The Bastard King: Scepter of Mercy, Book One [Paperback]

Dan Chernenko (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Scepter of Mercy, Bk. 1 | Publication Date: March 4, 2003

Since the Scepter of Mercy was lost from Avornis, the kingdom has been at risk from its magic-using neighbors. King Lanius and King Grus retrieved the Scepter in a tale of great triumph and adventure. But the true story of their dual reign has never been told. Until now...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the kingdom of Avornis, Chernenko's debut fantasy uses simple language and straightforward narrative to chronicle the rise of two extraordinary men-Lanius, the bastard son of a king, and Grus, a royal navy captain of humble origin. Due to an irregular succession and his anomalous status, the young Lanius finds his life ruled by a series of regents, including his mother and later Grus, who serves as the more powerful joint king. Meanwhile, Grus has become a general, fighting both the warlike Thervings and the Menteshe, who are vassals of the Banished One. A former God thrown out of heaven by the other Gods, the evil Banished One seeks to subject all to his will. Indirectly in his control is the talisman known as the Scepter of Mercy, once the property of the Avornis kings, which he can't wield but which others could use to defeat him. Each new king of Avornis has pledged to do all he can to get the scepter back, but its powers and appearance are uncertain and it's not until the end that both Lanius and Grus determine to follow through on the pledge, paving the way for future installments. The explicit details of Lanius's sexual coming-of-age should resonate with older young adults.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

With this book, Chernenko launches the Sceptre of Mercy, a series that promises to be more saga than soggy. Said ruling rod, missing for centuries, is eagerly sought by the Banished One, who was cast from heaven and wants to use the thing to reclaim his godhood. Naturally, woe betides mortals who get in his way. Lanius, only surviving son of the late King Mergus of Avornis, is, as the child of the king's seventh wife, technically a bastard, and therefore only the puppet ruler of a clique of nobles whose demeanor recalls medieval Scotland. His best, indeed sole, ally is Grus, a leader of the royal navy, which is Avornis' only line of defense against the ambitions of the Banished One. Of necessity, this alliance tries to outflank intrigues by the nobles and ends up literally and figuratively at sea, with not even survival, let alone victory, ensured at book's end. Intelligent if not original in most respects, the yarn doesn't take itself too seriously, and the seafaring portions of it are well handled. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Roc Trade (March 4, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451459148
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459145
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,692,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wretched...no, let me take that back...insipid. Yeah, that's it., January 9, 2006

By 

David C. Pangburn (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bastard King (Scepter of Mercy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

WARNING LABEL: Consumer should be advised that reading "The Bastard King" by Dan Chernenko could possibly result in Coma, Diarrhea, Asian Bird Flu, and possible permanent Mental Retardation of unborn children within a 500-yard radius when said book is read.

That's what should have been posted on the front of the book. Not the two misleading recommendation quotes from Booklist and Judith Tarr. Quotes of recommendation are pointless these days because of chronic abuse by the Publishing industry, probably always has been. Every time a Publishing company knows that have a stinker on their hands, they go with anonymous types to hype it in hopes of suckering people. Or maybe they can land a semi-known author, in this case Judith Tarr, for the meaningless quote. Ever wonder how this dynamic works? Is the publisher of this book, New American Library (division of Penguin), have a business connection with Tarr's Publishing House? Is there some scratch-my-back relationship between their editors or agents? Probably. Or maybe Judy has a full-blown Cocaine habit and New American Library promised to send her a free dime-bag of Blow. Anyhoo, as a consequence, for the malevolent misdeed of helping to enable this piece of tripe, I will make sure to spread the rumor, via net postings, that Judith Tarr plagiarizes by inserting excerpts of Mein Keimpf into her works. False? Sure. But she deserves the hit for helping to dupe readers. Judy, you got some powder on your nose...yeah, right there...yeah, ya got it.

But back to "The Bastard King"...

I am a veteran reader of Fantasy Literature for about 15 years now, by far my guiltiest pleasure among genres, and I am here to tell you that Dan Chernenko's writing style is about as evolved as a Britney Spears album. No...that's giving him too much credit...Christina Aguilera. There, better. Tolkien equals Mozart, Chernenko equals Aguilera.

Specifically, I have never read an author who resolves practically every conflict within 1 to 2 Chapters from it's introduction. He make's Feist's fast-paced style seem positively Proust-like. Worse, once you grasp his formula (which doesn't take long), you can actually predict THE HOW of how the conflict will get resolved. "...Okay, let's flip about 7 pages forward, and, ah yes, there we go, just like I thought." It's very safe really, if you like that sort of thing. After a while, though, you begin to root for Dan, hoping he will prove you wrong, throw ya a curveball. Nope. Tax Forms have more plot twists.

A great Fantasy author will give rich detail about surroundings and settings to accomplish convincing World-Building. You don't have to be Tolkien to pull it off, but you at least have to commit yourself to it. The best will weave the fabric of the descriptions so well it almost becomes prose. You never get that sense from Chernenko. It's almost as if he doesn't want to be bothered with the effort. Maybe it would be too frustrating for him. Even if he tried at some point, his pacing and easy conflict-resolution would probably defeat him. His style is, say, akin to cooking soup by blow-torch, instead of letting it simmer to a slow boil. Although, let me say that, yes, like others have described, the naval portion of the book accomplishes a semblance of realism. Gee, now all he has to do is get a grip on...*ahem*...land.

And there's the worst sin of all; the dialogue. The review from Publisher's Weekly stated it was "simple language". What an understatement. When characters interact with each other, the dialogue seems practically monosyllabic at times. The thought process of the characters doesn't give the impression of distinctness from each other, they all seem the same. The side-characters seem less like individual personalities then devices in which the main characters can react against in predictable fashion. And trust me, when it comes to Chernenko's attempt at court intrigue, as you thumb through the book the only thing you will find intriguing is the question of how this guy got a book deal. He must have pictures of his publisher naked with barnyard animals.

Was there any good things about "The Bastard King"? Yes. The cover art. But apparently that in itself was evil since it conned people into buying the book according to their testimonials. Sorry folks. The artist should get a X-Mas bonus from New American Library for pulling the con off, they owe him.

And there is one really great thing about "The Bastard King". It inspires! Yes, it has inspired me to get off my ass and start writing a Fantasy series of my own. After reading Chernenko, you realize if this guy can get a book deal, anyone can do it. Thanks Dan.

But in all seriousness, folks, you want to really know why this is a bad book? Because after forcing myself to get 4/5's of the way through it, I put it down one night, and really wasn't interested in finishing it. When you don't care about knowing the ending, that's a bad book.

My advice, go with Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, and a newer talent like Sean Russell. They can bring originality to what is supposed to be a formulaic genre. Learn what talented Fantasy authors are all about.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Looked so promising...but just didn't make the grade, September 18, 2005

By 

R. Nicholson - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Bastard King (Scepter of Mercy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

A disappointing book!

Like several other reviewers, I too, was intrigued by the nifty cover and the glowing reports from some well respected fantasy authors. Now, I find I've less respect some of these authors than I did before, and I've become determined not to be influenced again, when buying a book, by another "pretty face".

The story initially seemed to have such great prospects; revolving around two central figures who, while simultaneously on the same side, are constantly suspicious of each others intentions. Unfortunately, this theme became tiresome when it began reappearing in chapter after chapter, with nothing ever changing and with nothing ever resolved.

There were times when I thought the story was finally gelling into something substantial, only to find it falling flat... again.

Another concern was the writing of the battle scenes; the good guys always seemed at an initial disadvantage, but were repeatably able to win with surprising ease and lack of substantial casualties.

This book, at times (albeit rarely), showed promise but the difference between promising and producing has resulted in a novel that is lacking in overall quality. 1 1/2 stars (grudgingly rounded up to 2).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars poorly done, July 17, 2006

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Bastard King (Scepter of Mercy, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a fan of Harry Turtledove, and have read most of his works written under his own name. Then I discovered that Chernenko was a pen name of his, so I hurried to a copy of this book. Eagerly anticipating going through the 3 books of this series, while I wait for him to write more in his Civil War epics. Boy, was I disappointed! Perhaps it is good that this came out under Chernenko. It reads as a shoddy work, far below what Turtledove has produced elsewhere.

One flaw is how the Commodore Grus becomes a co-king with the book's young hero. Prior to this, we see much handwringing because there are strict rules about who can become king. Yet after some minor victories, Grus assumes the throne with little ado. Just doesn't jibe.

The wars/conflicts are weakly done. This has been noted for Turtledove's other works. He is not as strong at the tactical or strategic descriptions as Stirling, Weber, Ringo or Pournelle. Even so, what battles are covered in the book are tepid. No sense of a protracted engagement.

Turtledove has prodigious output. But he may be spreading himself too thin by occasionally sacrificing quality for quantity.

By the way, another reviewer asked why Judith Tarr furnished a favourable quote on the book's cover. It's perhaps because she and Turtledove wrote "Household Gods". A fantasy which is far better done than this sorry instance.