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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
While I was hoping for more in the way of answers from this final chapter of the trilogy - what are the stones? Where did the magic come from? How does this world relate to ours - I was less disappointed not to get them than I would have thought. It's just such a fun ride, and it was great to see all the threads from books one and two pulled together.
Definitely meant to be read as a trilogy - so go start with Darien!
Full review, as ever, is up on my blog.
Definitely meant to be read as a trilogy - so go start with Darien!
Full review, as ever, is up on my blog.
The city of Darien has weathered some strange things over the past decade: the magic stones of the Twelve families, individuals with a 'knack' - for slipping into the safest future, or for absorbing magic and turning it into fire. The city has a boy king who never ages, has developed guns and expert swordsmen who trained in the imperial city of Shiang to the east.
Since the events of Shiang (Book 2) the Twelve families of Darien have begun to realise that they are no longer quite so alone, and are looking to engage with new trade and opportunities, particularly when a new king is proclaimed in the north, in the newly-named kingdom fo Féal.
But when this new king's avaricious gaze is turned on Darien, Tellius must see to the defence of the city. And who better to defend it, then the rag-tag group of people that have made it their own, whether they realised that they belonged to the city or not.
The Good:
- I already loved this series and especially enjoyed reaing about a city that has been so carefully created - it is dark and dirty, as well as exciting, innovative and hopeful. The character of Tellius perfectly embodies a city that he has come to represent.
- C. F. Iggulden writes good fight scenes - the battle around the walls and the raids on the camp were all excellent, if a little light on gore (his style of fantasy).
Hondo and Bosin (from Book 2) are great characters and I'm glad that they had a more prominent role in this book.
- It had the classic 'rag-tag bunch of rebels coming together' trope and it was great to get familiar with the group again - it a very 'completing the circle' feel to have characters from Book 1 reappear at the end.
The Not So Good:
- In many ways, it felt like very little happened, or at least nothing new. The Sword Saint was a rehash of all of the events from Darien and Shiang, which meant that nothing felt fresh - the city had been under siege before, strange invincible people had appeared before - nothing was really different.
- I had difficultly remembering the significance of each of the characters from previous novels when they reappeared - perhaps I read them too long ago? Or were they not reintroduced very thoroughly? I can't quite tell which.
- I was hoping for a little more information about the Twelve Families' stones, as well as a bit more Tellius/Winn Sallett relationship, but you can't have everything in a realtively short story.
- There were some odd debates at the beginning about trade, and being taken advantage of, and trying to retain some national freedom - maybe it's in the news too much (read: all the time), but of the arguments at the beginning felt very Brexit (and more Leave than Remain ...)
- The ending itself felt rushed (and more than a little bit unlikely that it would resolve so smoothly).
In all, it was the same formula, rewritten for the same characters. It didn't stop my enjoyment, but it meant that I was often looking for something new, but didn't necessarily receive it.
*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Since the events of Shiang (Book 2) the Twelve families of Darien have begun to realise that they are no longer quite so alone, and are looking to engage with new trade and opportunities, particularly when a new king is proclaimed in the north, in the newly-named kingdom fo Féal.
But when this new king's avaricious gaze is turned on Darien, Tellius must see to the defence of the city. And who better to defend it, then the rag-tag group of people that have made it their own, whether they realised that they belonged to the city or not.
The Good:
- I already loved this series and especially enjoyed reaing about a city that has been so carefully created - it is dark and dirty, as well as exciting, innovative and hopeful. The character of Tellius perfectly embodies a city that he has come to represent.
- C. F. Iggulden writes good fight scenes - the battle around the walls and the raids on the camp were all excellent, if a little light on gore (his style of fantasy).
Hondo and Bosin (from Book 2) are great characters and I'm glad that they had a more prominent role in this book.
- It had the classic 'rag-tag bunch of rebels coming together' trope and it was great to get familiar with the group again - it a very 'completing the circle' feel to have characters from Book 1 reappear at the end.
The Not So Good:
- In many ways, it felt like very little happened, or at least nothing new. The Sword Saint was a rehash of all of the events from Darien and Shiang, which meant that nothing felt fresh - the city had been under siege before, strange invincible people had appeared before - nothing was really different.
- I had difficultly remembering the significance of each of the characters from previous novels when they reappeared - perhaps I read them too long ago? Or were they not reintroduced very thoroughly? I can't quite tell which.
- I was hoping for a little more information about the Twelve Families' stones, as well as a bit more Tellius/Winn Sallett relationship, but you can't have everything in a realtively short story.
- There were some odd debates at the beginning about trade, and being taken advantage of, and trying to retain some national freedom - maybe it's in the news too much (read: all the time), but of the arguments at the beginning felt very Brexit (and more Leave than Remain ...)
- The ending itself felt rushed (and more than a little bit unlikely that it would resolve so smoothly).
In all, it was the same formula, rewritten for the same characters. It didn't stop my enjoyment, but it meant that I was often looking for something new, but didn't necessarily receive it.
*I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Full review here
The Sword Saint is the third in the Empire of Salt trilogy by C.F Iggulden and is an excellent end to a gripping series. I’ll definitely look out for more fantasy from Iggulden, but also will try out his historical fiction.
Although I was looking forward to this one, I tried not to get my hopes too high. Shiang had a slow start and it took time for the pacing to establish itself; I wasn’t certain if the same would be true here.
Thankfully, it wasn’t. The Sword Saint goes straight into the drama as a trade treaty is brokered despite characters’ misgivings and we quickly learn that the treaty is just a front: war is coming to Darien and the odds, more than ever, seem impossible.
It’s made clear early on that the stakes are going to be high and this enemy will show no mercy. Unlike book two, this is an entire army marching on Darien, led by a man that has sorcerery at his fingertips that protects him from harm.
Despite the gripping plot, the tension and the action-packed scenes, what made this book for me were the characters. Tellius has been a favourite from the beginning and he shows the perfect balance between a shrewd man determined to protect his city, and an old man in love, wanting to find some peace and quiet.
Tellius takes centre stage from the start. But this final book brings back all the heroes from before: the swordsmen from book two (Hondo, Bosin and Taeshin) but also those from book one: Elias Post with his knack to see the future, Nancy and her ability to drain magic and Vic Deeds, in way over his head as per usual but with his guns in his hands and a will to live.
The characters come in a full circle; Elias realises he almost met Nancy that night, so many years ago, that dragged him into this. There is a strong dynamic between them all and the conflicting personalities work. Deeds acts as light relief; he plays his part, but nearly all of the others threaten to kill him just for being annoying. Taeshin is in awe of Hondo and Bosin struggles to find his humanity again.
I couldn’t put this book down. Iggulden handles the tension with masterful suspense – you grab a few seconds here and there to catch your breath before you are plunged back into the drama. It’s violent, but not in an explicit way, and you sense the determination and drive of all the characters: they have their reasons for wanting to survive the night. There’s large-scale battles, one-to-one fights, swords, guns, explosions… everything you’d expect to find.
But not everyone you love can survive. There are heartfelt and emotional moments scattered throughout, complementing with the fast-pace fights erupting all over Darien.
A fantastic series, with the third book being the strongest of them all. If you’re looking for a new fantasy series, I can’t recommend this enough!
The Sword Saint is the third in the Empire of Salt trilogy by C.F Iggulden and is an excellent end to a gripping series. I’ll definitely look out for more fantasy from Iggulden, but also will try out his historical fiction.
Although I was looking forward to this one, I tried not to get my hopes too high. Shiang had a slow start and it took time for the pacing to establish itself; I wasn’t certain if the same would be true here.
Thankfully, it wasn’t. The Sword Saint goes straight into the drama as a trade treaty is brokered despite characters’ misgivings and we quickly learn that the treaty is just a front: war is coming to Darien and the odds, more than ever, seem impossible.
It’s made clear early on that the stakes are going to be high and this enemy will show no mercy. Unlike book two, this is an entire army marching on Darien, led by a man that has sorcerery at his fingertips that protects him from harm.
Despite the gripping plot, the tension and the action-packed scenes, what made this book for me were the characters. Tellius has been a favourite from the beginning and he shows the perfect balance between a shrewd man determined to protect his city, and an old man in love, wanting to find some peace and quiet.
Tellius takes centre stage from the start. But this final book brings back all the heroes from before: the swordsmen from book two (Hondo, Bosin and Taeshin) but also those from book one: Elias Post with his knack to see the future, Nancy and her ability to drain magic and Vic Deeds, in way over his head as per usual but with his guns in his hands and a will to live.
The characters come in a full circle; Elias realises he almost met Nancy that night, so many years ago, that dragged him into this. There is a strong dynamic between them all and the conflicting personalities work. Deeds acts as light relief; he plays his part, but nearly all of the others threaten to kill him just for being annoying. Taeshin is in awe of Hondo and Bosin struggles to find his humanity again.
I couldn’t put this book down. Iggulden handles the tension with masterful suspense – you grab a few seconds here and there to catch your breath before you are plunged back into the drama. It’s violent, but not in an explicit way, and you sense the determination and drive of all the characters: they have their reasons for wanting to survive the night. There’s large-scale battles, one-to-one fights, swords, guns, explosions… everything you’d expect to find.
But not everyone you love can survive. There are heartfelt and emotional moments scattered throughout, complementing with the fast-pace fights erupting all over Darien.
A fantastic series, with the third book being the strongest of them all. If you’re looking for a new fantasy series, I can’t recommend this enough!
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes