Customer Reviews

A Death Of Kings

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This is one of three trade paperback sequels to the previously published DAW books from the 1980s. I again was struck by both the detailed fantasy world lovingly populated by Professor Barker and his ability to still intrigue me 20 years later with his story lines and obvious love of language.

Not a novel for casual readers though. While I found it hard to put down I almost needed a score card to keep track of the characters present! I welcome this and the other two novels in his continued series.

I wanted to like this book more, but it's not great, even for the Tekumel enthusiast.

The story involves the old characters Harsan, Trinesh and Naru, on a diplomatic mission to Salarvya following the death of that country's king. Harsan is written woodenly, and his two companions might as well not be there. The plot doesn't really go anywhere, and the key element that you think the story is going to address peters out unresolved before the book's conclusion.

I hope the (eagerly anticipated) new books MARB is planning on writing will be more like the rather fine Man of Gold and Lords of Tsamra, and less like this (though I'll probably read them all anyway.)