The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2) [Paperback]

John Marco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 4, 2000 | Series: Tyrants and Kings

From John Marco comes the epic sequel to his thrilling debut military fantasy, The Jackal of Nar. An infamous warrior is once again caught between two irresistible forces, and his choice may change the world....

In the wake of Arkus' terrible war, Prince Richius Vantran, the Jackal of Nar, has fled into exile with his wife, Dyana, and their young daughter, Shani. Meanwhile, with the emperor's death, Nar has exploded in civil war. Now a new conflict is being waged between the religious fanatics of Bishop Herrith, who follow the Light of God, and the ruthless followers of Count Biagio and his Black Renaissance. Each man believes he has been chosen to lead, and as the terrifying slaughter mounts, fueled by the development of hideous new war machines, Vantran is offered the chance to ally with a third faction and take his revenge against his ancient enemy Biagio.

But Biagio, a master of deception and intrigue, has a grand design to gain total power, and part of it involves luring Vantran's new allies into a clever and deadly trap. As for Vantran, Biagio's own most hated enemy, the count has a far more devious plan: to strike the warrior-prince's only weakness...Vantran's innocent daughter. And Vantran himself will unwittingly seal his daughter's fate.


Count Renato Biagio was bred in the lap of luxury, but this pampered fop has a steel core of determination.  Bishop Herrith is a man of God, equally determined to defend his beliefs.  With the emperor Arkus's death, each believes he has been chosen to lead Nar.  But when Richius Vantran, hero of the previous war and now an exile in a foreign land, is called to defeat Biagio, he finds himself with a bitter choice.  Is Herrith really the best leader for Nar, or is Richius's lust for vengeance blinding him to Biagio's potential? -->

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The second book in the Tyrants and Kings series, following The Jackal of Nar, continues to explore the fallout from the ruthless plans of now-dead King Arkus of the Iron Throne to unite the land in a vast, evil Black Renaissance. Prince Richius Vantran, the Jackal of Nar, was one of Arkus's star pupils, along with his one-time friend, the black-hearted Count Renato Biagio. After Arkus's death, Vantran broke with Biagio and his bloody plans, losing his wife, Sabrina, and barely escaping with his own life. Now he just lives quietly in hiding with his new wife and their beloved baby daughter. Unfortunately Biagio is determined to wreak his revenge on Vantran, even in the midst of civil war between the Black Renaissance and worshippers of the God of Light, led by Archbishop Herrith. Biagio schemes to bring down Herrith with a pair of secret weapons designed in his infamous war labs. In the meantime he sends his most trusted servant, Simon Darquis, to kidnap Vantran's daughter, unaware that the Jackal has been persuaded to lead an armada against Biagio's forces at the port of Crote. John Marco's novel stands out in the crowded field of epic fantasy due to its unique blend of magical and historical detail. He manages a reasonably satisfying conclusion here, while leaving plenty of loose ends for successive books sure to contain equally large helpings of bloody intrigue and gripping action. --Charlene Brusso

From Publishers Weekly

The second novel in the high fantasy Tyrants and Kings cycle takes up where The Jackal of Nar left off. Prince Richius Vantran finds exile more pleasant with a wife and daughter, but still seeks to overthrow Count Biagio and Archbishop Herrith, who are battling each other for control of the land of Nar. From his base on the island of Crote, Biagio commands the Black Fleet under Admiral Nicabar, while Vantran has made an alliance with the Hundred Islands of Liss, bent on vengeance against Nar. All these rivalries are fought out on a large and often vividly described stage, where flocks of attack ravens can destroy armies, soldiers march with both battering rams and poison gas, and sailing ships use rams and flame-throwers. Add to this mix many complex characters--Lorla, the woman in a girl's body who's also a secret weapon concocted by midget mad scientist Bovadin; the dueling dukes of Dragon's Beak, Eneas and Enli; and Simon Darquis, Biagio's sworn agent who turns traitor for love of a dancing girl--not to mention Herrith's tender conscience, and the grand total is something less than the most coherent narrative ever put between covers. One can leap from high point to high point without losing too much interest, however, while appreciating the author's attention to detail and ambitious stabs at originality. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Spectra (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553380222
• ISBN-13: 978-0553380224
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,457,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Marco is the author of seven books of fantasy fiction, including the Tyrants and Kings trilogy and the books of the Bronze Knight Lukien. His first book for young adult readers, Starfinder, was released last year, and will be available in paperback in April, 2010. To find out more about John, visit his blog at www.johnmarco.com, where he shares news about his life and work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great sequel to The Jackal of Nar, June 3, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Leeuwarden, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2) (Paperback)

The Grand Design is the second book by the American writer John Marco. This book is the sequel to John Marco's thrilling debut The Jackal of Nar.

After the death of emperor Arkus of Nar, the empire of Nar has exploded into civil war. The fight for power is between the religious supporters of Bishop Herrith and the ruthless supporters of the former right hand of the emperor, Count Biagio.

Meanwhile the main character from The Jackal of Nar, Richius Vantran, lives together with his wife Dyana and his daughter Shani in Lucel-Lor. Despite this easy (and seemingly safe) life, Richius can only think of one thing..revenge on his arch-enemy Count Biagio. When Richius is offered the change to get his revenge by an old friend, he grabs it with both hands.

Unfortunately for Richius hasn't Biagio forgotten him. On the contrary, Biagio is even more after revenge than Richius ever can imagine. Even worse, Biagio plans to get rid of all his enemies in one blow.....

For the second time John Marco has succeeded to put down a readable, thrilling novel. The Grand Design offers even more depth than The Jackal of Nar, since John Marco succeeded to build a story around more then one main-character. Where The Jackal of Nar was mainly situated around Richius Vantran, The Grand Design has four main characters who are all equally important to the story. Besides that John Marco's great knowledge of military history shows in the realistic way he describes the battles between the armies, both on land and at sea.

The most important thing I like about John Marco's writing is the way he keeps you guessing about what will happen next..and most of the time you're wrong about it.

After writing The Grand Design John Marco now has definitely joined the ranks of famous writers like Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind and Robert Jordan.

Pieter Willem Lak

Leeuwarden, 2nd June 2000

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grand sequel!, July 10, 2000

By 

Brenda "MYSHELFDOTCOM" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2) (Paperback)

When it finally came time to review The Grand Design, I was thrilled. I am not a fantasy reader, but I do like unusual stories, and after reading John Marco's first book in the Tyrants and Kings series, Jackal of Nar, I just knew this one was going to be just as good. I was right. Honestly, most fantasies tend to leave me confused, but not this series. It's not only easy to follow and comprehend; it's hard to put down! Just as with Jackal of Nar, it is full of never-ending action, villainy, politics and fabulous technology!

The story begins with General Vorto, the Supreme Commander of the Legions of Nar bombarding the walls of Goth with the War Machines of Nar (Descriptions of these are fascinating). Duke Lokken of Goth flies the Black Flag of Nar and misses the Black Renaissance. Having shredded Harrith's Banner and sent it to Nar City, he now finds Vorto Bombarding his walls. The Empire now suffers a war of religion between religious fanatics Bishop Harrith (Light of God) and Count Biagio (The Black Renaissance). Richius Vantran, the Jackal of Nar, is now considered a traitor. He is in exile with his wife and daughter. When he becomes involved in the religious fanatic war, his old enemy the Count, who wants total control over all, makes plans to take Richius and Dyana's only child.

The Grand Design has a futuristic atmosphere, yet also carries an historical feel. The characters are great. Besides the remarkable main characters, Harrith, Biagio, and Vantran, there are the even more impressive secondary characters like Lorla, The Mind Bender, Simon, Duke Enli, Duke Eneas (The Raven Master) and many others. Each character is intriguing, well written and impressive. It's an impressive fantasy series; expect to be entertained throughout.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent followup to a terrific debut, April 6, 2000

By 

Victoria Strauss (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grand Design (Tyrants and Kings, Book 2) (Paperback)

Book 2 is very different from Book 1: more action-focused (though the first book was no slouch on action), more complex, and more nuanced. It's not a simple followup to THE JACKAL OF NAR: it adds a lot of depth to the world of the series and focuses not just on Richius and Dyana, but on many new and memorable characters. John Marco has a knack for creating characters who straddle the line between good and evil: even the most heroic are flawed in some way, and even the most evil are portrayed with understanding and sympathy. Impressive also is the degree to which this middle book of a trilogy stands alone, deftly incorporating all the backstory from Volume 1 into the flow of the action. Once again, a strong performance from a talented new author.