Customer Reviews

The Coming of Wisdom (Book Two of The Seventh Sword)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dave Duncan's characters are real and memorable. He introduces some originality into this popular genre which grabs hold and wont let go. But his attempts at mystery are a little lacking. And the ways in which his characters leap to sudden conclusions or receive profound insight is frequently unclear, causing the reader to stumble through the next several pages in confusion, wondering what they missed, until events fall into place. I found it distracting and off-putting and though I liked the story, I'm not sure if I want to read the finale. I can probably guess how it'll end anyway.'

"The Reluctant Swordsman" (Seventh Sword, Book 1)introduces the characters and world/universe the author continues with in "The Coming of Wisdom" (Seventh Sword, Book 2)and "The Destiny of the Sword" (Seventh Sword, Book 3). This is a brilliant trilogy which remains at the top of Dave Duncan's impressive body of work.

The characters remind me of Dungeons and Dragons Roll Playing Games (D&D RPG's). The hero is a 7th level swordsman who picks up a 7th level priest as a travelling companion. There is the same satisfaction of watching a companion swordsman advance through the ranks as there is developing your own character's skill levels in an RPG. There are also some other character types familiar to RPG's (archer's are held in contempt). This is not one of those cheap knockoffs on a D&D game though. This is just one element of the world the author has created which is kind of fun.

The author created a universe with a multitude of gods, like the Greek and Roman gods. While this is very common in the sword and sorcery genre, Dave Duncan has made the gods active participants in his story. One god makes repeated appearances, talks with the hero, and performs the occasional miracle. The author is able to keep the gods from completely overshadowing the human characters by stressing how they value "free will" for there own purposes. The author's brilliant use of deity characters (a recurring element throughout his best series) add facets to this story which lift it above a simple Conan type "guy with sword" story.

This trilogy has a detailed, multi-leveled plot which twists enough to keep you in suspense right up until the ending. And the ending reaches the appropriate dramatic climax, then has a satisfying denouement where the characters reap their rewards and the author ties up any loose ends. When this book ended, I was left saying, "Wow, imagine that!"

The only thing I can even think of that I didn't like about this trilogy is that it ended. The author really wrapped things up for the characters. It would be almost impossible to continue the story. I do hope that Dave Duncan comes back to this world with some new characters though. Maybe the old characters can have a cameo in the new story. . .

I am not a huge reader, but I try and always have something to read. I tend to stay away from book series, as I like to be able to step away after I finish a book. I read the description of book I and was just too interested not to give the book a try. I have to say that this is a very original story and I am glad that I read all three books. I purchased a hard copy of book I and plan on lending it out to some of my friends to get them to read through it.

The Seventh Sword is a great series. I couldn't put the books down. Wally Smith dies on earth and wakes to find himself in the body of a master swordsman, living another man's life in another world. Suffice it to say, his 20th century values don't quite match those of the man's body he is inhabiting, which makes for some interesting turns as he runs into people who recognize him...

BOOK 2 OF THE SEVENTH SWORD TRILOGY

Book 2 builds well on the first installment. Character development continues. This book is based mostly on a ship moving up and down the River, visiting the various towns. Shonsu is found still working at the trilogy's big riddle, with the aid of his 6 companions. An interesting take on "sorcery" is revealed towards in the latter third of the book. Set up for the third & final book is appropriate, but not mind-blowing by any sense of the imagination. Decent reading, overall. Book takes about 2 hours or so to read at leisurely pace.

This book is a continuation of the story that began in "The Reluctant Swordsman" (see my separate review of that book). While the story is very good and I did enjoy reading it, this book feels even more rushed than the first volume. The main plot is often advanced at the expense of adding the kind of color and flavor that make the great series (Dune, Lord of the Rings, etc.) so good. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this book and there were less obviously dropped plotlines than in the first book. It could have been so much more though.

Essentially, this book takes our hero on a whirlwind tour of the World. The riddle from the first book is slowly revealed throughout his travels as are the outlines of the grand battle that will will be resolved, presumably, in the third volume. Some of the mysteries of the World are revealed as are some small pieces of the culture. In the end, it is the fact that our hero has come to accept the World at face value that turns out to be his biggest problem.

My main problem with the book is that there is so little development of minor plot points. The book feels like a rush to end of the main story arc leaving no time to explore other aspects of the world. Wallie/Shonsu visits a number of cities, but other than a cursory description of them, they are ignored despite the fact that they are all clearly unique. Even after two books, how the culture is constructed and how the various crafts and professions interact is still largely a mystery. I had hoped that this book would lead to an exploration of other crafts, but after constructing an elaborate structure for the World, the actually mechanics of how it runs are largely ignored.

And this lack of depth is a shame. The storyline is very good and despite the shortcommings in character and environmental development, I am enjoying it. I just wish that more time had been spent developing the World rather than sprinting through it.

This should have all been one book. Part 2 goes on seamlessly from where the first book ended. I fear that those readers who have not read "The Reluctant Swordsman" will be a bit confused, since Duncan doesn't go into much of the backstory. He just assumes you already know. Other than that, this was an outstanding read. It moved along with almost the same pace as the first, my only quibble being that Wallie should have caught on to what the sorcerers were doing a lot faster than he did, given his Earth background. It will be interesing to see what he does with his new-found knowledge in Book 3, which I've already downloaded. Sorry - I do have another quibble. I'm not sure what Duncan is doing with Wallie's/Shonsu's mind. Sometimes he seems to have all of Wallie's memories, but there are times when he goes blank, and I don't mean when Shonsu's swordsman skills take over. That is why I was surprised at his being so slow to recognise the source of the sorcerers power. That is all I can say without giving the plot away. You'll see. Again, highly recommended, but do start from the beginning with book 1!

solidly done, story comes together very well, and the end of the book is masterful. Book is exactly the right length.

One less star for this 2nd installment of the gem that is 'The Seventh Sword', mainly due to the necessary world-building & character development seen in Dave Duncan's many worlds. It robs a touch from the swashbuckling thrills I've come to expect in his worlds, but I feel the slowing of the pace necessary. A worthy read & essential for this trilogy, as readers of the third installment will understand. I enjoyed this book, but moreso as part of the full story over the three installments. As a stand-alone, it's been rated. 5+ stars as part of an excellent & engaging trilogy.

Decent enough book with a really interesting world. Fast-paced read, easily done in a couple of hours. What bugs the heck out of me is the fact that Amazon has books #1 and #2 available for the Kindle, but not book #3. What gives?!