The Golden Sword (Branion series, Book 4) [Mass Market Paperback]

Fiona Patton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

On the eve of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the kingdom of Branion, the four DeKatherine cousins, under the guidance of Celestus, head of the family, organize a heretical conspiracy that threatens to bring down the kingdom's leading noble family and perhaps overthrow the ruling house, too. Each cousin wrestles with internal conflicts as well as with the others and with the legality and risks of the plot. Reluctant heroes or villains in fantasy now seem to be coming in entire families--a far cry from the genre's early days, when solitary wanderers were the norm. But Patton handles the varied elements necessary to an inevitably more complicated plot very skillfully. The fourth book in a series, The Golden Sword stands well on its own, thanks in part to a chapter-by-chapter cast list that especially helps newcomers. Workmanlike and well told, it is sure to attract and hold fantasy fans. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: DAW (August 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886779219
• ISBN-13: 978-0886779214
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A worthy effort, August 8, 2001

By 

Jennifer Burdoo (Emporia, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Golden Sword (Branion series, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

There are two distinctive elements to Fiona Patton's literary country of Branion that set it off from ordinary fantasy. One is the asexual society, where a woman can do as much as a man without comment, and bisexuality is common and accepted. While the bisexuality inspires comment from readers, that it stays in the background (save in the first book, 'The Stone Prince,') adds some verisimilitude to the extensive background Patton has created for her stories.

The other important element is her portrayal of religion. Because the historical side of fantasy tends to be ignored in favor of hobbits and dragons, it's often overlooked by enthusiasts that Catholicism was an integral part of medieval Europe. No sovereign moved without consulting the Pope, and kings claimed authority by Divine Right. Yet few sci-fi and fantasy writers even mention religion; authors David Feintuch and Christopher Stasheff are notable exceptions.

The Plantagenets and Stewarts of Britain only thought they had divine right. Their counterparts in Patton's very British country of Branion, the DeMarians, have divine right and can prove it. While the other major faith in this quasi-European world, Essusiatism, is a Catholic analogue, its gods are just as real. At one point in the story, a priest dedicates a child to the wrong religion, and the angry gods manifest to violently rearrange the scenery, vividly proving their existence and power.

The result is a compelling satire on Christianity. By combining Christian ritual and Celtic mysticism, Patton has created a unique religion with its own fascinating ideals. One reason I enjoyed this novel so much was that it went deeper than ever before into the history and mythos of Patton's world, expanding on what we've already seen. Little touches like place names and historical tidbits add to the sense that this is a fully developed universe. As a historian, I love the feel of an alternate Europe ' how we might have turned out if gods really acted like they're supposed to.

The previous three books in this series concentrated on the royal family of Branion, royal successions and the attending civil wars. In contrast, 'The Golden Sword,' set during a peaceful period of Branion's history, is in a sense quieter and more thoughtful. The family this time is the DeKathrines, the senior noble line, and the conflict entirely religious, rather than a mix of sacred and secular as in Patton's earlier stories.

The fictional Triarctic faith is based on the Greek elements of earth, air, water and fire. The first three form the Holy Triarchy, a quasi-Trinity with no real power, in the guise of Oaks, Wind and Sea. The Flame is predominant because it is the only one of the four god-elements to be directly controlled by a human, the Aristok. The Aristok is both a hereditary monarch and Christ-figure in one, complete with the ability to perform miracles which leave absolutely no doubt who's in charge. The Living Flame is essentially a symbiotic parasite, with the royal family as its willing hosts. This is very hard on the Aristoks themselves, who tend to die young, go insane, or become megalomaniacs. Patton's characters often seem too young and intelligent, leading armies and countries at the age of, say, twelve; while some reviewers disparage this, it's actually fairly accurate to the source material ' many medieval knights and kings were twenty or less. Perhaps it's the way the gods compensate for physically overwhelming their followers.

Camden DeKathrine is raised to serve the Living Flame, because that's what his family has always done. The Aristok is synonymous with the Flame, and the DeKathrines have always served the royal family with utmost dedication and loyalty, so for the teenaged Cam to be attracted to the element of Wind is scandalous. Therein lies the conflict; because of his love for the Wind (written with great feeling by Patton), Cam is seduced to the dark side by an uncle with conflicting motives.

As seen by its effects on the hosts, gods and people are like matter and anti-matter: They shouldn't be combined in the first place. Cam's uncle, Celestus, intends to do just that, giving the three other aspects their own hosts too and thus upsetting the precarious balance ' an act for which they could be burnt at the stake. But why should these minor aspects be left out of the power structure? That is Cam's position, and it's a good one.

Over the course of eight years, Camden falls from grace (literally) and struggles to redeem himself. In the process, he becomes an adult and reconciles his beliefs with reality. Paralleling Cam's path is Martin Wrey, a member of the opposing religion, Essusiatism, who converts to the Triarchy and back several times, using holy visions to guide his way. Martin and Cam become unlikely friends while working towards opposite ends, illustrating the tug-of-war between the gods. No one is entirely correct, but the opponents on all sides believe with true passion.

The finest aspect of Patton's work is that there are shades of gray to her characters, and no 'true' gods. By using heretics as her central characters in 'The Golden Sword,' Patton is deliberately undercutting a protagonist society she has created with strength and precision in her previous stories. Looking at her world in this way, from many differing viewpoints, makes it lively and realistic.

Incidentally, this book is NOT a light read. 'The Stone Prince' is an better introduction to the series (albeit not for homophobics). If you are part of what Americans call the 'Religious Right,' you may want to sheer off altogether, but for those daring to brave the experience, Fiona Patton's work is a thought-provoking treatise on friendship and faith.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Do not read this one first., February 16, 2004

By 

W. A Mynatt (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Golden Sword (Branion series, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this one very hard to follow after enjoying the first three. Love the world, but the idea of an avatar for the other aspects has never even been broached in earlier books. In fact, I am not sure that any other reference as been made to the the other aspects except a nod here and there.

One more thing. Why are heterosexual Partners referred to as husband and wives and homosexual partners referred to as Partners (with a capital P)? While this bugged me, I also wondered about what havoc that wreaks on a feudal society that passes down titles from parent to child and has no apparent way of creating issue outside of heterosexual relationships.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshingly original fantasy, August 8, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Golden Sword (Branion series, Book 4) (Mass Market Paperback)

Camden DeKatherine never questioned his role in his family's empire as everyone served the Flame including him. That belief ended on his twelfth birthday when his father died. His older brother, Alec, now the Duke, shut him out and Cam felt like a stranger in his own home. He found comfort in the Wind who called to him and realized he was that Aspect's Chosen.

Cam's Uncle Celestus saw that his nephew was born to serve the Wind not the fire. He realized he found the fourth and last person he needed to form a circle consisting of all the Aspects. He persuaded Cam's family to let the boy stay with him while they mourned the loss of their patriarch. At Tavencroft, Cam was accepted for the first time for who he truly was but he knew that he was involved in a heretical conspiracy that would either kill him or set him free.

Fiona Patton has created an imaginary world where the religious, metaphysical and political aspects of life are intertwined to form the bases of a person's identity. Branion is an island nation that has been led by the same ruling family for the five hundred years of its existence, but what Cam and his cohorts plan to do is change the existing order or die trying. Cam is not an easy person to understand, but when the true nature of his character becomes apparent the reader will be with him heart and soul. The antagonist has many redeeming qualities but his obsessive need to prove his theory right turns him into the villain of the piece. THE GOLDEN SWORD is a fantasy novel that will appeal to many readers on several levels.

Harriet Klausner