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mferrante83's review
5.0
Howard Andrew Jones’ debut novel The Desert of Souls was one of my favorite novels of 2011. The Bones of the Old Ones , released just this January , takes up bare months after the first novel left off. Asim and Dabir have taken up positions in the city of Mosul and as an uncanny cold grips the desert city the two long time friends find themselves called to action once more this time to aid the mysterious Najya; a woman hunted by a cabal of ancient sorcerer-assassins. The Bones of the Old Ones, even more than in Jones’ first novel, is a pure and unadulterated Swords and Sorcery novel.
Featuring mysterious magicians, a beautiful woman in danger, and two very human yet extraordinarily capable heroes The Bones of the Old One rockets forth at breakneck pace barely pausing for a breath as our two hero manage to stay a hairsbreadth ahead of the villains. Whereas the first novel saw Jones taking time to introduce our Asim and Dabir he all but disposes of that formality here spending what felt like a very brief chapter reacquainting readers with the two protagonists before thrusting them into danger.
At the same time Jones also delves into the history of both Dabir and Asim. For Asim this comes by way via the mysterious damsel-in-distress Najya whose quiet strength, and capable nature (not to mention great beauty) attract the stoic Asim. Through this attraction we learn a little about Asim’s past love life, just enough to provide readers with a reason behind his hesitance when it comes to his feelings for Najya. Asim isn’t the only character whose past we get to visit, Dabir revisits his own past he contact his former mentor Jibril. Both offer insight into the makeup of each character while at the same time keep the novel focused on the plot.
As in the previous volume the narrative is experience from Asim’s point of view. It is an interesting choice for narration offering a one-sided means of interpreting thought, emotion, and action. Everything that happens is relayed through the filter of Asim’s perspective and Jones does a remarkable job of staying true to his rather limited point of view. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have gotten at some points wanting to portray things that didn’t happen in front of Asim or finding ways to have Asim relay things that didn’t happen directly to them. In the end I think the strict adherence to Asim’s point of view is not only part of the novel’s charm but also plays a strong part in keeping the action fast and plot tight.
The Bones of the Old Ones was a pleasure to read. Jones crafts a taught action-packed story that never suffers as a result of its pace. Dabir and Asim are well-crafted vibrant character with distinct personalities and attitudes that together create an effective and well-rounded partnership. The Desert of Souls was an excellent first novel and, while I didn’t think it possible, The Bones of the Old Ones manages to take a similar approach and make it even faster and more thrilling than its predecessor. I’ll definitely be on the lookout from more adventures with Dabir and Asim and I recommend all fans of adventure laden fantasy give Howard Andrew Jones a try.
Featuring mysterious magicians, a beautiful woman in danger, and two very human yet extraordinarily capable heroes The Bones of the Old One rockets forth at breakneck pace barely pausing for a breath as our two hero manage to stay a hairsbreadth ahead of the villains. Whereas the first novel saw Jones taking time to introduce our Asim and Dabir he all but disposes of that formality here spending what felt like a very brief chapter reacquainting readers with the two protagonists before thrusting them into danger.
At the same time Jones also delves into the history of both Dabir and Asim. For Asim this comes by way via the mysterious damsel-in-distress Najya whose quiet strength, and capable nature (not to mention great beauty) attract the stoic Asim. Through this attraction we learn a little about Asim’s past love life, just enough to provide readers with a reason behind his hesitance when it comes to his feelings for Najya. Asim isn’t the only character whose past we get to visit, Dabir revisits his own past he contact his former mentor Jibril. Both offer insight into the makeup of each character while at the same time keep the novel focused on the plot.
As in the previous volume the narrative is experience from Asim’s point of view. It is an interesting choice for narration offering a one-sided means of interpreting thought, emotion, and action. Everything that happens is relayed through the filter of Asim’s perspective and Jones does a remarkable job of staying true to his rather limited point of view. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have gotten at some points wanting to portray things that didn’t happen in front of Asim or finding ways to have Asim relay things that didn’t happen directly to them. In the end I think the strict adherence to Asim’s point of view is not only part of the novel’s charm but also plays a strong part in keeping the action fast and plot tight.
The Bones of the Old Ones was a pleasure to read. Jones crafts a taught action-packed story that never suffers as a result of its pace. Dabir and Asim are well-crafted vibrant character with distinct personalities and attitudes that together create an effective and well-rounded partnership. The Desert of Souls was an excellent first novel and, while I didn’t think it possible, The Bones of the Old Ones manages to take a similar approach and make it even faster and more thrilling than its predecessor. I’ll definitely be on the lookout from more adventures with Dabir and Asim and I recommend all fans of adventure laden fantasy give Howard Andrew Jones a try.
maryrobinette's review
4.0
For full disclosure, I blurbed this book and I did that because I really enjoy how swashbuckling these are. They are like Sherlock Holmes crossed with the Arabian Nights. Asim is Watson to Dabir's Holmes, but with magic. And swords! I like the the way the characters trust each other and that solving problems requires each of their strengths.
Strangely, one of the things that I also appreciate is that Asim is sexist, but thinks that he's not. It's true of a lot of people who want to be allies today. The books, however, are not at all sexist in their depictions of women. It's a fine and delicate line to walk, depicting realistic attitudes of the time without falling trap to repeating the mistakes of the past. The female characters are strong, but each has different forms of strength. I particularly liked Najya in The Bones of the Old Ones because she made Asim confront some of his own prejudices and surmount them. As I said, it's a tricky line to walk and I think Howard did that beautifully.
Plus, did I mention the epic battles? And magic!
Strangely, one of the things that I also appreciate is that Asim is sexist, but thinks that he's not. It's true of a lot of people who want to be allies today. The books, however, are not at all sexist in their depictions of women. It's a fine and delicate line to walk, depicting realistic attitudes of the time without falling trap to repeating the mistakes of the past. The female characters are strong, but each has different forms of strength. I particularly liked Najya in The Bones of the Old Ones because she made Asim confront some of his own prejudices and surmount them. As I said, it's a tricky line to walk and I think Howard did that beautifully.
Plus, did I mention the epic battles? And magic!
patrickkanouse's review
4.0
Howard Andrew Jones' The Bones of the Old Ones in the Sword and Sands Chronicle is a worthy successor to the first book in that series, The Desert of Souls.
We get more of the swashbuckling, historical fantasy. Asim and Dabir begin their journey when Tajya, a Persian noblewoman, arrives. She is in distress, and she needs the help of Asim and Dabir, who take on the task. An ancient and powerful magic threatens them at every turn.
The setup is wonderful, and Jones loses no time in jeopardizing our heroes. We read, in Sherlock Holmes fashion, as Dabir and Asim unravel the mysteries of the forces at work.
In describing this book to several people as I was reading it, I used it's an Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes with some magic set in the Abbasid Caliphate. This sequel is completely standalone, though the characters and settings grow from the first novel. We see Asim more accepting of some of the crazy things he's seeing as well as trusting Dabir more. We see Dabir as less "all-knowing"--yes, he still is quite wise, but here he seems to have to struggle more to get the answers. The background of the Caliphate is less touched on than in the first, but its presence still colors the narrative, especially when the Greeks arrive.
This is a definite must-read.
We get more of the swashbuckling, historical fantasy. Asim and Dabir begin their journey when Tajya, a Persian noblewoman, arrives. She is in distress, and she needs the help of Asim and Dabir, who take on the task. An ancient and powerful magic threatens them at every turn.
The setup is wonderful, and Jones loses no time in jeopardizing our heroes. We read, in Sherlock Holmes fashion, as Dabir and Asim unravel the mysteries of the forces at work.
In describing this book to several people as I was reading it, I used it's an Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes with some magic set in the Abbasid Caliphate. This sequel is completely standalone, though the characters and settings grow from the first novel. We see Asim more accepting of some of the crazy things he's seeing as well as trusting Dabir more. We see Dabir as less "all-knowing"--yes, he still is quite wise, but here he seems to have to struggle more to get the answers. The background of the Caliphate is less touched on than in the first, but its presence still colors the narrative, especially when the Greeks arrive.
This is a definite must-read.
tlsouthard's review against another edition
4.0
I think I actually liked this second book better than the first one. Sword, sorcery, flying carpets, and love. The charm of the buddies lives on and Asim gets more of his due than in the first book.
tak's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mikhailrekun's review
4.0
Very nice adventure story. Not quite as clear as Desert of Souls, but fun all the same.
thxni's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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