areas. It's a stretch. The foundation is truly out there, but the writing and the action actually is pretty good. It is full of action. The characters are a little mythical, but then it's a result of the change.
June 17, 2019
This was probably my least favorite in the Emberverse series so far. It felt more like a place holder than anything else. Our characters can't just show up back on the west coast but there wasn't terribly much action and little to no character development. On to the next one, which will hopefully be better.
June 18, 2021
Not as strong as earlier installments, but that's understandable considering the necessary forward mechanisms to move the plot forward within the series at this juncture. Always better at the end as usual.
I'm saving to read Gwynne's novel, but am finding it more difficult to get past the beginning whilst starting a new job. This is not uncommon with any epic fantasy writer in my experience. 😅
I'm saving to read Gwynne's novel, but am finding it more difficult to get past the beginning whilst starting a new job. This is not uncommon with any epic fantasy writer in my experience. 😅
July 23, 2023
Another solid continuation of the saga of Rudi/Artos and his friends and allies. I appreciate the author skipping some of the longer parts of travel. There is great anticipation for the full on war against the Cutters! I just hope there are some irreparable actions/loss of 'plot armor' in the upcoming books.
September 27, 2025
The story gets more epic, more supernatural, and a little less easy for me to care about. I still enjoyed this one and certainly plan to continue my marathon binge of it but I would very much like to go back to Clan Mackenzie and their druidic neoceltic utopia for a while and focus less on this grand battle of Good vs Evil.
April 12, 2018
One of the better entries in the series. I found after the first three that the pagan religions started to pale, verging on the boring. Then I realized it was one way the author was 'converting' this world into one with magic (in my opinion) which is exemplified by the Sword.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2018
A lot of greetings and meetings and eating and tweeting (birds, not thumbs), with two battles as bookends. Very little action, a lot of description of nature retaking what humankind had wrought. The series is getting to feel a little stretched out.
November 23, 2019
In this one the author gives you the protagonist in all his glory. What I especially like about these books is that you have your hero, flaws and all; but he gives equal time to all the characters, so that they have a life of their own.
January 18, 2022
I had hoped that Book 6 was an abberation, but no. This one is a drag, a predictable, LotR clone drag. This the one where he has the thing and now he gets all the allies together. I feel the formula...
May 30, 2017
Faster paced,
May 31, 2018
This book is just setup for coming war and it is just too idealistic in some places, writing style and characters reminds me of old epics.
November 13, 2018
I love that the story moves along, but am getting a bit tired of endless battles. Still, the writing and imagination are first class-an excellent escape read.
April 27, 2019
Another good adventure. Ready for more! I am about half way through the series, what a ride so far!
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