Blade of the Poisoner [Hardcover]

Hill (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (October 31, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689504187
• ISBN-13: 978-0689504181
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Quick Taste of the Fantasy Genre, but little Originality, January 24, 2004

By 

Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Blade of the Poisoner (Hardcover)

A young boy who is more than he seems, a cast of unusual companions who must help him, and an ultimate evil in the land to be defeated. Sound familiar? Unless this is your first foray into fantasy, you've encountered all these elements before. Douglas Hill's first book in this two-book young adult series published during the 1980's is not spectacular by any means, but it is a nice action-packed, short adventure story.

Young Jarrel has suffered a wound from the evil Poisoner's blade, and is destined to die by the next full moon. Only by destroying the blade that gave him the wound can Jarrel be saved, and it will be up to Jarrel's new companions--Archer, Scythe, Mandra and the wizard Cryl-to help save him. What follows is a lively journey to the Poisoner's lair to ultimately defeat the evil-and to discover what remarkable powers Jarrel may possess. The book is only 192 pages long, which means the story detail remains pretty thin, without much complexity and more than a bit cliché. There isn't much recommend Hill's villains, they are two-dimensional evil caricatures that must be defeated, likewise the fantasy world itself mirrors just about any D&D fantasy setting. But the brevity of the story does have its benefits-the story doesn't bog down in exposition, the chapters are often less than ten pages long and it reads quickly. All of these elements make it an appropriate and appealing read to a preteen reader, especially boys, who might be discouraged by longer books, and who are just beginning to discover heroic fantasy. The author's storytelling is strong and his writing is decent , which makes even this bare-bones tale come to life and allows the reader to have a vested interest in the outcome. The book ends with a clear lead in to its companion volume, THE MASTER OF FIENDS, so if you do pick this one up to read, be forewarned, you might want to have the sequel to hand when you finish.

Douglas Hill's published a number of books in the fantasy/SF genre, most of which have been out of print for quite a while. But, if you enjoy this tale be sure to check out the sequel, and also Hill's YOUNG LEGIONARY. Probably any intense fantasy reader will find this paltry fare, but for a new reader interested in action tales and pure entertainment, these may be a comfortable introduction.

Happy Reading!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hill leaves me wanting more!, July 1, 1998

By 

JBan (Lake County) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blade of the Poisoner (Hardcover)

This book (and the sequel) is great, one of the reasons being that it affected me so deeply. I read this book when I was 14, and I have read it 3 more times since then. This was the book that started my interest in the genre of fantasy. The only complaint is that it's not as long as I'd like it to be. Of course, that didn't bother me back then, but now (after reading the likes of Robert Jordan) I am left fiending!!!

And Mr. Hill's books are becoming VERY hard to find. A pity....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally Awesome Imagination, June 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Blade of the Poisoner (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not a bookworm (pity, really) and have only completed about 6 decent books - Blade of the Poisoner and Master of Fiends being two of those six. I read them about five years ago when I was 14 - it really grabbed me. I haven't read such a book so good that its dewey number has stuck in my head since I finished reading the stories about Jarrad - 826HIL if you're wondering.