The Horsemen's Gambit (Blood of the Southlands, Book 2) [Hardcover]

David B. Coe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2009

David B. Coe created a richly textured, unique world in his Winds of the Forelands, and topped himself with The Sorcerer's Plague, his first novel set in the Southlands of the same world. Divided by clan rivalries and ancient feuds, suspicious of magics wielded by longtime enemies, the folk of the South have lived in a state of truce for generations. But peace is shattered when a woman looses a deadly plague on the magical Qirsi people.

While some people seek to prevent the spread of the plague, others see in this disaster a unique opportunity. With the magical folk weakened by the decimation of the plague, their unmagical enemies might be able to defeat them and take back lands lost in an ancient war. Haunted by the specter of what would be a tragic and devastating new war, the Southlands are aflame with rumors of violence, pestilence, and treachery.

Coe weaves together engagingly complex characters, unique, unusual magic, political intrigue and a compelling, unpredictable story into a captivating epic that will enthrall fantasy readers. A potent brew conjured by a masterful storyteller.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this intense and appealing sequel to 2007's The Sorcerer's Plague, clan rivalry continues apace. The plague-cursed baskets that Lici of the Mettai wove in revenge against the marauding Qirsi have traveled far, razing entire villages. The unsuspecting and unaffected Eandi peddlers who carried the baskets are now the focus of anger, fear and hatred. When news of the epidemic reaches the Forelands, Capt. Tirnya Onjaef decides to take advantage of the chaos and march south with a small Eandi army. Series hero Grinsa the Weaver, still a prisoner of the Fal'Borna, tries to find Lici and halt the plague, only to learn that he and his captors are susceptible to it. Coe steps up the tension and raises the stakes, leaving readers quivering in anticipation of book three. (Jan.)
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Review

Praise for The Sorcerer's Plague:

"The Sorcerer's Plague satisfies with sharply-drawn characters and an intense, intelligent plot. I eagerly await the next book of the Southlands." —Kate Elliott, bestselling author of Spirit Gate

"Coe’s new series is his best yet: appealing characters, twisty plot, and absorbing world."—Sherwood Smith on The Sorcerer’s Plague

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765316390
• ISBN-13: 978-0765316394
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,259,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Middle to the Story, February 9, 2009

By 

S. Kolman "S Kolman" (Philadelphia, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Horsemen's Gambit (Blood of the Southlands, Book 2) (Hardcover)

Usually the second part of a trilogy suffers by comparison to the beginning and end of the story. The Horseman's Gambit is every bit as compelling as the opening part of the story was in 'The Sorceror's Plague'. As the tale moves along, new characters (Tirnya and Enly of the Eandi) add to the complexity in exciting ways. The author has made a very realistic world with three distinct cultures about to explode in war. As a second book in this series it makes me crave more. It will be interesting to see how the three distinct people of the Southlands will finish this tale.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars superb fantasy, January 24, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Horsemen's Gambit (Blood of the Southlands, Book 2) (Hardcover)

The Southlands are populated by three groups who distrust one another. The Oirsi practice a life stealing magic; the Mettai use blood mixed with the earth to cast spells; and the Eandi do not use any form of magic. Over six decades ago a SORCERER'S PLAGUE destroyed a Mettai village; more recently that same plague devastated Kirayde, the hometown of Lici. She vowed vengeance against the Qirisi raiders whom she blamed and succeeded much more than she could have imagined when she interwove the SORCERER'S PLAGUE into baskets.

The Eandi peddlers sell her infected baskets to the unsuspecting Qirsi without relaizing that they are cursing the villagers they leave behind with a nasty death from their in demand product. With many villages eradicated as the epidemic spreads, the survivors believe the Eandi peddlers are killing them as they seem immune to the curse. Meanwhile from the Forelands, Eandi Captain Tirnya Onjaef leads a force south to conquer the stunned Qirsi while Grinsa the Weaver tries to escape incarceration by the Fal'Borna so that he can locate Lici and persuade her to end the plague. There is two problems for him and his allies; first escaping will not be easy and second they are susceptible to the customized lethal disease.

The second book of the Blood of the Southlands is a superb fantasy tale that not only avoids the mid book set up syndrome, but enhances the tension between the clans as each blames the other for their problems. Lici is a bit more off stage this time as her efforts have proven fruitful. Fans will relish this entry for its deep look into the social, political, economic and military interactions between the three distrusting groups; ignorance and racism are the norm with the hostilities turning the Southlands into a large killing field.

Harriet Klausner

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a simple yet solid book [no spoilers], February 23, 2009

By 

Oscar "DaRK KNighT" (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Horsemen's Gambit (Blood of the Southlands, Book 2) (Hardcover)

"Blood of the Southlands" continues a couple days later with "The Horsemen's Gambit" by introducing Captain Tirnya Onjaef in the lord governor's Qalsyn army as a new main character. Joining Tirnya is her father Marshall Jenoe and Enly Tolm, heir to the lord governor. The Mettai created plague affecting the Qirsi remains a menace, threatening the fragile peace between the Eandi and the Qirsi.

Although the solid plot exists in a wonderfully written novel, the rather predictable story containing a couple exciting moments mostly follows two additional groups. The Mettai's Besh and Sirj travel with the captured Lici seeking her cursed baskets. Grinsa and Q'Daer journey with two merchants to track down the infamous Lici and her baskets. Tirnya becomes involved with internal political and military maneuvers due to the weakened Fal'Borna. Finally Cresenne and Bryntelle receive a couple chapters explaining their time in E'Menua Fal'Borna sept.

Even after expecting more from the author, I still recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.