Customer Reviews

Blade of the Poisoner

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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....

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.

I loved the book, I wish that he would write a sequel to it.....what happens the Cryltaur Tabbetang, the wizard, do they save him or what? Other than that, It is a great book, although it is a little short......

I thought this was a great book, and was surprised to find it was out of print! I read it when I was in middle school. I truly loved it, and since I am an amatuer writer myself, I try to keep the ideas there in my writing as well. The sequal is called Master of Fiends. Good luck in finding it!

This is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. It has action,wizardry,villians,heros,and romance. A must read for any fantasy fan. If you can find it read it and the sequal.

I read this book in grade school and again in middle school, and have been unable to locate it since. My impressions were, however, that this was a VERY good book. However, it can't compare to a series like Tolkien's Ring cycle or Jordan's Wheel of Time, because it's TOO SHORT!

My impression was that this was the first of a long series (like Hill's Warlord series, but better). Unfortunately, it seems that this has never come about, and Hill's work seems to be slowly disappearing from the ken of man. It's a shame.

Does anybody out there know if there is a sequel to this book? It is an excellent adventure and I would go to almost any length to obtain a sequel.

I first read this book when I was in grade school. Since then it has been the rule that I use to measure other SF/Fantasy books. It weaves a delicately placed tale of the evil tyrant, the Poisoner. A band of four warriors, called "talents," lead the march against him and to save to young unexperienced "talent." Little does anyome know that he has the talent to summon elementals to fight for him......

I really liked this book when I first read it in a local library I knew I had to have this book. The story takes many twists and turns and is always eventful. Plus it has a great way of making you fond of the charaters in the story. I highly recommend this book to any fantasy or adventure readers.